Hillesøy
Encyclopedia
Hillesøy is a former municipality
in Troms
county
in Norway
. It is located in the present-day municipalities of Tromsø
and Lenvik
and both sides of the Malangen
fjord
. The island of Sommarøy
is connected to the large island of Kvaløya by the Sommarøy Bridge
.
: Hildulfsøy), since that is where the church was located. The first element of the old name comes from the old male name Hildulfr and the last part is identical with the word for "island
". Another possibility for the meaning of the name is Hellisøy, where the first element comes from the work hellir which means "rock slab" and the last element again meaning "island".
(or it might have been in 1871–some sources do not concur). The initial population of Hillesøy was 811. On 1 January 1964, Hillesøy municipality ceased to exist. The areas of Hillesøy on Kvaløya as well as all of its islands north of Hekkingen (with 1,316 inhabitants in total) became a part of the enlarged Tromsø
municipality. The rest of Hillesøy on the island of Senja
and the little island of Hekkingen (with a total of 1,159 inhabitants) was merged back into Lenvik.
Former municipalities of Norway
This is a list of former municipalities of Norway, i.e. municipalities that no longer exist.When the local council system was introduced in Norway in 1837-38, the country had 392 municipalities. In 1958 the number had grown to a total of 744 rural municipalities, 64 city municipalities as well as a...
in Troms
Troms
or Romsa is a county in North Norway, bordering Finnmark to the northeast and Nordland in the southwest. To the south is Norrbotten Län in Sweden and further southeast is a shorter border with Lapland Province in Finland. To the west is the Norwegian Sea...
county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is located in the present-day municipalities of Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
and Lenvik
Lenvik
Lenvik is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The municipality is partly situated on the mainland, partly on the island of Senja. The administrative center is the town of Finnsnes, where the Gisund Bridge connects Senja to the mainland by road. Other settlements include Aglapsvik, Gibostad,...
and both sides of the Malangen
Malangen
Malangen is a fjord and a former municipality in Troms county in Norway. The fjord is located between the islands of Kvaløya and Senja and the area today is divided between the municipalities of Balsfjord, Lenvik, Tromsø, and Målselv...
fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
. The island of Sommarøy
Sommarøy
Sommarøy is a populated island in the western part of the municipality of Tromsø, in Troms county, Norway, about west of the city of Tromsø. The island is connected to Kvaløya island with the Sommarøy Bridge. The village of Sommarøy covers the island as well as the neighboring island of Hillesøy...
is connected to the large island of Kvaløya by the Sommarøy Bridge
Sommarøy Bridge
Sommarøy Bridge is a cantilever bridge from Kvaløya to Sommarøy in the Hillesøy area of the western part of the municipality of Tromsø in Troms county, Norway. The bridge is long and the longest span on the bridge is ....
.
Name
The municipality is named after the old Hillesøy farm (Old NorseOld Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
: Hildulfsøy), since that is where the church was located. The first element of the old name comes from the old male name Hildulfr and the last part is identical with the word for "island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
". Another possibility for the meaning of the name is Hellisøy, where the first element comes from the work hellir which means "rock slab" and the last element again meaning "island".
History
The municipality of Hillesøy was established in 1855 when it was separated from the municipality of LenvikLenvik
Lenvik is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The municipality is partly situated on the mainland, partly on the island of Senja. The administrative center is the town of Finnsnes, where the Gisund Bridge connects Senja to the mainland by road. Other settlements include Aglapsvik, Gibostad,...
(or it might have been in 1871–some sources do not concur). The initial population of Hillesøy was 811. On 1 January 1964, Hillesøy municipality ceased to exist. The areas of Hillesøy on Kvaløya as well as all of its islands north of Hekkingen (with 1,316 inhabitants in total) became a part of the enlarged Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
municipality. The rest of Hillesøy on the island of Senja
Senja
Senja is the second largest island in Norway . It is located along the Troms county coastline with Finnsnes as the closest town. Senja is connected to the mainland by the Gisund Bridge. The municipalities located on Senja are Lenvik , Berg, Torsken, and Tranøy...
and the little island of Hekkingen (with a total of 1,159 inhabitants) was merged back into Lenvik.