Jostedalsbreen National Park
Encyclopedia
Jostedalsbreen National Park is a national park in Norway
that encompasses the largest glacier
on the European mainland, Jostedalsbreen
. The park was established by royal decree on 25 October 1991, and then in 1998, it was enlarged to the northwest. The park now covers 1310 square kilometres (505.8 sq mi), with the glaciers covering about 800 square kilometres (308.9 sq mi) of the park.
The park lies in the municipalities
of Luster
, Balestrand
, Jølster
, Sogndal
, Gloppen
, Førde
, and Stryn
, all of which are in Sogn og Fjordane
county
.
There are three museums and also visitors centers: the Breheimsenteret
in Jostedal
, Jostedalsbreen nasjonalparksenter
in Oppstryn (Stryn
) and Norsk bremuseum in Fjærland
.
The highest peak in the park is Lodalskåpa
at 2083 metres (6,834 ft). The glacier's highest point, Brenibba
, lies 2018 metres (6,620.7 ft) above sea level while its lowest point is 350 metres (1,148.3 ft) above sea level. The glacier has shrunk in recent years, and there are ruins of farms that were overtaken by the glacier in 1750.
, the last element is the finite form
of the word bre which means "glacier
".
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...
that encompasses the largest glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
on the European mainland, Jostedalsbreen
Jostedalsbreen
Jostedalsbreen is the largest glacier in continental Europe. It is situated in Sogn og Fjordane county in Western Norway. Jostedalsbreen lies in the municipalities of Luster, Balestrand, Jølster, and Stryn. The highest peak in the area is Lodalskåpa at a height of .Jostedalsbreen has a total area...
. The park was established by royal decree on 25 October 1991, and then in 1998, it was enlarged to the northwest. The park now covers 1310 square kilometres (505.8 sq mi), with the glaciers covering about 800 square kilometres (308.9 sq mi) of the park.
The park lies in the municipalities
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
of Luster
Luster, Norway
Luster is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative centre is Gaupne. Other villages include Skjolden, Hafslo, Jostedal, and Veitastrond....
, Balestrand
Balestrand
Balestrand is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center is the village of Balestrand....
, Jølster
Jølster
Jølster is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative centre is the village of Skei...
, Sogndal
Sogndal
Sogndal is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. The village of Sogndalsfjøra is the administrative center of Sogndal municipality. Other main villages include Kaupanger, Kjørnes, and Fjærland...
, Gloppen
Gloppen
Gloppen is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Nordfjord. Gloppen is generally subdivided into three areas: Hyen in the west, Gloppen in the center, and Breim in the east. Each of the areas have their own main service centres. ...
, Førde
Førde
Førde is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative center is the town of Førde which in 2010 had 12,035 inhabitants. The historic village of Bruland is located just east of the town of Førde...
, and Stryn
Stryn
Stryn is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Nordfjord. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Stryn which had a population of 2,177 in 2009. The municipality is located along the innermost part of the...
, all of which are in Sogn og Fjordane
Sogn og Fjordane
is a county in Norway, bordering Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland. The county administration is in the town of Hermansverk in Leikanger municipality while the largest town is Førde....
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...
.
There are three museums and also visitors centers: the Breheimsenteret
Breheimsenteret
The Breheimsenteret was a museum and one of the three visitors centers for Jostedalsbreen National Park. Opened in 1993, it was located near the Jostedøla river in the village of Jostedal, about north of Gaupne and about east of the Jostedalsbreen glacier in the municipality of Luster in Sogn...
in Jostedal
Jostedal
Jostedal is a village and a former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county in Norway. It is located in the northern part of the present-day municipality of Luster, about north of Gaupne. The village of Jostedal currently has around 410 inhabitants ....
, Jostedalsbreen nasjonalparksenter
Jostedalsbreen nasjonalparksenter
Jostedalsbreen nasjonalparksenter is a visitors center that is located in the village of Oppstryn in the municipality of Stryn in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The center is located east of the villages of Loen and Olden, on the shore of the lake Oppstrynsvatn...
in Oppstryn (Stryn
Stryn
Stryn is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Nordfjord. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Stryn which had a population of 2,177 in 2009. The municipality is located along the innermost part of the...
) and Norsk bremuseum in Fjærland
Fjærland
Fjærland is a village in the municipality of Sogndal, along the Fjærlandsfjord, in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The Fjærlandfjord is a branch of the Sognefjord, the longest fjord in Norway...
.
The highest peak in the park is Lodalskåpa
Lodalskåpa
Lodalskåpa is the highest nunatak on the glacier Jostedalsbreen. It is located on the border between the municipalities of Stryn and Luster in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway, within Jostedalsbreen National Park....
at 2083 metres (6,834 ft). The glacier's highest point, Brenibba
Brenibba
Brenibba is a nunatak protruding from the north end of the Jostedalsbreen glacier in the Breheimen mountain range. It is located in the municipality of Luster in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. Brenibba is south of Lodalskåpa and northeast of Høgste Breakulen. It is part of the Jostedalsbreen...
, lies 2018 metres (6,620.7 ft) above sea level while its lowest point is 350 metres (1,148.3 ft) above sea level. The glacier has shrunk in recent years, and there are ruins of farms that were overtaken by the glacier in 1750.
Name
The park was named after the main glacier in it, Jostedalsbreen. The first element of that name is the name of the old municipality JostedalJostedal
Jostedal is a village and a former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county in Norway. It is located in the northern part of the present-day municipality of Luster, about north of Gaupne. The village of Jostedal currently has around 410 inhabitants ....
, the last element is the finite form
Finite verb
A finite verb is a verb that is inflected for person and for tense according to the rules and categories of the languages in which it occurs. Finite verbs can form independent clauses, which can stand on their own as complete sentences....
of the word bre which means "glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
".