Nordkapp
Encyclopedia
Nordkapp ( and ) is a municipality
in Finnmark
county
, Norway
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Honningsvåg
.
Nordkapp (originally named Kjelvik
) was separated from Porsanger
on 1 July 1861. The western part of the island of Magerøya
was transferred from the municipality of Måsøy
to Nordkapp on 1 January 1984.
name North Cape from 1553 (the Old Norse
name of the cape
was Knyskanes). The original name of the municipality was Kjelvik
, after a fishing village with the same name. But the village was totally destroyed by the Germans in 1944 and it never recovered. As a consequence of this the municipality changed the name to Nordkapp in 1950.
is from modern times. They were granted on 19 October 1973. The arms show simplified the North Cape
, which is a large cliff
. The arms thus show the sea and the cliff under a golden sky representing the midnight sun
.
The municipality encompasses mainly the island of Magerøya, but also parts of the mainland east and west of the fjord of Porsanger.
Most of the inhabitants live in the town of Honningsvåg, but Nordvågen, Kamøyvær, Skarsvåg
and Gjesvær are also important places.
The municipality's most famous point, after which it is named, is Nordkapp (North Cape). This 307 metres (1,007 ft) high cliff is usually referred to as the northernmost point of Europe. It is however not Europe's northernmost point, not by any definition. The northernmost point of the European mainland is Cape Nordkinn
(Kinnarodden), at 71° 08′ 02″ North and 20 km from the village of Mehamn on Nordkinn Peninsula. And if Europe's northernmost point is allowed to be on an island it is Cape Fligely on Rudolf Island
, Franz Josef Land
, Russia, which is located very much further north at 81° 48′ 24″ North. And if Franz Josef Land is considered not to be in Europe, then Europe's northernmost point is the northern point of Rossøya
, an islet north of Spitsbergen
at 80° 49′ 44.41″ North.).
Some 200,000 tourists annually visit Nordkapp, during the two to three months of summer.
The North Cape first became famous when the English explorer Richard Chancellor
rounded it in 1553 while attempting to find a sea route through the Northeast Passage.
colonies. The island group known as Gjesværstappan is one of the better known with at least 2,500 pairs of Razorbill
. Away from the coast it is the typical tundra
habitat
of the region that dominates with lake
s, marsh
es, and areas of Willow Scrub. Many of the lakes hold breeding wildfowl, with species like Long-tailed Duck
being found.
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
in Finnmark
Finnmark
or Finnmárku is a county in the extreme northeast of Norway. By land it borders Troms county to the west, Finland to the south and Russia to the east, and by water, the Norwegian Sea to the northwest, and the Barents Sea to the north and northeast.The county was formerly known as Finmarkens...
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...
, 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...
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Honningsvåg
Honningsvåg
at 70° 58' N, in Nordkapp municipality, claims to be the northernmost city in Norway and even in the world, although the title is disputed by Hammerfest, Norway; Barrow, Alaska; and Longyearbyen, Svalbard...
.
Nordkapp (originally named Kjelvik
Kjelvik
Kjelvik is a small fishing village in Nordkapp municipality, Norway. It is located on Magerøya at approx. a few miles east of Honningsvåg and near the estuary of the Porsangerfjord....
) was separated from Porsanger
Porsanger
Porsanger or Porsáŋgu or Porsanki is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lakselv...
on 1 July 1861. The western part of the island of Magerøya
Magerøya
Magerøya is an island in Finnmark county in the extreme north of Norway, in the community of Nordkapp. The island features a bleak, barren tundra-landscape devoid of any trees , with steep cliff faces on the coast and dramatic mountainscapes in the interior. It has an area of...
was transferred from the municipality of Måsøy
Måsøy
Måsøy is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Havøysund.Måsøy was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
to Nordkapp on 1 January 1984.
General information
Name
Nordkapp is a Norwegianized form of the EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
name North Cape from 1553 (the Old Norse
Old 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....
name of the cape
Headland
A headland is a point of land, usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends out into a body of water.Headland can also refer to:*Headlands and bays*headLand, an Australian television series...
was Knyskanes). The original name of the municipality was Kjelvik
Kjelvik
Kjelvik is a small fishing village in Nordkapp municipality, Norway. It is located on Magerøya at approx. a few miles east of Honningsvåg and near the estuary of the Porsangerfjord....
, after a fishing village with the same name. But the village was totally destroyed by the Germans in 1944 and it never recovered. As a consequence of this the municipality changed the name to Nordkapp in 1950.
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is from modern times. They were granted on 19 October 1973. The arms show simplified the North Cape
North Cape, Norway
North Cape is a cape on the island of Magerøya in Northern Norway, in the municipality of Nordkapp. Its 307 m high, steep cliff is often referred to as the northernmost point of Europe, located at , 2102.3 km from the North Pole. However, the neighbouring point Knivskjellodden is actually...
, which is a large cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
. The arms thus show the sea and the cliff under a golden sky representing the midnight sun
Midnight sun
The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon occurring in summer months at latitudes north and nearby to the south of the Arctic Circle, and south and nearby to the north of the Antarctic Circle where the sun remains visible at the local midnight. Given fair weather, the sun is visible for a continuous...
.
Location and history
Most of the inhabitants live in the town of Honningsvåg, but Nordvågen, Kamøyvær, Skarsvåg
Skarsvåg
Skarsvåg is a village in Finnmark county in northern Norway, with approximately 60 inhabitants. It is the northernmost settlement on Magerøya, and claims the distinction of being the world's northernmost fishing village. It is located 14 km from the North Cape.-External links:**...
and Gjesvær are also important places.
The municipality's most famous point, after which it is named, is Nordkapp (North Cape). This 307 metres (1,007 ft) high cliff is usually referred to as the northernmost point of Europe. It is however not Europe's northernmost point, not by any definition. The northernmost point of the European mainland is Cape Nordkinn
Cape Nordkinn
Cape Nordkinn at is the northernmost point on Nordkinn Peninsula in Finnmark county in northern Norway. It is notable for being the northernmost point of mainland Norway, and by extension the northernmost point of mainland Europe.- Geography :...
(Kinnarodden), at 71° 08′ 02″ North and 20 km from the village of Mehamn on Nordkinn Peninsula. And if Europe's northernmost point is allowed to be on an island it is Cape Fligely on Rudolf Island
Rudolf Island
Prince Rudolf Land, Crown Prince Rudolf Land, Prince Rudolf Island or Rudolf Island is the northernmost island of the Franz Josef Archipelago, Russia. The island was named by the Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition in honor of Archduke Rudolf , Crown Prince of Austria, Hungary and Bohemia...
, Franz Josef Land
Franz Josef Land
Franz Josef Land, Franz Joseph Land, or Francis Joseph's Land is an archipelago located in the far north of Russia. It is found in the Arctic Ocean north of Novaya Zemlya and east of Svalbard, and is administered by Arkhangelsk Oblast. Franz Josef Land consists of 191 ice-covered islands with a...
, Russia, which is located very much further north at 81° 48′ 24″ North. And if Franz Josef Land is considered not to be in Europe, then Europe's northernmost point is the northern point of Rossøya
Rossøya
Rossøya, sometimes referred to as Ross Island in English, is an island located in the Barents Sea. It is a part of Sjuøyane, a group of islands in the Svalbard archipelago, just north of the coast of Nordaustlandet. Rossøya is located just north-west of the slightly larger island Vesle Tavleøya...
, an islet north of Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
at 80° 49′ 44.41″ North.).
Some 200,000 tourists annually visit Nordkapp, during the two to three months of summer.
The North Cape first became famous when the English explorer Richard Chancellor
Richard Chancellor
Richard Chancellor was an English explorer and navigator; the first to penetrate to the White Sea and establish relations with Russia....
rounded it in 1553 while attempting to find a sea route through the Northeast Passage.
Birdlife
This coastal municipality is like many others in Finnmark, home of large seabirdSeabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
colonies. The island group known as Gjesværstappan is one of the better known with at least 2,500 pairs of Razorbill
Razorbill
The Razorbill is colonial seabird that will only come to land in order to breed. It is the largest living member of the Auk family. This agile bird will choose only one partner for life and females will lay one egg per year. Razorbills will nest along coastal cliffs in enclosed or slightly exposed...
. Away from the coast it is the typical tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
of the region that dominates with lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s, marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es, and areas of Willow Scrub. Many of the lakes hold breeding wildfowl, with species like Long-tailed Duck
Long-tailed Duck
The Long-tailed Duck or Oldsquaw is a medium-sized sea duck. It is the only living member of its genus, Clangula; this was formerly used for the goldeneyes, with the Long-tailed Duck being placed in Harelda...
being found.
External links
- http://www.minitothearctic.com Over 5000 mile drive from England to Nordkapp and back in aid of Leukaemia Research, September 2008
- http://www.northcape.tv Pictures from North Cape and Skarsvåg
- http://www.northwayup.co.uk/ Motorcycle ride from England to Nordkapp in aid of Cancer Research. 5000 miles in 10 days! June 2008
- http://www.nk05.eu/home_eng.html Motorbike travel from Italy to Nordkapp
- http://www.noborderbiking.com From Nordkapp to Italy by Bike
- http://forum.interrail.net/nordkapp-train-t512.html Nordkapp by Rail