Porsanger
Encyclopedia
Porsanger or Porsáŋgu (Northern Sami
) or Porsanki (Kven
/Finnish
) is a municipality
in Finnmark
county
, Norway
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lakselv. Since 2004, the municipality has had three official names: Porsanger, Porsáŋgu, and Porsanki, since it has three official languages.
Porsanger (named Kistrand
before 1964) was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
). Three other municipalities were later separated from it: Kautokeino
(in 1851), Nordkapp
(in 1861) and Karasjok (in 1866).
With a population of 4100 people, many with Kven(Kainu) or Sami background. The population decreases slowly with 0-8% according to the municipality statistics, taken yearly.
form of the name was Porsangr. The first element is probably the name of the plant pors or finnmarkspors (Rhododendron tomentosum
). (Another theory is that is comes from Sami borsi which means "waterfall
".) The last word is angr which means "fjord
".
was granted on 16 June 1967. Porsanger is one of the largest municipalities in the Northern Norway that are not dependent on fishing
. Instead the local people historically farmed reindeer
, which is still an importance source of income. The arms thus show three silver leaping reindeer on a red background.
since time immemorial. In the 18th century, people from Finland
, escaping famine
and war
, settled along the fjord. These people are today known as Kven. Today, three official languages are in use, and the municipality is named Porsanger, Porsáŋgu, and Porsanki (the name in Norwegian
, Northern Sami
, and Kven
/Finnish
respectively).
has connections to Tromsø
and Kirkenes
operated by Widerøe
, as well as charter flights in the summer season. The airport is also used by the Royal Norwegian Air Force
's Station Group Banak, and with the Norwegian Army
's garrison
at Porsangmoen
, the military presence is quite heavy.
The local newspapers are Finnmark Dagblad
and Ságat
.
The northernmost winery
is located here, using crowberries
instead of grape
s.
The municipality is on the shores of the Porsangen fjord, a wide, open body of water with many island
s. The biggest settlement and administrative centre is the town of Lakselv at the fjord's end, but there are smaller hamlets spread around on both sides, notably Kistrand
, Olderfjord
, Børselv
, and Billefjord.
On the western side of the fjord, one finds the Stabbursdalen National Park, with the world's northernmost pine
forest
.
Midnight sun from 16 May to 27 July. Polar night from 25 November to 16 January.
fauna. Here one can find such species as Pine Grosbeak
. Away from the woodland
s, it is the surrounding wetland
s that have the greatest diversity. During spring, thousands of Red Knot
s stop to rest and feed along the shores of Porsangerfjord.
Northern Sami
Northern or North Sami is the most widely spoken of all Sami languages. The speaking area of Northern Sami covers the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland...
) or Porsanki (Kven
Kven language
The Kven language is a Finnic language spoken in Northern Norway by the Kven people. For political and historical reasons it received the status of a minority language in 2005 within the framework of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
/Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
) is a municipality
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 village of Lakselv. Since 2004, the municipality has had three official names: Porsanger, Porsáŋgu, and Porsanki, since it has three official languages.
Porsanger (named Kistrand
Kistrand
Kistrand is a village in Porsanger municipality, Norway. It is located at on the western shore of the Porsangerfjord.Kistrand was the name of the municipality Porsanger from 1837 to January 1, 1964. In 1837 Kistrand municipality encompassed the contemporary municipalities Porsanger, Nordkapp,...
before 1964) was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. This system of municipality was created in a bill approved by the Storting and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January 1837...
). Three other municipalities were later separated from it: Kautokeino
Kautokeino
or Guovdageaidnu , is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Guovdageaidnu/Kautokeino...
(in 1851), Nordkapp
Nordkapp
Nordkapp is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Honningsvåg.Nordkapp was separated from Porsanger on 1 July 1861...
(in 1861) and Karasjok (in 1866).
With a population of 4100 people, many with Kven(Kainu) or Sami background. The population decreases slowly with 0-8% according to the municipality statistics, taken yearly.
General information
Name
The 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....
form of the name was Porsangr. The first element is probably the name of the plant pors or finnmarkspors (Rhododendron tomentosum
Marsh Labrador Tea
Rhododendron tomentosum , commonly known as Marsh Labrador tea, northern Labrador tea or wild rosemary, is a flowering plant in the subsection Ledum of the large genus Rhododendron in the family Ericaceae....
). (Another theory is that is comes from Sami borsi which means "waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
".) The last word is angr which means "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...
".
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...
was granted on 16 June 1967. Porsanger is one of the largest municipalities in the Northern Norway that are not dependent on fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
. Instead the local people historically farmed reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
, which is still an importance source of income. The arms thus show three silver leaping reindeer on a red background.
History
The area has been settled by SamiSami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
since time immemorial. In the 18th century, people from Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, escaping famine
Famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...
and war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
, settled along the fjord. These people are today known as Kven. Today, three official languages are in use, and the municipality is named Porsanger, Porsáŋgu, and Porsanki (the name in Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
, Northern Sami
Northern Sami
Northern or North Sami is the most widely spoken of all Sami languages. The speaking area of Northern Sami covers the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland...
, and Kven
Kven language
The Kven language is a Finnic language spoken in Northern Norway by the Kven people. For political and historical reasons it received the status of a minority language in 2005 within the framework of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
/Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
respectively).
Economy
Lakselv Airport, BanakLakselv Airport, Banak
Lakselv Airport, Banak is located 1,5 km from the town of Lakselv in the municipality of Porsanger in Finnmark county, in northern Norway. The airport also serves Karasjok, some 74 km to the south, with a corresponding airport coach six days a week...
has connections to 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 Kirkenes
Kirkenes
is a town in the municipality of Sør-Varanger in the county of Finnmark in the far northeast of Norway...
operated by Widerøe
Widerøe
Widerøe's Flyveselskap AS, trading as Widerøe, is a regional airline in Norway and part of the SAS Group. It operates a fleet of 34 Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft , serving 41 domestic and 6 international destinations...
, as well as charter flights in the summer season. The airport is also used by the Royal Norwegian Air Force
Royal Norwegian Air Force
The Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peace force is approximately 1,430 employees . 600 personnel also serve their draft period in the RNoAF...
's Station Group Banak, and with the Norwegian Army
Norwegian Army
Norway achieved full independence in 1905, and in the first century of its short life has contributed to two major conflicts, the Cold War and the War on Terror. The Norwegian Army currently operates in the north of Norway and in Afghanistan as well as in Eastern Europe. The Army is the oldest of...
's garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
at Porsangmoen
Garnisonen i Porsanger
Garnisonen i Porsanger, based at Porsangmoen in Porsanger, is the world's northernmost military garrison at 70 degrees northern latitude, located in the Norwegian county of Finnmark....
, the military presence is quite heavy.
The local newspapers are Finnmark Dagblad
Finnmark Dagblad
Finnmark Dagblad is a Norwegian daily newspaper, published in Hammerfest, Norway.The newspaper was founded in 1913 as Vestfinmarkens Socialdemokrat. It changed its name to Vestfinnmark Arbeiderblad in 1923. From 1940 the newspaper was taken over by Nasjonal Samling, and it was renamed first to...
and Ságat
Ságat
Ságat is a Sámi newspaper written in Norwegian that is published in the county of Finnmark in Norway with a circulation of 2,717 ...
.
The northernmost winery
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
is located here, using crowberries
Crowberry
Crowberry is a small genus of dwarf evergreen shrubs that bear edible fruit. They are commonly found in the northern hemisphere, from temperate to subarctic climates, and also in the Southern Andes of South America and on the South Atlantic islands of South Georgia, the Falklands and Tristan da...
instead of grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
s.
Geography
Porsanger is the third largest municipality in Norway by area, with 4873 square kilometre. The fjord is the fourth longest in Norway, and the longest in North Norway.The municipality is on the shores of the Porsangen fjord, a wide, open body of water with many 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...
s. The biggest settlement and administrative centre is the town of Lakselv at the fjord's end, but there are smaller hamlets spread around on both sides, notably Kistrand
Kistrand
Kistrand is a village in Porsanger municipality, Norway. It is located at on the western shore of the Porsangerfjord.Kistrand was the name of the municipality Porsanger from 1837 to January 1, 1964. In 1837 Kistrand municipality encompassed the contemporary municipalities Porsanger, Nordkapp,...
, Olderfjord
Olderfjord
Olderfjord is a village in Porsanger municipality, Norway.It is known mainly as the junction between the European route E6 and E69....
, Børselv
Børselv
Børselv is a village in Porsanger in Finnmark, Northern Norway. It is located along the Porsangerfjord at the outlet of the river Børselva....
, and Billefjord.
On the western side of the fjord, one finds the Stabbursdalen National Park, with the world's northernmost pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
.
Midnight sun from 16 May to 27 July. Polar night from 25 November to 16 January.
Birdlife
Porsanger is an area of rich and varied birdBird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
fauna. Here one can find such species as Pine Grosbeak
Pine Grosbeak
left|thumb|Adult femaleThe Pine Grosbeak is a large member of the true finch family, Fringillidae. It is found in coniferous woods across Alaska, the western mountains of the United States, Canada, and in subarctic Fennoscandia and Siberia...
. Away from the woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
s, it is the surrounding wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s that have the greatest diversity. During spring, thousands of Red Knot
Red Knot
The Red Knot, Calidris canutus , is a medium sized shorebird which breeds in tundra and the Arctic Cordillera in the far north of Canada, Europe, and Russia. It is a large member of the Calidris sandpipers, second only to the Great Knot...
s stop to rest and feed along the shores of Porsangerfjord.