Vega, Norway
Encyclopedia
Vega is a municipality in Nordland
county
, Norway
. It is part of the Helgeland
traditional region
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Gladstad
. Other villages include Holand
and Ylvingen
.
The municipality comprises about 6,500 island
s in the Vega Archipelago. The main island of the municipality is also called Vega, and it is also the largest at 163 square kilometres (62.9 sq mi). Bremstein Lighthouse
is located in the southwestern part of the municipality.
). On 1 January 1965, the Skogsholmen area (population: 196) was transferred from Tjøtta
to Vega. Then on 1 January 1971, the Skålvær islands (population: 32) in the northeastern part of Vega was transferred to Alstahaug
.
: Veiga). The name is probably derived from veig which means "liquid
" or "fluid
" (referring to the lake
s and the marsh
es of the island). The name was written "Vegø" prior to 1891.
is from modern times; they were granted on 20 November 1987. The arms show a gold-colored bailer
for a boat
on a red background. A bailer is an essential tool that is important to the municipality due to its dependence on the sea. An earlier suggestion for the Vega coat-of-arms picturing the black silhouette of a sailing boat on a yellow background is now used as the coat-of-arms of Nordland
county.
has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Vega. It is part of the Sør-Helgeland deanery
in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland
.
and fishing
are at present as they were in the past, key fields of labour. Today's inhabitants are concentrated in Holand
, Valla, Igerøy, Ylvingen
, and Gladstad
, the latter being the location of the municipal council and most of the island's commerce.
's cultural landscape
was inscribed by UNESCO
on the World Heritage Site
list as representative of "the way generations of fishermen/farmers have, over the past 1,500 years, maintained a sustainable living in an inhospitable seascape near the Arctic Circle
, based on the now unique practice of eider
down
harvesting." The oceanic climate and limestone
bedrock
has allowed 10 different species of orchids to grow in Vega, and 210 species of bird
s have been recorded at the archipelago.
Eidemsliene nature reserve
has many warmth-loving species of plants and the most oceanic pine
forest in North Norway. Holandsosen nature reserve is an important wetland
area with a shallow lake and soil rich in lime
; 149 species of birds have been observed in this reserve which has a rich bird life all year (many birds use this as their winter quarter). Lånan nature reserve preserves many types of coastal nature and is a very important area for many species of birds; eider down harvesting is still practiced here.
Nordland
is a county in Norway in the North Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Nord-Trøndelag in the south, Norrbottens län in Sweden to the east, Västerbottens län to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is...
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...
. It is part of the Helgeland
Helgeland
Helgeland is the most southerly district in Northern Norway. Generally speaking, Helgeland refers to the part of Nordland county that is located south of the Arctic Circle. The district covers an area of about , with nearly 79,000 inhabitants...
traditional region
Districts of Norway
The country Norway is historically divided into a number of districts. Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties and municipalities. The districts are defined by geographical features, often valleys, mountain ranges, fjords,...
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Gladstad
Gladstad
Gladstad is the administrative centre of the municipality of Vega in Nordland county, Norway. It is located in the central part of the island of Vega, about southeast of the village of Holand. The village has a population of 283. The population density is . The local Vega Church is located...
. Other villages include Holand
Holand, Vega
Holand is a village in the municipality of Vega in Nordland county, Norway. It is located on the north end of the island about north of the village of Gladstad....
and Ylvingen
Ylvingen
Ylvingen is an island in the municipality of Vega in Nordland county, Norway. It has less than 60 residents and an area of .During the Second World War, the island was used by the German Armed Forces as an emplacement and had prisoners of war from Russia, Serbia, and Poland doing forced labor. The...
.
The municipality comprises about 6,500 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 in the Vega Archipelago. The main island of the municipality is also called Vega, and it is also the largest at 163 square kilometres (62.9 sq mi). Bremstein Lighthouse
Bremstein Lighthouse
Bremstein Lighthouse is a lighthouse in the municipality of Vega in Nordland county, Norway. The lighthouse is located on the island of Geiterøya, about west of the main island of Vega. The tall red tower has a white stripe around it. The light can be seen for about . There is also a...
is located in the southwestern part of the municipality.
General information
The municipality of Vega was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistriktFormannskapsdistrikt
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...
). On 1 January 1965, the Skogsholmen area (population: 196) was transferred from Tjøtta
Tjøtta
Tjøtta is an island, village and former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is now part of Alstahaug municipality..-Location:The village Tjøtta is located on the southern tip of the island of the same name, which is located south of Alsten.The municipality was created in 1862 by a split...
to Vega. Then on 1 January 1971, the Skålvær islands (population: 32) in the northeastern part of Vega was transferred to Alstahaug
Alstahaug
Alstahaug is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandnessjøen....
.
Name
The municipality is named after the main island of Vega (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....
: Veiga). The name is probably derived from veig which means "liquid
Liquid
Liquid is one of the three classical states of matter . Like a gas, a liquid is able to flow and take the shape of a container. Some liquids resist compression, while others can be compressed. Unlike a gas, a liquid does not disperse to fill every space of a container, and maintains a fairly...
" or "fluid
Fluid
In physics, a fluid is a substance that continually deforms under an applied shear stress. Fluids are a subset of the phases of matter and include liquids, gases, plasmas and, to some extent, plastic solids....
" (referring to the 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 and the 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 of the island). The name was written "Vegø" prior to 1891.
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 20 November 1987. The arms show a gold-colored bailer
Bailer
A bailer in hydrogeology is a hollow tube used to retrieve groundwater samples from monitoring wells. Groundwater monitoring wells are drilled in areas where there are underground storage tanks or where there is environmental remediation occurring. The wells are typically built out of PVC casing...
for a boat
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
on a red background. A bailer is an essential tool that is important to the municipality due to its dependence on the sea. An earlier suggestion for the Vega coat-of-arms picturing the black silhouette of a sailing boat on a yellow background is now used as the coat-of-arms of Nordland
Nordland
is a county in Norway in the North Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Nord-Trøndelag in the south, Norrbottens län in Sweden to the east, Västerbottens län to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is...
county.
Churches
The Church of NorwayChurch of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Vega. It is part of the Sør-Helgeland deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland
Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland
Sør-Hålogaland is a diocese in the Church of Norway. The Diocese covers the Lutheran Church of Norway churches located within Nordland county in Norway...
.
| Parish (Sokn) | Church Name | Location of the Church | Year Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vega | Vega Church Vega Church Vega Church is a parish church in the municipality of Vega in Nordland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Gladstad. The church is part of the Vega parish in the Sør-Helgeland deanery in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland. The white wooden church was built in 1864. It was consecrated... |
Gladstad Gladstad Gladstad is the administrative centre of the municipality of Vega in Nordland county, Norway. It is located in the central part of the island of Vega, about southeast of the village of Holand. The village has a population of 283. The population density is . The local Vega Church is located... |
1864 |
| Ylvingen Chapel Ylvingen Chapel Ylvingen Chapel is a chapel in the municipality of Vega in Nordland county, Norway. It is located on the island of Ylvingen. The church is part of the Vega parish in the Sør-Helgeland deanery in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland. The white wooden chapel was built in 1967.... |
Ylvingen Ylvingen Ylvingen is an island in the municipality of Vega in Nordland county, Norway. It has less than 60 residents and an area of .During the Second World War, the island was used by the German Armed Forces as an emplacement and had prisoners of war from Russia, Serbia, and Poland doing forced labor. The... |
1967 |
History
Early settlements on the main island date back 10,000 years, making it one of the oldest places of inhabitance in North Norway. AgricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and 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....
are at present as they were in the past, key fields of labour. Today's inhabitants are concentrated in Holand
Holand, Vega
Holand is a village in the municipality of Vega in Nordland county, Norway. It is located on the north end of the island about north of the village of Gladstad....
, Valla, Igerøy, Ylvingen
Ylvingen
Ylvingen is an island in the municipality of Vega in Nordland county, Norway. It has less than 60 residents and an area of .During the Second World War, the island was used by the German Armed Forces as an emplacement and had prisoners of war from Russia, Serbia, and Poland doing forced labor. The...
, and Gladstad
Gladstad
Gladstad is the administrative centre of the municipality of Vega in Nordland county, Norway. It is located in the central part of the island of Vega, about southeast of the village of Holand. The village has a population of 283. The population density is . The local Vega Church is located...
, the latter being the location of the municipal council and most of the island's commerce.
Geography
In 2004, the archipelagoArchipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
's cultural landscape
Cultural landscape
Cultural Landscapes have been defined by the World Heritage Committee as distinct geographical areas or properties uniquely "..represent[ing] the combined work of nature and of man.."....
was inscribed by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
on the World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
list as representative of "the way generations of fishermen/farmers have, over the past 1,500 years, maintained a sustainable living in an inhospitable seascape near the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
, based on the now unique practice of eider
Eider
Eiders are large seaducks in the genus Somateria. Steller's Eider, despite its name, is in a different genus.The three extant species all breed in the cooler latitudes of the Northern hemisphere....
down
Down feather
The down of birds is a layer of fine feathers found under the tougher exterior feathers. Very young birds are clad only in down. Powder down is a specialized type of down found only in a few groups of birds. Down is a fine thermal insulator and padding, used in goods such as jackets, bedding,...
harvesting." The oceanic climate and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
bedrock
Bedrock
In stratigraphy, bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet, usually the Earth. Above the bedrock is usually an area of broken and weathered unconsolidated rock in the basal subsoil...
has allowed 10 different species of orchids to grow in Vega, and 210 species of bird
Bird
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...
s have been recorded at the archipelago.
Eidemsliene nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
has many warmth-loving species of plants and the most oceanic pine
Scots Pine
Pinus sylvestris, commonly known as the Scots Pine, is a species of pine native to Europe and Asia, ranging from Scotland, Ireland and Portugal in the west, east to eastern Siberia, south to the Caucasus Mountains, and as far north as well inside the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia...
forest in North Norway. Holandsosen nature reserve is an important 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....
area with a shallow lake and soil rich in lime
Lime (mineral)
Lime is a general term for calcium-containing inorganic materials, in which carbonates, oxides and hydroxides predominate. Strictly speaking, lime is calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide. It is also the name for a single mineral of the CaO composition, occurring very rarely...
; 149 species of birds have been observed in this reserve which has a rich bird life all year (many birds use this as their winter quarter). Lånan nature reserve preserves many types of coastal nature and is a very important area for many species of birds; eider down harvesting is still practiced here.
External links
- Municipal fact sheet from Statistics NorwayStatistics NorwayStatistics Norway is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every year on its web site. All releases are published both in Norwegian and English...
- Vega Havhotell
- Images of Vega Island and the surrounding region by Dana Morris