Nordland
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Nordland (; , , , ) is one of the three northernmost
counties A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
in
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
in the
Northern Norway Northern Norway (, , ; ) is a geographical region of Norway, consisting of the three northernmost counties Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, in total about 35% of the Norwegian mainland. Some of the largest towns in Northern Norway (from south to no ...
region, bordering
Troms Troms (; ; ; ) is a Counties of Norway, county in northern Norway. It borders Finnmark county to the northeast and Nordland county in the southwest. Norrbotten Län in Sweden is located to the south and further southeast is a shorter border with ...
in the north, Trøndelag in the south,
Norrbotten County Norrbotten County (, Meänkieli/, ) is the northernmost county or '' län'' of Sweden. It is also the largest county by land area, almost a quarter of Sweden's total area. It shares borders with Västerbotten County to the southwest, the Gulf ...
in
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
to the east, Västerbotten County to the south-east, and the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
( Norwegian Sea) to the west. The county was formerly known as ''Nordlandene amt''. The county administration is in the town of Bodø. The remote Arctic island of
Jan Mayen Jan Mayen () is a Norway, Norwegian volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean with no permanent population. It is long (southwest-northeast) and in area, partly covered by glaciers (an area of around the Beerenberg volcano). It has two parts: la ...
has been administered from Nordland since 1995. In the southern part of the county is Vega, listed on the
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
list.


Districts

The county is divided into traditional districts. These are
Helgeland Helgeland is the most southerly Districts of Norway, district in Northern Norway. Generally speaking, Helgeland refers to the part of Nordland county that is located south of the Arctic Circle. It is bordered in the north by the Saltfjellet moun ...
in the south (south of the
Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the northernmost of the five major circle of latitude, circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth at about 66° 34' N. Its southern counterpart is the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circl ...
), Salten in the centre, and Ofoten in the north-east. In the north-west lie the archipelagoes of Lofoten and Vesterålen.


Geography

Nordland is located along the northwestern coast of the Scandinavian Peninsula in
Northern Norway Northern Norway (, , ; ) is a geographical region of Norway, consisting of the three northernmost counties Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, in total about 35% of the Norwegian mainland. Some of the largest towns in Northern Norway (from south to no ...
. Due to the large distance to the densely populated parts of Europe, this is one of the least polluted areas in Europe. Nordland extends about from Trøndelag to
Troms Troms (; ; ; ) is a Counties of Norway, county in northern Norway. It borders Finnmark county to the northeast and Nordland county in the southwest. Norrbotten Län in Sweden is located to the south and further southeast is a shorter border with ...
county. The distance by road from Bindal Municipality in the far south of the county to Andenes on the northern tip of Andøy Municipality in the northern edge of Nordland is roughly . Nordland has a rugged coastline, with many
fjord In physical geography, a fjord (also spelled fiord in New Zealand English; ) is a long, narrow sea inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Antarctica, the Arctic, and surrounding landmasses of the n ...
s. From south to north, the main fjords are Bindalsfjord, Vefsnfjorden,
Ranfjorden RanfjordenIn English this means ''the Ran fjord''; the ''-en'' in the full name is a suffix meaning 'the' in Norwegian. is a fjord in the Helgeland district of Nordland county, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic ...
, Saltfjorden- Skjerstadfjorden, Folda, Tysfjorden,
Ofotfjorden The Ofotfjord (; ) is a fjord in Nordland county, Norway. It is an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, located about north of the Arctic Circle. The long Ofotfjord is Norway, Norway's 12th longest fjord and it is also the 18th deepest, with a maximum d ...
(the longest) and Andfjorden, which is shared with Troms county. The best-known is perhaps the Vestfjorden, which is not really a fjord, but an open stretch of sea between the Lofoten island group and the mainland. The Raftsundet strait, with its famous branch Trollfjorden, is the shortest waterway connecting Lofoten and Vesterålen. The
continental shelf A continental shelf is a portion of a continent that is submerged under an area of relatively shallow water, known as a shelf sea. Much of these shelves were exposed by drops in sea level during glacial periods. The shelf surrounding an islan ...
is very narrow west of Andenes, nowhere else in Norway is the deep ocean only a few kilometres from shore. Saltstraumen whirlpool is just south-east of Bodø, and Moskenstraumen is located in southern Lofoten. Steep mountains near the sea and an almost flat lowland area in between the mountains and the sea (''Strandflaten'', coastal brim) is very typical for the long coastline in Nordland, and ''Strandflaten'' often continues out from the shore, the result is numerous islands (skerries), of which Helgeland have thousands; these islands are usually mountainous, but with smaller or larger ''strandflate'' areas. The southern part of Norway's largest island (apart from
Svalbard Svalbard ( , ), previously known as Spitsbergen or Spitzbergen, is a Norway, Norwegian archipelago that lies at the convergence of the Arctic Ocean with the Atlantic Ocean. North of continental Europe, mainland Europe, it lies about midway be ...
), Hinnøya is in Nordland, as is the third-largest island, Langøya. In the fjords, the coastal brim is much less developed: There might be a more gradual slope, with hills, towards the mountains, or no lowland at all. There are often
valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...
s at the head of fjords (the fjord is an extension of the valley), usually with a river at the centre of the valley. Mo i Rana, Mosjøen, and Rognan are situated in such valleys. Norway's second-largest
glacier A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...
, Svartisen, the second-largest lake, Røssvatnet, and the second-deepest fjord, Tysfjorden (897 m) are all located in Nordland. The largest river (waterflow) is Vefsna which forms the Laksforsen waterfall. The Saltfjellet mountain range forms a natural border between Helgeland and Salten, and is where the
Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the northernmost of the five major circle of latitude, circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth at about 66° 34' N. Its southern counterpart is the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circl ...
cuts through the county. The western part of this mountain range is dominated by steep mountains and fjord inlets, with glaciers stretching towards the sea, while the eastern part of the mountains is more gentle and rounded, with some forested valleys, and is well suited for hiking. The interior of Nordland, towards the border with
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
, is dominated by the Kjølen Mountains (
Scandinavian Mountains The Scandinavian Mountains or the Scandes is a mountain range that runs through the Scandinavian Peninsula. The western sides of the mountains drop precipitously into the North Sea and Norwegian Sea, forming the fjords of Norway, whereas to th ...
). The highest mountain in Nordland is Oksskolten in Okstindan range, the second-highest is Suliskongen in Fauske Municipality, and the third is Storsteinfjellet in
Narvik Municipality () is the third-largest List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Narvik (town), town of Narvik. Some of the notable villag ...
. Stetinden in Narvik has been voted as Norway's national mountain. There are many glaciers in the mountains, like
Blåmannsisen or () is the fifth-largest glacier in mainland Norway. It is located on the border of Fauske Municipality and Sørfold Municipality in Nordland county, Norway—just west of the border with Sweden. Its highest point is above sea level an ...
, Okstindbreen, the Sulitjelma Glacier, and Frostisen—7 of the 15 largest glaciers in continental Norway are located in Nordland.


Geology

In the geological past, a collision with
Greenland Greenland is an autonomous territory in the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. It is by far the largest geographically of three constituent parts of the kingdom; the other two are metropolitan Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Citizens of Greenlan ...
pushed long slices of the seabed on top of the existing bedrock, today forming the bedrock from Dovrefjell and
Trollheimen Trollheimen is a mountain range in Møre og Romsdal and Trøndelag county, counties in central Norway. The mountain range is part of the Scandinavian Mountains. Etymology The name ('the home of the trolls') was proposed by Håkon Løken. It is ...
south of
Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; ), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros, and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2022, it had a population of 212,660. Trondheim is the third most populous municipality in Norway, and is ...
stretching north in Trøndelag and through Nordland to just north of
Tromsø Tromsø is a List of towns and cities in Norway, city in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The city is the administrative centre of the municipality as well as the administrative centre of Troms county. The city is located on the is ...
. This
Cambrian The Cambrian ( ) is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 51.95 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran period 538.8 Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the Ordov ...
Silurian bedrock, much of it
mica Micas ( ) are a group of silicate minerals whose outstanding physical characteristic is that individual mica crystals can easily be split into fragile elastic plates. This characteristic is described as ''perfect basal cleavage''. Mica is co ...
schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock generally derived from fine-grained sedimentary rock, like shale. It shows pronounced ''schistosity'' (named for the rock). This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a l ...
, is by far the largest area in Norway with soft bedrock rich in nutritions good for plant growth. It forms the bedrock in the fjord areas, while the islands off the coast and some of the easternmost areas along the border with Sweden are made up of hard bedrock (usually
granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
). In some areas, as in
Hamarøy Municipality or is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional district of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Oppeid ...
and Sørfold Municipality, the bedrock is a mix of soft bedrock and hard granite. Much of the Lofoten mountains are of
precambrian The Precambrian ( ; or pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pC, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of t ...
eruptive origin and 3.5 billion years old, among the oldest on earth. The youngest rock in Norway is on Andøya, also known for its
fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...
s of
dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...
s and other life forms. As the land was depressed by the
ice sheet In glaciology, an ice sheet, also known as a continental glacier, is a mass of glacier, glacial ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than . The only current ice sheets are the Antarctic ice sheet and the Greenland ice sheet. Ice s ...
in the ice age, substantial areas in the lowest altitudes was beneath the surface of the sea for thousands of years acquiring marine deposits. Due to
post-glacial rebound Post-glacial rebound (also called isostatic rebound or crustal rebound) is the rise of land masses after the removal of the huge weight of ice sheets during the last glacial period, which had caused isostatic depression. Post-glacial rebound an ...
, this is now dry land, reaching above sea level today in Saltdal, in
Narvik () is the third-largest List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Narvik (town), town of Narvik. Some of the notable villag ...
and Brønnøysund, and to in Lofoten and Vesterålen.
Limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
is very common in Nordland, with many
cave Caves or caverns are natural voids under the Earth's Planetary surface, surface. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. Exogene caves are smaller openings that extend a relatively short distance undergrou ...
s throughout the county, such as Grønligrotta in Rana. There are more caves in Rana Municipality than any other area in northern Europe. In August 2006 the Tjoarvekrajgge cave in Sørfold Municipality was explored and verified as the longest cave in
Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
long); Raggejavreraige in Tysfjord is the deepest in Scandinavia and Svarthamarhola in Fauske Municipality has the largest cavity. There are more than 900 caves in Nordland, one of these have a high waterfall.
Marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
is found in several locations. Fauske is sometimes referred to as the ''marble capital'', and has exported marble worldwide (one customer being the UN building in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
).


Climate

The largest area of Nordland, including fjord areas, inland areas and highlands below the treeline, the area is dominated by the boreal climate (Dfc), but an atypical oceanic variant with relatively mild winters, lack of permafrost, and often with autumn as wettest season. Towns with this climate include Mosjøen, Mo i Rana, Rognan, Fauske and
Narvik () is the third-largest List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Narvik (town), town of Narvik. Some of the notable villag ...
. Along the coast and on islands (including Vega) along the southern and middle part of Nordland is a warmer, temperate
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...
( Cfb) with winter mean temperature above and a four-month long summer. This includes Brønnøysund, Sandnessjøen and some islands north to Skrova. Just inland of this is a narrow area with coldest winter month mean temperature just below but still a four-month long summer, this area has a
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(Dfb), and includes the county seat Bodø. On the outer islands from Myken in Rødøy Municipality in the south and north including most of Lofoten and Vesterålen, the summers become slightly shorter; winter months are still relatively mild (above ; some areas above like Værøy Municipality and Bø Municipality), making this an area with subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc). Towns within this area includes Leknes, Stokmarknes,
Sortland Sortland may refer to: Places *Sortland Municipality, a municipality in Nordland county, Norway *Sortland (town), a town within Sortland Municipality in Nordland county, Norway *Sortland Church, a church in the town of Sortland in Sortland Municipa ...
and Andenes. The strongest climate gradient in Nordland is seen in winter, as the interior inland away from the fjords, as well as mountains, have much colder winters than the coast. Large fjords bring with them significant oceanic moderation in winter temperatures to the surrounding land area, as seen in Fauske Municipality and
Narvik Municipality () is the third-largest List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Narvik (town), town of Narvik. Some of the notable villag ...
. Temperatures will generally drop as elevation increases by . Snow cover can persist all year at altitudes above to . Annual snow accumulation can exceed in the mountains, this is the main reason for the many glaciers in Nordland. With mountains in almost all areas,
alpine tundra Alpine tundra is a type of natural region or biome that does not contain trees because it is at high elevation, with an associated harsh climate. As the latitude of a location approaches the poles, the threshold elevation for alpine tundra gets ...
is common in Nordland. Easterly winds give dry, sunny weather (the air must climb the Kjølen mountains), with warmth in summer and cold, clear air in winter. Southwesterly winds are common, bringing moist and mild air from the Atlantic Ocean. Autumn and winter is the wettest season along the coast of Nordland, while April–June on average is the driest. The strongest winds occur in late autumn and winter, as the Atlantic low-pressure systems are strongest then. High-pressure weather can occur in all seasons, and in summer this brings 24-hour sunshine north of the Arctic Circle. Lurøy Municipality , west of Saltfjell, averages precipitation annually; the wettest location in North Norway and in the world at such high latitude. Some of the wettest areas along the coast (a narrow band) north to Glomfjord fulfills the climatic criteria for a
temperate rainforest Temperate rainforests are rainforests with coniferous or Broad-leaved tree, broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive heavy rain. Temperate rainforests occur in oceanic moist regions around the world: the Pacific temperate ...
. East of the mountains, upper part of Saltdal Municipality has an annual precipitation less than . Many locations in Nordland have recorded what Norwegians know as "tropical nights" when the overnight low does not fall below . The warmest night ever recorded in Norway was July 29, 2019 at Sømna-Kvaløyfjellet in Sømna Municipality near Brønnøysund with overnight low . The warmest temperature recorded in Nordland is recorded July 27, 2019 at Mosjøen Airport, this is also a tie with the national high for July. On the same day, Laksfors south of Mosjøen recorded but this recording was not approved due to too much vegetation and gravel near the weather station. Also on the same day, Saltdal Municipality recorded , this is the warmest temperature ever recorded in Norway north of the Arctic Circle. The warmest month recorded in Nordland was July 2014 with mean at Mosjøen airport and Mo i Rana airport, while the warmest average daily high was at Laksfors with the same month. The coldest low ever recorded in Nordland is on December 30, 1978 in Svenningdal valley in Grane Municipality. Research using
sediment Sediment is a solid material that is transported to a new location where it is deposited. It occurs naturally and, through the processes of weathering and erosion, is broken down and subsequently sediment transport, transported by the action of ...
in lakes near the Okstind Glacier has shown that the summer climate in Nordland was up to warmer 9,000 to 6,000 years ago, and then slowly cooled—it was warmer 2,000 years before present (see Holocene climatic optimum). This research also concluded that the eastern Okstind Glacier did not melt completely during this warm period, the first glacier in Norway known to have survived since the
Ice age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages, and g ...
.


Light

The light conditions vary considerably from north to south; Andenes in the north will have midnight sun from 22 May to 20 July, and the sun is below the horizon from 28 November to 16 January
Narvik daylight
. In Bodø, the sun is above the horizon from 3 June to 8 July. Helgeland is situated south of the Arctic Circle; at the
winter solstice The winter solstice, or hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth's geographical pole, poles reaches its maximum axial tilt, tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern Hemisphere, Northern and So ...
the sun is above the horizon approximately 3 hours a day
Mosjøen daylight
. There is not a true midnight sun in Helgeland, although the upper part of the sun disc will be above the horizon all night in June as far south as Mosjøen. With the transitional period with a short dusk included, there are three full months (from early May to early August) without darkness in Nordland. In Laukvik is the polarlightcenter, with lots of information about the Aurora Borealis ( polarlight).


Wildlife

The sea along the coast has a rich marine life, and the
cod Cod (: cod) is the common name for the demersal fish genus ''Gadus'', belonging to the family (biology), family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gad ...
fisheries in Lofoten have lasted for more than 1,000 years. In addition to cod, coalfish, haddock, herring, wolf fish and halibut are all common along the coast and in the fjords. Nordland also features many lakes. The largest deep water coral reef ( Lophelia pertusa) in the world, the Røst Reef, long, is located west of Røst Municipality, and protected from trawling since 2003. The coast of Nordland has the highest density of white-tailed eagles in Europe. Just off the coast, the islands of Røst Municipality have the largest colonies of seabirds in Norway. Røst offers a range of
habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...
s and serves as a stop-over point for many birds that are migrating even further north. The municipality is home to one of the largest bird cliffs in the
North Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for ...
, where birdwatchers can find puffin, shag, kittiwake, and cormorant colonies. Lovund also has a well-known colony of puffins.
Otters Otters are carnivorous mammals in the Rank (zoology), subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic animal, aquatic, or Marine ecology, marine. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae Family (biology), family, whi ...
are very common along the coast and fjords, as are harbour porpoises, grey seals and harbour seals. The largest fish in the sea is the basking shark, which used to be hunted. The most frequent birds along the coast, common in all areas including the fjords, are
gull Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the subfamily Larinae. They are most closely related to terns and skimmers, distantly related to auks, and even more distantly related to waders. Until the 21st century, most gulls were placed ...
s, Eurasian oystercatcher and Arctic terns, and the grey heron has also become common. The
Eurasian eagle-owl The Eurasian eagle-owl (''Bubo bubo'') is a species of eagle-owl, a type of bird that resides in much of Eurasia. It is often just called the eagle-owl in Europe and Asia. It is one of the largest species of owl. Females can grow to a total le ...
has a stronghold along the Helgeland coast, whilst predatory birds like golden eagle, gyrfalcon, and peregrine falcon nest in some inaccessible areas. Orcas are common along the coast and in the Vestfjord area (even in the fjords) in winter, and the world's largest predator, the sperm whale, hunts for prey in the deep waters west of Andøya. Tysfjord and Folda fjord is home to the world's northernmost Homarus gammarus, lobster population. Norway spruce, Spruce forest expansion has been blocked by Saltfjell and Kjølen mountains, thus spruce forest naturally grows only in Helgeland, but are commonly planted in the whole county for economic reasons, sparking some debate. Sitka spruce is also commonly planted in Nordland, particularly in coastal areas. The coastal areas belong to the Scandinavian coastal conifer forests ecoregion; some small areas have been classified as rainforests using botanical criteria as well as precipitation data. Inland areas up to the conifer treeline belong to the Scandinavian and Russian taiga ecoregion, while the highlands and mountains belong to the Scandinavian Montane Birch forest and grasslands ecoregion. Other common trees in Nordland are birch, rowan, willow, Alnus incana, grey alder, Prunus padus, bird cherry, aspen and Scots pine, more rarely seen is wych elm and corylus avellana, common hazel (elm north to Beiarn Municipality, hazel north to Steigen Municipality, small-leaved lime north to Brønnøy Municipality, Malus sylvestris, forest apple north to Moskenes Municipality). The Nordland whitebeam (''Nordlandsasal'') is one of very few endemism, endemic trees in Norway and only grows in Bindal Municipality in Nordland. In the mountain areas in the interior, reindeer can be seen (these have sami people, Sami owners), hunted by the indigenous wolverine. There are also a few brown bears in the interior. The Arctic fox is now in danger of extinction on the mainland, but a few are left in these mountain areas, particularly in the mountains of Børgefjell National Park. Red foxes, moose, hares, red squirrels, small rodents, European pine marten, pine marten (inland valleys) and stoats are all common in the forests. As of 2008, there were a minimum of 50 European lynx in Nordland residing in the forests in all Nordland except Lofoten and Vesterålen. In lowland areas, roe deers now occur in most of Nordland, and red deers are seen in the southern part of Nordland. The European badger, badger and the Vipera berus, common viper have their most northerly habitat in southerly coastal areas of Nordland. Gray wolf, Grey wolves have been observed in inland areas of
Helgeland Helgeland is the most southerly Districts of Norway, district in Northern Norway. Generally speaking, Helgeland refers to the part of Nordland county that is located south of the Arctic Circle. It is bordered in the north by the Saltfjellet moun ...
. There are few species of amphibians, although the common frog is common in all Nordland except mountain areas and the smooth newt has its most northerly habitat in the world in the river Vefsna. There are seven national parks in, or partly in, Nordland. From south to north, these are Børgefjell National Park, Lomsdal–Visten National Park, Saltfjellet–Svartisen National Park, Junkerdal National Park, Rago National Park, Sjunkhatten National Park and Møysalen National Park. The national park centre for Nordland is situated in Saltdal.


Economy

The key industries are fisheries and offshore petroleum exploration. Nordland is well known for the fishing of
cod Cod (: cod) is the common name for the demersal fish genus ''Gadus'', belonging to the family (biology), family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gad ...
fish and fish farming of salmon. Main export markets are Germany,
Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
, United Kingdom, Britain, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, France, Russia and Japan. Tourism is important, mainly in the summer season, although there are some winter visitors looking for good skiing or wanting to see the Northern Lights, especially from February to April. Tourists are attracted by the scenic coast, especially Lofoten, which is also visited by many cruise ships in the summer, while the rest of the county often is ignored by tourists. Mountain hiking is popular among natives and some tourists. Whale watching attracts tourists to Andøy Municipality and the
Hamarøy Municipality or is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional district of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Oppeid ...
/Lødingen Municipality /Vågan Municipality area. Fishing is also popular along the coast and in the salmon and trout rivers; there is also Arctic char in some rivers. Saltstraumen has the world record for coalfish using a fishing rod, and Røst has the world record for halibut,

. Farming is another regional economy and consists mainly of dairy farming and livestock such as sheep, and domesticated reindeer graze the inland highlands. There is also some forestry, particularly in the Helgeland district, but also further north. In earlier days, grain was grown in Nordland (mostly barley, some oats). Nordlandshest/Lyngshest, Nordlandshest is the smallest of the three Norwegian horse breeds. The Norwegian Lundehund was bred to hunt puffins and was only saved from extinction due to a few remaining dogs in Lofoten. There is a long history of mining. Sulitjelma has the largest copper deposits in the county, as well as pyrite, the latter is also found in several other locations, but the mining here has been discontinued for economic reasons. In earlier days, silver was mined in the Dunderland Valley in Rana, and until 2002 nickel and olivine was mined in Ballangen Municipality, Ballangen. There are several limestone, marble, and Dolomite (rock), dolomite rock quarries, Dolomite (rock), dolomite in Vefsn, Fauske, Sørfold, and Ballangen. As of 2008, mining of gold in Bindal Municipality[ is in testing stages

. The port of
Narvik () is the third-largest List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Narvik (town), town of Narvik. Some of the notable villag ...
has a direct rail connection to the well-known and profitable Kiruna-Gällivare iron-ore fields in
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
. There are many dams for hydroelectric power. Nordland has an increasingly diverse economy, with fledgling research and development in aerospace and space exploration at the Andøya Rocket Range, which primarily is known for its satellite launches. This vast province, Norway's second largest, almost the size of Denmark, traditionally was very important for NATO, and the Royal Norwegian Air Force has two squadrons of General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-16 fighters stationed at Bodø Airport and all its P-3 Orion maritime surveillance aircraft stationed at Andøya Air Station. The decommissioning of closing military bases has led to a regional shift towards a new knowledge-based economy. Bodø Airport is the busiest airport and a hub for many smaller airports in Nordland. Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes in the north also has non-stop flights to Oslo. The European route E6 runs along the entire length of Nordland. There are many tunnels and bridges; some of the largest are Helgeland Bridge, Gimsøystraumen Bridge, Raftsund Bridge, Skjomen Bridge, Rombak Bridge, Hadsel Bridge, Sortland Bridge, Andøy Bridge, Saltstraumen Bridge, Kjellingstraumen Bridge and Brønnøysund Bridge. Even with improved communications, population numbers in Nordland have actually decreased slightly since 1990, as many young people move to larger cities in Norway. Bodø Municipality is the only municipality in the county with significant growth in population. There are local hospitals in Mosjøen, Sandnessjøen, Mo i Rana, Bodø (the largest), Gravdal, Nordland, Gravdal,
Narvik () is the third-largest List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Narvik (town), town of Narvik. Some of the notable villag ...
and Stokmarknes.


History

There is evidence of human settlement in Nordland as far back as 10,500 years ago, about as early as in southern Norway. These Stone Age people lived near the coast, often on islands and typically along straits near the open sea, with a rich provision of marine resources. Such archeological evidence has been found on Vega (island in Norway), Vega, in the Leirfjorden, and along the Saltstraumen. There are at least 15 locations with prehistoric Rock carvings in Norway, rock carvings in Nordland, from Helgeland in the south to
Narvik () is the third-largest List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Narvik (town), town of Narvik. Some of the notable villag ...
in the north (see Fosna-Hensbacka culture). Some of the oldest houses known in Norway were excavated on Langhågan on the island Sanna, Træna, Sanna in Træna Municipality; the oldest house was oval, by , and is dated to 4000 BC. A long stone paved "trail" from the house down to a small harbour, today above sea level, is still visible. The 4,600-year-old rock drawings at Rødøy Municipality, which depict a man on skis holding a stick, is the oldest known reference of skis being used. The location is somewhat surprising, as this island has unreliable snow cover, and the Scandinavian climate was warmer in the Stone Age. This rock drawing was used as a pictogram in the Lillehammer (town), Lillehammer Olympic Games in 1994. The first agricultural culture has been dated to the Bronze Age. This culture left large burial cairns close to the sea, for instance in Steigen Municipality and Vestvågøy Municipality, and the northernmost location is around Harstad Municipality in southern Troms. These locations have significant areas of lowland suited for agriculture, they are close to the sea and they have many natural harbours. The oldest remains of a boat ever found in Norway were discovered in a bog in Sømna Municipality. Known as ''Haugvikbåten'', the well-preserved piece, kept in the Museum of Science (''Vitenskapsmuseet'') in Trondheim, has been dated to 800–400 BC—the Nordic Bronze Age

. For many generations, Hålogaland had been the northernmost area of Norsemen, Norse settlement. The remnants of large longhouses near Borg (Vestvågøy) and in Steigen are dated to the Merovinger period (ca 600 AD). There is substantial archeological evidence of a Norse iron-based culture along the coast from approximately 200 AD. Nordland is regarded as part of Sápmi (area), Sápmi. The Sami people, Sami (or Sámi), which are not of Norsemen, Norse origins, have lived in Nordland for at least 2,000 years. Not just inland, but also along the fjords and, in the northern part of Nordland, even on the coast and larger islands, such as Hinnøya. There is a story in Heimskringla about a Viking who became a contender for the throne, Sigurd Slembe. He was on the run from the king and was helped by Sami in what is probably Lødingen Municipality today. The Sami even built him a boat, which the saga mention was made from pine wood (viking ships were typically made from oak wood, but the oak does not grow naturally this far north). Tysfjord Municipality, Tysfjord today is a centre for the Lule Sami culture. The current county of Nordland was part of the petty kingdom of Hålogaland in the Viking Age, Viking era. This kingdom also included the southern part of
Troms Troms (; ; ; ) is a Counties of Norway, county in northern Norway. It borders Finnmark county to the northeast and Nordland county in the southwest. Norrbotten Län in Sweden is located to the south and further southeast is a shorter border with ...
. In January 1432, an Italian trade ship going from Crete to Flanders was hit by a storm and taken far north where it was wrecked; some of the crew survived and came ashore on a small island in Røst Municipality. They were taken care of by the people of Røst. The story, told by one of the men, Pietro Querini, gives one of the very few descriptions of life in Nordland in this time period
Querini - Norw txt
. Querini sees the people of Røst (in all 120 people) as very trusting and good Catholics, ''the inner circle of paradise''. He also mentions a German priest, which they could talk to in Latin. People lived from fishing cod and halibut, which they traded for other goods (like grain) in Bergen (city), Bergen—the cod as stockfish. Each family also had about 5 cows and collected eggs from semi-domesticated ducks. The shipwrecked men did not lack food during their winter stay, usually fish, but Querini also mentions milk, meat, butter, and pancakes. The people of Røst lived in round, wooden houses, and mostly used clothes made of wool. By late May, sailing in 24-hour daylight, the Italians were taken south to Bergen. The largest ship disaster ever in Norway took place in 1944 when MS Rigel, ''Rigel'' transporting German prisoners was bombed by British Fleet Air Arm aircraft near Sandnessjøen (Alstahaug Municipality), with more than 2,500 casualties. The ship was grounded on Rosøya, where it remained, half sunk until it was demolished in 1970. Petter Dass lived in Alstahaug Municipality, and the Nobel laureate author Knut Hamsun grew up in
Hamarøy Municipality or is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional district of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Oppeid ...
after his family moved there when he was 3 years old. Nordland County is identical to the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.


Government

A county ''(fylke)'' is the chief local administrative area in
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
. The whole country is divided into 15 counties (from 2024). A county is also an election area, with popular votes taking place every 4 years. In Nordland, the government of the county is the Nordland County Municipality. It includes 45 members who are elected to form a county council (Norway), county council ''(Fylkesting)''. Heading the ''Fylkesting'' is the county mayor ''(fylkesordførar)''. Since October 2023, the Nordland County Municipality has been led by Eivind Holst, the county mayor. The County Municipality elects a County Cabinet, which is the executive body of Nordland County Council. Since October 2023 Svein Øien Eggesvik is head of the County Cabinet. The county also has a County governor (Norway), County Governor ''(fylkesmann)'' who is the representative of the Monarchy of Norway, King and Politics of Norway, Government of Norway. Tom Cato Karlsen is the current List of County Governors of Nordland, County Governor of Nordland. The municipalities in Nordland are divided among several district court (Norway), district courts ''(tingrett)'': Midtre Hålogaland District Court, Helgeland District Court, and Salten og Lofoten District Court. These courts are subordinate to the Hålogaland Court of Appeal district based in Tromsø.


Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 15 January 1965. The official blazon is ''"Or (heraldry), Or, a boat with mast Sable (heraldry), sable"'' (). This means the arms have a field (heraldry), field (background) has a tincture (heraldry), tincture of Or (heraldry), Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The charge (heraldry), charge is a black (Nordland boat). The boat is the traditional boat of Nordland which was widely used for fishing in the region in old times, now they are still used for recreation. The black colour symbolizes the tar that was used on the boats. The golden background refers to the sun. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.


Twin region

* Lower Silesia, Poland * Zhejiang, China * Veneto, Italy


Municipalities

Nordland County has a total of 41 municipalities::nb:Liste over norske kommunenummer#Nordland, List of Norwegian municipality numbers


See also

* Hålogalandsallmenningen


References


Footnotes


Bibliography

* * * * *


External links

* *
Norwegian Meteorological Institute


* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050831160127/http://www.skulpturlandskap.no/Skulpturlandskap/artscape/index.html Artscape Nordland]
10,500-year-old human settlement in Leirfjord (Norwegian)

Deep water corals

Vega - new Unesco World Heritage Site (pdf)

Saltfjellet-Svartisen National Park - fjords, mountains, glaciers, valleys - one of the most varied in Norway

Børgefjell National Park - a preserved mountain ecosystem in southernmost Nordland

Lomsdal-Visten National Park - 1100 sq km from fjord to forests and mountains in Helgeland
May 2009
Norwegian Mountain Touring Association (DNT)

Official travel guide for Nordland
{{use dmy dates, date=June 2020 Nordland, Counties of Norway 1662 establishments in Norway