Karasjok

( se, Kárášjohka ; fkv, Kaarasjoki) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Karasjok. Other villages include Dorvonjárga, Šuoššjávri, and Váljohka.

The municipality is the second largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Karasjok is the 247th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,584. The municipality's population density is and its population has decreased by 6.6% over the previous 10-year period.

Wildlife: 16 bears are in the municipality (as of Q4 2022).

General information

The municipality of Karasjok was established on 1 January 1866 when it was separated from the old Kistrand municipality. Initially, the population of Karasjok was 515. The municipal borders have not changed since that time.

On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the newly formed Troms og Finnmark county. Previously, it had been part of the old Finnmark county.

Name

''Karasjok'' is a Norwegianized form of the Northern Sami language name ''Kárášjohka''. The meaning of the first element could be ''káráš'' from Northern Sami which could mean "food plate of wood", or from Finnish, ''kara'', "something that sticks". The last element is ''johka'' which means "river", whose equivalent in Finnish is ''joki''.

The name of the municipality was ''Karasjok'' until 1990 when it was changed to ''Kárášjohka-Karasjok''. It was the third municipality in Norway to get a Sami name. In 2005, the name was again changed, such that either ''Kárášjohka'' or ''Karasjok'' can be used.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 27 June 1986. The three gold-colored flames on a red background. The flames were chosen as a symbol for the importance of fire to the local (nomadic) Sami people. The fire brings both heat and thus survival during the harsh winters, but it is also a major threat, both in the tents as well as in the large pine forests. The fire is also the point around which people gather and it is a guard against dangers. The flag contains three flames also because Kárásjoga-Karasjok is a place where three peoples live: the Sami, Norwegians, and Kvens.

History

In 2015 the second edition of Sápmi Pride, was held in Karasjok.

Churches

The Church of Norway has one parish () within the municipality of Karasjok. It is part of the Indre Finnmark prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.

Transportation

There is an official border crossing between Dorvonjárga (Norway) and Karigasniemi (Finland), over the Anarjohka highway passes through the municipality from Lakselv to Tana bru and Kirkenes in the east. The nearest airport is Lakselv Airport, about from Karasjok village.

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Karasjok, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor. The municipality falls under the Indre Finnmark District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council of Karasjok is made up of 19 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:

Geography

The municipality is situated along the upper river basin of the Deatnu / Tana river and its tributaries: Anárjohka and Kárášjohka. It includes large tracts of the high Finnmarksvidda plateau. Lakes in the region include Čorotjávri, Gásadatjávri, Iešjávri, and Idjajávri. The river valley, unlike the plateau, is covered with pine and birch forests. The southern part of the municipality is part of the Øvre Anárjohka National Park.

Climate

Karasjok has a typical subarctic climate with cold, long and dry winters, and short summers that can see warm periods. In this far northeastern part of Norway, the climate is much more continental and dry compared to the typical coastal climate in Norway.

Situated in a river valley on this plateau, Karasjok has recorded the coldest official temperature ever in Norway: on 1 January 1886. The warmest temperature ever recorded is recorded July 1914 at an earlier weather station.https://www.adressa.no/vaeret/2007/08/09/Varmerekorder i Finnmark
/ref> The warmest month on record was July 2014 with mean and average daily high . The coldest month on record was February 1966 with a mean of . The coldest month in more recent decades is February 2007 with mean and average daily low .

Birdlife

The birdlife to be found in this municipality is characteristic for the region. The inland habitats of Finnmarksvidda are known for their rich bird life with species like Bluethroat preferring areas with scrub. The Tana river also flows through Karasjok and many of the species found in higher areas use it as a migration route.

Economy

Most people live in the village of Karasjok (Kárášjohka). The village is the seat of the , the Sami Parliament of Norway, as well as of the Sami broadcasting, and several Sami institutions (public and private) are found here, including Davvi Girji, the largest Sámi publisher. About 80% of the population is Sami speaking, and Sami and Norwegian have equal status in the municipality.

Tourism

The attractions include the Sami parliament, ''Samediggi'', the Sami museum, and the Old Karasjok Church, dating from 1807. The Sami parliament was opened in 1989, by King Olav V, the first Sami parliament president was Ole Henrik Magga, from Kautokeino. He was the president for more than eight years. The Old Karasjok Church is the oldest Lutheran church in Finnmark county. The church is today too small, so a new, larger, wooden Karasjok Church, inspired by Sami architecture, has been built. Karasjok is also the place to look for duodji, Sami handicraft.

Notable people

* Samuel Balto (1861 in Karasjok – 1921) a Norwegian–Sami explorer and adventurer in Alaska, Greenland and Canada
* Ole Ravna (1841 in Karasjok - 1906) a Norwegian-Sami explorer and adventurer. Ravna and Balto were members of the Fridtjof Nansen's Greenland expedition.
* Matti Aikio (1872 in Karasjok - 1929) a Norwegian Sami writer
* Iver Jåks (1932 in Karasjok – 2007) a Norwegian Sami artist, used Sami culture and mythology in his artistic works
* Inga Ravna Eira (1948 in Karasjok) a Norwegian Northern Sami language poet, children's writer, translator and schoolteacher
* Mari Boine (born 1956 in Gámehisnjárga) a Norwegian singer
* Tor Mikkel Wara (born 1964 in Karasjok) a Norwegian former politician
* Ragnhild Vassvik Kalstad (born 1966) politician, former member of Karasjok municipal council
* Anita Nergaard (born 1967), a Norwegian Sami diplomat
* Susanne Guttorm, (Norwegian Wiki) (born 1996 in Karasjok) a Norwegian model and Miss Norway 2018

Sport

* Jan Egil Brekke (born 1974) a Norwegian footballer, grew up in Karasjok
* Leif Arne Brekke (born 1977) a Norwegian footballer, grew up in Karasjok
* Hans Norbye (born 1987 in Karasjok) a Norwegian footballer

References

External links

Municipal fact sheet
from Statistics Norway
Karasjok on VisitNorway.comPictures from Karasjok

{{DEFAULTSORT:Karasjok

Municipalities of Troms og Finnmark
Sámi-language municipalities
Populated places of Arctic Norway
1866 establishments in Norway