Røst Municipality
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Røst is a small island
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
in
Nordland Nordland (; , , , ) is one of the three northernmost Counties of Norway, counties in Norway in the Northern Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Trøndelag in the south, Norrbotten County in Sweden to the east, Västerbotten County to t ...
county 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 ...
,
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 ...
. It is part of the traditional district of
Lofoten Lofoten ( , ; ; ) is an archipelago and a Districts of Norway, traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Lofoten has distinctive scenery with dramatic mountains and peaks, open sea and sheltered bays, beaches, and untouched lands. T ...
. The
administrative centre An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located. In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgi ...
of the municipality is the village of Røstlandet on the island of
Røstlandet Røstlandet or simply Røst is an island in Røst Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The island makes up the majority of the land of the municipality and is home to most of its residents. The island is very low and marshy, with the high ...
. The island municipality is very small and is essentially a large
fishing village A fishing village is a village, usually located near a fishing ground, with an economy based on catching fish and harvesting seafood. The continents and islands around the world have coastlines totalling around 356,000 kilometres (221,000  ...
centered around Røstlandet. Many of the residents are involved in the
fishing industry The fishing industry includes any industry or activity that takes, cultures, processes, preserves, stores, transports, markets or sells fish or fish products. It is defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization as including recreational, sub ...
or support the industry. There are six
fish farms Fish farming or pisciculture involves commercial breeding of fish, most often for food, in fish tanks or artificial enclosures such as fish ponds. It is a particular type of aquaculture, which is the controlled cultivation and harvesting of aquat ...
in Røst. During the main fishing season, there can be up to 600
fishing boats A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to fishing, catch fish and other valuable nektonic aquatic animals (e.g. shrimps/prawns, krills, coleoids, etc.) in the sea, lake or river. Humans have used different kinds of surface vessels in commercial ...
based out of Røst. The municipality is the 354th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Røst is the 353rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 460. The municipality's
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
is , and its population has decreased by 18.7% over the previous 10-year period.


General information

The municipality of Røst was established on 1 July 1928 when it was separated from
Værøy Municipality Værøy is an island List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional district of Lofoten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the villa ...
. Initially, it had 731 residents. The municipal boundaries have not changed since that time.


Name

The municipality (originally the
parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
) is named after the main island of
Røstlandet Røstlandet or simply Røst is an island in Røst Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The island makes up the majority of the land of the municipality and is home to most of its residents. The island is very low and marshy, with the high ...
() since the first
Rost Church Rost, Røst, or Röst may refer to: Places Germany *Tensbüttel-Röst, municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany Norway *Røst Municipality, an island municipality in Nordland county, Norway *Røstlandet (also kn ...
was built there. The name is identical to the
Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...
word which means "
maelstrom Maelstrom may refer to: * Maelstrom (whirlpool), a powerful whirlpool ** originally the Moskstraumen in English Amusement rides * Maelstrom (ride), a former log flume dark ride attraction in the Epcot theme park at Walt Disney World Resort ...
", likely referring to the nearby
Moskenstraumen Moskstraumen is a system of tide, tidal Eddy (fluid dynamics), eddies and whirlpools, one of the strongest in the world, that forms at the Lofoten archipelago in Nordland county, Norway between the Norwegian Sea and the Vestfjorden. It is located ...
.


Coat of arms

The
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
was granted on 28 November 1986. The official
blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...
is ''"
Argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...
, three cormorants issuant from the base
sable The sable (''Martes zibellina'') is a species of marten, a small omnivorous mammal primarily inhabiting the forest environments of Russia, from the Ural Mountains throughout Siberia, and northern Mongolia. Its habitat also borders eastern Kaz ...
"'' (). This means the arms have a
field Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a grass ...
(background) that has a
tincture A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...
of
argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...
which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The
charge Charge or charged may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary Music * ''Charge'' (David Ford album) * ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album) * '' Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...
is three black
European shag The European shag or common shag (''Gulosus aristotelis'') is a species of cormorant. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Gulosus''. It breeds around the rocky coasts of western and southern Europe, southwest Asia and north Africa, ma ...
s (''Gulosus aristotelis''), which is a species of
cormorant Phalacrocoracidae is a family of approximately 40 species of aquatic birds commonly known as cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed, but in 2021 the International Ornithologists' Union (IOU) ado ...
. The design was chosen to symbolize a local legend of three brothers who could transform themselves into cormorants. This story was recounted by
Asbjørnsen and Moe Asbjørnsen is a Norwegian surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Kristin Asbjørnsen (born 1971), Norwegian jazz singer *Øyvind Asbjørnsen (born 1963), Norwegian film producer *Peter Christen Asbjørnsen (1812–1855), Norwegian wr ...
, the famous collectors of Norwegian folklore. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen.


Churches

The
Church of Norway The Church of Norway (, , , ) is an Lutheranism, evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. Christianity became the state religion of Norway around 1020, and was established a ...
has one parish () within Røst Municipality. It is part of the Bodø domprosti (''arch-
deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of ...
'') in the
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. The diocese is headquartered in the Bodø (town), town of Bodø at Bodø Cathedral, the sea ...
.


History

A vivid description of medieval island life has been delivered by the shipwrecked Venetian sea captain
Pietro Querini Pietro Querini was a 15th-century sea captain from the Republic of Venice. He is known for being shipwrecked at Røst in northern Norway during the winter of 1432, and subsequently returning to Venice, where he wrote a report of his travels for t ...
, who was rescued by the islanders in 1432. He described the society as very harmonious and pious, and described how they made a living from fishing
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 ...
and some agriculture. The
Norwegian Lundehund The Norwegian Lundehund (Norwegian: ''Norsk lundehund'') is a small dog breed of the Spitz type that originates from Norway. Its name is a compound noun composed of the elements ''lunde'', meaning puffin (Norwegian ''lunde'', "puffin", or ''lundef ...
originated from this part of Norway, where it natively would have climbed along cliff paths to hunt
puffin Puffins are any of three species of small alcids (auks) in the bird genus ''Fratercula''. These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crev ...
s.
Fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...
is the main economic activity on Røst.


Culture

The island has a rich cultural life. Every year in June there is a popular festival in honor of the puffin (Lundefestivalen).


Querini opera

In 2012, the Querini Opera was shown on Røst for the first time, telling the dramatic story about
Pietro Querini Pietro Querini was a 15th-century sea captain from the Republic of Venice. He is known for being shipwrecked at Røst in northern Norway during the winter of 1432, and subsequently returning to Venice, where he wrote a report of his travels for t ...
who shipwrecked on Røst in 1432. The show was a great success and was shown again in 2014.


Literary Park Pietro Querini

In 2017, the Pietro Querini Literary Park
litteraturpark på Røst
was established with the Municipality of Røst, the Dante Committee, I Parchi Letterari Network and the support of the Embassy of Italy. The park started its activity in 2018. https://www.parchiletterari.com/parchi/pietro-querini-063/vita.php


Government

Røst Municipality is responsible for
primary education Primary education is the first stage of Education, formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary education. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first schools and middle s ...
(through 10th grade), outpatient
health services Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...
,
senior citizen Old age is the range of ages for people nearing and surpassing life expectancy. People who are of old age are also referred to as: old people, elderly, elders, senior citizens, seniors or older adults. Old age is not a definite biological sta ...
services,
welfare Welfare may refer to: Philosophy *Well-being (happiness, prosperity, or flourishing) of a person or group * Utility in utilitarianism * Value in value theory Economics * Utility, a general term for individual well-being in economics and decision ...
and other
social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. Also available amachine-converted HTML They may be provided by individuals, private and i ...
,
zoning In urban planning, zoning is a method in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into land-use "zones", each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for ...
,
economic development In economics, economic development (or economic and social development) is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and object ...
, and municipal
road A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. Th ...
s and utilities. The municipality is governed by a
municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough cou ...
of directly elected representatives. The
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
is
indirectly elected An indirect election or ''hierarchical voting,'' is an election in which voters do not choose directly among candidates or parties for an office ( direct voting system), but elect people who in turn choose candidates or parties. It is one of the o ...
by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the
Salten og Lofoten District Court Salten is a traditional district in Nordland county, Norway. It includes the municipalities of Gildeskål, Bodø, Beiarn, Saltdal, Fauske, Sørfold, Steigen, and Hamarøy. Salten covers an area of about and has a population (2016) of about 73 ...
and the
Hålogaland Court of Appeal The Hålogaland Court of Appeal () is one of six courts of appeal in the Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the city of Tromsø. The court has jurisdiction over the counties of Nordland, Troms, and Finnmark as well as the island territor ...
.


Municipal council

The
municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough cou ...
of Røst is made up of 11 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political
party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a Hospitality, host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will oft ...
.


Mayors

The
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
() of Røst is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position: *1929-1941: Mathias Skaar ( H) *1941-1945: Jentoft N. Henriksen ( NS) *1945-1945: Gunnar Raanes *1948-1951: Henry M. Johansen ( Ap) *1951-1954: Alf Raanes ( Ap) *1954-1955: Leif G. Nilsen ( Ap) *1956-1957: Annar Dyrstad *1957-1963: Charles Johnsen ( H) *1964-1967: Leif G. Nilsen ( Ap) *1968-1971: Charles Johnsen ( H) *1972-1972: Jann Skaar ( Ap) *1972-1975: Magnor Arntsen ( Ap) *1976-1979: Evald Jakobsen ( Sp) *1980-1987: Magnor Arntsen ( Ap) *1987-1999: Arnfinn Ellingsen ( V) *1999-2007: Paul Rånes ( Kyst) *2007-2011: Arnfinn Ellingsen ( V) *2011-2019: Tor-Arne Andreassen ( Ap) *2019–present: Elisabeth Mikalsen ( LL/ Sp)


Transportation

As an isolated island municipality, there are no road connections to Røst. It can be reached by boat and airplane. There are
ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...
connections to the neighboring island of
Værøya Værøya or Værøy is an island in Værøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The island makes up about 89% of the land area of the whole municipality and it is home to 100% of the municipal residents. Name The Old Norse form of the isla ...
and also to the nearby town of Bodø on the mainland.
Røst Airport Røst Airport (; ) is a regional airport serving Røst Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The airport is located on the northern edge of the main island of Røstlandet, just north of the main village of Røstlandet. It is owned and oper ...
has regularly scheduled flights to Bodø.


Economy

During the winter, the population of Røst gets doubled due to the number of boats arriving at Røst to fish. Yearly, the small island of Røst produces
fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...
and fish-related products worth more than .


Environment


Geography

There are 365
island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...
s and
skerries A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. Skerry, skerries, or The Skerries may also refer to: Geography Northern Ireland *Skerries, County Armagh, a List of townlands in County Armagh#S, townland in Coun ...
in the municipality situated about off the mainland, at the southwestern tip of the
Lofoten Lofoten ( , ; ; ) is an archipelago and a Districts of Norway, traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Lofoten has distinctive scenery with dramatic mountains and peaks, open sea and sheltered bays, beaches, and untouched lands. T ...
island chain in the
Vestfjorden Vestfjorden (; sometimes shortened to ''Vestfjord'' in English) is a long fjord or oceanic sea in Nordland county, Norway. The name literally means "the west fjord", although it is called a fjord, it could best be described as a firth or an op ...
.
Skomvær Lighthouse Skomvær Lighthouse () is a coastal lighthouse in Røst Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The tower is located on the island of Skomvær, about southwest of the main island of Røstlandet. The lighthouse was first established in 1887 a ...
is located in the southern part of the municipality on the small island of Skomvær. Most inhabitants live on the main island of
Røstlandet Røstlandet or simply Røst is an island in Røst Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The island makes up the majority of the land of the municipality and is home to most of its residents. The island is very low and marshy, with the high ...
, but a few other islands are also inhabited. These islands are linked to Røstlandet with roads,
causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet T ...
s, and bridges. Røstlandet is the largest island in the municipality and its highest point rises no more than above sea level. South of Røstlandet, there are several small islands that are dominated by large mountains including Vedøya, Storfjellet, Trenyken, Hærnyken, and Ellevsnyken. The highest point in the municipality is the tall mountain Storfjellet.


Birdlife

Røst is one of the few bird watching localities in Norway that is known worldwide. The
seabird Seabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adaptation, adapted to life within the marine ecosystem, marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent ...
colonies that are to be found are regarded as internationally important. The islands offer 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 as one would expect, a stop-over point for many species that are migrating even further north. During the last few years, birders have been showing an interest for Røst during the autumn, producing a whole range of rarities. The municipality also has one of the largest
bird cliff Bird cliffs, or nesting cliffs, are steep cliffs with numerous small shelves which serve as nesting locations for bird colonies. Bird cliffs are found on islands in the North Atlantic and Arctic, such as the Faroe Islands, Iceland, the Svalbard a ...
s 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 ...
, with puffin colonies, as well as colonies of
shag Shag or Shags may refer to: Animals * Shag or cormorant, a bird family ** European shag, a specific species of the shag or cormorant family ** Great cormorant another species of the family Persons * Shag (artist), stage name of the American a ...
,
kittiwake The kittiwakes (genus ''Rissa'') are two closely related seabird species in the gull family Laridae, the black-legged kittiwake (''Rissa tridactyla'') and the red-legged kittiwake (''Rissa brevirostris''). The epithets "black-legged" and "red- ...
, and
cormorant Phalacrocoracidae is a family of approximately 40 species of aquatic birds commonly known as cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed, but in 2021 the International Ornithologists' Union (IOU) ado ...
s. A 16,000 ha area encompassing the Røst archipelago and its adjacent marine waters has been designated an
Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...
(IBA) by
BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding i ...
because it supports large breeding colonies of
European shag The European shag or common shag (''Gulosus aristotelis'') is a species of cormorant. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Gulosus''. It breeds around the rocky coasts of western and southern Europe, southwest Asia and north Africa, ma ...
s and
Atlantic puffin The Atlantic puffin ('), also known as the common puffin, is a species of seabird in the auk family (biology), family. It is the only puffin native to the Atlantic Ocean; two related species, the tufted puffin and the horned puffin being found ...
s. Other birds breeding in the IBA include
European storm petrel The European storm petrel (''Hydrobates pelagicus''), also known as British storm petrel, or just storm petrel, is a species of seabird in the northern storm petrel family, Hydrobatidae. The small, square-tailed bird is entirely black except f ...
s,
Leach's storm petrel Leach's storm petrel or Leach's petrel (''Hydrobates leucorhous'') is a small seabird of the tubenose order. It is named after the British zoologist William Elford Leach. The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek. ''Hydrobates'' is from ...
s,
razorbill The razorbill (''Alca torda'') is a North Atlantic colonial seabird and the only extant member of the genus ''Alca (bird), Alca'' of the family Alcidae, the auks. It is the closest living relative of the extinct great auk (''Pinguinus impennis' ...
s,
common murre The common murre or common guillemot (''Uria aalge'') is a large auk. It has a Subarctic, circumpolar distribution, occurring in low-Arctic and boreal waters in the North Atlantic and North Pacific. It spends most of its time at sea, only coming ...
s,
northern fulmar The northern fulmar (''Fulmarus glacialis''), fulmar, or Arctic fulmar is an abundant seabird found primarily in subarctic regions of the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. There has been one confirmed sighting in the Southern Hemisphere, ...
s and black-legged kittiwakes. The IBA contains the Røstlandet and Nykan
nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
s as well as the 7000 ha Røstøyan
Ramsar site A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O) *** Permanent 8 ha (P) *** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts) **
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 ...
, Røst features a
cold-summer mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typica ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Csc''), also bordering a
subpolar oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring co ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Cfc''). Røst and Værøy were earlier known by
meteorologist A meteorologist is a scientist who studies and works in the field of meteorology aiming to understand or predict Earth's atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric phenomena including the weather. Those who study meteorological phenomena are meteorologists ...
s as the most northern locations in the world with average temperatures above freezing all winter, but with the updated 1991-2020 normals there are more northern locations in Norway with average temperatures above freezing all winter. The winter temperatures in southern Lofoten represent the largest temperature anomaly in the world relative to
latitude In geography, latitude is a geographic coordinate system, geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from −90° at t ...
. The mean annual temperature is (1991–2020), and the average annual precipitation is . The wettest months are October through December with approximately precipitation each month, and the driest period is during May and June with on average of each month. Precipitation varies considerably: in June 2009, only of precipitation fell and July 2009 had only of rain, while in December 2008, there was of precipitation registered. The average date for the last overnight freeze (low below ) in spring is April 22 and average date for first freeze in autumn is November 5 giving a frost-free season of 196 days (1981-2010 average).


In popular culture

"The Half Brother" by
Lars Saabye Christensen Lars Saabye Christensen (born 21 September 1953 in Oslo) is a Norwegian-Danish author. Saabye Christensen was raised in the Skillebekk neighbourhood of Oslo, but lived for many years in Sortland Municipality in northern Norway; both places pl ...
is a book about Røst.


References


External links


Municipal fact sheet
from
Statistics Norway Statistics Norway (, abbreviated to ''SSB'') 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 rele ...

Røst at Google MapsQuerini opera
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rost Municipalities of Nordland 1928 establishments in Norway Populated places established in 1928 Populated places of Arctic Norway Tourist attractions in Nordland Ramsar sites in Norway Nature reserves in Norway Important Bird Areas of Norway Important Bird Areas of Arctic islands Important Bird Areas of Atlantic islands Seabird colonies