Skjomen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Skjomen is a fjord branch of Ofotfjorden in the Ofoten district in northern Norway, located just south of the city Narvik.
The name Skjomen was originally Skieffa or Skievva in the 15'th century. This is a samic word believed to mean "Sea". The sami is a nomadic people living among others in the mountains of Sweden and Norway in the wintertime and traveling to the sea at springtime. In this case traveling to Skieffa (sea) or Skjomen.
Skjomen has a site of about 80 rock carvings near the sea. It's believed that the rock carvings were made by the Fosna-Hensbacka culture a mesolithic culture ca. 5000 BC. The rock carvings were discovered in the 1930's.
The village of Skjomen is inhabited by approximately 400 people. The population is spread out over several very small communities, with the largest - Elvegård as a service centre.
For a short period, German battleship Tirpitz hid beneath the extremely steep mountains surrounding the fjord to avoid attack by allied warplanes during World War II.
One of the world's northernmost 18 hole golf courses is right by the fjord.
Skjomen is known for its scenic landscape with high, steep mountains and clear water. Skjomtind, Reintind and Klubbviktind are three of the many beautiful mountains around the fjord. There is also the glacier Frostisen which is one of the larger plateau glaciers in Norway. Frostisen covers an area of about 25 km², and is 1710 meters above sea level at its highest point and 840 meters above sea level at its lowest point.
The highest point of Skjomen is Storsteinfjell with a height of 1894 m.
The E6 highway crosses the Skjomen fjord over the Skjomen Bridge.
[edit] External links
- Narvikgolf, the golf course
- Fremover, article from the local newspaper, Fremover, about the origin of the name Skjomen
- Skjomen, pictures from the mountains of Skjomen
- Google Map, Google map of Skjomen
- Large field of stone age rock carvings in Skjomen (Norw)
