Alta, Norway

The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1976). It shows the head of an arrow. (Similar heads made of quartz, from the Old Stone Age, are found in the municipality.)

[edit] Geography

Midnight sun in Alta

The municipality covers 3,845 km², in the west of the county, mostly situated along the Altafjord, taking in large tracts of woodlands, as well as parts of the High Plateau of Finnmarksvidda. The river Altaelva has carved out one of the largest canyons in Europe on its way from the plateau down to the fjord. Most people live in the town of Alta, stretching along the inner part of the fjord, enjoying a sheltered climate; daytime summer temperatures are often comparable to southern parts of Norway, and lowland areas in Alta are mostly sheltered from the winter storms. Precipitation is low, with a yearly average precipitation of only 400 mm. The clear skies are the reason why Alta early was chosen as an excellent location for studying the aurora borealis.

[edit] History

Rock carvings of Alta

The Rock carvings at Alta, dating from circa 4200 BC to 500 BC, are on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. In addition, the Komsa culture was named after the Komsa mountain in Alta municipality, where the first archeological remains were discovered.

In World War II, the German battleship Tirpitz used Altafjord as a harbor, and was damaged here by attacking allied warplanes.

Altasaken in 1979 made headlines for weeks, as many people (especially Sami people and environmentalists) demonstrated and used civil disobedience to prevent the building of a dam in order to produce hydropower. The dam was built, however, and the river still offers good salmon fishing.

Alta became a city (town) in 1999. The population has been growing steadily for many years.

[edit] Birdlife

For those interested in bird watching, the river outlet, known locally as Altaosen is well worth a visit. This tidal area is used as a stopover for many wetland species. For more information and some pictures of some of the species that can be seen there check Bird Watching In Norway - Alta

[edit] Communications and Economy

Alta is a communication center in Finnmark. Alta Airport served 308,000 passengers in 2004. There are direct flights to Oslo. Alta also has port facilities in the town center, and the E6 passes through Alta.

Main activities in Alta include trading, small industry, education and public service. The town is also famous for its slate industry. Finnmark University College (Høgskolen i Finnmark) is situated in Alta, and there is also a research institution (Norut NIBR Finnmark). The town has the most northern Ice hotel in Europe and the most northern Subway restaurant in the world.

[edit] External links

[edit] Famous people from Alta

Egil Rasmussen, author (1903-1964)
Klaus Pettersen, Norwegian football player
Bjørn Wirkola, Norwegian ski jumper
Terje Martenson Jensen

[edit] See also

Alta Museum

Municipalities of Finnmark
Alta \| Berlevåg \| Båtsfjord \| Gamvik \| Hammerfest \| Hasvik \| Karasjok \| Kautokeino \| Kvalsund \| Lebesby \| Loppa \| Måsøy \| Nesseby \| Nordkapp \| Porsanger \| Sør-Varanger \| Tana \| Vadsø \| Vardø