Altafjord (Norwegian: Altafjorden) is a fjord in the municipality Alta in Finnmark county, Norway, and is about 38 kilometres long.[1] In the inner southern part of the fjord, near the town of Alta, is the outlet of the 200 kilometre long river Altaelva.[2] At the outer part of the fjord are the islands Stjernøya and Seiland. It was historically known as "Altenfjord", and was referred to as such by British historians throughout most of the 20th century.
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A large number of prehistoric rock carvings have been found along the fjord, particularly at the bay Jiepmaluokta. The locations at Kåfjord, Jiepmaluokta and Amtmannsnes are assigned a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[3][4] The petroglyphs are dated from 4,200 BC to 500 BC, based on old shorelines and nearby prehistoric settlements.[5]
During World War II the side branch Kåfjord hosted a German naval base. The German battleship Tirpitz, based at Kåfjord, was subject to attacks by British X class midget submarines in September 1943 (Operation Source), and to air strikes in April (Operation Tungsten) and September 1944 (Operation Paravane).