| Andørja herred | |
|---|---|
| — Former Municipality — | |
| Andørja viewed from Harstad | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Troms |
| District | Nord-Norge |
| Municipality ID | NO-1916 |
| Area[1] | |
| • Total | 136 km2 (52.5 sq mi) |
| Created from | Ibestad in 1923 |
| Merged into | Ibestad in 1964 |
Andørja (Northern Sami: Áttir) is a former municipality in Troms county in Norway. It is located in the northeastern part of the present-day municipality of Ibestad. The largest population area on Andørja island is the Å - Ånstad - Laupstad area with 205 residents (2001).[2]
Andørja is also the name of the island on which the former municipality was located and named after. The island is located entirely within the present-day municipality of Ibestad. Its area is 135 km2 (52 sq mi). The highest point on the island is Langlitinden at an elevation of 1,276 m (4,186 ft).[3] In mainland Norway, this is the highest mountain situated on an island. The 8 km (5.0 mi) long Straumsbotn fjord cuts into the middle of the island from the north side.
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The name of the municipality is the same as the name for the island (Old Norse: Andyrja). The meaning of the name is not certain, but one theory is that the first element and comes from the word for "against" and the second element yrja means "gravel" or "rocks", possibly referring to the waves from the sea hitting against the rocky shores.[1]
The municipality of Andørja was established on 1 July 1926 when it was separated from the municipality of Ibestad. Andørja had an initial population of 1,420. Then on 1 January 1964, Andørja was merged together with Ibestad and the part of neighboring Skånland municipality that was located on the island of Rolla. Prior to the merger, Andørja had a population of 1,330.[4]
The Norwegian national road Rv. 848 connects Andørja on the southside to Rolla island via the Ibestad undersea tunnel and to the mainland (Salangen municipality) by a bridge on the northside of the island.[1]