| Karasjok kommune Kárášjoga gielda |
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| — Municipality — | |||
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| Karasjok within Finnmark | |||
| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Norway | ||
| County | Finnmark | ||
| Administrative centre | Karasjok | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor (2004) | Kjell H. Sæther (Ap) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 5,453 km2 (2,105.4 sq mi) | ||
| • Land | 5,205 km2 (2,009.7 sq mi) | ||
| Area rank | 2 in Norway | ||
| Population (2004) | |||
| • Total | 2,865 | ||
| • Rank | 281 in Norway | ||
| • Density | 1/km2 (2.6/sq mi) | ||
| • Change (10 years) | 2.8 % | ||
| Demonym | Karasjoking[1] | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| ISO 3166 code | NO-2021 | ||
| Official language form | Bokmål and Northern Sami |
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| Website | www.karasjok.kommune.no | ||
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Kárášjohka (Northern Sami) or (Norwegian) is a village and municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Karasjok.
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Karasjok is a Norwegianized form of the Sámi name Kárášjohka. The meaning of the first element is unknown and the last element is johka which means "river".
The municipality was part of the old Kistrand municipality until 1866. The name of the municipality was Karasjok until 1990, when it was changed to Kárášjohka-Karasjok.[2] It was the third municipality in Norway to get a Sami name. In 2005 the name was again changed, such that either Kárášjohka or Karasjok can be used.[3]
The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 27 June 1986. The three flames are chosen as a symbol for the importance of fire to the local (nomadic) Sami people. The fire brings both heat and thus survival during the harsh winters, but it is also a major threat, both in the tents as well as in the large pine forests. The fire is also the point around which people gather and it is a guard against dangers. The flag contains three flames also because Kárásjoga-Karasjok is a place where three peoples live: the Sami, Norwegians, and Kvens.[4][5]
The municipality is situated along the upper river basin of the Deatnu / Tana river, and its tributaries Anárjohka and Kárášjohka, and includes large tracts of the high plateau of Finnmarksvidda. Lakes in the region include Gásadatjávri. The river valley, unlike the plateau, is covered with pine and birch forest.
At Karigasniemi there is an official border crossing with Finland, and the European route E6 is passing through on its way from Lakselv to Deatnu - Tana. The nearest airport is Lakselv Airport, 80 km from Karasjok.
In this far northeastern part of Norway, the climate is much more continental and dry compared to the typical coastal climate in Norway.
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Situated in a river valley on this plateau, Karasjok has recorded the coldest official temperature ever in Norway: −51.4 °C (−60.5 °F) on 1 January 1886. The warmest temperature ever recorded in the summer is 32.4 °C (90.3 °F). In January 1999, there was also a cold shock, the "official" temperature recording was −51.2 °C (−60.2 °F), but unofficially a temperature of −56 °C (−68.8 °F) was recorded. The warmest month on record was July 1941, with a mean (24hr) temperature of 17.9 °C (64.2 °F); the coldest month was February 1966 with a mean of −27.1 °C (−16.8 °F).
The birdlife to be found in this municipality is characteristic for the region. The inland habitats of Finnmarksvidda are known for their rich bird life with species like Bluethroat preferring areas with scrub. The Tana river also flows through Karasjok and many of the species found in higher areas use it as a migration route.
Most people live in Karasjok (Kárášjohka) village. The village is the seat of the Sámediggi, the Sami Parliament of Norway, as well as of the Sami broadcasting, and several Sami institutions, public and private, are to be found here. 80% of the population is Sami speaking, and Sami and Norwegian have equal status in the municipality.
The attractions include the Sami parliament, Samediggi, the Sami museum, and the church, dating from 1807. The Sami parliament was opened in 1989, by King Olav V, the first Sami parliament president was Ole Henrik Magga, from Kautokeino. He was the president for more than eight years. The church in Karasjok is the oldest Lutheran church in Finnmark, and the only building to survive the World War II damage. The church is today too small, so a big, wooden church, inspired by Sami architecture, has been built. Karasjok is also the place to look for duodji, Sami handicraft.
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