Nordkapp
| Nordkapp kommune Davvinjárgga gielda Kappan komuuni | |||
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| Municipality | |||
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| Coordinates: 70°58′41″N 25°58′29″E / 70.97806°N 25.97472°ECoordinates: 70°58′41″N 25°58′29″E / 70.97806°N 25.97472°E | |||
| Country | Norway | ||
| County | Finnmark | ||
| District | Vest-Finnmark | ||
| Administrative centre | Honningsvåg | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor (2007) | Kristina Hansen (Ap) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 924.84 km2 (357.08 sq mi) | ||
| • Land | 890.76 km2 (343.92 sq mi) | ||
| • Water | 34.08 km2 (13.16 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2012) | |||
| • Total |
3,228 ( from last year) | ||
| • Rank | 258 in Norway | ||
| • Density | 3.6/km2 (9/sq mi) | ||
| • Change (10 years) | -8.1 % | ||
| Demonym | Nordkappværing[1] | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| ISO 3166 code | NO-2019 | ||
| Official language form | Neutral | ||
| Website | www.nordkapp.kommune.no | ||
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Nordkapp (English: North Cape; Northern Sami: Davvinjárga or Nordkáhppa; Kven: Kappa or Nordkappa) is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Honningsvåg, where most residents live. Other settlements in Nordkapp include the villages of Gjesvær, Kåfjord, Kamøyvær, Kjelvik, Nordvågen, Repvåg, Skarsvåg, and Valan.[2]
Some 200,000 tourists visit Nordkapp annually during the two to three months of summer. The main tourist attractions are the North Cape and the nearby Knivskjellodden. The North Cape first became famous when the English explorer Richard Chancellor rounded it in 1553 while attempting to find a sea route through the Northeast Passage. Helnes Lighthouse is located at the entrance to the Porsangerfjorden.[2]
General information
On 1 July 1861, the northern district of the municipality of Kistrand was separated to form the new municipality of Kjelvik. Initially, the municipality encompassed the area around the northern end of the Porsangerfjorden, including part of the island of Magerøya, and it had a population of 345. The name of the municipality was changed from Kjelvik to Nordkapp in 1950. On 1 January 1984, the western part of the island of Magerøya as well as the small surrounding islands of Gjesværstappan were transferred from Måsøy Municipality to Nordkapp Municipality.[3]
Name
Nordkapp is a Norwegianized form of the English language name North Cape which the area was historically know dating back to at least 1553. The Old Norse name of the cape was Knyskanes. The municipality was originally named Kjelvik, after the main fishing village for the parish. But that village was totally destroyed by the Germans in 1944 and it never recovered. As a consequence of this the municipality changed the name to Nordkapp in 1950.[2]
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 19 October 1973. The arms show a simplified silhouette of the North Cape, which is a large cliff. The arms thus show the sea and the cliff under a golden sky representing the midnight sun.[4]
Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Nordkapp. It is part of the Hammerfest deanery in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.
| Parish (Sokn) | Church Name | Location of the Church | Year Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nordkapp | Gjesvær Chapel | Gjesvær | 1960 |
| Honningsvåg Church | Honningsvåg | 1885 | |
| Repvåg Chapel | Repvåg | 1967 | |
| Skarsvåg Church | Skarsvåg | 1961 |
Geography
The municipality encompasses the island of Magerøya, but also parts of the mainland on the Porsanger Peninsula and Sværholt Peninsula on both sides of the Porsangerfjorden. There are many other fjords in the municipality including Duksfjorden, Kåfjorden, Kamøyfjorden, and Skipsfjorden. The main island is Magerøya and there are a few islands located around Magerøya including Gjesvær, Gjesværstappan, Lille Kamøya, and Store Kamøya.[2]
North Cape
The municipality's most famous place, after which it is named, is Nordkapp (North Cape). This 307-metre (1,007 ft) high cliff is commonly referred to as the northernmost point of Europe, however, this is not accurate. The northernmost point of the European mainland is Cape Nordkinn (Kinnarodden), at 71° 08′ 02″ North, located about 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the village of Mehamn on the Nordkinn Peninsula. If Europe's northernmost point is allowed to be on an island, then it still is not the North Cape. It would be Cape Fligely on Rudolf Island, Franz Josef Land in Russia, which is located much further north at 81° 48′ 24″ North. If Franz Josef Land is not considered to be in Europe, then Europe's northernmost point is the northern point of the island of Rossøya, an islet in Svalbard, north of Spitsbergen at 80° 49′ 44.41″ North.
Nordkapp is, however, the northernmost point to which one can drive a car.
Birdlife
This coastal municipality is like many others in Finnmark, home of large seabird colonies. The island group known as Gjesværstappan is one of the better known with at least 2,500 pairs of Razorbill. Away from the coast it is the typical tundra habitat of the region that dominates with lakes, marshes, and areas of Willow Scrub. Many of the lakes hold breeding wildfowl, with species like Long-tailed Duck being found.
Transportation
Due to the heavy tourist traffic in the summers, Nordkapp has an extensive transportation infrastructure for such a small, remote municipality. The Honningsvåg Airport, Valan is located just north of the town of Honningsvåg, with daily connections to Tromsø. The European route E69 highway runs north throughout the municipality from Porsanger to the North Cape. The North Cape Tunnel connects the mainland to the island of Magerøya. The Honningsvåg Tunnel goes through a large mountain near Honningsvåg.[2]
References
- ↑ "Personnemningar til stadnamn i Noreg" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Store norske leksikon. "Nordkapp kommune" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2013-02-18.
- ↑ Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå.
- ↑ Norske Kommunevåpen (1990). "Nye kommunevåbener i Norden". Retrieved 2008-12-11.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nordkapp. |
External links
- http://www.northcape.tv Pictures from North Cape and Skarsvåg
- http://www.nk05.eu/home_eng.html Motorbike travel from Italy to Nordkapp
- http://www.noborderbiking.com From Nordkapp to Italy by Bike
- http://forum.interrail.net/nordkapp-train-t512.html Nordkapp by Rail
- http://fotonom.de/2011/12/04/norwegen-nordkapp/ 360x180° Panoramen from Nordkapp
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