Country Norway County Finnmark Municipality Loppa Area 33 ha Population 506 (2013) | Region Northern Norway District Vest-Finnmark Elevation 15 m (49 ft) Local time Sunday 5:29 AM | |
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Weather -11°C, Wind S at 3 km/h, 84% Humidity | ||
Øksfjord (Northern Sami: Ákšovuotna) is the administrative centre of the municipality of Loppa in Finnmark county, Norway. It is located at the mouth of the Øksfjorden on the mainland, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) northwest of Øksfjordbotn, a village at the other end of the Øksfjorden. The 0.33-square-kilometre (82-acre) village has a population (2013) of 506, which gives the village a population density of 1,533 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,970/sq mi).
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Map of 9550 %C3%98ksfjord, Norway
The village of Øksfjord was historically an important regional fishing village that included a fish processing factory and fish oil factory. The factories have been closed since the 1980s, but since then some fish farms have been in use. Øksfjord Church is located in this village and it is the main church for the municipality.
Øksfjord is visited by the Hurtigruten boat daily, stopping here between stops at Skjervøy and Hammerfest. Since most of Loppa municipality is inaccessible by car, Øksfjord is a major transportation hub with regular car ferry connections to the Nuvsvåg, Bergsfjord, and Sør-Tverrfjord areas. There is also a regular ferry connection from Øksfjord to the village of Hasvik on the neighboring island of Sørøya in Hasvik municipality.
History
On 12 April 1941, the Royal Norwegian Navy — exiled to the United Kingdom — moored the destroyer Mansfield at the pier at one o'clock in the night, with two objectives: To show the people of occupied Norway that the Navy was operating on the coast of Norway; and to blow up a fish oil factory. The warship departed after two hours, while inhabitants stood on the pier singing the national anthem.
Commerce
The village has one café and one pub, as of 2015.
Popular culture
Climate
Øksfjord's climate type is dominated by the winter season, a long, bitterly cold period with short, clear days, relatively little precipitation mostly in the form of snow, and low humidity. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Dfc". (Continental Subarctic Climate).