Country Norway County Finnmark Municipality Alta Elevation 60 m Population 14,272 (2013) | Region Northern Norway District Vest-Finnmark Time zone CET (UTC+01:00) Area 9.05 km² Local time Monday 5:09 AM | |
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Weather -11°C, Wind S at 3 km/h, 83% Humidity Points of interest World Heritage Rock Art, Northern Lights Cathedral, Altagård | ||
Alta (Northern Sami: Áltá; Kven: Alattio) is a town in Alta Municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The town is the administrative centre of the municipality and it is located on the southern end of the Altafjorden, at the mouth of the river Altaelva. There are several suburbs around the town. Kåfjord, Kvenvik, and Jiepmaluokta lie to the west; Øvre Alta and Tverrelvdalen lie to the south; and Rafsbotn lies to the east. The famous rock carvings at Alta lie just to the west of the town.
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Map of Alta, Norway
The town of Alta has three churches: the historic Alta Church in Bossekop, the relatively new Elvebakken Church in Elvebakken, and the Northern Lights Cathedral (the new "main" church for the municipality that was completed in 2013). Alta is also an educational centre in Finnmark county. Finnmark University College is based in Alta as well as the local primary and secondary schools, including Alta videregående skole. Alta District Court is based in the town, serving the municipalities of Loppa and Alta. Alta IF is the main sports team for the town.
Population
Alta is considered the northernmost city in the world with a population surpassing 10,000. The town of Alta was established in 2000 when the villages of Bossekop, Elvebakken, and Alta were joined and declared a town by the municipality council. The 9.05-square-kilometre (2,240-acre) town has a population (2013) of 14,272, which gives it a population density of 1,577 inhabitants per square kilometre (4,080/sq mi).
Transportation
Alta is a centre of transportation in Finnmark county. The town has port facilities along the Altafjorden, just alongside Alta Airport in Elvebakken. The airport has direct flights to Oslo. The European route E06 highway also runs through the town. The main industries present in Alta include a concrete product factory; several wood mills and sawmills; and dairy, horticulture trade, and maritime services.