Hamarøy

General information

The municipality of Hamarøy was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). On 1 January 1964, part of Hamarøy located south of the Sagfjorden (population: 77) was transferred to neighboring Steigen. On the same date, the Tysnes and Molvik farms (population: 33) was transferred from Hamarøy to Tysfjord.

Name

The municipality is named after the former island (now peninsula) Hamarøya (Old Norse: Hamarøy), since the first church (Hamarøy Church) was built there. The first element is the genitive case of Hǫm, the former uncompounded name of the island. The last element is øy which means "island". The former name of the island is probably identical with the word hǫm which means "thigh/leg (of an animal)" because the island (or a part of it) was shaped in the form of an animal's leg. Historically, the municipality name was spelled Hammerø.

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times; they were granted on 19 February 1982. The arms show a white lynx on a blue background. Lynx are common in the area it was chosen for the arms as a symbol for the rich wildlife in the forests of the municipality.

Churches

The Church of Norway has two parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Hamarøy. It is part of the Ofoten deanery in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Geography

The municipality of Hamarøy borders the municipality of Tysfjord to the north, Steigen to the west, Sørfold to the south, the Vestfjorden to the northwest, and the country of Sweden to the southeast. The large island of Finnøya is located between the Sagfjorden and the Kaldvågfjorden.

Lakes in the municipality include Fjerdvatnet, Forsanvatnet, Forsvatnet, Kaldvågvatnet, Kilvatnet, Livsejávrre, Makkvatnet, Reinoksvatnet, Rekvatnet, Rotvatnet, Sandnesvatnet, Skilvatnet, Šluŋkkajávri, and Strindvatnet.

Nature

Hamarøy is dominated by small fjords, pine, birch, and aspen woodland and forest, and coastal mountains. There are several nature reserves, such as Trollpollen nature reserve dominated by pine and birch located a few kilometers north of Innhavet, Lilandsvatnet wetland area, Steinslandsosen estuary, and Kvannskogen with old aspen trees with rich lichen flora. The mountain Hamarøyskaftet has long been regarded as nature's own phallic symbol (See picture 1 and picture 2).

Climate

The warmest temperature ever recorded in Nordland county was 33.1 °C (91.6 °F) on 3 July 1972 on the island of Finnøya in Hamarøy. However, in June 2011 this record was surpassed by the municipality of Saltdal with a temperature of 33.8 °C (92.8 °F).

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Hamarøy, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor.

Municipal council

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Hamarøy is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to every four years. Currently, the party breakdown is as follows:

Transportation

While Hamarøy has a low population density, it sees some traffic during the summer months as the main road connection to Svolvær and the Lofoten islands runs through Hamarøy and its administrative centre, Oppeid. The ferry ride to Skrova and Svolvær is approximately 2 hours and departs from Skutvika (approximately 15 minutes from Oppeid) at regular intervals. In 2008, the ferry schedule was considerably reduced due to the new Lofoten Mainland Connection road. The European route E06 highway runs north and south through the municipality on its way to Narvik. Bus service by Stoklands Bilruter is available between certain villages in Hamarøy.

Economy

The municipal administration and other public services are located in Oppeid. There is a hotel in the municipality, as well as the scenic Tranøy Lighthouse which can be rented.

Skutvik is a small residential and marina area concentrated around the ferry dock. In the high season the number of cars and motor homes in line for the ferry can be significant. There are a few sights to see in Skutvik, as well as a small bar/cafe and a Statoil gas station.

Knut Hamsun

The writer Knut Hamsun, winner of the 1920 Nobel Prize in Literature, grew up in Hamarøy. The Knut Hamsun Centre, a museum and educational center dedicated to Knut Hamsun's life and work, finished building in 2009 and opened for the public in June 2010. Knut Hamsun's childhood home is also open for visitors in summer. The Hamsun literature festival was founded in 1982 and takes place in Hamarøy during the first week of August every second year.