Harstad

Harstad kommune
—  Municipality  —

Coat of arms
Troms within
Norway
Harstad within Troms
Coordinates:
Country Norway
County Troms
District Hålogaland
Administrative centre Harstad
Government
 - Mayor (2007) Helge Eriksen (H)
Area
 - Total 372.26 km2 (143.7 sq mi)
 - Land 355.81 km2 (137.4 sq mi)
 - Water 16.45 km2 (6.4 sq mi)
Area rank 249 in Norway
Population (2010)
 - Total 23,344
 - Rank 38 in Norway
 - Density 62.5/km2 (161.9/sq mi)
 - Change (10 years) 1.0 %
Demonym Harstadværing[1]
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
ISO 3166 code NO-1901
Official language form Neutral
Website harstad.kommune.no
Data from Statistics Norway

Harstad is the second largest city and municipality by population, in Troms county, Norway – the city is also the third largest in North Norway.[2][3] Thus Harstad is the natural centre for its district. Situated approximately 250 kilometres (155 mi) north of the Arctic Circle, the city celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2004.

Contents

Geography

Municipality of Harstad.

The municipality is located on two islands in south Troms. Most of the municipality is located on Hinnøya, which is Norway's largest coastal island (three islands in the Svalbard archipelago are larger). The northern part of the municipality is located on the southern half, 53 square kilometres (20 sq mi), of Grytøya. Harstad is bordered by the municipality of Bjarkøy to the north, Kvæfjord to the west, and Tjeldsund (in the county of Nordland) to the south. To the southeast the Tjeldsund Bridge connects Hinnøya with Skånland and the mainland across Tjeldsundet, and to the northeast is the Vågsfjorden, where Harstad shares a water border with Ibestad. The city itself is located northeast on Hinnøya; it is the only city on the island, and is popularly known as Vågsfjordens perle (The pearl of Vågsfjorden).

The municipality contains several small islands, including Arnøya, Gressholman, Kjeøya, Kjøtta, Kjøttakalven, Måga, Rogla, Lille Rogla and Åkerøya.

The highest mountain is Sætertinden, which is 1,095 m (3,593 ft) above sea level.[4] It is located near Sandtorg, Hinnøya. The 412-metre (1,352 ft) tall mountain, Nupen, is located in the northwestern part of the municipality on the border with Kvæfjord.

The oil industry of North Norway is centered in Harstad, but the city also has shipyards and other industries that are important for the economy. Harstad and the surrounding area have traditionally been among the most productive agricultural regions in North Norway, with the old seabed creating fertile soil that is well-suited for farming.

Toppen mountain, Grytøya; Oct 2009. The municipality includes areas well outside the town itself.

Climate and light

Despite being located north of the Arctic Circle, Harstad incredibly features a subpolar oceanic climate with relatively mild winters and cool summers. This has long been thought to be due to the relatively warm Gulf Stream, but northern Europe's mild climate has been shown to be due to intercontinental weather patterns driven by North America's mountain ranges.[5] Harstad does not have the brutal winters that most locations north of the Arctic Circle experiences. The city actually experiences warmer winters than major cities located 25 to 30 degrees farther south in latitude in the northern hemisphere such as Beijing, Chicago and Toronto. Summers in Harstad are cool, with average high temperatures seldom breaking the 22 °C (72 °F) mark. Mean annual temperature is 3.9 °C (39.0 °F) (1961–90) and annual average precipitation is 850 millimetres (33.5 in).[6] With high pressure weather, winter temperatures can get down to about −15 °C (5 °F), and in summer reach 27 °C (81 °F). [7]

The city enjoys the midnight sun during the summer months, from 22 May to 18 July. There is also a period with twilight a few hours each night as the sun just dips below the horizon, so there is no darkness from early May to early August. The polar night, when the sun is always below the horizon, lasts from 30 November to 12 January. At this time, there are a few hours with dusk/dawn around noon, sometimes with colorful skies towards the south. From late January, day length rapidly increases, reaching 12 hours by March and 18 hours in April. Harstad is located in the midst of the aurora borealis (a.k.a. the northern lights) zone, and the aurora can often be seen on clear nights, but not in summer due to the continuous daylight.

Climate data for Harstad (10 last years)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Source: [8]

History

Trondenes Church at Trondenes.
Northern part of Harstad at night, early August. View towards north-west from Gangsåstoppen

The town of Harstad was established as a municipality on 1 January 1904 when it was separated from the municipality of Trondenes. The initial population of Harstad was 1,246. On 1 January 1964, the municipalities of Sandtorg, Trondenes, and Harstad were merged together to form a a new, combined municipality with a population of 17,882. Prior to the merger, Harstad had 3,808 residents.[9]

In recent years, a 3000-year-old bronze axe[10] and a 2600-year-old bronze collar[11] have been found at the Trondenes peninsula, just north of the city center. These, together with the burial cairns built close to the sea, are indications of a well developed Bronze Age culture in the Harstad area.

There is also substantial archeological evidence of a well developed Iron Age culture in the area, around 200 AD.

Trondenes is mentioned in the Heimskringla as a power centre in the Viking Age and a place to meet and discuss important issues (Trondarting).

Trondenes Church, the world's northernmost medieval church, which dates back to the 13th–15th century, is situated just outside the town.

Harstad Kulturhus (culture house)

Adjacent to the church is the Trondenes Historical Center and nearby is the Adolf Gun, an enormous land-based cannon from World War II, and the last of four cannons originally constructed by the Nazis. Harstad is one of the few towns in this part of Norway which were left largely undamaged by World War II.

Origin of the name

The city is most likely named after the old Harstad farm (Old Norse: Harðarstaðir), since it is built on its ground. The first element is (probably) the genitive case of the male name Hörðr, and the last element is staðir which means "homestead" or "farm".[12]

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 24 April 1953. The blue symbolizes the sea with silvery/white waves.[13]

Institutions and culture

Harstad Stadium; June 2007

The city hosts the annual week long Festival of North Norway.[14]

Harstad University College, with approximately 1,100 students,[15] has a thriving foreign exchange program with students from all over the world. The hospital in Harstad is part of the University Hospital of North Norway.

The most successful local football team is Harstad Idrettslag (a.k.a. HIL),[16] and the most successful basketball team is the Harstad Vikings.[17]

Harstad is home port for the Anna Rogde, the world's oldest sailing schooner, also known as the sailing queen of Norway.[18]

Harstad Camping is a campsite located in the municipality.

Military connections

Harstad traditionally has strong ties with the Norwegian Armed Forces. Kystjegerkommandoen (Coastal Ranger Command) has its home base at Trondenes, Harstad. Marinejegerkommandoen is based in Ramsund in Tjeldsund on the mainland south of Harstad. General Carl Gustav Fleischer led the field operations of the Norwegian Armed Forces in WW2, among them the 7,500 soldiers which from the north pushed the Nazi Germans back to Narvik and participated in retaking Narvik on 28 May 1940. A street in Harstad is named Gen. Fleischers Gate in his honour.

Transportation

Coastal Express ship MS Kong Harald in Harstad

The closest airport is Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes, located on the mainland, 45 kilometres (28 mi) by road from the city center.

Every morning a northbound and a southbound Coastal Express ship stop in Harstad.[19]

Express boats regularly go between Harstad and Tromsø, Finnsnes, Senja, and other places.[20]

There are several ferries[21] and buses[22] in the district.

In Harstad there are local buses.[23]

The leading helicopter company in Northern Norway, Heli-Team, is located in Harstad.[24]

Local areas

Street: Strandgata; 4 May 2008.
Street: Hvedings gate, February 2005. View towards west from a Coastal Express ship.
City neighbourhoods and villages
Villages north/west of the city
Grøtavær Lundenes Alvestad
Kjøtta Kasfjord Aune
Stornes Årnes Røkenes
Undlandet Ervik Vika
Mustaparta Hagan Kilhus
Tennvassåsen Tømmeråsen Steinnes
Storvassbotn Sørlia
City neighbourhoods
Bergseng Trondenes Sama
Blåbærhaugen Harstadåsen Eineberget
Skaret City Center Heggen
Seljestad Harstadbotn Grønnebakkan
Gangsås Stangnes Åsby
Kanebogen Medkila Holtet
Breivik Ruggevik Kilbotn
Villages south of the city
Nordvik Melvik Sørvik
Halsebø Brokvik Fauskevåg
Gausvik Haukebø Sandtorg

Notable residents

North-eastern part of Harstad seen from Eineberget; 4 May 2008
View from Harstad towards the Vågsfjord and Andørja island; May 2008

International relations

Harstad university college

Twin towns — Sister cities

The twin towns of Harstad are:[25]

See also

References

Typical residential area with private houses; Eineberget, Harstad
  1. ↑ "Personnemningar til stadnamn i Noreg" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet. http://www.sprakrad.no/Sprakhjelp/Rettskriving_Ordboeker/Innbyggjarnamn. 
  2. ↑ Municipality second largest in Troms county
  3. ↑ City second largest in Troms county; third largest in North Norway
  4. ↑ "Sætertinden". http://www.westcoastpeaks.com/Peaks/saetertinden.html. 
  5. ↑ "The source of Europe's mild climate". http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/feature/2006/4/the-source-of-europes-mild-climate/1. 
  6. ↑ Harstad climate statistics 1961-90
  7. ↑ "yr.no:Harstad statistics for last 12 months". http://www.yr.no/place/Norway/Troms/Harstad/Harstad~541704/statistics.html. 
  8. ↑ "Harstad average conditions - base period 10 last years". Storm Weather Center. http://www.storm.no/vaer/harstad/klima. Retrieved 26 November 2009. 
  9. ↑ Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. http://www.ssb.no/emner/00/90/rapp_9913/rapp_9913.pdf. 
  10. ↑ "Bronze axe". http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article382361.ece. 
  11. ↑ "Bronze collar". http://www.archaeology.org/0109/newsbriefs/horseshoe.html. 
  12. ↑ Rygh, Oluf (1911) (in Norwegian). Norske gaardnavne: Troms amt (17 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. pp. 21. http://www.dokpro.uio.no/perl/navnegransking/rygh_ng/rygh_bla.prl?enhid=270481&avid=59936&s=n. 
  13. ↑ "Harstad kommunes byvåpen" (in Norwegian). Harstad kommune. http://www.harstad.kommune.no/internett/index.asp?startID=&topExpand=&subExpand=&strUrl=//applications/system/publish/view/showobject.asp?infoobjectid=1002818&menuid=1001364. Retrieved 2008-12-02. 
  14. ↑ "Festspillene i Nord-Norge". http://www.festspillnn.no/default.asp?cmd=600. 
  15. ↑ "Harstad University College". http://www.hih.no/Internasjonale_programmer/infoenglish/default.asp. 
  16. ↑ "HIL" (in Norwegian). http://www.harstad-idrettslag.no. 
  17. ↑ "Harstad Vikings" (in Norwegian). http://www.mjodberget.net. 
  18. ↑ "Anna Rogde" (in Norwegian). http://www.annarogde.no/default.asp?cmd=210. 
  19. ↑ "Coastal Express". http://www.hurtigruten.com/en/default.aspx?side_id=551. 
  20. ↑ "Express boats". http://www.hurtigruten.com/en/default.aspx?side_id=533. 
  21. ↑ "Ferries". http://www.hurtigruten.com/en/default.aspx?side_id=429. 
  22. ↑ "Buses". http://www.hurtigruten.com/en/default.aspx?side_id=420. 
  23. ↑ "Local buses". http://www.veolia-transport.no/tmpl/ExtensionPage____33301.aspx?epslanguage=ML. 
  24. ↑ "Helicopter". http://www.heliteam.no/Index.asp?Command=200&ID=1&Language=E. 
  25. ↑ "Twin towns". http://www.harstad.kommune.no.  Choose English > Political info > Friendship cities
Richard Kaarbø was the founder of Harstad

External links

Municipalities of Troms
Balsfjord · Bardu · Berg · Bjarkøy · Dyrøy · Gratangen · Harstad · Ibestad · Gáivuotna - Kåfjord · Karlsøy · Kvæfjord · Kvænangen · Lavangen · Lenvik · Lyngen · Målselv · Nordreisa · Salangen · Skjervøy · Skånland · Sørreisa · Storfjord · Torsken · Tranøy · Tromsø
 Harstad
40 most populous urban settlements (cities) of Norway
as of 2009, according to Statistics Norway [1]
1. Oslo 876,400
2. Bergen 227,800
3. Stavanger / Sandnes 189,800
4. Trondheim 157,100
5. Fredrikstad / S'borg1 101,700
6. Drammen 96,600
7. Skien / Porsgrunn 86,900
8. Kristiansand 67,500
9. Tromsø 55,100
10. Tønsberg 47,500
11. Ålesund 46,500
12. Haugesund 42,900
13. Moss 41,700
14. Sandefjord 40,800
15. Bodø 36,500
16. Arendal 32,400
17. Hamar 30,000
18. Larvik 23,900
19. Halden 23,000
20. Lillehammer 20,100
21. Harstad 19,500
22. Molde 19,400
23. Kongsberg 18,800
24. Gjøvik 18,700
25. Askøy 18,300
26. Horten 18,200
27. Mo i Rana 17,900
28. Kristiansund 17,000
29. Jessheim 15,300
30. Hønefoss 14,300
31. Narvik 13,900
32. Alta 13,600
33. Elverum 13,500
34. Askim 13,100
35. Ski 12,900
36. Drøbak 12,400
37. Nesoddtangen 11,600
38. Steinkjer 11,500
39. Leirvik 11,400
40. Vennesla 11,400
41. Kongsvinger 11,400
42. Stjørdalshalsen 10,800
1 Sarpsborg.