Gratangen

Gratangen (Northern Sami: Rivttága suohkan) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Central Hålogaland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Årstein.[3]

For the fjord in Troms county, Norway, see Gratangen (fjord).
Gratangen kommune
Rivttága suohkan
Municipality
Flag of Gratangen kommune
Flag
Coat of arms of Gratangen kommune
Coat of arms
Official logo of Gratangen kommune
Troms og Finnmark within
Norway
Gratangen within Troms og Finnmark
Gratangen within Troms og Finnmark
Coordinates: 68°41′24″N 17°32′30″E
CountryNorway
CountyTroms og Finnmark
DistrictCentral Hålogaland
Established1 July 1926
 • Preceded byIbestad Municipality
Administrative centreÅrstein
Government
 • Mayor (2019)Anita Karlsen (Sp)
Area
 • Total312.75 km2 (120.75 sq mi)
 • Land305.53 km2 (117.97 sq mi)
 • Water7.22 km2 (2.79 sq mi)  2.3%
 • Rank#261 in Norway
Population
 (2022)
 • Total1,070
 • Rank#327 in Norway
 • Density3.5/km2 (9/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years)
Decrease −5.8%
DemonymGratangsværing[1]
Official language
[2]
 • Norwegian formNeutral
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-5414
WebsiteOfficial website
Data from Statistics Norway

The 313-square-kilometre (121 sq mi) municipality is the 261st largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Gratangen is the 327th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,070. The municipality's population density is 3.5 inhabitants per square kilometre (9.1/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 5.8% over the previous 10-year period.[4][5]

The largest settlement in the municipality is Årstein, which is located approximately 60 kilometres (37 mi) north of the town of Narvik and 85 kilometres (53 mi) east of the town of Harstad. Other villages in Gratangen include Elvenes, Fjordbotn, and Hilleshamn. The European route E6 highway runs through the southeastern part of the municipality.[3]

General information

The municipality of Gratangen was established on 1 July 1926 when it was separated from the large municipality of Ibestad. The initial population of Gratangen was 1,967. The municipal boundaries have not changed since that time.[6]

On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the newly formed Troms og Finnmark county. Previously, it had been part of the old Troms county.[7]

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Gratangen fjord (Old Norse: Grjótangr). The first element is grjót which means "stone". The last element is angr which means "fjord".[3]

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 15 June 1990. The official blazon is "Azure, a chevron embowed argent" (Norwegian: I blått en innbøyd sølv sparre). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a curved chevron. The chevron has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The blue color in the field symbolizes the blue sky (on top) and the Gratangen fjord and sea (on the bottom). The chevron was chosen to represent the snowy mountain peaks. The arms were designed by Even Jarl Skoglund.[3][8][9][10]

Churches

The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Gratangen. It is part of the Trondenes prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.

Churches in Gratangen
Parish (sokn)Church nameLocation of the churchYear built
GratangenGratangen ChurchÅrstein1971

History
View of the mountains of Gratangen

Gratangen was the site of the Battle of Gratangen, one of the first battles between the German 3rd Mountain Division under Eduard Dietl and the Norwegian 6th Division under General Carl Gustav Fleischer after the German invasion of Norway on 9 April 1940.

Geography

The municipality encompasses the land on both sides of the Gratangen and southeast of the Astafjorden. The municipality borders Skånland to the west, Ibestad (across the Astafjorden) to the north, Lavangen to the east, and Narvik (in Nordland county) to the south.

The municipality is very mountainous, with only one third of the land being below the tree line of 250 to 300 metres (820 to 980 ft) above sea level. Most of the livable land is a narrow area along both sides of the fjord, several side valleys that branch away from the fjord, plus the Fjordbotn area at the head of the fjord.

Climate
Climate data for Årstein
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Daily mean °C (°F) −6.2
(20.8)		 −5.4
(22.3)		 −2.6
(27.3)		 1.4
(34.5)		 6.7
(44.1)		 10.8
(51.4)		 13.0
(55.4)		 11.9
(53.4)		 7.2
(45.0)		 2.6
(36.7)		 −2.1
(28.2)		 −4.6
(23.7)		 2.7
(36.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 87
(3.4)		 79
(3.1)		 62
(2.4)		 56
(2.2)		 45
(1.8)		 55
(2.2)		 70
(2.8)		 82
(3.2)		 111
(4.4)		 136
(5.4)		 95
(3.7)		 102
(4.0)		 980
(38.6)
Source: Norwegian Meteorological Institute[11]

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Gratangen, 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.[12] The municipality falls under the Trondenes District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Gratangen is made up of 15 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:

Gratangen kommunestyre 2020–2023 [13]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 3
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 7
 Gratangen Common Political List
 (Gratangen Fellespolitiske Liste)		3
 Cross-Party List for Gratangen
 (Tverrpolitisk Liste for Gratangen)		2
Total number of members:15
Gratangen kommunestyre 2016–2019 [14]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 7
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 3
 Gratangen Common Political List
 (Gratangen Fellespolitiske Liste)		2
 Gratangen Democratic List
 (Gratangen Demokratiske Liste)		3
Total number of members:15
Grantangen kommunestyre 2012–2015 [15]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 5
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 9
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
Total number of members:15
Gratangen kommunestyre 2008–2011 [14]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 8
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 5
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
Total number of members:15
Gratangen kommunestyre 2004–2007 [14]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 8
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 2
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 5
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
Total number of members:17
Gratangen kommunestyre 2000–2003 [14]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 6
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 7
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
 Gratangen cross-party list (Gratangen tverrpolitiske list)2
Total number of members:17
Gratangen kommunestyre 1996–1999 [16]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 4
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 6
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
 Inner Gratangen non-party list
 (Indre Gratangen upolitiske liste)		3
 Outer North-Gratangen election list
 (Ytre Nord-Gratangen valgliste)		1
Total number of members:17
Gratangen kommunestyre 1992–1995 [17]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 6
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 6
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
 Middle and Outer Gratangen with Hilleshamn election list
 (Midtre og Ytre Gratangen med Hilleshamn valgliste)		1
 Inner Gratangen non-party local list
 (Indre Gratangen upolitiske bygdeliste)		2
Total number of members:17
Gratangen kommunestyre 1988–1991 [18]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 7
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 3
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 2
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
 Middle and Outer Gratangen with Hilleshamn local list
 (Midtre og Ytre Gratangen med Hilleshamn bygdeliste)		4
Total number of members:17
Gratangen kommunestyre 1984–1987 [19]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 3
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
 Middle/Outer Gratangen with Hilleshamn local list
 (Midtre/Ytre Gratangen med Hilleshamn bygdeliste)		4
 Inner and Southern Gratangen with Hilleshamn local list
 (Indre og Søndre Gratangen med Hilleshamn bygdeliste)		7
 Inland election list (Innlandets valgliste)2
Total number of members:17
Gratangen kommunestyre 1980–1983 [20]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 5
 Middle Gratangen with Hilleshamn local list
 (Midtre Gratangen med Hilleshamn bygdeliste)		7
 Inner Gratangen non-party election list
 (Indre Gratangen upolitiske valgliste)		2
 Inland election list (Innlandets valgliste)3
Total number of members:17
Gratangen kommunestyre 1976–1979 [21]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 7
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
  Joint list of the Conservative Party (Høyre), Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti), and Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 4
 Middle Gratangen with Hilleshamn Non-Party Common List
 (Midtre Gratangen med Hilleshamn Upolitiske Fellesliste)		4
 Inner Gratangen Election List (Indre Gratangen Valgliste)1
Total number of members:17
Gratangen kommunestyre 1972–1975 [22]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 2
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 15
Total number of members:17
Gratangen kommunestyre 1968–1971 [23]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 1
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 16
Total number of members:17
Gratangen kommunestyre 1964–1967 [24]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 4
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 1
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 12
Total number of members:17
Gratangen herredsstyre 1960–1963 [25]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 4
  List of workers, fishermen, and small farmholders (Arbeidere, fiskere, småbrukere liste) 4
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 9
Total number of members:17
Gratangen herredsstyre 1956–1959 [26]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 5
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 12
Total number of members:17
Gratangen herredsstyre 1952–1955 [27]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 3
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 13
Total number of members:16
Gratangen herredsstyre 1948–1951 [28]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 7
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 9
Total number of members:16
Gratangen herredsstyre 1945–1947 [29]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 8
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 8
Total number of members:16
Gratangen herredsstyre 1938–1941* [30]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 4
  List of workers, fishermen, and small farmholders (Arbeidere, fiskere, småbrukere liste) 3
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 9
Total number of members:16
Note: Due to the German occupation of Norway during World War II, no elections were held for new municipal councils until after the war ended in 1945.

Mayors

The mayors of Gratangen:[31]

  • 1926–1929: Mikal Jakobsen
  • 1929–1931: O.M. Eilivsen-Thraning
  • 1932–1934: Mikal Jakobsen
  • 1935–1937: Arthur Heggelund (Ap)
  • 1938–1941: Mikal Nilsen
  • 1941–1942: Arthur Heggelund (Ap)
  • 1942-1942: Ove Seines
  • 1942-1942: O.M. Eilivsen-Thraning
  • 1942–1945: Christian Selnes
  • 1946–1947: Arthur Heggelund (Ap)
  • 1948–1951: Øyvind Bahr
  • 1952–1961: Anker Nikolaisen (Ap)
  • 1962–1967: Alfred Pedersen (Ap)
  • 1968–1971: Heiberg Karlsen (LL)
  • 1972–1975: Odd Thraning (Ap)
  • 1976–1979: Arvid Fjellheim (Ap)
  • 1980–1983: Reidar Schjelderup (Sp)
  • 1984–1985: Odd Thraning (Ap)
  • 1986–1989: Arvid Fjellheim (Ap)
  • 1990–1991: Roy-Idar Sandberg (Sp)
  • 1992–1993: Håkon Kristiansen (Ap)
  • 1994–1999: Roy-Idar Sandberg (Sp)
  • 1999–2003: Rita H. Roaldsen (Sp)
  • 2003-2003: Håkon Kristiansen (Ap)
  • 2003–2011: Eva Ottesen (Ap)
  • 2011–2015: Ronny Grindstein (Sp)
  • 2015-2019: Eva Ottesen (Ap)
  • 2019–present: Anita Karlsen (Sp)

References
  1. "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
  2. "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
  3. Thorsnæs, Geir; Dalfest, Terje, eds. (12 February 2018). "Gratangen". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  4. Statistisk sentralbyrå. "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
  5. Statistisk sentralbyrå. "09280: Area of land and fresh water (km²) (M)" (in Norwegian).
  6. Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå.
  7. Mæhlum, Lars, ed. (24 December 2019). "Troms og Finnmark". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  8. "Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  9. "Gratangen, Troms (Norway)". Flags of the World. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  10. "Godkjenning av våpen og flagg". Lovdata.no (in Norwegian). Norges kommunal- og arbeidsdepartementet. 17 August 1990. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  11. "eKlima Web Portal". Norwegian Meteorological Institute. Archived from the original on 14 June 2004.
  12. Hansen, Tore, ed. (12 May 2016). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  13. "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2019 - Troms og Finnmark". Valg Direktoratet. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  14. "Table: 04813: Members of the local councils, by party/electoral list at the Municipal Council election (M)" (in Norwegian). Statistics Norway.
  15. "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2011 - Troms Romsa". Valg Direktoratet. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  16. "Kommunestyrevalget 1995" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1996. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  17. "Kommunestyrevalget 1991" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1993. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  18. "Kommunestyrevalget 1987" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1988. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  19. "Kommunestyrevalget 1983" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1984. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  20. "Kommunestyrevalget 1979" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1979. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  21. "Kommunevalgene 1975" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1977. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  22. "Kommunevalgene 1972" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1973. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  23. "Kommunevalgene 1967" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1967. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  24. "Kommunevalgene 1963" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1964. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  25. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  26. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  27. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  28. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  29. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  30. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  31. "Ordførerne". Nordlys (in Norwegian). 18 December 1976. p. 17.
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