Senja (municipality)

Senja is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It was established on 1 January 2020 when the municipalities of Berg, Lenvik, Torsken, and Tranøy were merged into one municipality. It is located in the traditional district of Hålogaland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Finnsnes. The municipality includes all of the island of Senja, the smaller surrounding islands, and part of the mainland between the Gisundet strait and the Malangen fjord.[3]

Senja kommune
Municipality
View of Finnsnes in Senja
View of Finnsnes in Senja
Coat of arms of Senja kommune
Coat of arms
Official logo of Senja kommune
Troms og Finnmark within
Norway
Senja within Troms og Finnmark
Senja within Troms og Finnmark
Coordinates: 69.0806°N 16.8031°E / 69.0806; 16.8031
CountryNorway
CountyTroms og Finnmark
DistrictHålogaland
Established1 Jan 2020
 • Preceded byBerg, Tranøy, Torsken, and Lenvik
Administrative centreFinnsnes
Government
 • Mayor (2020)Tom-Rune Eliseussen (Sp)
Area
 • Total1,955.03 km2 (754.84 sq mi)
 • Land1,860.88 km2 (718.49 sq mi)
 • Water94.15 km2 (36.35 sq mi)  4.8%
 • Rank#40 in Norway
Population
 (2022)
 • Total14,738
 • Rank#84 in Norway
 • Density7.9/km2 (20/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years)
Increase +0.6%
DemonymsSenjaværing
Senjeværing[1]
Official language
[2]
 • Norwegian formNeutral
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-5421
WebsiteOfficial website
Data from Statistics Norway

The 1,955-square-kilometre (755 sq mi) municipality is the 40th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Senja is the 84th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 14,738. The municipality's population density is 7.9 inhabitants per square kilometre (20/sq mi) and its population has increased by 0.6% over the previous 10-year period.[4][5]

General information

In March 2017, the Parliament of Norway voted to merge the municipalities of Berg, Torsken, Lenvik, and Tranøy. The new municipality was established on 1 January 2020 as Senja Municipality (Norwegian: Senja kommune).[6][7]

Etymology

The Old Norse form of the name must also have been Senja or perhaps Sændja. The meaning of the name is unknown, but it might be related to the verb sundra which means to "tear" or "split apart", possibly because the west coast of the island is torn and split by numerous small fjords. It might also be derived from a Proto-Norse form of the word Sandijōn meaning "(area) of sand" or "sandy island".[8][3]

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was approved for use starting on 1 January 2020. The blazon is "Azure, northern lights vert over mountain peaks argent to sinister" (Norwegian: I mørkeblått grønt nordlys oppe og sølv fjell nede heraldisk venstre). This means the arms have a dark blue field (background) and the charge is the green northern lights above some mountain peaks. The mountain peaks have a tincture of argent which means they are commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The mountain peak is a depiction of the Okshornan mountain.[9][10][11]

Churches

The Church of Norway has four parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Senja. It is part of the Senja prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.

Churches in Senja
Parish (sokn)Church nameLocation of the churchYear built
BergBerg ChurchSkaland1955
Finnsæter ChapelFinnsæter1982
Mefjordvær ChapelMefjordvær1916
LenvikFinnsnes ChurchFinnsnes1979
Lenvik ChurchBjorelvnes1879
Rossfjord ChurchRossfjordstraumen1822
Fjordgård ChapelFjordgård1976
Gibostad ChapelGibostad1939
Husøy ChapelHusøy i Senja1957
Lysbotn ChapelLysnes1970
Sandbakken ChapelSandbakken1974
TorskenTorsken ChurchTorsken1784
Flakkstadvåg ChapelFlakstadvåg1925
Gryllefjord ChapelGryllefjord1902
Medby ChapelMedby1890
TranøyStonglandet ChurchStonglandseidet1896
Tranøy ChurchTranøya1775
Skrolsvik ChapelSkrollsvika1924
Vangsvik ChapelVangsvik1975

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Senja, 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 elects a mayor.[12] The municipality falls under the Senja District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Senja is made up of 45 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:

Senja kommunestyre 2020–2023 [13]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 13
  Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) 3
  Green Party (Miljøpartiet De Grønne) 1
  Conservative Party (Høyre) 8
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 11
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
 Senja List (Senjalista)6
Total number of members:45

Geography
Oksneset and Ersfjorden from Tungeneset in low sunlight, Senja, 2012 October

The island of Senja is located along the Troms county coastline with Finnsnes as the closest town. Senja is connected to the mainland by the Gisund Bridge. The island has one municipality with the same name which also has a mainland part, which is where the municipality admistration is.<northern coasts of Senja faces the open sea, the western coast faces the islands of Andøya and Krøttøya, the southern coast faces the islands of Andørja and Dyrøya. On the western coast, steep and rugged mountains rise straight from the sea, with some fishing villages (like Gryllefjord, Husøy) tucked into the small lowland areas between the mountains and the sea. The eastern and southern parts of the island are milder, with rounder mountains, forests, rivers and agriculture land.

Senja is often referred to as "Norway in miniature", as the island's diverse scenery reflects almost the entire span of Norwegian nature. Senja is known domestically for its natural environment, and is marketed as a tourist attraction.

Climate

Climate data from the village of Gibostad on the eastern shore of the island, facing the mainland during the base period of 1961–1990. The western side of the island, facing the Norwegian Sea, will have slightly milder but more windy winters.

Climate data for Gibostad, Lenvik
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) −1.9
(28.6)		 −1.8
(28.8)		 0.2
(32.4)		 3.6
(38.5)		 8.4
(47.1)		 12.9
(55.2)		 15.0
(59.0)		 14.6
(58.3)		 10.5
(50.9)		 5.8
(42.4)		 1.5
(34.7)		 −0.7
(30.7)		 5.7
(42.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) −4.4
(24.1)		 −4.2
(24.4)		 −2.3
(27.9)		 1.0
(33.8)		 5.5
(41.9)		 9.7
(49.5)		 12.3
(54.1)		 11.6
(52.9)		 7.5
(45.5)		 3.3
(37.9)		 −0.8
(30.6)		 −3.2
(26.2)		 3.0
(37.4)
Average low °C (°F) −7.1
(19.2)		 −7.0
(19.4)		 −5.5
(22.1)		 −2.1
(28.2)		 2.5
(36.5)		 6.8
(44.2)		 9.1
(48.4)		 8.3
(46.9)		 5.1
(41.2)		 1.3
(34.3)		 −3.1
(26.4)		 −5.8
(21.6)		 0.2
(32.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 85
(3.3)		 80
(3.1)		 60
(2.4)		 54
(2.1)		 39
(1.5)		 47
(1.9)		 62
(2.4)		 71
(2.8)		 91
(3.6)		 119
(4.7)		 94
(3.7)		 98
(3.9)		 900
(35.4)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 13.4 12.4 11.5 10.7 9.2 10.6 13.2 12.4 14.3 16.0 14.7 15.6 154.0
Source: Norwegian Meteorological Institute[14]

Attractions

Among the sights of the island are Ånderdalen National Park with coastal pine forests and mountains,[15] traditional fishing communities, and the Senja Troll, the world's largest troll. The southernmost municipality Tranøy also has several small museums documenting local history, among these the Halibut Museum ("Kveitmuseet") in Skrolsvik.

Notable people
Maria Haukaas Storeng, 2010
  • Anders Olsen (1718 on the island of Senja - 1786) a trader, explorer and colonial administrator
  • Bjarne Daniel Solli (1910 in Lenvik – 1989) politician, Mayor of Lenvik 1945-1953
  • Arvid Nergård (1923 in Lenvik – 2006) Bishop of Nord-Hålogaland in Tromsø 1979-1990
  • Per Kleiva (1931 in Torsken – 2017) a Norwegian painter and graphic artist
  • Ottar Brox (born 1932 in Torsken) an authority in social science, academic and politician
  • Arvid Hanssen (1932–1998) newspaper editor, poet and novelist; his bust stands in Finnsnes
  • Hans Kristian Eriksen (1933–2014) a non-fiction writer, magazine editor, novelist and short story writer & schoolteacher on the island of Senja 1954-1978
  • Geir-Inge Sivertsen (born 1965) an engineer and politician, Mayor of Lenvik 2011-2019
  • Maria Haukaas Mittet (born 1979 in Finnsnes) singer at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest
  • Andreas Amundsen (born 1980 on the island of Senja) a Norwegian jazz bassist
  • Pål Moddi Knutsen (born 1987 in Senja), stage name Moddi, is a musician, author and activist

Sport
  • Photos of Senja
  • Bergsfjorden, Senja
    Bergsfjorden, Senja
  • Husøy, Northern Senja
    Husøy, Northern Senja
  • View from a ridge between Segla and Hesten, Senja, Norway,
    View from a ridge between Segla and Hesten, Senja, Norway,
  • View from Gibostad towards Kistefjellet on the mainland
    View from Gibostad towards Kistefjellet on the mainland
  • Seashore on the Senja island in Norway
    Seashore on the Senja island in Norway
  • Ersfjorden and near mountains
    Ersfjorden and near mountains
  • Silsand
    Silsand
  • Okshornan peaks viewed from Tungeneset
    Okshornan peaks viewed from Tungeneset

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, ed. (9 May 2018). "Senja". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 25 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. "Senja kommune 2020" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  7. Vermes, Thomas (29 March 2017). "Stortingsflertallet gjør fire Senja-kommuner til én". ABC Nyheter (in Norwegian). Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  8. "Bidrag till Fennoskandiens språkliga förhistoria i tid och rum" (PDF) (in Swedish). Helsingfors Universitet. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  9. "Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  10. "Senja kommune, våpen". Digitalarkivet (in Norwegian). Arkivverket. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  11. Henriksen, Steinulf (25 May 2018). "Det viktigste Senja-våpen". Folkebladet (in Norwegian). Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  12. Hansen, Tore, ed. (12 May 2016). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  13. "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2019 - Troms og Finnmark". Valg Direktoratet. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  14. "eKlima Web Portal". Norwegian Meteorological Institute. Archived from the original on 14 June 2004.
  15. "Ånderdalen National Park" (in Norwegian). Directorate for nature management. Retrieved 4 April 2010.

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