Troms

Balsfjord in central Troms

The 1505 m / 5000 ft Piggtind in the Lyngen Alps, at the intersection of Tromsø, Balsfjord and Storfjord municipalities. February 2009.

Troms, when it existed, was located in the northern part of the Scandinavian peninsula. Due to the long distance to the more densely populated areas of the continent, this is one of the least polluted areas of Europe. Troms has a very rugged and indented coastline facing the Norwegian Sea. However, the large and mountainous islands along the coast provide an excellent sheltered waterway on the inside. Starting in the south, the largest islands are: northeastern part of Hinnøya (the southern part is in Nordland), Grytøya, Senja, Kvaløya, Ringvassøya, Reinøy, Vanna, and Arnøy. Some of these islands, most noteworthy Senja, have a rugged outer coast with steep mountains, and a more calm eastern shore. There are several large fjords that stretch quite far inland. Starting in the south, the largest fjords are Vågsfjorden, Andfjorden (shared with Nordland), Malangen, Balsfjord, Ullsfjord, Lyngen, and Kvænangen (fjord). The largest lake is Altevatnet in the interior of the county.

Jiekkevarre reaching more than 1,800 m / 6,000 ft (1,828.80 m) high from Balsfjord; February 2009.

There are mountains in all parts of Troms; the most alpine and striking are probably the Lyngen Alps (Lyngsalpene), with several small glaciers and the highest mountain in the county, Jiekkevarre with a height of 1,833 m (6,014 ft). Several glaciers are located in Kvænangen, including parts of the Øksfjordjøkelen, the last glacier in mainland Norway to drop icebergs directly into the sea (in the Jøkelfjord). The largest river in Troms (waterflow) is Målselva (in Målselv), and the largest (not the highest) waterfall is Målselvfossen at 600 m (2,000 ft) long and 20 m (66 ft) high. Marble is present in parts of Troms, and thus numerous caves, as in Salangen and Skånland.

Climate

Musvær; islands north of Kvaløya. The coast has fairly mild winters but cool summer days.

Located at a latitude of nearly 70°N, Troms has short, cool summers, but fairly mild winters along the coast due to the temperate sea; Torsvåg Lighthouse in Karlsøy has January 24-hr average of −1 °C (30 °F). Tromsø averages −4 °C (25 °F) in January with a daily high of −2 °C (28 °F), while July averages 12 °C (54 °F) with high of 15 °C (59 °F). Temperatures are typically below freezing for about 5 months (8 months in the mountains), from early November to the beginning of April, but coastal areas are moderated by the sea: with more than 130 years of official weather recordings, the coldest winter temperature ever recorded in Tromsø is −20.1 °C (−4.2 °F) in February 1985.[8] The all-time high for Troms is 33.5 °C (92.3 °F) recorded in Bardufoss July 18, 2018. Thaws can occur even in mid-winter. There was often snow in abundance, and avalanches were not uncommon in winter. With the prevailing westerlies, lowland areas east of mountain ranges have less precipitation than areas west of the mountains.

Skibotn (elevation: 46 m or 151 ft) in Storfjord is the location in Norway which has recorded the most days per year with clear skies (no clouds). Winter temperatures in Målselv and Bardu can get down to −35 °C (−31 °F), while summer days can reach 30 °C (86 °F) in inland valleys and the innermost fjord areas, but 15 to 22 °C (59 to 72 °F) is much more common. Along the outer seaboard, a summer day at 15 °C (59 °F) is considered fairly warm.

Climate data for Tromsø, Troms county, Norway 1961-1990
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	−2.2 (28.0)	−2.1 (28.2)	−0.4 (31.3)	2.7 (36.9)	7.5 (45.5)	12.5 (54.5)	15.3 (59.5)	13.9 (57.0)	9.3 (48.7)	4.7 (40.5)	0.7 (33.3)	−1.3 (29.7)	5.1 (41.2)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−4.4 (24.1)	−4.2 (24.4)	−2.7 (27.1)	0.3 (32.5)	4.8 (40.6)	9.1 (48.4)	11.8 (53.2)	10.8 (51.4)	6.7 (44.1)	2.7 (36.9)	−1.1 (30.0)	−3.3 (26.1)	2.5 (36.5)
Average low °C (°F)	−6.5 (20.3)	−6.5 (20.3)	−5.1 (22.8)	−2.3 (27.9)	2.0 (35.6)	6.1 (43.0)	8.7 (47.7)	7.8 (46.0)	4.5 (40.1)	0.7 (33.3)	−3.0 (26.6)	−5.4 (22.3)	0.1 (32.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	95 (3.7)	87 (3.4)	72 (2.8)	64 (2.5)	48 (1.9)	59 (2.3)	77 (3.0)	82 (3.2)	102 (4.0)	131 (5.2)	108 (4.3)	106 (4.2)	1,031 (40.6)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm)	13.7	12.8	11.9	11.2	9.9	11.4	13.4	13.1	15.5	17.1	14.8	15.1	159.9
Mean monthly sunshine hours	3	32	112	160	218	221	205	167	92	49	6	0	1,265
Source: Norwegian Meteorological Institute[9]

Landscape with small farms and planted spruce. Dyrøy, May 2010

Winter in Salangen mountains; snow cover lasts usually into late April or early May in the lowlands.

Reindeer near Tromsdalstind

Moose, red fox, hare, stoat, and small rodents are common in all of Troms county. Brown bears are sighted in the interior parts of the county in the summer. Other animals that can be seen are reindeer (interior mountain areas, with Sami owners), wolverine (interior mountain areas), Eurasian otters (along the coast and rivers), Eurasian lynx (in the forests), and harbour porpoises in the fjords. Sperm whales, killer whales and humpback whales are often seen in Andfjorden. Some of the common birds are ptarmigan, sea eagles, European herring gulls, and great cormorants.

The sheltered valleys in the interior of Troms have the highest tree line (summer warmth and length is the limiting factor), with downy birch reaching an elevation of 700 m (2,300 ft) on the southern slope of Njunis; all over Troms county birch trees forms the tree lines, often 200 metres (660 ft) above other trees. Rowan, aspen, willow, grey alder, and bird cherry are common in the lower elevations.

Hiking in early summer

Scots pine reaches an elevation of almost 400 m (1,300 ft) in Dividalen, where some of the largest trees are 500 years old. The upper part of the valley is protected by Øvre Dividal National Park,[11] which was enlarged in 2006.[12] In 2011, the Rohkunborri National Park (571 square kilometres or 220 square miles) was established in Bardu municipality, bordering Sweden and only a few kilometers south of Øvre Dividal National Park.[13]

The inland valleys, like Østerdalen (with Altevatnet), Kirkesdalen, Dividalen, Rostadalen, Signaldalen, and Skibotndalen, are perfect for summer hiking, with their varied nature, mostly dry climate and not too difficult terrain, although there are many accessible mountains for energetic hikers.

Reisadalen is one of the most idyllic river valleys in Norway; from Storslett in Nordreisa the valley stretches south-southeast, covered with birch, pine, grey alder, and willow. The northern part of the valley is 5 km (3.1 mi) wide, with 1,200-metre (3,900 ft) high mountains on both sides; the southern part of the valley narrows to a few hundred metres (canyon), with increasingly dry climate. The valley floor is fairly flat with little height difference for 70 km (43 mi) (to Bilto); the Reisa river can be navigated by canoe or river boat for much of this distance. The salmon swim 90 km (56 mi) up the river, and some 137 different species of birds have been observed. Several rivers cascade down into the valley; the Mollisfossen waterfall is 269 m (883 ft).[14] The valley ends 120 km (75 mi) southeast of Storslett, as the vast and more barren Finnmarksvidda plateau takes over. Reisa National Park protects the upper part of the valley.[15]

Small farms and mountains in Lenvik; June 2007.

Many villages are located at the head of fjords; this is Nordkjosbotn at the head of Balsfjord, 1-hr drive south of Tromsø.

Agricultural area near Harstad in 1930

The city of Tromsø, in the north central part, was the county seat and an Arctic seaport, and seat of the world's northernmost university, renowned for research about the aurora borealis. The University of Tromsø has an astrophysical observatory located in Skibotn.[16] Tromsø was the only municipality in the former county with a strong population growth; most of the smaller municipalities experience decreasing populations as the young and educated moved to the cities, often in the southern part of Norway. Harstad is a commercial centre for the southern part of the former county, and has been chosen by Statoil as its main office in Northern Norway.

Along the coast and on the islands, fishing is dominant. Important ports for the fishing fleet are Skjervøy, Tromsø and Harstad. There is also some agriculture, especially in the southern part of the former county, which has a longer growing season (150 days in Harstad). Balsfjord is often regarded to be the most northern municipality with substantial agricultural activity in Norway, although there is also agriculture further north.

The Norwegian armed forces were vital employers in the former Troms, having the seat of the 6th army division, Bardufoss Air Station, helicopter wings and radar stations in the county. There are hospitals in Tromsø (university hospital and main hospital for North Norway) and Harstad.

While the busiest airport in the former Troms is Tromsø Airport, the southern part included Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes and Bardufoss Airport, with Sørkjosen Airport in the northeast. The E6 cuts through the county from Nordland into Gratangen in the south to Kvænangen in the north and then into Finnmark. The E8 road runs from Tromsø to Finland via Nordkjosbotn and the Skibotn valley. There are several large bridges; some of the largest are Tjeldsund Bridge, Mjøsund Bridge, Gisund Bridge, Tromsø Bridge and Sandnessund Bridge. There are several undersea road tunnels; Rolla to Andørja (in Ibestad), Tromsøya to the mainland (Tromsø), Kvaløya to Ringvassøya and Skjervøy to the mainland. The roads are well maintained, but have to go long detours around fjords. For this reason passenger boats are fairly popular, for example between Tromsø and Harstad, and there are also commercial flights inside the former county of Troms.

There was no railway in Troms, but in 2013, the government of Finland expressed interest in building a railway from the Finnish rail network to port facilities at Skibotn, though they also stated that they could not finance much of the cost.[17]

Tromsø in 1900; Tromsø was for many decades an important base for hunting and whaling in the Arctic.

Troms has been settled since the early Stone Age, and there are prehistoric rock carvings at several locations (for instance Ibestad and Balsfjord). These people made their living from hunting, fishing and gathering.

The first of the current ethnic groups to settle in the county were the Sami people, who inhabited Sápmi, an area much larger than today's Nordland, Troms and Finnmark counties. Archeological evidence has shown that a Norse iron-based culture in the late Roman Iron Age (200–400 AD), reaches as far north as Karlsøy (near today's Tromsø), but not further northeast.

The Norse with their iron and agriculture settled along the coast and in some of the larger fjords, while the Sami lived in the same fjord areas, usually just into the fjord and in the interior.[19] From the 10th century, Norse settlements start to appear along the coast further north, reaching into what is today the county of Finnmark.

Southern and mid-Troms was a petty kingdom in the Viking Age, and considered part of Hålogaland. Ottar from Hålogaland met King Alfred the Great around 890. The Viking leader Tore Hund had his seat at Bjarkøy. According to the sagas, Tore Hund speared King Olav Haraldsson at the Battle of Stiklestad. He also traded and fought in Bjarmaland, today the area of Arkhangelsk in northern Russia.[20] Trondenes (today's Harstad) was also a central Viking power centre, and seems to have been a gathering place.

The Kven residents of Troms are largely descendants of Finnish immigrants who arrived in the area before the 19th century from Finland because of war and famine. They settled mainly in the northeastern part of Troms, in the municipalities of Kvænangen, Nordreisa, Skjervøy, Gáivuotna - Kåfjord and Storfjord, and some also reached Balsfjord and Lyngen.

Troms county had a total of 24 municipalities at dissolution.

Map of municipalities in Troms county, Norway

Municipalities of Troms at time of 2020 dissolution
Key
Balsfjord Bardu Berg Bjarkøy (merged with Harstad (#7)) Dyrøy Gratangen Harstad Ibestad Gáivuotna - Kåfjord Karlsøy Kvæfjord Kvænangen Lavangen Lenvik Lyngen Målselv Nordreisa Salangen Skånland Skjervøy Sørreisa Storfjord Torsken Tranøy Tromsø

• 
  Inside Trondenes Church, the only medieval church in Troms
• 
  Ersfjorden, Senja island
• 
  Skjervøy Church in northern Troms at night, February 2004
• 
  Sørvik in Harstad is at the southern tip of Troms
• 
  Reindeer in Norway (Rekvika, Troms, Norway)
• 
  Summer evening in Jøkelfjord, Kvænangen.

• Samuel Georg Simeon Wennberg, member of parliament

• Hålogalandsallmenningen

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Troms.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Troms.

• Visitnorway.com Troms
• Troms touring association