Misplaced Pages

#624375

56-536: The municipality is located in the Lofoten Islands and comprises the entire island of Flakstadøya and the northern part of the island of Moskenesøya , plus many smaller islets surrounding the main islands. The European route E10 highway runs across the whole municipality. The 179-square-kilometre (69 sq mi) municipality is the 312th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Flakstad

112-473: A high density of sea eagles and cormorants , and millions of other sea birds, among them the colourful puffin . It has mainland Europe's largest seabird colony. The birds once mistaken for the extinct great auk turned out to be some of the nine king penguins released around Norway's Lofoten Islands in August 1936, there until at least 1944. Lofoten features a mostly subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc) under

168-708: A significant role, as it has done since the Bronze Age . In March 1941 the islands were raided by British Commandos during Operation Claymore , and in a subsequent diversionary attack to support the Vaagso raid in December. As of 2017, the islands attract one million tourists a year. Lofoten is located at the 68th and 69th parallels north of the Arctic Circle in North Norway. Lofoten encompasses

224-548: A strong presidential system as well based on changes in 1987 to its constitution. The first major European country to use direct elections was France (1848). However, if no candidate received a majority of the vote the National Assembly chose the winner from the top five candidates. As the so-called Second Republic only lasted for one presidential term, this never happened. Germany (the Weimar Republic )

280-580: Is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Salten og Lofoten District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal . The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Flakstad is made up of 11 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party . The mayor ( Norwegian : ordfører ) of Flakstad

336-547: Is December 1936 with 227 mm, and the driest is January 2014 with 0.9 mm. Even if the islands are not that large, there are climatic differences. Værøy and Røst furthest west have the warmest winters, but summer highs are cooler. Vestvågøy with the town Leknes has lowland in the interior of the island with mountains nearby; winters here are slightly colder and much wetter than at Skrova, while summers are drier and comparable. Lofoten offers many rock climbing and mountaineering opportunities. It has 24  hours of daylight in

392-458: Is a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the persons or political party that they wanted to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are chosen depends upon the electoral system used. The most commonly used systems are the plurality system and the two-round system for single-winner elections, such as a presidential election, and proportional representation for

448-478: Is also served by a number of small airports: Lofoten International Art Festival  [ no ] (Lofoten internasjonale kunstfestival, LIAF) is a contemporary art biennale with no set venue or location on the archipelago. Artists who have participated include Kjersti Andvig, Michel Auder , A K Dolven , Ida Ekblad , Elmgreen & Dragset , and Lawrence Weiner . The North Norwegian Art Centre  [ no ] (Nordnorsk Kunstnersenter, NNKS)

504-462: Is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland , Norway . Lofoten has distinctive scenery with dramatic mountains and peaks, open sea and sheltered bays, beaches, and untouched lands. There are two towns, Svolvær and Leknes – the latter is approximately 169 km (105 mi) north of the Arctic Circle and approximately 2,420 km (1,500 mi) away from

560-590: Is around 7–8 °C (45–46 °F). At a depth of 200 metres (660 feet), the temperature is near 8 °C (46 °F) all year. Skrova lighthouse on an island near Svolvær has the longest recording of air temperature in Lofoten. The warmest temperature recorded is 30.4 °C (86.7 °F) in June 1972. The coldest temperature recorded is −15.1 °C (4.8 °F) in February 1966. The last overnight freeze in June

616-428: Is evidence of human settlement extending back at least 11,000 years in Lofoten, and the earliest archaeological sites ... are only about 5,500 years old, at the transition from the early to late Stone Age ". Iron Age agriculture, livestock, and significant human habitation can be traced back to c. 250 BC. The town of Vågan ( Old Norse : Vágar ) is the first known town formation in northern Norway . It existed in

SECTION 10

#1732783606625

672-475: Is often used as a hub for travel to Lofoten. In addition to air travel there is a ferry connecting Bodø to Moskenes , Værøy and Røst, and a speedboat connection to Svolvær. Bodø is connected by train to Trondheim and Oslo. There is also a ferry connecting Svolvær to Skutvik in Hamarøy Municipality , with a road connection east to E6 . Hurtigruten calls at Stamsund and Svolvær . Lofoten

728-509: Is some agriculture in Flakstad, but mostly cattle and sheep farming rather than growing crops. Flakstad Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services , senior citizen services, welfare and other social services , zoning , economic development , and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor

784-422: Is the 318th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,229. The municipality's population density is 6.9 inhabitants per square kilometre (18/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 10.2% over the previous 10-year period. The municipality of Flakstad was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 July 1916, the southern part of the municipality (population: 1,306)

840-632: Is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position (incomplete list): Located near the southern end of the Lofoten archipelago , Flakstad comprises all of the island of Flakstadøya and the northern part of the island of Moskenesøya . The islands are connected by the Fredvang Bridges and the Kåkern Bridge . The large lake Solbjørnvatnet lies on

896-515: The Köppen climate classification , although some parts like Skrova feature a temperate oceanic climate (Cfb). Winter temperatures in Lofoten are extremely mild considering its location north of the Arctic Circle – possibly the largest positive temperature anomaly in the world relative to latitude . The mild winters are a result of the temperate waters of the Norwegian Sea , which is warmed by

952-545: The Mesozoic Era . Evidence of this would be the kaolinite found at some locations. To the northwest the Lofoten archipelago is bounded by the NE–SW-trending West Lofoten Border Fault. This is a normal fault whose fault scarp has been eroded forming a strandflat . In Vestvågøya mountains have steep slopes towards the open sea in the northwest and southeast while slopes pointing towards

1008-556: The Møysalen National Park just northeast of Lofoten has mountains reaching 1,262 metres (4,140 feet). The famous Moskstraumen (Malstrøm) system of tidal eddies is located in western Lofoten, and is indeed the root of the term maelstrom . Lofoten is a horst ridge of bedrock . The rocks of Lofoten belong to the wider Western Gneiss Region of Norway. Some of the high relief and irregular surfaces of Lofoten has been attributed to etching that took place during

1064-677: The North Atlantic Current and the Norwegian Current . The mild air (Lows) from the Atlantic having a free path northwards even in winter is also very significant. Strong winds can occur in late autumn and winter. Snow and sleet are not uncommon in winter. The mountains can have substantial amounts of snow, and avalanches may come down from the steep slopes. In Svolvær, the sun is above the horizon continuously (" midnight sun ") from 25 May to 17 July, and in winter

1120-520: The North Pole . The archipelago experiences one of the world's largest elevated temperature anomalies relative to its high latitude . In Norway, the archipelago and the area are called Lofoten. There have been many attempts to research the backgrounds and meanings of both the names Lofoten and Ofoten, which has led to many theories, but no definite information. Critical examination has not reached any generally accepted and justified interpretation of

1176-695: The Vesterålen district. The principal towns in Lofoten are Leknes in Vestvågøy Municipality and Svolvær in Vågan Municipality. The main islands are joined to each other and the mainland by road bridges. The Lofoten Islands are characterised by their mountains and peaks, sheltered inlets, stretches of seashore and large virgin areas. The highest mountain in Lofoten is Higravstinden (1,161 metres (3,809 feet)) in Austvågøy;

SECTION 20

#1732783606625

1232-707: The 1980s and 1990s led to direct elections of presidents in many South American countries. These changes created centralized power in presidential positions, often blurring the line of separation of powers and making them powerful decision-makers over the legislature and cabinet. A common political debate, particularly as countries consider governmental reforms, is whether or not direct elections of heads of state strengthen democratic practices among citizens. Selection mechanisms for heads of state can lead to varying outcomes in terms of voter interest, turnout, and overall engagement. For example, some scholars argue that direct elections will mobilize voters and increase their trust in

1288-776: The Lofoten area is prohibited. The sea is rich with life, and the world's largest deep water coral reef, called the Røst Reef , is located west of Røst. Approximately 70% of all fish caught in the Norwegian and Barents seas use its islands' waters as a breeding ground. Otters are common, and there are elk on the largest islands. There are some woodlands with downy birch and rowan . There are no native conifer forests in Lofoten, but some small areas with private spruce plantations. Hedlundia hybrida and Malus sylvestris occur in Lofoten, but not further north. Some 27,000 hectares (100 sq mi) of marine waters along

1344-404: The arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a mooring bollard which is a type of fixed device used for tying a hawser line from a boat to the dock. The mooring bollard 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 importance of the sea and the mooring bollard

1400-524: The centre of great cod fisheries , especially in winter, when the cod migrate south from the Barents Sea and gather in Lofoten to spawn . Bergen in southwestern Norway was for a long time the hub for further export of cod south to different parts of Europe, particularly so when trade was controlled by the Hanseatic League . In the lowland areas, particularly Vestvågøy, agriculture plays

1456-439: The chain of islands. Most parsimonious is the analogy with Aurora Borealis, as the word fótr is typically not used to describe the feet of beasts of prey, instead using the word hrammr (paw) or löpp (also paw) for animals such as cats or dogs. Fótr can be used to describe legs, and as such, light leg represents the most plausible etymology taking into account the geography of the archipelago, eventually morphing to describe only

1512-545: The early Viking Age , maybe earlier, and was located on the southern coast on eastern Lofoten, near today's village Kabelvåg in Vågan Municipality . The Lofotr Viking Museum with the reconstructed 83-metre-long (272 ft) longhouse (the largest known) is located near Borg on Vestvågøya , which has many archeological finds from the Iron Age and Viking Age. The islands have for more than 1,000 years been

1568-417: The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This differs from parliamentary systems where executives derive power from the legislative body. Many African nations have moved from parliamentary to presidential systems. Regardless of constitutional structures, presidents often have immense power over other political decision-making bodies. Given this power, much of the political violence around elections stems from

1624-431: The election of a legislature or executive. By contrast, in an indirect election , the voters elect a body which in turn elects the officeholder in question. In a double direct election , the elected representative serves on two councils, typically a lower-tier municipality and an upper-tier regional district or municipality. The idea that heads of state be elected directly by the people progressed slowly throughout

1680-548: The elections of presidents. Additionally, recent coups and conflict have postponed direct presidential elections in several African countries. The overwhelming majority of democracies in Asia are parliamentary, rather than presidential systems. Based on constitutional design, the Philippines is the only head of state elected by popular vote. Although classified as a semi-presidential system, South Korea in political reality has

1736-609: The everyday life of the local fishermen. Other artists whose work has been associated with Lofoten include Adelsteen Normann , Otto Sinding , Christian Krohg , Theodor Kittelsen , Lev Lagorio , Ernst Wilhelm Nay and Ingo Kühl . In 2004, Nurse with Wound broadcast 24 unexpected radio transmissions from the Lofoten Islands, whose sounds were sourced from the environment and objects found in Lofoten. These recordings are included on their three releases entitled Shipwreck Radio . Direct election Direct election

Flakstad Municipality - Misplaced Pages Continue

1792-491: The head of state is unelected. The conceptual origins of direct presidential elections stem from the U.S. Constitution (1787) through the Electoral College . The Framers intended for a small group of electors, through methods determined by each state, to elect the president. Thus in practice this represents a form of indirect election. Bolstered by opposition groups, institutional and constitutional change in

1848-416: The interior of the island are more gentle. This is the result of erosion acting on a landscape that has been uplifted along NE–SW-trending faults in the margins of Lofoten while the interior axis has remained more stable. In tectonic terms mountains are half-grabens and faults are of the dip-slip type . The sea around Lofoten is known to host significant oil reserves: 1.3 bn barrels. Oil extraction in

1904-433: The island of Vestvågøy before once again describing the island chain from its main island. Another name one might come across is "Lofotveggen" or the Lofoten wall. The archipelago looks like a closed wall when seen from elevated points around Bodø Municipality or when arriving from the sea, some 100 kilometres (62 miles) long, and 800–1,000 metres (2,600–3,300 feet) high. According to Robert M. D'Anjou and others: "There

1960-441: The long, steep Nappstraum tunnel. The route hugs the coastline for most of its length where it is generally flat. As it turns inland through the mountain passes there are a couple of 300–400-metre (980–1,310- foot ) climbs. The Lofoten Insomnia Cycling Race takes place every year around midsummer, possible in the midnight sun, but certainly in 24-hour daylight, along the whole Lofoten archipelago. The Arctic Race of Norway ,

2016-460: The mainland of Norway through the Lofast road connection, which was officially opened on 1 December 2007. There are several daily bus services between the islands of Lofoten and between Lofoten and the mainland along E10. The Lofoten Islands are not serviced by any trains. However, the city of Narvik is connected to Stockholm and Oslo by train and connects directly to the Lofoten bus line. Bodø

2072-408: The merger was undone with Moskenes Municipality (population: 1,705) and Flakstad Municipality (population: 2,007) becoming separate municipalities once again. The municipality (originally the parish ) is named after the old Flakstad farm ( Old Norse : Flakstaðir or Flatarstaðir ) since the first Flakstad Church was built there. The first element of the name is uncertain. It may come from

2128-531: The municipalities of Vågan , Vestvågøy , Flakstad , Moskenes , Værøy , and Røst . The principal islands, running from north to south are: Further to the south are the small and isolated islands of Værøy Municipality ( 67°40′N 12°40′E  /  67.667°N 12.667°E  / 67.667; 12.667 ) and Røst Municipality ( 67°37′N 12°7′E  /  67.617°N 12.117°E  / 67.617; 12.117 ). The total land area amounts to 1,227 square kilometres (474 square miles), and

2184-627: The name. According to one explanation Lofoten ( Old Norse : Lófótr ) was the original name of the island Vestvågøya . The first element is ló (i.e., " lynx ") and the last element is derived from Norse fótr (i.e., "foot"), as the shape of the island must have been compared with that of a lynx's foot. (The old name of the neighbouring island Flakstadøya was Vargfót , " wolf 's foot", from vargr "wolf".) The explanation has at least been seen in an article about Lofoten published in The New York Times newspaper, for which

2240-529: The north-western coasts and fjords of the Lofoten Islands have been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International (BLI) because it supports overwintering populations of common eiders and yellow-billed loons . The IBA contains or overlaps with the Seløya, Morfjorden, Laukvikøyene, Eggum and Borgværet nature reserves , as well as the Laukvikøyene Ramsar site . Lofoten has

2296-454: The north. The route is part public road, part cycle path with the option to bypass all of the tunnels by either cycle path (tunnels through mountains) or boat. Traffic is generally light, although in July there may be a lot of campervans . Some of the more remote sections are on gravel roads. There is a dedicated cycling ferry that sails between Ballstad and Nusfjord , allowing cyclists to avoid

Flakstad Municipality - Misplaced Pages Continue

2352-899: The northern part of Moskenesøya in Flakstad. The highest point in the municipality is the 938.71-metre (3,079.8 ft) tall mountain Stjerntinden. Vestvågøy Municipality lies to the northeast on the island of Vestvågøya , the Vestfjorden lies to the southeast, the Moskenes Municipality lies to the southwest on the island of Moskenesøya , and the Norwegian Sea lies to the northwest. Lofoten Islands Lofoten ( Norwegian , pronounced [ˈlùːfuːtn̩] ; English pronunciation: / ˈ l oʊ f oʊ t ən , l oʊ ˈ f oʊ t ən / , LOH -foh-tən, loh- FOH -tən ), Lufoahtta   ( Lule Sami ) , or Lufuohttá   ( Northern Sami )

2408-400: The population totals 24,500. Many will argue that Hinnøya, the northern part of Austvågøya and several hundred smaller islands, skerries, and rocks to the east of Austvågøya are also part of the Lofoten district. Historically, the territorial definition of Lofoten has changed significantly. Between the mainland and the Lofoten archipelago lies the vast, open Vestfjorden , and to the north is

2464-513: The president is elected directly by the people, and semi-presidential republics - including contemporary France - which have a president elected directly and a prime minister responsible to the parliament. A major debate exists regarding colonial legacies and the promotion of democracy around the world. In terms of direct elections, former British colonies are less likely to hold direct elections for heads of state. Additionally no monarchies have direct elections for head of state since by definition

2520-399: The reporter had claimed to have heard the explanation from the locals. However, this interpretation of the name has also received criticism. It is considered doubtful that the name Lófót itself meant the island of Vestvågøya from the beginning. Unlike, for example, the local names Værøya and Gimsøya , where the names clearly contain the endings meaning the island, the "i Lofot" appearing in

2576-414: The summer and has Alpine-style ridges, summits, and glaciers , but at a height of less than 1,200 metres (3,900 feet). The main centre for rock climbing is Henningsvær on Austvågøya. The main areas for mountaineering and climbing are on Austvågøya and Moskenesøya . Moskenesøya features remote and serious mountaineering whereas Austvågøya is a very popular area for rock climbing. Lofoten has one of

2632-532: The sun does not rise from 4 December to 7 January. In Leknes , the sun is above the horizon from 26 May to 17 July, and in winter the sun does not rise from 9 December to 4 January. The temperature in the sea has been recorded since 1935. At 1 metre (3 feet 3 inches) depth in the sea near Skrova , water temperatures vary from a low of 3 °C (37 °F) in March to 14 °C (57 °F) in August, some years peaking above 17 °C (63 °F). November

2688-466: The texts rather refers to the district , which nevertheless also included Vestvågøya. Alternatively, the name could derive from the word for light in reference to the presence of Aurora Borealis as the word for light itself is the root of the Old Norse word for lynx lóa , although the earliest evidence suggests Lófótr was first the name of the island of Vestvågøy and only later becoming the name of

2744-463: The word flak which may have meant "reckless". Another option is that it derived from the word flag which meant "rock wall", possibly referring to the large cliff near the church site. The last element is the plural form of staðr which means "homestead", "abode", or "farm". The coat of arms was granted on 14 July 1989. The official blazon is " Azure , a mooring bollard argent " ( Norwegian : I blått en sølv tørnbolt ). This means

2800-488: The world's most noteworthy football pitches. Located in the village of Henningsvaer, the pitch at Henningsvaer Stadium rests on a rocky islet and has no actual seats. Unstad is one of its better-known locations for surfing. Every September surfers from around the world visit to compete in the Lofoten Masters. There is a well-marked cycling route that goes from Å in the south and continues past Fiskebøl in

2856-557: The world's northernmost professional stage race on road bike which takes place every year in Northern Norway, crossed the Lofoten islands during its first edition in August 2013. As of 2015 , the race was planned to be back in 2019 from Thursday 15 August to Sunday 18 August. The first two stages will cross the Lofoten archipelago from west to east. The European road E10 connects the larger islands of Lofoten with bridges and undersea tunnels. The E10 road also connects Lofoten to

SECTION 50

#1732783606625

2912-577: Was chosen to represent the municipality's seafaring history. The arms were designed by Jorunn Thomassen and Jarle Henriksen. The Church of Norway has one parish ( sokn ) within Flakstad Municipality. It is part of the Lofoten prosti ( deanery ) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland . The municipality's economy is dominated by fishing . The fishing fleet mainly consists of small boats. There are also several fish farm in Flakstad. There

2968-569: Was established in Svolvær in 1979. KaviarFactory  [ no ] is a privately-owned contemporary art space in Henningsvær . The Nordland School of Art and Film  [ no ] (Nordland kunst- og filmhøgskole, NKFS) was established in Kabelvåg in 1997. Norwegian painter Gunnar Berg was known for his paintings of his native Lofoten. He principally painted scenes of

3024-520: Was in 1962, and the last freeze in September was in 1986. Skrova and nearby Svolvær are among those places in North Norway that can record what Norwegians know as "tropical nights" when the overnight low does not go below 20 °C (68 °F). The warmest night recorded in Lofoten was July 1 1972 at Skrova with low 23.8 °C (74.8 °F), and the earliest in summer was June 10th 2011 with low 21.5 °C (70.7 °F). The wettest month recorded

3080-524: Was separated to form the new Moskenes Municipality . This left Flakstad with 1,667 residents. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee . On 1 January 1964, Flakstad Municipality (population: 2,067) was merged into the neighboring Moskenes Municipality (population: 2,001), creating a new, larger Moskenes Municipality. This merger, however, only lasted for twelve years. On 1 January 1976,

3136-477: Was the first European country to use direct election of a president without intervention by the legislature. Both these systems were replaced by authoritarian systems within a number of years, with indirect presidential elections instated with the restoration of democracy (in 1871 and 1949, in West Germany , respectively). Currently, Europe has a mix of parliamentary republics , presidential republics , where

#624375