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63-589: Stjørdalen is a valley and a traditional district in Trøndelag county, Norway . The valley follows the river Stjørdalselva river from the border with Sweden 75 kilometres (47 mi) to the west where it empties into the Trondheimsfjorden . The valley traverses the present-day municipalities of Stjørdal and Meråker . The European route E14 highway and the Meråker Line railway follow

126-417: A reindeer trippant argent " ( Norwegian : I blått en gående sølv rein ). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a reindeer . The reindeer has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. It is often surmounted by a mural crown with five or four turrets . The municipal authority currently uses

189-412: A "frontier town". During the 17th century, while Denmark–Norway was solidifying its claim to the northern coast of Scandinavia , the redoubt Skansen was built. Despite only being home to around 80 people, Tromsø was issued its city charter on 20 June 1794 by King Christian VII . This coincided with, and was a direct consequence of, the abolition of the city of Bergen 's centuries-old monopoly on

252-412: A bit shorter, polar night from 28 November to 14 January (48 days). The sunniest January (1985) recorded just 9 sunhours, while the sunniest February saw 97 sunhours (2018). Despite mild winters, snowfall can happen almost any time of the year except from July to mid-September; in 2019, snowfall was registered on 29 June. Outside the city, large areas in the municipality are at some altitude and above

315-587: A border between Norse and Sámi coastal settlements during that part of the Middle Ages, however, Archaeological finds show that the Vikings have been present on the main island itself. In a burial/settlement near today's airport, a sword and other combat tools have been found, as well as household tools typical for the Norwegians In addition, one of Northern Norway's largest Viking treasures is found on

378-459: A natural landscape in the background. Although reindeer played little or no role in the city, Tromsø was the administrative center of the vast surrounding areas in the county were reindeer herding was common in this part of Northern Norway . Tromsø is the 12th largest municipality in Norway with a population of 78,745. The city is home to the world's northernmost university and also houses

441-674: A panoramic view over Tromsø. The mountain Tromsdalstinden , 1,238 metres (4,062 ft), on the mainland, which is easily spotted from the city centre, is also a major landmark. At the top of Tromsøya is a lake called Prestvannet . The Church of Norway has eight parishes ( sokn ) within Tromsø Municipality. It is part of the Tromsø domprosti (arch- deanery ) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland . Tromsø Municipality

504-513: A stylised rendering drawn by Hallvard Trætteberg (1898–1987) and adopted by royal resolution on 24 September 1941. The idea for a coat of arms for Tromsø was presented by A. T. Kaltenborn in 1855 and the coat of arms was first used in connection with the Industry and Crafts Exhibition in Tromsø in 1870. Over time, the background colour has been changed between blue and red. At one point it also used

567-521: A theatre of war. Fleischer's strategic plan was to first wipe out the German forces at Narvik and then transfer his division to Nordland to meet a German advance from Trøndelag . The Germans eventually captured all of Norway, after allied support had been withdrawn, although they encountered fierce resistance from the Finnmark -based Alta Battalion at Narvik. Tromsø escaped the war unscathed, although

630-545: Is Romssa with a double "s". This, however, is the accusative and genitive form of the noun used when, for example, writing "Tromsø Municipality" (Roms s a suohkan). In Finnish, however, the word is written with a double "s": Tromssa . The area has been inhabited since the end of the last ice age . Archeological excavations in Tønsvika , have turned up artefacts and remains of buildings estimated to be 9,000 to 10,000 years old. The area's rich Norse and Sámi heritage

693-586: Is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø . Other notable settlements in the municipality include the villages of Bjerkaker , Ersfjordbotn , Jøvika , Kaldfjord , Kjosen , Kroken , Kvaløysletta , Lakselvbukt , Melvika , Movik , Oldervik , Sandneshamn , Sjursnes , Sommarøy , and Tromsdalen . Tromsø lies in Northern Norway . The 2,521 km (973 sq mi) municipality

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756-542: Is also visible in sunhours, which has been recorded since 1961: In July 1980 Tromsø recorded 430 sunhours, which is still the national record for sunniest month ever. However, July 1989 only recorded 91 sunhours. June has ranged from just 58 sunhours in June 2018 to 395 sunhours in June 1971 and also June 2002. Tromsø has also recorded the sunniest spring month in Norway with 381 sunhours in May 2013. The highest temperature recorded at

819-497: Is always light in the summer, no aurora is visible between late April and mid August. Additionally, due to the coastal location, Tromsø is often subject to cloudy conditions, which prevent aurorae being seen, even if they are present. The Tromsø municipality includes these villages: The compact city centre has the biggest concentration of historic wooden houses north of Trondheim , and they co-exist with modern architecture. The houses date from 1789 to 1904, when building wooden houses

882-408: Is located in the middle of the city, and so is the small Catholic church Vår Frue ("Our Lady"). Northern Europe's oldest cinema still in use, Verdensteatret , was built in 1915–16. The cinema has large wall paintings, made by the local artist Sverre Mack in 1921, which picture scenes from Norwegian folk lore and fairy tales. The Arctic Cathedral , a modern church built in 1965, is situated on

945-479: Is long, meaning there is no true night between March 27 and September 17. The sun remains below the horizon during the polar night from about 26 November to 15 January, but due to the mountains, the sun is not visible from 21 November to 21 January. The return of the sun is an occasion for celebration. However, because of the twilight, there is some daylight for a couple of hours even around midwinter, often with bluish light, allowing for normal day/night cycles during

1008-560: Is more likely also in mid-winter; Tromsø-Holt (20 m) coldest month (February) mean is −2.4 °C (27.7 °F); subpolar oceanic if the −3.0 °C (26.6 °F) isotherm is used. The western part of the municipality has islands facing the Norwegian sea, like Rebbenesøya with the Måsvik station. In the past years, Tromsø has been experiencing more rain during the winter season. The winter season has shortened by 17 days, and even Oslo,

1071-410: 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 is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality

1134-511: Is that the districts, through their strong geographical limits, have historically delineated the region(s) within which one could travel without too much trouble or expenditure of time and money (on foot or skis , by horse/ox-drawn cart or sleigh or dog sled , or by one's own small rowing or sail boat). Thus, dialects and regional commonality in folk culture tended to correspond to those same geographical units, despite any division into administrative districts by authorities. In modern times

1197-470: Is the 21st largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Tromsø is the 12th-most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 78,745. The municipality's population density is 31.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (81/sq mi) and its population has increased by 10% over the previous 10-year period. It is the largest urban area in Northern Norway and the third largest north of

1260-580: Is under the jurisdiction of the Nord-Troms og Senja District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal . The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Tromsø is made up of 43 representatives that are elected for four year terms. Tromsø introduced so-called "parliamentary rule" in 2011. The Municipal council elects an executive body, byrådet ("the city council"), consisting of six byråder ("city councilors"). In theory, these are equivalent to

1323-531: Is well documented. The Norse chieftain Ohthere , who lived during the 890s, is assumed to have inhabited the southernmost reaches of today's Tromsø municipality. He described himself as living "furthest to the North of all Norwegians" with areas north of this being populated by Sámi. An Icelandic source ( Rimbegla ) from the 12th century also describes the fjord Malangen in the south of today's Tromsø municipality as

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1386-667: The Arctic Circle anywhere in the world (following Murmansk and Norilsk ). The center of the city of Tromsø is located on the island of Tromsøya , but the urban area also encompasses part of the nearby mainland and part of the island Kvaløya. Tromsø is 350 km (217 mi) north of the Arctic Circle. Tromsøya is connected to the mainland by the Tromsø Bridge and the Tromsøysund Tunnel , and to

1449-519: The Balsfjorden , Kaldfjorden , Malangen , and Ullsfjorden . Tromsø experiences a subarctic climate ( Köppen climate classification Dfc , Trewartha Eolo ) as winter temperatures are just cold enough to qualify and the summer season is short. However, precipitation amount and pattern, with maximum precipitation in autumn and winter, as well as lack of permafrost , are atypical for subarctic areas and more typical for oceanic climates. Owing to

1512-840: The German battleship Tirpitz was sunk by RAF bombers during Operation Catechism off the Tromsøy island on 12 November 1944, killing close to 1,000 German sailors. At the end of the war, the city received thousands of refugees from Finnmark county and the northern areas of Troms - areas which had been devastated by German forces using scorched earth tactics in expectation of a Red Army offensive . Expansion after World War II has been rapid. The rural Tromsøysund Municipality and Ullsfjord Municipality , and most of Hillesøy Municipality , were merged with Tromsø on 1 January 1964, creating today's Tromsø municipality and almost tripling Tromsø's population - from 12,430 to 32,664. In addition,

1575-726: The Novgorod state had the right to tax the Sámi along the coast to Lyngstuva and inland to the Skibotn River or possibly the Målselv River , whereas Norway was allowed to tax areas east to - and including - the Kola Peninsula . During the next five hundred years Norway's border with Russia and the limits of Norwegian settlement would be pushed eastwards to Sør-Varanger Municipality , making Tromsø lose its character as

1638-474: The 19th century, Tromsø became known as the "Paris of the North". How this nickname came into being is uncertain, but the reason is generally assumed to be that people in Tromsø appeared far more sophisticated than visitors from the south typically expected. By the end of the 19th century, Tromsø had become a major Arctic trade centre from which many Arctic expeditions originated. Explorers like Roald Amundsen , Umberto Nobile and Fridtjof Nansen made use of

1701-507: The Heathens"—the nominal "heathens" being the Sámi), was built during the reign of King Hákon Hákonarson . At the time, it was the northernmost church in the world. Around the same time a turf rampart was built to protect the area against raids from Karelia and Russia. Tromsø was not just a Norwegian outpost in an area mainly populated by the Sámi, but also a frontier city towards Russia;

1764-730: The Tromsøya island, and the eastern part of the large Kvaløya , west of the Tromsøya island. The Tromsø Bridge and Tromsøysund Tunnel both cross the Tromsøysundet strait connecting the mainland with Tromsøya by road. On the western side of the city, the Sandnessund Bridge connects Tromsøya island with Kvaløya island. The highest point in the municipality is the 1,830.7-metre (6,006 ft) tall mountain Jiehkkevárri . There are also many other tall mountains within

1827-477: The airport the all-time low is −20.1 °C (−4.2 °F) in February 1985. The average date for the last overnight freeze (low below 0 °C (32.0 °F)) in spring is 17 May and average date for first freeze in autumn is 3 October (1981-2010 average) giving a frost-free season of 138 days. The " midnight sun " is above the horizon from 19 May to 27 July (71 days), and the period with continuous night lasts

1890-422: The cabinet members of a parliamentary government. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party . The mayor ( Norwegian : ordfører ) of Tromsø 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: Tromsø is one of the largest fishing ports in Norway. Secondary to fishing,

1953-479: The capital of Norway, is experiencing colder winters than Tromsø despite the latitude. Due to climate change, the snow has been melting mid-winter. It is expected that Tromsø's climate changes from a boreal climate to a humid continental climate by 2100. The midnight sun occurs from about 18 May to 26 July, but mountains block the view of it for a few days, meaning that one can see the midnight sun from about 21 May to 21 July. Owing to Tromsø's high latitude, twilight

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2016-461: The first element is uncertain. Several theories exist. One theory holds "Troms-" is derived from the old (uncompounded) name of the island ( Old Norse : Trums ). Several islands and rivers in Norway have the name Tromsa , and the names of these are probably derived from the word straumr, which means "(strong) current". (The original form must then have been Strums , for the missing s , see Indo-European s-mobile .) Another theory holds that Tromsøya

2079-436: The ground. In an average winter, Tromsø sees 160 days with at least 25 centimetres (10 in) of snow on the ground (1970–2000 average, 100 meters above sea level). The lowest temperature ever recorded is −18.4 °C (−1.1 °F) in February 1966. That is extremely mild for a location this far north, as it is about the same as the record cold for the U.S. state of Florida — about 40 degrees latitude further south. At

2142-401: The ice-free Norwegian Sea and the westerlies bringing the mild air ashore, winter temperatures in Tromsø are moderate and extremely mild for the latitude. Summers are rather cool, sometimes cloudy and rainy, and sometimes sunny, often with large variations from year to year and from month to month, giving a completely different experience, all depending on the weather pattern. This variability

2205-469: The island itself. There has also been extensive Sámi settlement on the coast south of this 'border' as well as scattered Norse settlements north of Malangen—for example, both Sámi and Norse Iron Age (0–1050 AD) remains have been found on southern Kvaløya . The first church on the island of Tromsøya was erected in 1252. Ecclesia Sanctae Mariae de Trums juxta paganos ("The Church of Saint Mary in Troms near

2268-589: The island of Kvaløya by the Sandnessund Bridge . The municipality is milder than most settlements on the same latitude, due to the effect of the westerlies reaching this far north, as well as the North Atlantic Drift , a branch of the Gulf Stream . Tromsø's latitude of just below 70°N renders annual midnight suns and polar nights depending on the season. The city centre contains the highest number of old wooden houses in Northern Norway ,

2331-476: The island, Romsa , is assumed to be a loan from Norse, but according to the phonetical rules of the Sami language, the frontal t has disappeared from the name. However, an alternative form - Tromsa - is in informal use. A theory holds that the Norwegian name of Tromsø derives from the Sámi name, though this theory lacks an explanation for the meaning of Romsa . A common misunderstanding is that Tromsø's Sámi name

2394-530: The know-how in Tromsø on the conditions in the Arctic, and often recruited their crews in the city. The Northern lights observatory was founded in 1927. When Germany invaded Norway in 1940, Tromsø served briefly as the seat of the Norwegian government. General Carl Gustav Fleischer arrived in Tromsø on 10 April 1940 after flying in terrible conditions from Vadsø. From Tromsø he issued orders for total civilian and military mobilisation and declared Northern Norway

2457-552: The latter of which resulted in the development of the pidgin language Russenorsk . In 1848, the teacher training college was also moved from Trondenes Municipality (near current-day Harstad ) to Tromsø, with part of its mission being to educate Sámi scholars - there was a quota ensuring that Sámi gained access. The teacher college was followed by the Tromsø Museum in 1872, and the Mack Brewery in 1877. During

2520-582: The main island, and in 1972 the University of Tromsø was opened, at the time one of four universities in Norway and the only one serving the northern half of the country. A local teacher's college and museum were eventually incorporated into the university. The Norwegian Polar Institute was moved to Tromsø from Oslo in 1998. More recently, the university has expanded further through two mergers, first with University College Tromsø in 2009 and then with University College Finnmark in 2013. The city of Tromsø

2583-590: The mainland, facing the sound and city centre. The church, in reality a parish church and not a cathedral , was drawn by Jan Inge Hovig . The Polaria aquarium and experience centre from 1998 is a short walk south from the city centre. The Tromsø Museum is a university museum, presenting culture and nature of North Norway . The museum also displays the Arctic-alpine botanic garden , the world's northernmost botanical garden. A cable car goes up to mount Storsteinen , 420 metres (1,380 feet) above sea level , with

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2646-501: The met office 100 m amsl is 30.2 °C (86.4 °F) in July 1972. Tromsø recorded its first "tropical night" with overnight low 20.8 °C (69.4 °F) July 30, 2018. Tromsø has reputation of accumulating a lot of snow in winter, but on the streets of the city ice often prevails, especially in the first half of the winter. Tromsø's snowfall pattern is quite erratic and varies substantially between different winters. Thaws with rain in

2709-407: The municipality became a part of the newly created Troms og Finnmark county, which replaced the old Troms county. On 1 January 2024, Troms og Finnmark county was divided and the municipality once again became part of Troms county. The coat of arms (current version) was granted on 22 July 1983, although a variation of these arms has been in use since 1870. The official blazon is " Azure ,

2772-471: The municipality including Hamperokken , Store Blåmannen , Store Fornestinden , and Tromsdalstinden . The Lyngen Alps mountain range lies along the Tromsø-Lyngen municipal border. There are many islands within the municipality of Tromsø including Hillesøya , Kvaløya , Rebbenesøya , Ringvassøya , Store Sommarøya , and Tromsøya . There are also several fjords that are located in Tromsø including

2835-459: The northernmost botanical garden and planetarium . The city centre is located on the east side of the Tromsøya island — over 300 kilometres (190 mi) north of the Arctic Circle at 69°40′33″N 18°55′10″E  /  69.67583°N 18.91944°E  / 69.67583; 18.91944 . Suburban areas include Kroken , Tromsdalen (on the mainland, east of Tromsøya), the rest of

2898-408: The oldest dating from 1789. Tromsø is a cultural hub for the region, with several festivals taking place in the summer. Due to its location, many countries had consulates or missions in Tromsø in the 1990s. The city of Tromsø is named after the island of Tromsøya, on which it stands. The last element of the city's name comes from "island" ( Norwegian : øy , Danish : ø ), but the etymology of

2961-457: The polar night mid-winter are not uncommon, which melts or wets existing snow, often followed by chilly windy Arctic blasts, creating dangerous ice driving and walking conditions. It is common to see Tromsø inhabitants walking with spikes in their shoes and almost all cars use studded tires. The all-time record for snow depth was set on 29 April 1997, when the meteorological station on top of Tromsøya recorded 240 centimetres (94.5 in) of snow on

3024-445: The population growth has been strong, with at times more than 1,000 new Tromsøværinger (residents of Tromsø) annually. The population of Tromsø municipality today is 68,239, and the urban area, Norway's ninth most populous, is home to 58,486 people. This excludes most of the city's students, however, who often do not change their address when moving to Tromsø. A major development was the opening of Tromsø Airport in 1964, situated on

3087-637: The river through the length of the valley. The traditional district of Stjørdalen is a historical region surrounding the Stjørdalen valley. The area is sometimes considered the southern part of the Inntrøndelag region. The neighboring communities of Selbu and Tydal to the south are sometimes grouped together in this historic district. From the Iron Age through the Middle Ages , the area

3150-618: The royal family, Constitution Day (May 17), and other ceremonial occasions. The following list is non-exhaustive and partially overlapping. The first name is the name in Bokmål , the second Nynorsk . See also Finnmark , Hålogaland and Tromsø . See also Viken and Vingulmark . Troms%C3%B8 Tromsø ( / ˈ t r ɒ m s oʊ / , UK also / ˈ t r ɒ m s ɜː / , Norwegian: [ˈtrʊ̂msœ] ; Northern Sami : Romsa [ˈromːsa] ; Finnish and Kven : Tromssa ; Swedish : Tromsö )

3213-406: The snow melts in the lowland (usually late April), and sunglasses are essential when skiing . Because of these diametrically different light conditions in winter, Norwegians often divide it into two seasons: Mørketid (polar night) and Seinvinter (late winter). It is possible to observe the aurora borealis (northern lights) from Tromsø, as northern Norway is located in the auroral zone. As it

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3276-535: The trade in cod. Tromsø quickly rose in importance. The Diocese of Hålogaland was created in 1804, with the first bishop being Mathias Bonsak Krogh . The city was established as a municipality 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). Arctic hunting, from Novaya Zemlya to Canada, started up around 1820. By 1850, Tromsø was the major centre of Arctic hunting, overtaking the former centre of Hammerfest . Tromsø had trading contacts with both Central Europe and Russia (specifically Arkhangelsk ) during this time,

3339-435: The treeline with an alpine tundra climate ( ET or ETh ). The islands to the west at the outer seaboard are milder in winter like Måsvik, making this part of the municipality a (if the −3.0 °C (26.6 °F) isotherm is used) subpolar oceanic climate ( Cfc ) zone. Recent years have seen warming. The recent normal period 1991-2020 shows that the part of the city at low altitude has winters so mild that melting of snow

3402-469: The village of Stjørdalshalsen in Stjørdal municipality gained status as a city. Currently, the combined population of the municipalities of Stjørdal and Meråker is 21,738. Districts of Norway A high percentage of Norwegians identify themselves more by the district they live in or come from, than the formal administrative unit(s) whose jurisdiction they fall under . A significant reason for this

3465-437: The whole country has become more closely connected, based on the following: A concrete display of the Norwegian habit of identifying themselves by district can be seen in the many regional costumes, called bunad , strictly connected to distinct districts across the country. Commonly, even city dwellers proudly mark their rural origins by wearing such a costume, from their ancestral landscape, at weddings, visits with members of

3528-451: The winter. The nights shorten quickly. By 21 February, the sun is above the horizon from 7:45 am to 4:10 pm and, by 1 April, is above the horizon from 5:50 am to 7:50 pm (daylight saving time). However, if one were to include astronomical twilight as "not night", then Tromsø only has 13 hours and 32 minutes of night on the winter solstice. The combination of snow cover and sunshine often creates intense light conditions from late February until

3591-531: The work of the Schei Committee . On 1 January 1964, the city of Tromsø (population: 12,602), Tromsøysund Municipality (population: 16,727), most of Ullsfjord Municipality except for the Svendsby area (population: 2,019), and most of Hillesøy Municipality except for the parts on the island of Senja (population: 1,316) were all merged to form a new, larger Tromsø Municipality. On 1 January 2020,

3654-412: Was banned in the city centre, as in several other Norwegian cities. The oldest house in Tromsø is Skansen , built in 1789 on the remains of a 13th-century turf rampart . The Polar Museum, Polarmuseet , situated in a wharf house from 1837, presents Tromsø's past as a centre for Arctic hunting and starting point for Arctic expeditions . Tromsø Cathedral , Norway's only wooden cathedral, built in 1861,

3717-489: Was established as an independent municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). The city was completely surrounded by the Tromsøe landdistrikt (the rural municipality of Tromsø / later renamed Tromsøysund Municipality ), but they were governed separately. As the city grew in size, areas were added to the city from the rural district. On 1 January 1861, an area of Tromsøysund Municipality (population: 110)

3780-539: Was originally called Lille Tromsøya (Little Tromsøya) because of its proximity to the much bigger island today called Kvaløya , that according to this theory, was earlier called "Store Tromsøya" due to a characteristic mountain known as Tromma (the Drum). The mountain's name in Sámi , Rumbbučohkka , is identical in meaning, and it is said to have been a sacred mountain for the Sámi in pre-Christian times. The Sámi name of

3843-527: Was referred to as Stiordølafylki , one of the small petty kingdoms in the Trøndelag region under the Frostating assembly. Stjørdalen was once a municipality of its own. It was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt ), but in 1850 it was split to create the two new municipalities of Øvre Stjørdal and Nedre Stjørdal . Later, in 1874, Øvre Stjørdal was split into Hegra and Meråker municipalities. On 1 January 1901, Nedre Stjørdal

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3906-402: Was split into three municipalities of nearly equal sizes: Skatval , Stjørdal , and Lånke . At this point, there were now five municipalities in the valley. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee . On 1 January 1962, Hegra , Skatval , Stjørdal , and Lånke were merged to form the new Stjørdal municipality. On 1 June 1997,

3969-520: Was transferred to the city of Tromsø. On 1 January 1873, an unpopulated area of Tromsøysund Municipality was transferred to the city. On 1 July 1915, another area of Tromsøysund Municipality (population: 512) was merged into the city of Tromsø. On 1 January 1955, the Bjerkaker area on Tromsøya (population: 1,583) was transferred from Tromsøysund Municipality to the city of Tromsø. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to

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