Kvæfjord


Kvæfjord 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 Borkenes. Other villages include Hundstad, Langvassbukta, and Revsnes.
Together with Harstad, the two municipalities cover a large part of the island of Hinnøya in the southern part of the Troms county. Kvæfjord consists mostly of mountains and fjords. The municipality centers on the Kvæfjorden and Gullesfjorden.
Kvæfjord is also where the Norwegian national cake, Kvæfjord cake, originally comes from.
The municipality is the 208th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Kvæfjord is the 237th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,839. The municipality's population density is and its population has decreased by 6.9% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

Kvæfjord was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. On 25 October 1956, a part of Kvæfjord was transferred to neighboring Trondenes municipality. On 1 January 2000, the part of Kvæfjord that surrounded the Godfjorden was transferred from Kvæfjord to Sortland municipality.
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.

Name

The municipality is named after the fjord. The first element is the genitive case of the name of the island Kviðja and the last element is fjǫrðr which means "fjord". The name of the island might be derived from the word kviðr which means "belly" or "stomach". Prior to 1889, the name was spelled Kvædfjord.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms is from modern times; they were granted on 4 April 1986. The green arms show a yellow strawberry plant. The symbolism of the color and the plant is that the main source of income in the municipality is agriculture, and it is also the northernmost village in Norway where strawberries can grow.

Churches

The Church of Norway has one parish ' within the municipality of Kvæfjord. It is part of the Trondenes prosti in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.
Parish 'Church NameLocation of the ChurchYear Built
KvæfjordKvæfjord ChurchBorkenes1867
KvæfjordLangvassbukt ChapelLangvassbukta1981

Economy

The municipality is known for agriculture and farming. The quality of the strawberries is famous. The long hours of daylight, combined with relatively low summer temperatures, make the strawberries more tasteful than berries grown in warmer climates.
A large institution for the mentally handicapped was once located in Kvæfjord. It employed a large number of health workers.

Geography

The municipality is located on Hinnøya island and it is split by three smaller branches of the large Andfjorden: Gullesfjorden, Kvæfjorden, and Godfjorden. The island of Kvæøya is located in the middle of the Kvæfjorden, across from Borkenes.
The landscape of today was largely formed during the last ice age. When the ice retreated, the terrain rose by. It is in this belt of old seabed that today's best farm land is located. There are four county roads connecting the municipality: two to the north and one each to the east and south. The tall mountain Nupen is located in the northern part of the municipality on the border with Harstad.

Climate

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Kvæfjord, are responsible for primary education, 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. The municipality falls under the Trondenes District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council of Kvæfjord is made up of 23 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows: