Summary
Ofoten is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The 2,998.3-square-kilometre (1,157.7 sq mi) municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1884. The municipality included the areas on both sides of the inner part of the Ofotfjorden mostly in what is now the municipalities of Narvik, Ballangen, and Evenes. The administrative centre of Ofoten was the village of Narvik (which later became a town in 1902). After the municipality was dissolved in 1884, the name Ofoten has been used to refer to the region that once was this municipality.[2]
Ofoten Municipality
Ofoten herred | |
|---|---|
 Nordland within Norway | |
 Ofoten within Nordland | |
| Coordinates: 68°26′11″N 17°23′54″E / 68.4363°N 17.3983°E | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Nordland |
| District | Ofoten |
| Established | 1 Jan 1838 |
| • Created as | Formannskapsdistrikt |
| Disestablished | 1 Jan 1884 |
| • Succeeded by | Ankenes and Evenes |
| Administrative centre | Narvik |
| Area (upon dissolution) | |
| • Total | 2,998.3 km2 (1,157.7 sq mi) |
| Population (1884) | |
| • Total | 4,131 |
| • Density | 1.4/km2 (3.6/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | NO-1853[1] |
Data from Statistics Norway | |
History edit
The municipality of Ofoten was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1884, the municipality ceased to exist when it was split into two municipalities: Ankenes (population: 1,734) in the east and Evindnæs (population: 2,397) in the west.[3]
Name edit
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the local Ofotfjorden (Old Norse: Ófóti) since the fjord is the central feature of the area as well as the name of the whole Ofoten region. The first element of the name has an uncertain meaning. The last element is fótr which means "foot". The oldest form of the name could have been Úffóti. In this case, the first element is úfr which means "Eurasian eagle-owl". The three inner branches of the Ofotfjord might have been compared with the three claws of an owl.[2][4]
Government edit
During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elected a mayor.[5]
Mayors edit
- 1838–1844: Johan Klitzing Iversen
- 1844–1846: unknown
- 1846–1848: Johan Klitzing Iversen
- 1848–1852: Peder Slangerup Schjønning
- 1852–1854: unknown
- 1854–1856: Johan Klitzing Iversen
- 1857–1858: Martinius P. Hønich Jensen
- 1859–1866: Johan Christian Dahlsen
- 1867–1872: Hans Olai Christoffersen
- 1873–1875: Johan T.S. Østberg
- 1875–1881: Esten A. Osmark
- 1882–1884: Bertheus Normann
See also edit
- List of former municipalities of Norway
- Ofoten - a geographical area within Nordland county
References edit
- ^ Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (26 January 2023). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget.
- ^ a b Thorsnæs, Geir, ed. (13 February 2017). "Ofoten – tidligere kommune". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
- ^ Jukvam, Dag (1999). Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.
- ^ Rygh, Oluf (1905). Norske gaardnavne: Nordlands amt (in Norwegian) (16 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 296.
- ^ Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (20 September 2022). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "I glass og ramme". Harstad Tidende. 12 June 1995. p. 13.