Nordkapp
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| Nordkapp kommune | |||
| — Municipality — | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | Norway | ||
| County | Finnmark | ||
| Municipality ID | NO-2019 | ||
| Administrative centre | Honningsvåg | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor (2005) | Ulf Syversen (Ap) | ||
| Area (Nr. 119 in Norway) | |||
| - Total | 925 km² (357.1 sq mi) | ||
| - Land | 891 km² (344 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2004) | |||
| - Total | 3,468 | ||
| - Density | 4/km² (10.4/sq mi) | ||
| - Change (10 years) | -12.6 % | ||
| - Rank in Norway | 247 | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Official language form | Neutral | ||
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| Website: www.nordkapp.kommune.no | |||
Nordkapp is a municipality in the county of Finnmark, Norway.
Nordkapp (originally named Kjelvik) was separated from Porsanger July 1, 1861. The western part of Magerøya was transferred from Måsøy to Nordkapp January 1, 1984.
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[edit] Location and history
The municipality encompasses mainly the island of Magerøya, but also parts of the mainland east and west of the fjord of Porsangen.
Most of the inhabitants live in the fishing village of Honningsvåg, but Nordvågen, Kamøyvær, Skarsvåg and Gjesvær are also important places.
The municipality's most famous point, after which it is named, is Nordkapp (North Cape). This 307 m high cliff is usually referred to as the northernmost point of Europe. Some 200,000 tourists visit annually, during the two to three months of summer. However, the neighbouring point of Knivskjellodden is some 1,500 m further north, therefore this is considered the real northernmost point of Europe. It is accessible only by foot.
The North Cape first became famous when the English explorer Richard Chancellor rounded it in 1553 while attempting to find a sea route through the Northeast Passage.
[edit] The name
Nordkapp is a Norwegianized form of the English name North Cape from 1553 (the old Norse name of the cape was Knyskanes). The original name of the municipality was Kjelvik, after a fishing village with the same name. But the village was totally destroyed by the Germans in 1944 - and it never recovered. As a consequence of this the municipality changed the name to Nordkapp in 1950.
[edit] Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1973). It shows the cliff of North Cape - and the colours are taken from the colours of the midnight sun.
[edit] Birdlife
This coastal municipality is like many others in Finnmark, home of large seabird colonies. The island group known as Gjesværstappan is one of the better known with at least 2,500 pairs of Razorbill. Away from the coast it is the typical tundra habitat of the region that dominates with lakes, marshes and areas of Willow Scrub. Many of the lakes hold breeding wildfowl, with species like Long-tailed Duck being found.
[edit] Links
- Pictures from North Cape and Skarsvåg
- Motorbike travel from Italy to NordKapp
- From Nordkapp to Italy by Bike
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