Ofoten

Ofoten
Ofoten
Region
County	Nordland
Area
• Total	7,829 km2 (3,023 sq mi)
Population (2015)
• Total	29,968
• Density	3.8/km2 (9.9/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)

Ofoten is a

Ofotfjorden, which is at the center of this district. The 7,829-square-kilometre (3,023 sq mi) district was home to 29,968 residents in 2016, with almost half of the residents living in the town of Narvik.^[1]

Beisfjorden

Geography

Ofoten is characterized by

Ofotfjorden, there are a number of other fjords

that cut into the landscapes, often with steep shorelines.

The traditional district of Lofoten lies to the west of Ofoten, to the south is the traditional district of Salten, to the east is northern Sweden, and to the north is Troms county.

History

The municipality of Ofoten was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). On 1 January 1884, the municipality ceased to exist when it was split into two municipalities: Ankenes (population: 1,734) and Evindnæs (population: 2,397).^[2]

Name

The district is named after

Ofotfjorden (Old Norse: Ófóti). The meaning of the first element is unknown and the last element is derived from the Old Norse word 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.^[3]

Media gallery

Niingen mountain, Bogen in Evenes
View from Efjorddalen, Narvik
Bjerkvik is an important road junction; E10 goes west to Lofoten and E6 goes north to Troms
Aerial of Narvik seen from west