Alta kommune

County	Finnmark
District
Municipality	NO-2012
Administrative centre	Alta
Mayor (2003)	Geir Ove Bakken (Ap)
Official language form	Bokmål
Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage	Ranked 7 3,849 km² 3,651 km² 1.19 %
Population  - Total (2004)  - Percentage  - Change (10 years)  - Density	Ranked 56 17,440 0.38 % 8.4 % 5/km²
Coordinates	69°56′N, 23°18′E
www.alta.no Data from Statistics Norway Image File history File links Coat of arms for the municipality of Alta (kommune), Norway. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties (fylker, singular - fylke, Nynorsk: singular and plural fylke; until 1918 known as singular and plural- amt), and 433 municipalities (kommuner - Nynorsk: kommunar). ... County NO-20 Region Nord-Norge Administrative centre Vadsø County mayor   Area  - Total  - Percentage Ranked 1 48,618 km² 15. ... Norway may be divided into a number of traditional districts. ... Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties (fylker, singular - fylke), and 431 municipalities/communes (kommuner). ... The ISO 3166-2 codes for Norway describe 19 counties (fylke). ... The Norwegian Labour Party (Det norske Arbeiderparti, Arbeiderpartiet or DNA) is a left-wing political party in Norway. ... Norwegian (norsk) is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language. ... Norwegian is a Germanic language spoken in Norway. ... Area is a physical quantity expressing the size of a part of a surface. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Population density by country, 2006 Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. ... This article is about longitude and latitude; see also UTM coordinate system Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (vertically) and longitude (horizontally); large version (pdf) The geographic (earth-mapping) coordinate system expresses every horizontal position on Earth by two of the three coordinates of a spherical coordinate system which...

Coordinates: 69°56′N, 23°18′E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Alta (help· info) (Áltá or formerly Álaheadju in Northern Sami) is a municipality and town in the county of Finnmark, Norway. Image File history File links Alta. ... Northern or North Sami (also written Sámi or Saami; formerly Lappish or Lapp) is the most widely spoken of all Sami languages. ... County NO-20 Region Nord-Norge Administrative centre Vadsø County mayor   Area  - Total  - Percentage Ranked 1 48,618 km² 15. ...

Alta was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). Talvik was separated from Alta January 1, 1863 - but again merged with Alta January 1, 1964. Formannsskapsdistrikt was a Norwegian local self-government district created in a bill approved by the Storthing and signed into law by king Carl Johan on January 14, 1837. ... Talvik (finnish Talmulahti) is a former municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. ...

The name

The municipality is probably named after the fjord (Altafjorden).

Until 1918 the name was written Alten.

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1976). It shows the head of an arrow. (Similar heads made of quartz, from the Old Stone Age, are found in the municipality.) Quartz is one of the most common minerals in the Earths continental crust. ...

Geography

Midnight sun in Alta

The municipality covers 3,845 km², in the west of the county, mostly situated along the Altafjord, taking in large tracts of woodlands, as well as parts of the High Plateau of Finnmarksvidda. The river Altaelva has carved out one of the largest canyons in Europe on its way from the plateau down to the fjord. Most people live in the town of Alta, stretching along the inner part of the fjord, enjoying a sheltered climate; daytime summer temperatures are often comparable to southern parts of Norway, and lowland areas in Alta are mostly sheltered from the winter storms. Precipitation is low, with a yearly average precipitation of only 400 mm. The clear skies are the reason why Alta early was chosen as an excellent location for studying the aurora borealis. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixels Full resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 515 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) (All user names refer to fr. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixels Full resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 515 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) (All user names refer to fr. ... The midnight sun at Nordkapp, Norway. ... Finnmarksvidda (the Finnmark plateau) is Norways largest mountain plateau, with an area greater than 22,000 km². It lies at 300-500 meters above sea level. ... The river Altaelva has carved out one of the largest canyons in Europe on its way from the High Plateau of Finnmarksvidda down to the Altafjord. ... Grand Canyon, Arizona Noravank Monastery Complex and Canyon in Armenia. ... Fjord in Sunnmøre, Norway Fjords are very long inlets from the sea with high steeply sloped walled sides. ... Categories: Stub ... Aurora borealis Polar aurorae are optical phenomena characterized by colorful displays of light in the night sky. ...

History

Rock carvings of Alta

The Rock carvings at Alta, dating from circa 4200 BC to 500 BC, are on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. In addition, the Komsa culture was named after the Komsa mountain in Alta municipality, where the first archeological remains were discovered. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 798 × 599 pixels Full resolution (4048 × 3040 pixel, file size: 3. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 798 × 599 pixels Full resolution (4048 × 3040 pixel, file size: 3. ... Detail from the rock carvings at Alta The Rock carvings at Alta are an archaeological site near the town of Alta in the county of Finnmark in northern Norway. ... (6th millennium BC – 5th millennium BC – 4th millennium BC – other millennia) Events 4713 BC – The epoch (origin) of the Julian Period described by Joseph Justus Scaliger occurred on January 1, the astronomical Julian day number zero. ... Centuries: 7th century BC - 6th century BC - 5th century BC Decades: 550s BC - 540s BC - 530s BC - 520s BC - 510s BC - 500s BC - 490s BC - 480s BC - 470s BC - 460s BC - 450s BC Events and Trends 509 BC - Foundation of the Roman Republic 508 BC - Office of pontifex maximus created... UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... The Komsa culture was a stone age culture of hunter-gatherers that existed in northern Norway from around 6000 BC. The culture is named after the Komsa mountain in the community of Alta, Finnmark, where the first remains of the culture were discovered in 1925. ... Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ...

In World War II, the German battleship Tirpitz used Altafjord as a harbor, and was damaged here by attacking allied warplanes. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Tirpitz was the second Bismarck class battleship of the German Kriegsmarine, sistership of Bismarck. ... In general, allies are people or groups that have joined an alliance and are working together to achieve some common purpose. ...

Altasaken in 1979 made headlines for weeks, as many people (especially Sami people and environmentalists) demonstrated and used civil disobedience to prevent the building of a dam in order to produce hydropower. The dam was built, however, and the river still offers good salmon fishing. The Alta controversy refers to a political controversy in Norway in the late 1970s and early 1980s concerning the construction of a hydroelectric power plant in the Alta river in Finnmark, Northern Norway. ... The Sami people (also Sámi, Saami, Lapps, sometimes also Laplanders) are the indigenous people of Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. ... Environmentalism is activism aimed at improving the environment, particularly nature. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Undershot water wheels on the Orontes River in Hama, Syria Saint Anthony Falls Hydropower is the capture of the energy of moving water for some useful purpose. ... Illustration of a male Coho Salmon The Chinook or King Salmon is the largest salmon in North America and can grow to 1. ...

Alta became a city (town) in 1999. The population has been growing steadily for many years.

Birdlife

For those interested in bird watching, the river outlet, known locally as Altaosen is well worth a visit. This tidal area is used as a stopover for many wetland species. For more information and some pictures of some of the species that can be seen there check Bird Watching In Norway - Alta

Communications and Economy

Alta is a communication center in Finnmark. Alta Airport served 308,000 passengers in 2004. There are direct flights to Oslo. Alta also has port facilities in the town center, and the E6 passes through Alta. Alta Airport (IATA: ALF, ICAO: ENAT) is the airport of Alta, Norway. ... County Oslo NO-03 District Viken Municipality NO-0301 Administrative centre Oslo Mayor (2004) Per Ditlev-Simonsen (H) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 224 454 km² 426 km² 0. ... Seaport, a painting by Claude Lorrain, 1638 The Port of Wellington at night. ... E6 is the designation for the main north-south road in Norway (and the west coast of Sweden), running from the southern tip of Sweden (Trelleborg), into Norway and through almost all of the country north to Finnmark. ...

Main activities in Alta include trading, small industry, education and public service. The town is also famous for its slate industry. Finnmark University College (Høgskolen i Finnmark) is situated in Alta, and there is also a research institution (Norut NIBR Finnmark). The town has the most northern Ice hotel in Europe and the most northern Subway restaurant in the world. Slate Thick slate fragment Slate roof Slate is a fine-grained, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low grade regional metamorphism. ... Absolut Icebar in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden (December, 2005). ... Subway is the name of a multinational restaurant franchise that mainly sells sandwiches and salads. ...

External links

• Unesco information
• Høgskolen i Finnmark (Finnmark University College)
• Alta kommune
• Alta Igloo Hotel
• Finnmarksløpet-the northernmost sled dog race in the world!
• Alta I.F.
• Avinor:Alta Airport
• Alta climate statistics
• Alta Soul & Blues Festival
• Pictures from Alta
• Øytun folk high school, Alta. Outdoor life

Famous people from Alta

• Egil Rasmussen, author (1903-1964)
• Klaus Pettersen, Norwegian football player
• Bjørn Wirkola, Norwegian ski jumper
• Terje Martenson Jensen

Egil Rasmussen (born April 28, 1903 in Bossekop village, Alta municipality, and died June 18 1964) was a Norwegian author, literature critic and musician. ... Klaus Pettersen (born April 25, 1981) is a Norwegian former footballer, who had to give up his playing career because of heart problems. ... Bjørn Wirkola (August 4, 1943 – ) is a Norwegian ski jumper. ...

See also

• Alta Museum

The Alta rock carvings World Heritage Site, with the museum building on the left. ...

Municipalities of Finnmark

Alta | Berlevåg | Båtsfjord | Gamvik | Hammerfest | Hasvik | Karasjok | Kautokeino | Kvalsund | Lebesby | Loppa | Måsøy | Nesseby | Nordkapp | Porsanger | Sør-Varanger | Tana | Vadsø | Vardø Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties (fylker, singular - fylke), and 431 municipalities/communes (kommuner). ... County NO-20 Region Nord-Norge Administrative centre Vadsø County mayor   Area  - Total  - Percentage Ranked 1 48,618 km² 15. ... Image File history File links Finnmark_vapen. ... County Finnmark Landscape Municipality NO-2024 Administrative centre BerlevÃ¥g Mayor (2005) Erik Brøske (SV) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 92 1,120 km² 1,082 km² 0. ... County Finnmark Landscape Municipality NO-2028 Administrative centre BÃ¥tsfjord Mayor (2003) Geir Knutsen (Ap) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 58 1,433 km² 1,415 km² 0. ... County Finnmark District Nordkyn Municipality NO-2023 Administrative centre Mehamn Mayor (2004) Roger Hansen (Ap) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 60 1,415 km² 1,354 km² 0. ... County Finnmark District Municipality NO-2004 Administrative centre Hammerfest Mayor (2006) Kristine Jørstad Bock (Ap) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 129 849 km² 819 km² 0. ... County Finnmark District Municipality NO-2015 Administrative centre Hasvik Mayor (2003) Geir Adelsten Iversen (Sp) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 192 556 km² 535 km² 0. ... County Finnmark Landscape Municipality NO-2021 Administrative centre Karasjok Mayor (2004) Kjell H. Sæther (Ap) Official language form BokmÃ¥l and Sami Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 2 5,453 km² 5,205 km² 1. ... County Finnmark District Municipality NO-2011 Administrative centre Kautokeino Mayor (2004) Klemet Erland Hætta (Samefolkets liste - Sámi Peoples Party) Official language form BokmÃ¥l and Sami Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 1 9,708 km² 8,964 km² 3. ... County Finnmark District Municipality NO-2017 Administrative centre Kvalsund Mayor (2003) Ragnar Olsen (Ap) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 37 1,844 km² 1,739 km² 0. ... County Finnmark District Nordkyn Municipality NO-2022 Administrative centre Kjøllefjord Mayor (2004) Harald Larssen (Ap) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 8 3,458 km² 3,235 km² 1. ... County Finnmark District Municipality NO-2014 Administrative centre Øksfjord Mayor (2003) Arne Dag Isaksen (Ap) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 162 687 km² 669 km² 0. ... County Finnmark District Municipality NO-2018 Administrative centre Havøysund Mayor (2003) Ingalill Olsen (Ap) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 88 1,134 km² 1,066 km² 0. ... County Finnmark Landscape Municipality NO-2027 Administrative centre Nyborg Mayor (2003) Ann Jorid Henriksen (Ap) Official language form BokmÃ¥l and Sami Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 57 1,436 km² 1,367 km² 0. ... County Finnmark District Municipality NO-2019 Administrative centre HonningsvÃ¥g Mayor (2005) Ulf Syversen (Ap) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 119 925 km² 891 km² 0. ... Image:NO 2020 Porsanger Porsángu Porsanki. ... County Finnmark Landscape Municipality NO-2030 Administrative centre Kirkenes Mayor (2005) Tone Hatle (H) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 6 3,968 km² 3,468 km² 1. ... County Finnmark District Municipality NO-2025 Administrative centre Tana Bru Mayor (2003) Ingrid Smuk Rolstad (Ap) Official language form BokmÃ¥l and Northern Sami Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 5 4,049 km² 3,833 km² 1. ... County Finnmark Landscape Municipality NO-2003 Administrative centre Vadsø Mayor (2003) Hauk Johnsen (Ap) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 77 1,258 km² 1,234 km² 0. ... County Finnmark Landscape Municipality NO-2002 Administrative centre Vardø Mayor (2003) Rolf Einar Mortensen (Ap) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 183 600 km² 586 km² 0. ...