There is a very large population of Lule Sami people in the area, and the Árran Lule Sami Center is in the village of Drag. With the Norwegian language and Lule Sami language both as official languages of the municipality, Tysfjord was the only municipality in Norway where speakers of Lule Sami should theoretically have been able to speak that language with officials, although this did not come completely to fruition.
At the time of its dissolution, Tysfjord was the 56th largest by area of the 422 municipalities in Norway and the 330th most populous, with 1,925 people in 1,464 km2 (565 sq mi), for a population density of 1.3 inhabitants per square kilometre (3.4/sq mi). During its final decade, its population had decreased by 5.9%.[7][8]
General information
Stetind mountain and the fjord
The municipality of Tysfjord was established on 1 January 1869 when it was separated from the large Lødingen Municipality. Initially, the population of Tysfjord was 1,402. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the Tysnes and Molvika areas (population: 33) located northwest of Bognes were transferred from the neighboring Hamarøy Municipality to Tysfjord Municipality.[9]
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the local Tysfjorden since it was a central geographical feature in the area. There are several ideas on the derivation of the name. Historically, the name was spelled in Norwegian as Tyttisfjiorden. One thought is that the first element was the old name for the fjord Þýtir which may have come from the verb þjóta which means "blowing" (as in wind) or "rushing". The last element is fjord which means "fjord". Another thought is that the name Tysfjord is a Norwegianized form of the Lule Sami language name for the fjord, Divtasvuodna. The meaning of the first element divtas is unknown and the last element is vuodna which means "fjord". Another popular belief is that the Norwegian name is derived from the genitive case of the name of the Old Norse god Týr, but is the least plausible since the name Týr does not seem fit either with the Sami form or the oldest Norwegian spellings of the name.[12][13]
Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Tysfjorden. On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Tysfjord.[14] On 7 October 2011, the national government approved a resolution to add a co-equal, official Lule Sami name for the municipality: Divtasvuodna.[15] The spelling of the Sami language name changes depending on how it is used. It is called Divtasvuodna when it is spelled alone, but it is Divtasvuona suohkan when using the Sami language equivalent to "Tysfjord Municipality".[6]
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 31 July 1987. The official blazon is "Argent, a lobster sableissuant from the base" (Norwegian: I sølv en oppvoksende svart hummer). This means the arms have a field (background) that has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The charge is a lobster. The lobster was chosen because Tysfjord is the northernmost location of lobster habitat in the world. The original drawing included a lobster with claws of different size, such as they are in the natural population of lobsters in Tysfjord, but the National Archives opted for the same size claws to meet the standard heraldic conventions. The arms were designed by Esther Skoglund. The municipality originally adopted a design that showed Stetind mountain, but this was not approved by the National Archives, so the lobster design was chosen instead.[16][17][18]
In 1948, an investigation that had lasted for years, was dismissed in regards to "a large group of Sami from Tysfjord".[19]
These individuals had worked as guides—guiding Norwegians who chose to flee into Sweden.[19]
In 2016, media uncovered the sexual abuse of 11 women; this was followed by more reports of sexual abuse—the Tysfjord Affair.[20][21]. 92 persons were the suspects, in regard to 151 cases of sexual abuse from the 1950s to 2017; at least 2 persons have been convicted.[20] Around two-thirds of the victims and alleged abusers were Sami.[22] 40 cases dealt with sexual intercourse with underage children.[23]
Ethnicity
A 2004 article in Avisa Nordland estimated that out of 2,209 inhabitants, between 600 and 1000 are Sami.[24]
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Tysfjord was made up of 17 representatives that were elected every four years. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.
The mayor (Norwegian: ordfører) of Tysfjord was the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who held this position:[43]
Due to the limestone in Tysfjord, a cement factory was established with production starting in 1920.[44] The modern Norcem factory still is a vital employer in Kjøpsvik, with about 130 employees; since 1999 it has been a part of the German worldwide company Heidelberger Cement. Public services, some tourism, and agriculture are the other main sources of income in Tysfjord.
Geography
The municipality is located along the Tysfjorden. The Tysfjorden is the second deepest fjord in Norway, with a maximum depth of 897 metres (2,943 ft). Tysfjord borders Ballangen Municipality in the north, Hamarøy Municipality in the south, Sweden in the east, and the Vestfjorden in the northwest. The island of Hulløya lies in the middle of the Tysfjorden.
The municipality is dominated by grey granite mountains; pine, birch, and aspenwoodlands and forests; and the many fjord branches. Tysfjord's most dominant mountain, Stetinden, is famous in Norway. This 1,392-metre (4,567 ft) high natural granite obelisk, rising straight out of the fjord, is an awe-inspiring sight. In Norwegian, it is called gudenes ambolt which means the 'anvil of the gods', partly because the summit forms a plateau. This was selected to be the national mountain of Norway in the autumn of 2002. The famous British climber William C. Slingsby described it as "the ugliest mountain I ever saw"; he did not reach the summit.
The mountains near the border with Sweden have peaks up to 1,500 metres (4,921 ft) above sea level, and a large glacier, Gihtsejiegŋa is located in this area. The highest point in the municipality was the 1,520-metre (4,990 ft) tall mountain Bjørntoppen.[1] There are several nature reserves in Tysfjord. Mannfjordbotn reserve has undisturbed forests at the head of a narrow fjord branch surrounded by granite mountain walls.[45] From Hellemobotn, at the head of Hellemofjorden, the distance to the border with Sweden is only 6.3 kilometres (4 mi); this is also a scenic hiking terrain with a canyon opening up in Hellemobotn. There are also caves, such as the very deep Raggejavreraige. Lakes in the region include Baugevatnet, Båvrojávrre, Kilvatnet, Langvatnet, and Skilvatnet. Silver birch occurs in Tysfjord, as one of few areas in North Norway (silver birch need more summer warmth than the more common downy birch).
Nature
Orca taking a look above the water
For many years since 1990, a large part of the stock of Norwegian herring has stayed in the fjord in winter, one of the largest gatherings of biomass in the world. Large number of whales, orcas in particular, have followed to feed on the herring. This has attracted winter tourists from far away, but not in huge numbers. Since 2008, less herring and fewer orca have arrived in Tysfjord. Harbor porpoises, lobsters, white-tailed eagles, common ravens, European otters, and moose are all common in the Tysfjord area.
Rugged fjord scenery in Tysfjord
The coastal municipality of Tysfjord is better known for its whale watching than its birdwatching but the region has still a lot to offer. Thanks to a range of habitats the area has a varied birdlife. Though the area has no large seabird colonies, there is a small nature reserve at Ramnholmen with breeding populations of Arctic tern and common tern.
Climate
The climate is surprisingly temperate considering the location north of the Arctic Circle. Mean annual temperature in Kjøpsvik is 4.2 °C (40 °F) and mean annual precipitation is 1,080 millimetres (42.5 in). Summer is usually pleasant, although there might be persistent rain. Average monthly 24-hr temperature in June, July, and August is 10.9 °C (52 °F), 13.3 °C (56 °F), and 12.5 °C (55 °F), with average daily high about 16 °C (61 °F).
The average temperatures are below freezing for slightly more than 4 months, statistically from 17 November to 30 March, with January average of −2.7 °C (27 °F). October is the wettest month with on average 154 millimetres (6.1 in) precipitation, May is the driest with 54 millimetres (2.1 in).[46]
The midnight sun can be seen from the end of May to mid-July, and the sun is below the horizon from the beginning of December to mid-January. The aurora borealis is commonly seen in winter and late autumn.
Villages
Villages in Tysfjord (names in both official languages)
Tysfjord was the only location in Norway where the European route E6 highway depended on a car ferry. There are ferry connections from Bognes to Skarberget (route E6) and from Bognes to Lødingen (connecting to route European route E10 and Lofoten). There is also a ferry connecting Drag south of the fjord with Kjøpsvik on the northern shore. Kjøpsvik is connected to the E6 highway and Narvik by Norwegian National Road 827, with no ferry crossings. This might be an alternative to route E6, and is also the route of choice to get close to the mountain Stetinden. If Tysfjord experiences bad weather and the ferry connections are shut down, Norway is cut in two road-wise. A road connection is still maintained, albeit through Sweden, which makes it a very long drive.[47]
^"Godkjenning av våpen og flagg". Lovdata.no (in Norwegian). Norges kommunal- og arbeidsdepartementet. 24 July 1987. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
^ ab[Samiske grenseloser reddet tusenvis. - Så ble de beskyldt for landssvik - Nå får de oppmerksomhet og heder.] [Sami guides saved thousands. - Then they were accused of treason - Now they get attention and are lauded]
