Kåfjord
Encyclopedia : K : KF : KFJ : Kåfjord
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| County | Troms | |
| District | ||
| Municipality | ||
| Administrative centre | Olderdalen | |
| Mayor (2003) | Bjørn Inge Mo (Ap) | |
| Official language form | Bokmål and Sami | |
| Area - Total - Land - Percentage | 991 Square kilometre>km² 950 km² 0.31 % | |
| Population - Total (as of 2004>2004) - Percentage - Change (10 years) - Density | Ranked 315 2,332 0.05 % -13.9 % 2/km² | |
| Coordinates | ||
| [www.kafjord.kommune.no] [Data from Statistics Norway] | ||
The municipality is situated on the eastern side of the Lyngen fjord, and around its eastern arm Kåfjord.
The municipal centre is Olderdalen, other villages include Birtavarre, Kåfjorddalen, Djupvik, Nordmannvik and Manndalen/Olmmaivaggi, where the international ethnical festival Riddu Riddu is hosted each year.
Fishing and small scale farming has been the most important sources of income. Now many people work in education and other public service. The population has declined for many years, but the decline is now less rapid than earlier. A new optimism has arised among young people, largely due to the increasing cultural activities.
The majority of the population is of Sami origin. Due to assimilation pressure from the Norwegian State, the language was largely lost in the 20th century. Now efforts are being made to reintroduce Sami, largely concentrated in the municipalitys largest village Manndalen/Olmmaivaggi.
In 1945, during the retreat of German forces from Finland and Finnmark, the villages of Kåfjord were burned to the ground. This was as far west as the Wehrmacht used the scorched earth tactics.
External links
- [Riddu Riddu] festival
| Municipalities of Troms |
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|---|---|
| Balsfjord | Bardu | Berg | Bjarkøy | Dyrøy | Gratangen | Harstad | Ibestad | Karlsøy | Kvæfjord | Kvænangen | Kåfjord | Lavangen | Lenvik | Lyngen | Målselv | Nordreisa | Salangen | Skjervøy | Skånland | Storfjord | Sørreisa | Torsken | Tranøy | Tromsø | |
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