Andenes (Norwegian) or Ánddanjárga (Northern Sami)[3] is the administrative centre of Andøy Municipality which is located in the Vesterålen district of Nordland county, Norway. The village of Andenes is the northernmost settlement of the island of Andøya (and in Nordland county).

Village
View of Andenes (seen from Mount Røyken)
View of Andenes (seen from Mount Røyken)
Map
Andenes is located in Nordland
Andenes
Andenes
Andenes is located in Norway
Andenes
Andenes
Coordinates: 69°18′52″N 16°07′10″E / 69.3144°N 16.1194°E / 69.3144; 16.1194
CountryNorway
RegionNorthern Norway
CountyNordland
DistrictVesterålen
MunicipalityAndøy Municipality
Area
 • Total1.76 km2 (0.68 sq mi)
Elevation6 m (20 ft)
Population
 (2023)[1]
 • Total2,535
 • Density1,440/km2 (3,700/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Post Code
8480 Andenes
ClimateDfc

To the east is the island of Senja (in Troms county), and to the west the endless horizon of the North Atlantic Ocean. Andenes Lighthouse sits along the harbor and can be seen for long distances. Andøya Airport, Andenes is located just south of the village, off of Norwegian County Road 82.

The 1.76-square-kilometre (430-acre) village has a population (2023) of 2,535 and a population density of 1,440 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,700/sq mi).[1]

History

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View of the local fishing boats

Andenes was already an important fishing village during the Iron Age.[4] By the early 1900s, it had become one of the largest fishing ports in Norway.

On 1 January 1924, the northern part of Dverberg Municipality was separated to become the new Andenes Municipality, including the village of Andenes, which became its administrative centre. Initially, Andenes Munnicipality had 2,213 residents. On 1 January 1964, Andenes Municipality was merged with Dverberg Municipality and Bjørnskinn Municipality to create the new Andøy Municipality.[5]

In the early 1980s, the population of the village of Andenes was 3,770, which made it the largest village in Vesterålen. The downsizing of Andøya Air Station and general population centralization in Norway has led to a dramatic decline in inhabitants over the last 20 years.

Tourism has become an important source of income for Andenes in recent years. The town's location on the coast by a narrow section of continental shelf has led to the town becoming a major centre for whale watching.[6]

The lighthouse of Andenes is a famous landmark, finished in 1859. It is open for visitors the whole year.[7]

Name

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The Old Norse form of the name was Andarnes (from originally Amdarnes). The first element is the genitive case of Ömd (the old name of the island Andøya) and the last element is nes which means "headland".[8]

During the danish rule, the name Andenæs, was used. But changed to Andenes in the early 1900.[9]

Air Station

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The construction of Andøya Air Station was commissioned in 1952 and funded in large part by NATO. It was to be situated between Haugnes and Andenes. A DC-3 Dakota of the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) undertook the first landing on 17 September 1954. The air station however was not fully operative until 15 September 1957.

In 1961, the 333 Squadron was moved from Sola Air Station to Andøya with their Grumman HU-16 Albatross. In 1969, these were replaced by the Lockheed P-3 Orion. In 1989, the Lockheed P-3C Orion replaced the aging P-3Bs. However, two of the newest P-3Bs were converted to P-3Ns and fly missions for the Norwegian Coast Guard. Besides fisheries, Andøya Air Station has been the largest workplace in Andøy since the 1970s.

In the autumn of 2011, an Orion aircraft from Andenes patrolled the Indian Ocean from a forward base in the Seychelles, supported by 44 personnel and contributing 29 patrols of 8–10 hours to NATO's anti-piracy operation.[10] The flights led directly to the arrest of five pirate groups.

Geography

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The village lies 300 kilometres (190 mi) north of the Arctic Circle and the midnight sun is visible from May 19 to July 25. The sun is below the horizon from November 25 to January 28.

Climate

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Andenes is surrounded by the sea on all sides, which moderates both winter and summer temperatures. It has a climate on the boundary between the subarctic and the subpolar oceanic climates, being mild for its latitude. Summers are very cool, whereas even during the polar night period, daytime highs typically rise above freezing.

Climate data for Andenes 1991-2020 (10 m, extremes 1958-2024)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 9.0
(48.2)
8.1
(46.6)
9.6
(49.3)
15.1
(59.2)
22.5
(72.5)
27.2
(81.0)
27.6
(81.7)
25.7
(78.3)
21.0
(69.8)
16.6
(61.9)
12.5
(54.5)
10.5
(50.9)
27.6
(81.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 1.2
(34.2)
0.7
(33.3)
1.5
(34.7)
4.2
(39.6)
8.3
(46.9)
11.1
(52.0)
14
(57)
13.9
(57.0)
11.1
(52.0)
6.7
(44.1)
3.8
(38.8)
2.1
(35.8)
6.6
(43.8)
Daily mean °C (°F) −0.9
(30.4)
−1.4
(29.5)
−0.6
(30.9)
2
(36)
5.9
(42.6)
8.9
(48.0)
11.6
(52.9)
11.6
(52.9)
8.8
(47.8)
4.7
(40.5)
1.7
(35.1)
0.2
(32.4)
4.4
(39.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −3.4
(25.9)
−4
(25)
−3.3
(26.1)
−0.9
(30.4)
3.1
(37.6)
6.7
(44.1)
9.3
(48.7)
9.1
(48.4)
6.2
(43.2)
2.4
(36.3)
−0.3
(31.5)
−2.3
(27.9)
1.9
(35.4)
Record low °C (°F) −19.9
(−3.8)
−18.4
(−1.1)
−19.8
(−3.6)
−13.6
(7.5)
−10.5
(13.1)
−1.1
(30.0)
0.6
(33.1)
0.5
(32.9)
−4.2
(24.4)
−11.0
(12.2)
−14.1
(6.6)
−17.4
(0.7)
−19.9
(−3.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 118.2
(4.65)
102.7
(4.04)
88.4
(3.48)
74.7
(2.94)
59.2
(2.33)
52.5
(2.07)
66.4
(2.61)
75.6
(2.98)
110.9
(4.37)
146.0
(5.75)
107.8
(4.24)
119.1
(4.69)
1,122.1
(44.18)
Source: yr.no/Météo Climat [11][12][13]

Culture

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Andenes Church is located in the central part of the village. The local newspaper is named Andøyposten. Andenes hosts the annual "Rock mot Rus" (Rock against drugs) festival, where young people perform their own rock music as well as better known headliners such as Dead by April, Dimmu Borgir, Kvelertak, Turdus Musicus and Torch.

Notable residents

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Statistisk sentralbyrå (2023-12-23). "Urban settlements. Population and area, by municipality".
  2. ^ "Andenes, Andøy (Nordland)". yr.no. Retrieved 2018-09-06.
  3. ^ "Informasjon om stadnamn". Norgeskart (in Norwegian). Kartverket. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  4. ^ "HVOR GAMMEL ER ANDENES EGENTLIG?". Museum Nord (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  5. ^ Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.
  6. ^ Hvalsafari AS. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  7. ^ "Andenes Fyr". Museum Nord (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  8. ^ Rygh, Oluf (1905). Norske gaardnavne: Nordlands amt (in Norwegian) (16 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 402.
  9. ^ "HVOR GAMMEL ER ANDENES EGENTLIG?". Museum Nord (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  10. ^ "Har avslørt fem piratgrupper utenfor Somalia" (in Norwegian). Aftenposten.
  11. ^ "Météo Climat stats Norway 1991-2020". Météo Climat. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  12. ^ "Météo climat stats extreme values for Andeyes". Météo Climat. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  13. ^ https://www.yr.no/en/statistics/table/5-87110/Norway/Nordland/And%C3%B8y/And%C3%B8ya%20LH?q=last-13-months%7Ctitle=yr.no climate statistics for Andenes (monthly mean)
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