Honningsvåg is the northernmost city/town[1] in mainland Norway. It is located in Nordkapp Municipality in Finnmark county. Honningsvåg was declared a city in 1996, despite its small population. The 1.04-square-kilometre (260-acre) town has a population of 2,245 (2023), which gives the town a population density of 2,159 inhabitants per square kilometre (5,590/sq mi).[2]
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 View of the city | |
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  Honningsvåg  Honningsvåg | |
| Coordinates: 70°58′43″N 25°58′36″E / 70.97861°N 25.97667°E | |
| Country | Norway |
| Region | Northern Norway |
| County | Finnmark |
| District | Vest-Finnmark |
| Municipality | Nordkapp Municipality |
| Established as | |
| Town (By) | 1996 |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.04 km2 (0.40 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 12 m (39 ft) |
| Population (2023)[2] | |
• Total | 2,245 |
| • Density | 2,159/km2 (5,590/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Honningsvåging |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Post Code | 9750 Honningsvåg |
Honningsvåg is situated at a bay on the southeastern side of the large island of Magerøya, while the famous North Cape and its visitor center are on the northern side of the island. Honningsvåg is a port of call for Hurtigruten Coastal Express and cruise ships, especially in the summer months. The ice-free ocean (the southwestern part of the Barents Sea) provides rich fisheries and tourism is also important to the town. Even at 71°N, many private gardens in Honningsvåg have trees, although rarely more than 3 to 4 metres (9.8 to 13.1 ft) tall.[4]
The famous dog Bamse came from Honningsvåg.
Transportation
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Honningsvåg is one of the main stops of the Hurtigruten coastal ships on their lengthy route along the Norwegian coast between Kirkenes in the north and Bergen in the south. The northbound ships to Kirkenes dock in the port from 11:15 to 14:45, generating heavy tourist activity in the city. The southbound ships to Bergen make a short stop around 05:30.
The Honningsvåg Airport, located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north of the town, offer flights mainly to Tromsø, with connecting service to Oslo.
Bus line 110 links to Alta.
History
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The area was first settled in prehistory, as early as 10,300 years ago. The sea was probably the main food source.
City status
editHonningsvåg was declared a city in 1996 by the municipal council of Nordkapp. National legislation was passed in 1997 that states that a Norwegian city must have at least 5,000 inhabitants, but since Honningsvåg was declared a city in 1996, it was exempt from this legislation. This makes it one of the smallest cities in Norway.
Name
editThe town (originally it was a village) is named after the old Honningsvaag farm (Old Norse: Hornungsvágr). The meaning of the first element is uncertain. It may be from Hornungr, an old name (no longer used) for the nearby mountain Storefjell (lit. 'big mountain'). This mountain has a tall, hornlike peak near Honningsvåg which would imply that the name was derived from the word horn. The last element is vágr which means "inlet" or "bay". The full name thus means "the bay lying beneath the mountain Hornungr."[5]
Climate
editEven though Honningsvåg is located at the northernmost extreme of Europe, it has a subarctic climate (not a polar climate; barely qualifying for Dfc when the isotherm of -3 C (27 F) is used), thanks to the North Atlantic Drift. Winter temperatures are softened by the ice-free ocean, and are extremely mild for the polar latitude, even milder than winters at Oslo Airport which is located 1,400 kilometres (870 mi) and 11 degrees of latitude further south. Located on the coast, Honningsvåg can experience strong winter storms and blizzard conditions, sometimes closing the road connection. On 29 December 2008, winds were recorded at 81 mph. Snow cover can be deep in winter, threatening avalanches in steep terrain. Precipitation is evenly spread throughout the year, but with a little peak in autumn. Honningsvåg has a polar day with midnight sun from 13 May to 31 July. From 21 November to 21 January, the sun is below the horizon (polar night). On 29 June 2022 a new record high was set with 28.4 °C (83.1 °F).[6]
| Climate data for Nordkapp,[a] 1991–2020 normals, extremes 2002–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 6.8 (44.2) |
7.8 (46.0) |
8.3 (46.9) |
12.5 (54.5) |
20.1 (68.2) |
28.4 (83.1) |
27.1 (80.8) |
24.8 (76.6) |
21 (70) |
13.3 (55.9) |
10.7 (51.3) |
8.6 (47.5) |
28.4 (83.1) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 4.9 (40.8) |
4.9 (40.8) |
4.9 (40.8) |
7.8 (46.0) |
13.7 (56.7) |
17.7 (63.9) |
22.6 (72.7) |
20.2 (68.4) |
15.7 (60.3) |
10.5 (50.9) |
7.1 (44.8) |
6.2 (43.2) |
22.9 (73.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −0.5 (31.1) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
0.4 (32.7) |
3.0 (37.4) |
6.8 (44.2) |
9.6 (49.3) |
13.4 (56.1) |
12.7 (54.9) |
10.2 (50.4) |
5.6 (42.1) |
2.8 (37.0) |
1.4 (34.5) |
5.4 (41.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.5 (27.5) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
0.7 (33.3) |
4.2 (39.6) |
6.9 (44.4) |
10.2 (50.4) |
10.2 (50.4) |
8.0 (46.4) |
3.8 (38.8) |
0.7 (33.3) |
−0.8 (30.6) |
3.0 (37.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −4.8 (23.4) |
−5.2 (22.6) |
−3.4 (25.9) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
2.6 (36.7) |
5.5 (41.9) |
8.6 (47.5) |
8.6 (47.5) |
6.5 (43.7) |
2.3 (36.1) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
1.3 (34.3) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | −10.7 (12.7) |
−10.6 (12.9) |
−8.5 (16.7) |
−6.0 (21.2) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
1.5 (34.7) |
5.3 (41.5) |
5.0 (41.0) |
2.6 (36.7) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−8.3 (17.1) |
−12.5 (9.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −15.3 (4.5) |
−17.2 (1.0) |
−11.0 (12.2) |
−10.0 (14.0) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
0.0 (32.0) |
0.0 (32.0) |
1.0 (33.8) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−11.3 (11.7) |
−21.2 (−6.2) |
−21.2 (−6.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 55 (2.2) |
39 (1.5) |
51 (2.0) |
36 (1.4) |
42 (1.7) |
46 (1.8) |
48 (1.9) |
52 (2.0) |
64 (2.5) |
78 (3.1) |
50 (2.0) |
63 (2.5) |
627 (24.7) |
| Average extreme snow depth cm (inches) | 61 (24) |
60 (24) |
59 (23) |
64 (25) |
32 (13) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1 (0.4) |
31 (12) |
31 (12) |
32 (13) |
75 (30) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 9 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 94 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 78 | 78 | 76 | 75 | 72 | 77 | 79 | 79 | 78 | 79 | 79 | 78 | 77 |
| Average dew point °C (°F) | −6.0 (21.2) |
−6.6 (20.1) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
−2.9 (26.8) |
0.2 (32.4) |
3.5 (38.3) |
7.1 (44.8) |
6.8 (44.2) |
4.9 (40.8) |
0.7 (33.3) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
| Source 1: Norwegian Meteorological Institute[7][8][9] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: yr.no /Norwegian Meteorological Institute[10] | |||||||||||||
Media gallery
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Sun Viking at Honningsvåg in 1993
Notable people
editSee also
edit- List of towns and cities in Norway
- Nordkapp
- Knivskjellodden: the northernmost point of Norway proper (excluding Svalbard, Jan Mayen, and Bear Island)
Notes
edit- ^ Temperature, humidity, and dew point from Honningsvåg Airport (14m), precipitation and extreme snow depth from Repvåg.
References
edit- ^ a b In the Norwegian language, the word by can be translated as "town" or "city".
- ^ a b c Statistisk sentralbyrå (23 December 2023). "Urban settlements. Population and area, by municipality".
- ^ "Honningsvåg" (in Norwegian). yr.no. Archived from the original on 1 September 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
- ^ "Norway – Honningsvag Vacations". Solar Tours. Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
- ^ Rygh, Oluf (1924). Norske gaardnavne: Finmarkens amt (in Norwegian) (18 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 171.
- ^ "Weather statistics for Honningsvåg as a graph – Last 24 hours".
- ^ "Observations and weather statistics (SN94680 HONNINGSVÅG LUFTHAVN / SN94800 REPVÅG)". Norwegian Meteorological Institute. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
- ^ "Temperaturnormaler per måned og år (Temperature norms per month and year)" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Meteorological Institute. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
- ^ "Nedbørnormaler per måned og år (Precipitation per month and year)" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Meteorological Institute. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
- ^ "yr.no Honningsvåg statistics". Norwegian Meteorological Institute.
External links
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- Visit Nordkapp – history and culture of the North Cape area
- Visitnorway.com – about Honningsvåg