Norway has about 50,000 islands and islets, some of which, despite their proximity to the Arctic Circle, are inhabited by people and attract a large number of tourists to their own expanses.
Some of the islands are in the Arctic Ocean, others - in the waters of the Atlantic. Some of them are located close to or adjacent to the Scandinavian Peninsula, while others, on the other hand, are substantially removed from the mainland of Norway.
10 most interesting islands in Norway
The list of the most famous islands in Norway includes:
- The Lofoten Islands . This chain of islands beyond the Arctic Circle, which is home to about 24 thousand inhabitants. The archipelago includes such large islands as Moskenev, Vestvogey and Austvaigey. The most important city of the archipelago is Svolvar. Between May and July, you can witness the polar day in the Lofoten archipelago, and in September-mid-April you can observe the Northern Lights. The traditions and customs that have been preserved since the Viking Age have survived on Lofoten. This can be seen by visiting the museum Lofotr in Borg, which is the longest dwelling of the Vikings (83 m). Also very interesting is the excursion to the traditional fishing hut "rurba" and to the Troll Fjord. The pictures of the Lofoten islands in Norway only confirm how varied the rest is here: you can go hiking or fishing , skiing or boating, diving , surfing or rafting.
- The Svalbard archipelago (Svalbard). The archipelago includes 3 large islands - Western Spitsbergen, North-East Land and Edge Island, as well as several small islands, including the Barents Island, Prince Charles Island, Kongsoya (Royal Island), Bear, etc. The islands of Spitsbergen in Norway are located in the Arctic Ocean. The administrative center of the archipelago is the city of Longyearbyen .
Some interesting facts about the islands of Spitsbergen:
- Western Spitsbergen is the only inhabited island of the archipelago (the population does not exceed 3,5 thousand people, half of them are Russian). Economic activity on this island is carried out mainly by Russia (it has its own settlement here - Barentsburg) and Norway;
- the island of Prince Charles - is part of the national reserve Forlande and is interesting for its resident polar bears, the Grampian mountain range, the Forlanetlett plain and the glaciers descending to the Forlansunnet strait;
- the Barents Island is located in the eastern part of the archipelago, between the Edge Islands and Western Spitsbergen, and for the most part is a glacier with a unique natural ecosystem for scientific research and the Arctic tundra;
- Bear Island in Norway (in Norwegian - Bjørnøya). It is located in the Arctic Ocean, in the western part of the Barents Sea, south of Western Spitsbergen. It is part of the Spitsbergen archipelago and likewise has a special status within the state. The name of this island of Norway was due to the fact that one day the Dutch pioneers saw a polar bear climbing a ship, which they had never seen before. The northern part of the Bear Island is dominated by a plain and a large number of lakes, in the south - an average plateau. Vegetation is mainly tundra, there are many places for fishing.
The island of Senia. It is the second largest island in Norway. It has an amazing natural beauty, first of all the Enderdalen national reserve, surrounded by mountain peaks, as well as the fringing "The Devil's Teeth", strange rocks, sandy beaches and snow-covered glades. Due to the richness and diversity of the landscape, the island of Senj in Norway was called the "Norwegian miniature". About 8 thousand people live here. Tourists visit the Seine all year round, admiring the unique coniferous forests, huge rocks, raging seas and famous fjords . Of the sights of Szénya, the most popular are the Polar Zoo, the Seña Troll (this is the largest Troll in the world, reaching 18 m in height and 125 tons by weight) and the National Waterfall of Malcesfossen. The island of Soroia. It is located in the Far North and occupies the 4th place among all the Norwegian islands. The largest settlement on the island Soroya in Norway - the village of Haskvik, which is very popular with fishermen. The Big Fish Adventure fishing base is visited annually by fans from all over the world to catch large marine life, especially halibut. Of the nearby cities to the island, Hammerfest is most important. Heath. One of the largest islands in Norway, located south of Lofoten, next to the entrance to the Trondheim Fjord. The population of the island of Hitra in Norway is just over 4 thousand people. Landscapes are very diverse, you can see both rocky coasts and pine forests. The island attracts tourists with its fishing lakes with a lot of trout, the largest in all Europe, a population of deer, a variety of seabirds and white-tailed eagles. Tietta. The island of Tietta in Norway is located south of Alstena, in the province of Nordland. It has a mild climate and a fairly long summer. The island was best known for its military cemetery of soldiers who fell during the Second World War. In the territory of this cemetery there are more than 7,5 thousand graves, mainly Russian defenders, who became prisoners of the camps of Nazi Germany. Another attraction is the monument to the MS Rigel ship, which was bombed by the British Air Force in November 1944. Basta. A unique "island of freedom for prisoners" of its kind. On the island of Basta in Norway there is a prison for especially dangerous criminals, where prisoners usually sit out their long terms. They live in cottages for 8 people, can move freely around the island and have an annual holiday. Basta is located just 76 km from Oslo and 2 km from the nearest town of Horten. Jan Mayen. It is an island of volcanic origin, located on the border of the Norwegian and Greenland seas. On its territory is the active volcano Berenberg . Jan Mayen is not inhabited and basically represents the tundra, which occasionally gives way to meadow open spaces. Vesterålen. It is located slightly north of the Lofoten Islands and includes several islands and municipalities. The landscape is predominantly mountainous, there are several lakes and the Moysalen National Park . The climate is mild with warm winters. Vesterålen is famous for the population of seals. Bouvet. An uninhabited island of volcanic origin, far removed from land. It is located in the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean and has the status of a dependent territory of Norway.