Bodø
Encyclopedia
is a city and a municipality
in Nordland
county
, Norway
. It is part of the Salten
region
.
The city of Bodø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
). Bodin
was merged with Bodø on 1 January 1968. Skjerstad
was merged with Bodø on 1 January 2005. Bodø, located just north of the Arctic Circle
, is the largest city in Nordland county, and the second largest in North Norway.
Bodø was granted township
status in 1816 and is now county capital of Nordland. Most of Bodø was destroyed during a Luftwaffe
attack on the 27 May 1940. Six thousand people were living in Bodø, and 3500 people lost their homes in the attack. Fifteen people lost their lives during the air attack (2 British
soldiers and 13 Norwegians). Due to the acute lack of housing, the Swedish
government helped build 107 apartments in the winter of 1941. These houses were built tightly together just outside the town. This small area, today in the heart of Bodø, is still called "svenskebyen" — the Swedish town. The town was subsequently rebuilt after the war. The rebuilding ended in 1959 with the completion of the new town hall.
German shipping in and around Bodø was attacked in October 1943 in Operation Leader
.
Bodø received international attention during the U-2 Crisis
in May 1960, when it became known that the American
U-2
pilot Gary Powers
had been shot down over the Soviet Union
on his way from Pakistan
to Bodø.
: Boðvin), since the town was built on its ground. The first element might be boði which means "sunken rock" or "skerry
" and the last element is vin which means "meadow
" or "pasture
". The last element was later misunderstood as øy which means "island
" (and written with the Danish language
form ø).
is from modern times. They were granted on 24 July 1959. The arms show the sun
as a representation of the midnight sun
.
where the midnight sun is visible from 2 June to 10 July. Due to atmospheric refraction, there is no true polar night in Bodø, but because of the mountains south of Bodø, the sun is not visible from the city from early December to early January. Average number of sunhours in Bodø is highest in June with 221 hours.
As the northern terminus of Nordlandsbanen
, Bodø is the northern end of Norwegian State Railways. However, travellers going further north will often switch to a corresponding bus in Fauske
bound for Narvik
. There is also a railway from Narvik to Kiruna
in Sweden, and further into the Swedish rail network. The railway station opened in 1961.
Bodø Airport
lies two km outside the city centre and was opened in 1952. The airport served 1,308,000 passengers in 2004. Ferries run between Bodø and the Lofoten Islands.
The strongest tidal current in the world, with water speeds reaching 22 knots (about 40 km/h), is Saltstraumen
, situated some 30 km (19 mi) east of Bodø. Kjerringøy
is a well preserved old trading village on the coast 40 km (25 mi) north of Bodø. With its scenic setting and authentic buildings, several movies have been shot at this little port, including Benoni og Rosa (based on Knut Hamsun
's novel), I am Dina and Telegrafisten
Lakes in the region include Fjærvatnet
and Gjømmervatnet
.
in the Norwegian Sea
, Bodø is one of Norway's windiest cities. Despite its location just north of the Arctic Circle, Bodø features a subpolar oceanic climate, with chilly (but not cold) winters and cool summers. Snow cover during winter is usually sparse, not only due to the wind, but also an effect of a mild winter climate relative to its latitude
with periods of rain being common in winter. Mean annual temperature is 4.5 °C (40.1 °F) and average annual precipitation is 1020 mm (1961–90). The driest months are April - June. The coldest month on record was February 1966 with a mean of -8.9 °C, and the warmest was July 1937 with a mean of 17.1 °C (62.8 °F). Recent years have tended to be warmer.
, the municipality of Bodø has lots of wilderness to offer hikers. 10 kilometers north of Bodø lies the popular recreation area
Geitvågen. The area is inhabited by a large number of White-tailed Eagle
s. Sjunkhatten National Park
is partly located in Bodø municipality, and there are also 17 nature reserve
s. Sundstraumlian nature reserve has undisturbed mixed forest with marble
bedrock
, Skånland with coastal pine
forest
, Børvatnet protecting a birch forest with many orchids and Bliksvær nature reserve with well preserved coastal nature of many types and a rich bird life, making it a Ramsar
site as well.
University of Nordland is located 10 km outside the city centre. Five thousand undergraduate and graduate students study at BUC. The University is one of the leading academic environments among fisheries in Norway.
Bodø is the location of the only police academy in Norway
outside Oslo
. The Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority is situated in Bodø, as is the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre of Northern Norway
. The Norwegian Armed Forces headquarters for North Norway is located at Reitan, east of the city. SB Nordlandsbuss
has its headquarter in Bodø, as does Bodø Energi
and Nordlandsbanken
.
Bodø has a long history with the Norwegian Armed Forces
, and especially the Royal Norwegian Air Force
(RNoAF). The Norwegian Armed Forces Joint Operational Headquarters
are located at Reitan, east of Bodø. Parts of NATO air forces attending the annual Cold Response
are stationed at Bodø Main Air Station
. Bodø MAS is a major Norwegian military air base, housing two thirds of Norway's F-16 fighter force and two of RNoAFs SAR Sea Kings
. Bodø, competing with Ørland
and Evenes
, is a candidate for the Northern Air Base in the new RNoAF system. Bodin Leir located near the air station is an RNoAF recruit school including Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System
personnel and a national response unit. The base was central during the Cold War
due to its strategic location and proximity to the Soviet Union
. It would have been vital in the build-up of NATO air and land forces to defend Norway, and thus the entire Northern flank of NATO, in a war with the Warsaw Pact
. It could also have been used as a forward base for American bombers to strike targets in the Soviet Union
.
Bodø has a street named General Fleischer's Gate in honour of Carl Gustav Fleischer
.
.
The Norwegian Aviation Museum and Salten Museum
are located in Bodø. Salten Museum has four exhibitions: The Lofoten
Fisheries, a Sami
exhibit, a Viking
treasure, and an exhibition about Bodø's history from 1816 to 2000.
The Bodø Cathedral was built in 1956, representing post-war architecture
, whereas the Bodin Church just outside the city centre dates from the 13th century, representing a typical medieval stone church.
Bodø is host to the cultural festivals Nordland Musikfestuke and Parkenfestivalen every summer, as well as the free and volunteer based Bodø Hardcore Festival in early winter.
Bodø is home to teams in a variety of sports.
Most notable of these is the football club Bodø/Glimt, which currently plays in Adeccoligaen
.
In addition to Bodø/Glimt, Bodø has had several teams at national top level, including Grand Bodø (women's football), IK Junkeren
(women's handball) and Bodø Håndballklubb (men's handball).
The most well-known sporting arena in Bodø is Aspmyra, which in addition to being the home of Bodø/Glimt has hosted one international
match.
Also, the multi-purpose indoor Bodø Spektrum, contains full-size football and handball courts, as well as several swimming and bathing facilities.
The airline Widerøe
has its head office in Bodø.
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
in Nordland
Nordland
is a county in Norway in the North Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Nord-Trøndelag in the south, Norrbottens län in Sweden to the east, Västerbottens län to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is...
county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is part of the Salten
Salten
Salten is a district in Nordland in North Norway, consisting of the municipalities Meløy, Gildeskål, Bodø, Beiarn, Saltdal, Fauske, Sørfold, Steigen and Hamarøy. The district borders Helgeland in the south , Ofoten in the north, Sweden in the east and Vestfjorden in the west...
region
Districts of Norway
The country Norway is historically divided into a number of districts. Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties and municipalities. The districts are defined by geographical features, often valleys, mountain ranges, fjords,...
.
The city of Bodø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. This system of municipality was created in a bill approved by the Storting and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January 1837...
). Bodin
Bodin
Bodin is a parish and former municipality in Nordland county, Norway.-History:Bodin was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . Some smaller parts of the municipality were transferred to the town of Bodø January 1, 1901 and July 1, 1938...
was merged with Bodø on 1 January 1968. Skjerstad
Skjerstad
Skjerstad is a former municipality in the county of Nordland, Norway.Skjerstad was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . Fauske was separated from Skjerstad January 1, 1905...
was merged with Bodø on 1 January 2005. Bodø, located just north of the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
, is the largest city in Nordland county, and the second largest in North Norway.
History
Township
The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...
status in 1816 and is now county capital of Nordland. Most of Bodø was destroyed during a Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
attack on the 27 May 1940. Six thousand people were living in Bodø, and 3500 people lost their homes in the attack. Fifteen people lost their lives during the air attack (2 British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soldiers and 13 Norwegians). Due to the acute lack of housing, the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
government helped build 107 apartments in the winter of 1941. These houses were built tightly together just outside the town. This small area, today in the heart of Bodø, is still called "svenskebyen" — the Swedish town. The town was subsequently rebuilt after the war. The rebuilding ended in 1959 with the completion of the new town hall.
German shipping in and around Bodø was attacked in October 1943 in Operation Leader
Operation Leader
Operation Leader was the code name for an attack undertaken by aircraft from the carrier on 4 October 1943 on German shipping along the coast of Norway in the Bodø area...
.
Bodø received international attention during the U-2 Crisis
U-2 Crisis of 1960
The 1960 U-2 incident occurred during the Cold War on May 1, 1960, during the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower and during the leadership of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, when a United States U-2 spy plane was shot down over the airspace of the Soviet Union.The United States government at...
in May 1960, when it became known that the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
U-2
Lockheed U-2
The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is a single-engine, very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency . It provides day and night, very high-altitude , all-weather intelligence gathering...
pilot Gary Powers
Gary Powers
Francis Gary Powers was an American pilot whose Central Intelligence Agency U-2 spy plane was shot down while flying a reconnaissance mission over Soviet Union airspace, causing the 1960 U-2 incident.- Early life :...
had been shot down over the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
on his way from Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
to Bodø.
Toponymy
The municipality is named after the old Bodøgård farm (Old NorseOld Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
: Boðvin), since the town was built on its ground. The first element might be boði which means "sunken rock" or "skerry
Skerry
A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. It may simply be a rocky reef. A skerry can also be called a low sea stack....
" and the last element is vin which means "meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
" or "pasture
Pasture
Pasture is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep or swine. The vegetation of tended pasture, forage, consists mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs...
". The last element was later misunderstood as øy which means "island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
" (and written with the Danish language
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
form ø).
Coat of arms
The coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is from modern times. They were granted on 24 July 1959. The arms show the sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
as a representation of the midnight sun
Midnight sun
The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon occurring in summer months at latitudes north and nearby to the south of the Arctic Circle, and south and nearby to the north of the Antarctic Circle where the sun remains visible at the local midnight. Given fair weather, the sun is visible for a continuous...
.
Geography
The city lies just north of the Arctic CircleArctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
where the midnight sun is visible from 2 June to 10 July. Due to atmospheric refraction, there is no true polar night in Bodø, but because of the mountains south of Bodø, the sun is not visible from the city from early December to early January. Average number of sunhours in Bodø is highest in June with 221 hours.
As the northern terminus of Nordlandsbanen
Nordlandsbanen
The Nordland Line is a railway line between Trondheim and Bodø in Norway. Running for approximately 729 km, it is the Norwegian railway system's longest line, and the only one in Norway to cross the Arctic Circle. It is owned by the Norwegian National Rail Administration...
, Bodø is the northern end of Norwegian State Railways. However, travellers going further north will often switch to a corresponding bus in Fauske
Fauske
is a town and municipality located in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Salten region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Fauske with approximately 6,000 inhabitants....
bound for Narvik
Narvik
is the third largest city and municipality in Nordland county, Norway by population. Narvik is located on the shores of the Narvik Fjord . The municipality is part of the Ofoten traditional region of North Norway, inside the arctic circle...
. There is also a railway from Narvik to Kiruna
Kiruna
Kiruna is the northernmost city in Sweden, situated in Lapland province, with 18,154 inhabitants in 2005. It is the seat of Kiruna Municipality Kiruna (Northern Sami: Giron, Finnish: Kiiruna) is the northernmost city in Sweden, situated in Lapland province, with 18,154 inhabitants in 2005. It is...
in Sweden, and further into the Swedish rail network. The railway station opened in 1961.
Bodø Airport
Bodø Airport
Bodø Airport is civil airport in Bodø, Norway. Located just south of the city centre, on the westernmost tip of the peninsula Bodø lies on, it shares facilities with the military air force base Bodø Main Air Station. The airport has a single concrete, runway which runs in a roughly east-west...
lies two km outside the city centre and was opened in 1952. The airport served 1,308,000 passengers in 2004. Ferries run between Bodø and the Lofoten Islands.
The strongest tidal current in the world, with water speeds reaching 22 knots (about 40 km/h), is Saltstraumen
Saltstraumen
Saltstraumen is a sound with a strong tidal current located in Nordland 30 km east of the city of Bodø, Norway. The narrow channel connects the outer Saltfjord with its extension, the large Skjerstadfjord. It is the strongest tidal current in the world...
, situated some 30 km (19 mi) east of Bodø. Kjerringøy
Kjerringøy
Kjerringøy is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The administrative centre was the village Kjerringøy.It was created when Nordfold-Kjerringøy was split into Kjerringøy and Nordfold on 1 January 1906. At that time Kjerringøy had a population of 857.On 1 January 1964 Kjerringøy was...
is a well preserved old trading village on the coast 40 km (25 mi) north of Bodø. With its scenic setting and authentic buildings, several movies have been shot at this little port, including Benoni og Rosa (based on Knut Hamsun
Knut Hamsun
Knut Hamsun was a Norwegian author, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920. He was praised by King Haakon VII of Norway as Norway's soul....
's novel), I am Dina and Telegrafisten
Lakes in the region include Fjærvatnet
Fjærvatnet
Fjærvatnet is a Norwegian lake that lies in Bodø municipality in Nordland....
and Gjømmervatnet
Gjømmervatnet
Gjømmervatnet is a Norwegian lake that lies in Bodø municipality in Nordland....
.
Climate
Located on an unsheltered peninsulaPeninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
in the Norwegian Sea
Norwegian Sea
The Norwegian Sea is a marginal sea in the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Norway. It is located between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea and adjoins the North Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Barents Sea to the northeast. In the southwest, it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a...
, Bodø is one of Norway's windiest cities. Despite its location just north of the Arctic Circle, Bodø features a subpolar oceanic climate, with chilly (but not cold) winters and cool summers. Snow cover during winter is usually sparse, not only due to the wind, but also an effect of a mild winter climate relative to its latitude
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
with periods of rain being common in winter. Mean annual temperature is 4.5 °C (40.1 °F) and average annual precipitation is 1020 mm (1961–90). The driest months are April - June. The coldest month on record was February 1966 with a mean of -8.9 °C, and the warmest was July 1937 with a mean of 17.1 °C (62.8 °F). Recent years have tended to be warmer.
Nature
Besides SaltstraumenSaltstraumen
Saltstraumen is a sound with a strong tidal current located in Nordland 30 km east of the city of Bodø, Norway. The narrow channel connects the outer Saltfjord with its extension, the large Skjerstadfjord. It is the strongest tidal current in the world...
, the municipality of Bodø has lots of wilderness to offer hikers. 10 kilometers north of Bodø lies the popular recreation area
Recreation area
A recreation area is a type of protected area designated in some jurisdictions. In the United States, National Recreation Areas are administered by several different agencies. They typically do not meet the strict guidelines to become national parks. In U.S...
Geitvågen. The area is inhabited by a large number of White-tailed Eagle
White-tailed Eagle
The White-tailed Eagle , also known as the Sea Eagle, Erne , or White-tailed Sea-eagle, is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which includes other raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers...
s. Sjunkhatten National Park
Sjunkhatten National Park
Sjunkhatten National Park was established in 2010. The park consists of a continuous protected area, including sea area. It is located in the county Nordland in Norway, and covers parts of the municipalities Bodø, Fauske and Sørfold. The park includes glacier formed landscape, caves and water...
is partly located in Bodø municipality, and there are also 17 nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
s. Sundstraumlian nature reserve has undisturbed mixed forest with marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
bedrock
Bedrock
In stratigraphy, bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet, usually the Earth. Above the bedrock is usually an area of broken and weathered unconsolidated rock in the basal subsoil...
, Skånland with coastal pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
, Børvatnet protecting a birch forest with many orchids and Bliksvær nature reserve with well preserved coastal nature of many types and a rich bird life, making it a Ramsar
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
site as well.
Institutions
Bodø is the location of the only police academy in Norway
Norwegian Police University College
The Norwegian Police University College is a public university college located in Oslo, Kongsvinger, Stavern and Bodø, Norway. It offers education for the police force of Norway, including a three-year basic education and a possible expansion with a Master's degree. 720 students are accepted at...
outside Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. The Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority is situated in Bodø, as is the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre of Northern Norway
Joint Rescue Coordination Centre of Northern Norway
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre of Northern Norway or JRCC NN is a rescue coordination centre located in Bodø responsible for coordinating search and rescue operations in the northern part of Norway; it is responsible for coordinating search and rescue operations within Norway's Search and...
. The Norwegian Armed Forces headquarters for North Norway is located at Reitan, east of the city. SB Nordlandsbuss
SB Nordlandsbuss
SB Nordlandsbuss is a Norwegian bus company that operates in Nordland. The company was created in 2002 when Nettbuss Helgeland merged with the bus division of Salten Bilruter. The company is owned 34% by Nettbuss and 66% by Salten Bilruter...
has its headquarter in Bodø, as does Bodø Energi
Bodø Energi
Bodø Energi is a municipal owned power company that serves Bodø, Norway. It operates the power grid with 24,000 customers in Bodø , as well as Heggmoen power station.-History:...
and Nordlandsbanken
Nordlandsbanken
Nordlandsbanken is a Norwegian bank serving the County of Nordland. Nordlandsbanken is a wholly owned subsidiary of DnB NOR who bought the bank in 2003. It has total assets of NOK 22 billion and headquarters in Bodø. The bank has 17 branches.-History:...
.
Military
Norwegian Armed Forces
The Norwegian Armed Forces numbers about 23,000 personnel, including civilian employees. According to mobilisation plans , the strength during full mobilisation would be approximately 83,000 combatant personnel. Norway has mandatory military service for men and voluntary service for women...
, and especially the Royal Norwegian Air Force
Royal Norwegian Air Force
The Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peace force is approximately 1,430 employees . 600 personnel also serve their draft period in the RNoAF...
(RNoAF). The Norwegian Armed Forces Joint Operational Headquarters
Forsvarets Operative Hovedkvarter
Forsvarets Operative Hovedkvarter or The Norwegian Army Operational Headquarter is the Norwegian Armed Forces operational commando-center. It is located at Reitan outside Bodø.- The Commando :...
are located at Reitan, east of Bodø. Parts of NATO air forces attending the annual Cold Response
Cold Response
Cold Response is the name given to Norwegian exercises with invited Partnership for Peace countries held in northern Norway. The first one was the largest military exercise in Norway in 2006. Around 10,000 soldiers from 11 nations participated. It was a national Norwegian exercise with all NATO...
are stationed at Bodø Main Air Station
Bodø Main Air Station
Bodø Main Air Station Bodø Main Air Station Bodø Main Air Station (Norwegian: Bodø hovedflystasjon is situated just outside Bodø, Norway and is the largest air station in Norway, operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force. The air station is home to the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons of...
. Bodø MAS is a major Norwegian military air base, housing two thirds of Norway's F-16 fighter force and two of RNoAFs SAR Sea Kings
Westland Sea King
The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engines , British made anti-submarine warfare systems and a...
. Bodø, competing with Ørland
Ørland Main Air Station
Ørland Main Air Station is situated at the mouth of the Trondheimsfjord in the municipality of Ørland, in the center of Norway. Ørland is operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force and is an important air base not only for Norway, but also for NATO...
and Evenes
Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes
Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes is located in the Evenes municipality, in Nordland county in northern Norway. Some of the runway lighting at the north end of the runway crosses the county border into the Skånland municipality in Troms...
, is a candidate for the Northern Air Base in the new RNoAF system. Bodin Leir located near the air station is an RNoAF recruit school including Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System
NASAMS
NASAMS is a distributed and networked medium to long range air-defence system. NASAMS was the first surface-based application for the AIM-120 AMRAAM and the first surface-to-air missile system in the western world with active radar guidance...
personnel and a national response unit. The base was central during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
due to its strategic location and proximity to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. It would have been vital in the build-up of NATO air and land forces to defend Norway, and thus the entire Northern flank of NATO, in a war with the Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
. It could also have been used as a forward base for American bombers to strike targets in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Bodø has a street named General Fleischer's Gate in honour of Carl Gustav Fleischer
Carl Gustav Fleischer
Carl Gustav Fleischer KCB was a Norwegian general and the first land commander to win a major victory against the Germans in the Second World War...
.
Culture
Bodø's local newspaper is the Avisa NordlandAvisa Nordland
Avisa Nordland is a newspaper published in Bodø, Norway. It was established through a controversial merger of the two competing newspapers Nordlandsposten and Nordlands Framtid. In 2006, it had a circulation of about 24700 copies....
.
The Norwegian Aviation Museum and Salten Museum
Salten Museum
The Salten Museum is a museum located in the center of Bodø, a town in North Norway. It includes several exhibitions that cover North-Norwegian culture and history....
are located in Bodø. Salten Museum has four exhibitions: The Lofoten
Lofoten
Lofoten is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Though lying within the Arctic Circle, the archipelago experiences one of the world's largest elevated temperature anomalies relative to its high latitude.-Etymology:...
Fisheries, a Sami
Sami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
exhibit, a Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
treasure, and an exhibition about Bodø's history from 1816 to 2000.
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, whereas the Bodin Church just outside the city centre dates from the 13th century, representing a typical medieval stone church.
Bodø is host to the cultural festivals Nordland Musikfestuke and Parkenfestivalen every summer, as well as the free and volunteer based Bodø Hardcore Festival in early winter.
Sports
Most notable of these is the football club Bodø/Glimt, which currently plays in Adeccoligaen
Adeccoligaen
The Norwegian First Division is the second highest division of the Norwegian football league system. Since 2005, the official name of the league has been Adeccoligaen....
.
In addition to Bodø/Glimt, Bodø has had several teams at national top level, including Grand Bodø (women's football), IK Junkeren
IK Junkeren
Idrettsklubben Junkeren is a Norwegian sports club from Bodø, Nordland. It has sections for association football and team handball.The women's handball team played in the highest Norwegian league in the 1990s....
(women's handball) and Bodø Håndballklubb (men's handball).
The most well-known sporting arena in Bodø is Aspmyra, which in addition to being the home of Bodø/Glimt has hosted one international
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
match.
Also, the multi-purpose indoor Bodø Spektrum, contains full-size football and handball courts, as well as several swimming and bathing facilities.
Economy
Widerøe
Widerøe's Flyveselskap AS, trading as Widerøe, is a regional airline in Norway and part of the SAS Group. It operates a fleet of 34 Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft , serving 41 domestic and 6 international destinations...
has its head office in Bodø.
See also
- Bodø Air Traffic Control CenterBodø Air Traffic Control CenterBodø Air Traffic Control Center or Bodø ATCC en route air traffic control unit located at Bodø Airport in Bodø, in North Norway.The ATCC has a total of 36 airports under its area of responsibility - 13 controlled and 23 uncontrolled, regional airports - including Svalbard Airport, Longyear...
or Bodø ATCC enroute air traffic control unit located at Bodø Airport - Bodø AirportBodø AirportBodø Airport is civil airport in Bodø, Norway. Located just south of the city centre, on the westernmost tip of the peninsula Bodø lies on, it shares facilities with the military air force base Bodø Main Air Station. The airport has a single concrete, runway which runs in a roughly east-west...
(IATA: BOO, ICAO: ENBO) (Norwegian: Bodø lufthavn), a main civilian airport in Bodø - Bodø EnergiBodø EnergiBodø Energi is a municipal owned power company that serves Bodø, Norway. It operates the power grid with 24,000 customers in Bodø , as well as Heggmoen power station.-History:...
, a municipal owned power company that serves Bodø - Bodø Graduate School of BusinessBodø Graduate School of BusinessBodø Graduate School of Business or HHB is a business school and faculty of University of Nordland located at Mørkved in Bodø, Norway...
(Norwegian: Handelshøyskolen i Bodø), a business school and faculty of Bodø University College located at Mørkved in Bodø - Bodø Main Air StationBodø Main Air StationBodø Main Air Station Bodø Main Air Station Bodø Main Air Station (Norwegian: Bodø hovedflystasjon is situated just outside Bodø, Norway and is the largest air station in Norway, operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force. The air station is home to the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons of...
(IATA: BOO, ICAO: ENBO) (Norwegian: Bodø hovedflystasjon), situated just outside Bodø, Norway and the largest air station in Norway, operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force - Bodø RegionBodø RegionThe Bodø Region is a metropolitan region in the county of Nordland in northern Norway, centered on the city of Bodø. Before January 1, 2005, there was also a separate municipality Skjerstad that was merged with Bodø.1/ km²2/ Population per km²...
, a metropolitan region centered on the city of Bodø - Bodø StationBodø StationBodø Station is a railway station located in downtown Bodø in Nordland, Norway. The station is the terminus of the Nordland Line that was completed in 1961...
, a railway station in downtown Bodø - Bodø University CollegeBodø University CollegeThe University of Nordland , previously Bodø University College, is a public university located is located in Bodø, Norway. The university is located 10 km outside the city centre...
, located in Mørkved, 10 km outside the city centre