Båtsfjord
Encyclopedia
Båtsfjord is a municipality in Finnmark
county
, Norway
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Båtsfjord.
Vardø herred ("the rural district of Vardø") was separated from the town of Vardø
in 1868 to be a municipality of its own. In 1957, the municipality was renamed Båtsfjord. The eastern part of the municipality was merged back into Vardø on 1 January 1964.
form of the name is Botnsfjorðr. The first element is the genitive case
of botn which means "the innermost part of a fjord
".
is from modern times. They were granted on 19 April 1985. The arms show a fish hook
as a symbol for the great economic importance of fishing
and fish processing
in the municipality. The shape of the hook was derived from ancient Stone Age
hooks found in the municipality.
of Varangerhalvøya
. Previously, there were several villages along this barren coast, but today everyone lives in the town of Båtsfjord, with a sheltered situation at the end of the Båtsfjord inlet. Båtsfjord Airport
is a new, modern airport
, and the hurtigruten
(coastal express ferry) has a scheduled stop at Båtsfjord.
The most interesting attraction is Hamningberg
, an abandoned fishing village on the outer coast, with well-preserved 19th century wooden houses, a unique example of old architecture
in a county so devastated by World War II
. Now it is used for summer stays.
pounding the rocky coastline, Båtsfjord is at the mercy of the elements, but it is a great place to visit with the worlds northern most Gannet
colony to be found on the stack at Syltefjordstauran. The two pairs that were discovered in 1961 have now grown to well over 300 pairs. The Northern Gannet
is just one of many species that can be seen.
Metalocalypse's
first episode, "The Curse of DethKlok." In the episode thousands of people from around the world travel to Båtsfjord to hear the main characters, a death metal
band named DethKlok play a little-over 1 minute jingle promoting a fictional coffee company. The episode features a large amount of death by various means, mainly the parachuted stage missing its landing spot. The episode also features James Hetfield
and Kirk Hammett
of Metallica
fame.
Finnmark
or Finnmárku is a county in the extreme northeast of Norway. By land it borders Troms county to the west, Finland to the south and Russia to the east, and by water, the Norwegian Sea to the northwest, and the Barents Sea to the north and northeast.The county was formerly known as Finmarkens...
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...
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Båtsfjord.
Vardø herred ("the rural district of Vardø") was separated from the town of Vardø
Vardø
is a town and a municipality in Finnmark county in the extreme northeast part of Norway.Vardø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . The law required that all cities should be separated from their rural districts, but because of a low population and very few voters, this was...
in 1868 to be a municipality of its own. In 1957, the municipality was renamed Båtsfjord. The eastern part of the municipality was merged back into Vardø on 1 January 1964.
Name
The 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....
form of the name is Botnsfjorðr. The first element is the genitive case
Genitive case
In grammar, genitive is the grammatical case that marks a noun as modifying another noun...
of botn which means "the innermost part of a fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
".
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 19 April 1985. The arms show a fish hook
Fish hook
A fish hook is a device for catching fish either by impaling them in the mouth or, more rarely, by snagging the body of the fish. Fish hooks have been employed for centuries by fishermen to catch fresh and saltwater fish. In 2005, the fish hook was chosen by Forbes as one of the top twenty tools...
as a symbol for the great economic importance of fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and fish processing
Fish processing
The term fish processing refers to the processes associated with fish and fish products between the time fish are caught or harvested, and the time the final product is delivered to the customer...
in the municipality. The shape of the hook was derived from ancient Stone Age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
hooks found in the municipality.
Geography
The municipality is situated on the north-eastern coast of the 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"....
of Varangerhalvøya
Varanger Peninsula
Varanger Peninsula is a peninsula in Finnmark, north-eastern Norway, by the Barents Sea. The peninsula has the Tanafjord to the west, the Varangerfjord to the south and the Barents Sea to the north and east. Vadsø, Båtsfjord, Berlevåg, Vardø and Unjárga - Nesseby are the municipalities sharing the...
. Previously, there were several villages along this barren coast, but today everyone lives in the town of Båtsfjord, with a sheltered situation at the end of the Båtsfjord inlet. Båtsfjord Airport
Båtsfjord Airport
Båtsfjord Airport is a small regional airport serving Båtsfjord in Finnmark, Norway. The airport is connected to the town centre by route 894. BJF is operated by Avinor and had 10,110 passengers in 2004 ....
is a new, modern airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
, and the hurtigruten
Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten or Hurtigruta is a Norwegian passenger and freight line with daily sailings along Norway's western and northern coast. Sometimes referred to in English as Norwegian Coastal Express, Hurtigruten ships sail almost the entire length of the country, completing the roundtrip journey in 11...
(coastal express ferry) has a scheduled stop at Båtsfjord.
Hamningberg
Hamningberg is an abandoned fishing village in Båtsfjord, Norway. Traditionally a fishing village, it is one of very few places in Finnmark not burned down during the Second World War. It was depopulated during the 1960s, although some of the houses are still in use as cottages....
, an abandoned fishing village on the outer coast, with well-preserved 19th century wooden houses, a unique example of old architecture
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...
in a county so devastated by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Now it is used for summer stays.
Birdlife
The municipality covers an area of 1433 square kilometre including Finnmark's highest mountain pass over Ordofjell at 400 meters above sea level. With the Barents SeaBarents Sea
The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
pounding the rocky coastline, Båtsfjord is at the mercy of the elements, but it is a great place to visit with the worlds northern most Gannet
Gannet
Gannets are seabirds comprising the genus Morus, in the family Sulidae, closely related to the boobies.The gannets are large black and white birds with yellow heads. They have long pointed wings and long bills. Northern gannets are the largest seabirds in the North Atlantic, with a wingspan of up...
colony to be found on the stack at Syltefjordstauran. The two pairs that were discovered in 1961 have now grown to well over 300 pairs. The Northern Gannet
Northern Gannet
The Northern Gannet is a seabird and is the largest member of the gannet family, Sulidae.- Description :Young birds are dark brown in their first year, and gradually acquire more white in subsequent seasons until they reach maturity after five years.Adults are long, weigh and have a wingspan...
is just one of many species that can be seen.
Popular culture
Båtsfjord was used in the cartoonCartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
Metalocalypse's
Metalocalypse
Metalocalypse is an American animated television series, created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha, which premiered on August 6, 2006 on Adult Swim...
first episode, "The Curse of DethKlok." In the episode thousands of people from around the world travel to Båtsfjord to hear the main characters, a death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band named DethKlok play a little-over 1 minute jingle promoting a fictional coffee company. The episode features a large amount of death by various means, mainly the parachuted stage missing its landing spot. The episode also features James Hetfield
James Hetfield
James Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
and Kirk Hammett
Kirk Hammett
Kirk Lee Hammett is the lead guitarist and a songwriter in the heavy metal band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus. In 2003, Hammett was ranked 11th on Rolling Stones list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
of Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
fame.