Meløy
Encyclopedia
Meløy is a municipality
in Nordland
county
, Norway
. It is part of the Salten
traditional region
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ørnes
, while Glomfjord
is only slightly smaller. Meløy was separated from the municipality of Rødøy
on 1 January 1884.
The municipality is situated just to the north of the Arctic Circle
on Norway's west coast. It encompasses the island of Meløy and some 700 other islands of various sizes around the Meløyfjorden, Glomfjorden, and Holandsfjorden in the south, along with a stretch of mainland coast.
) is named after the island
of Meløya (Old Norse
: Mjölva), since the first church was built there. The old name of the island is probably derived from mjöl which means "flour
" or "meal" (referring to fine sand
on the beach
es of the island). The last element øy which means "island" was added to the name around 1500.
is from modern times. They were granted on 7 December 1984. The arms show a poppy
plant (Papaver
radicatum subglobosum). The village is near the second largest glacier
in continental Norway, the Svartisen
(black ice), and the plant is one of the plants growing closest to the ice. The colors symbolize the blue glacial ice and the yellow flowers.
period. The Benkestok
family, one of Norway's original noble families, established one of its seats at Meløy gård (farm) in the 16th century.
Due to the expansion of the community during the 19th century, it was split from its southern neighbour Rødøy
in 1884. Its administrative centre was later moved from the island of Meløy to the coastal community of Ørnes
. Ørnes is one of the stops on the route of the Hurtigruten
(coastal express boat), with a notably scenic entrance via the fjord. The second largest glacier in Norway, Svartisen
, is a target for passenger visits. The mountains around Glomfjord are popular for fishing
and hunting
as well as skiing
in the winter time.
. It was based on electrical power production in then new Glomfjord power plant
from water coming from the Svartisen glacier and gathered in the mountains. In the bottom of Glomfjorden, Norsk Hydro
(today YARA
) started out producing fertilizers in Glomfjord
. A conglomerate
of industries is found there today in Glomfjord Industry Park. The municipality's overall industries are some light industry, agriculture
, forestry
, fishing, salmon
production, and tourism
.
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...
traditional 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 administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ørnes
Ørnes
Ørnes is a small village in the municipality of Meløy, Norway. Its population is 1,538. It is a station on Hurtigruten between Nesna and Bodø.The place can be traced back hundreds of years, but the year 1794 is recognized as the beginning of Ørnes as we know it, when Elling Pedersen was allowed to...
, while Glomfjord
Glomfjord
Glomfjord is an industrial community at the head of a small fjord of the same name in Meløy municipality, northern Norway, above the Arctic Circle. The population is 1,204.-Heavy industry:...
is only slightly smaller. Meløy was separated from the municipality of Rødøy
Rødøy
Rødøy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vågaholmen. The municipality consists of islands outside Norway's second biggest glacier, Svartisen.Rødøy was established as a...
on 1 January 1884.
The municipality is situated just to the 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....
on Norway's west coast. It encompasses the island of Meløy and some 700 other islands of various sizes around the Meløyfjorden, Glomfjorden, and Holandsfjorden in the south, along with a stretch of mainland coast.
Name
The municipality (originally the parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
) is named after the 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...
of Meløya (Old Norse
Old 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....
: Mjölva), since the first church was built there. The old name of the island is probably derived from mjöl which means "flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
" or "meal" (referring to fine sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
on the beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es of the island). The last element øy which means "island" was added to the name around 1500.
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 7 December 1984. The arms show a poppy
Poppy
A poppy is one of a group of a flowering plants in the poppy family, many of which are grown in gardens for their colorful flowers. Poppies are sometimes used for symbolic reasons, such as in remembrance of soldiers who have died during wartime....
plant (Papaver
Papaver
Papaver is a genus of 70-100 species of frost-tolerant annuals, biennials, and perennials native to temperate and cold regions of Eurasia, Africa and North America. It is the type genus of the poppy family, Papaveraceae.-Description:...
radicatum subglobosum). The village is near the second largest glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
in continental Norway, the Svartisen
Svartisen
Svartisen is a collective term for two glaciers located in northern Norway. The system consists of two separate glaciers,* Vestre Svartisen , which is the second largest glacier on the Norwegian mainland after Jostedalsbreen* Østre Svartisen , which...
(black ice), and the plant is one of the plants growing closest to the ice. The colors symbolize the blue glacial ice and the yellow flowers.
History
Meløy has been inhabited for many centuries and still possesses various relics from the VikingViking
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...
period. The Benkestok
Benkestok
The Benkestok family is one of the original noble families of Norway and one of the few to survive the Middle Ages...
family, one of Norway's original noble families, established one of its seats at Meløy gård (farm) in the 16th century.
Due to the expansion of the community during the 19th century, it was split from its southern neighbour Rødøy
Rødøy
Rødøy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vågaholmen. The municipality consists of islands outside Norway's second biggest glacier, Svartisen.Rødøy was established as a...
in 1884. Its administrative centre was later moved from the island of Meløy to the coastal community of Ørnes
Ørnes
Ørnes is a small village in the municipality of Meløy, Norway. Its population is 1,538. It is a station on Hurtigruten between Nesna and Bodø.The place can be traced back hundreds of years, but the year 1794 is recognized as the beginning of Ørnes as we know it, when Elling Pedersen was allowed to...
. Ørnes is one of the stops on the route of 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 boat), with a notably scenic entrance via the fjord. The second largest glacier in Norway, Svartisen
Svartisen
Svartisen is a collective term for two glaciers located in northern Norway. The system consists of two separate glaciers,* Vestre Svartisen , which is the second largest glacier on the Norwegian mainland after Jostedalsbreen* Østre Svartisen , which...
, is a target for passenger visits. The mountains around Glomfjord are popular for 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 hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
as well as skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
in the winter time.
Economy
The industrial development—and thus the main contributor to the economical development and growth of the Meløy community—started around the time of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It was based on electrical power production in then new Glomfjord power plant
Glomfjord power plant
Glomfjord power plant is a 6*20 MW hydroelectric power plant in Glomfjord, Norway. It gets its water from Nedre Navervatn lake which is located about 465 meters above the sea level, but there are plans to start taking water also from Fykanvatn lake....
from water coming from the Svartisen glacier and gathered in the mountains. In the bottom of Glomfjorden, Norsk Hydro
Norsk Hydro
Norsk Hydro ASA is a Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company, headquartered in Oslo. Hydro is the fourth largest integrated aluminium company worldwide. It has operations in some 40 countries around the world and is active on all continents. The Norwegian state holds a 43.8 percent...
(today YARA
Yara International
Yara International ASA is a Norwegian-based chemical company. Its largest business area is the production of nitrogen fertilizer, however it also encompasses the production of dry ice, nitrates, ammonia, urea and other nitrogen-based chemicals....
) started out producing fertilizers in Glomfjord
Glomfjord
Glomfjord is an industrial community at the head of a small fjord of the same name in Meløy municipality, northern Norway, above the Arctic Circle. The population is 1,204.-Heavy industry:...
. A conglomerate
Conglomerate (company)
A conglomerate is a combination of two or more corporations engaged in entirely different businesses that fall under one corporate structure , usually involving a parent company and several subsidiaries. Often, a conglomerate is a multi-industry company...
of industries is found there today in Glomfjord Industry Park. The municipality's overall industries are some light industry, agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, fishing, salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
production, and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
.