Mjøsa
Encyclopedia
Mjøsa is Norway
's largest lake, as well as one of the deepest lakes in Norway and in Europe
as a whole, after Hornindalsvatnet
. It is located in the southern part of Norway, about 100 km north of Oslo
. Its main tributary
is Gudbrandsdalslågen
in the north; the only distributary
is Vorma
in the south.
From its southernmost point at Minnesund in Eidsvoll
to its northernmost point in Lillehammer
it is 117 km long. At its widest, near Hamar
, it is 15 km wide. It is 365 km² in area and its volume is estimated at 56 km³; normally its surface is 123 metres above sea level, and its greatest depth is 468 metres. Its total coastline is estimated at 273 km, of which 30% is built up. Dams built on the distribuary of Vorma in 1858, 1911, 1947, and 1965 raised the level by approximately 3.6 metres in total. In the last 200 years, 20 floods have been registered that added 7 metres to the level of Mjøsa. Several of these floods inundated the city of Hamar.
The cities of Hamar
, Gjøvik
, and Lillehammer
were founded along the shores of the lake. Before the construction of railways past the lake, it was an important transport route. Today, aside from minor leisure boating and the steamship Skibladner
, there is no water traffic on the lake. Most of its shores are dominated by rolling agricultural areas, among them some of the most fertile grainlands in Norway. The main train line, Dovrebanen
between Oslo
and Trondheim
goes along its eastern shore, making stops in Hamar and Lillehammer. The largest, and only, island is Helgøya
. Except for Helgøya, Mjøsa only contains small islets. The most interesting of these are Steinsholmen, with the ruins of a Middle Age citadel.
From the south European route E6
runs along the eastern shore of the lake until the Mjøsa Bridge
connects Moelv
on the east with Biri
on the west.
, common roach, greyling
and the Hundertrout, a Brown Trout
which can reach a weight of more than 20 kg. Another common species is the European smelt, which is the most important baitfish for the predators. Historically, the most economically significant species is the Lågsild (European cisco).
.)
was held on its shores. More than 17.000 Scouts
from 91 countries took part.
In 1995 a Swedish team lifted a Halifax Bomber that was shot down in World War Two
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...
's largest lake, as well as one of the deepest lakes in Norway and in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
as a whole, after Hornindalsvatnet
Hornindalsvatnet
Hornindalsvatnet is Norway's and Europe's deepest lake, officially measured to a depth of . Its surface is above sea level, which means that its bottom is below sea level. The village of Grodås lies at the eastern end of the lake in Hornindal and the village of Mogrenda is located on the...
. It is located in the southern part of Norway, about 100 km north of 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...
. Its main tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
is Gudbrandsdalslågen
Gudbrandsdalslågen
The Gudbrandsdalslågen river flows through the Gudbrandsdal of Norway.The Gudbrandsdalslågen begins in the lake Lesjaskogsvatnet , which lies in Lesja municipality in Oppland. Lesjavatn is the only lake in Norway which has two outlets; they flow into two of Norway’s more famous rivers...
in the north; the only distributary
Distributary
A distributary, or a distributary channel, is a stream that branches off and flows away from a main stream channel. They are a common feature of river deltas. The phenomenon is known as river bifurcation. The opposite of a distributary is a tributary...
is Vorma
Vorma
Vorma is a river in Norway that brings water from lake Mjøsa into the Glomma river. The Vorma is 30 kilometers long and flows through the town of Eidsvoll. The Vorma goes from Lake Mjøsa via Minnesund to join with the Glomma at Årnes....
in the south.
Eidsvoll
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Romerike traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Sundet.-Name:...
to its northernmost point in Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
it is 117 km long. At its widest, near Hamar
Hamar
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hamar. The municipality of Hamar was separated from Vang as a town and municipality of its own in 1849...
, it is 15 km wide. It is 365 km² in area and its volume is estimated at 56 km³; normally its surface is 123 metres above sea level, and its greatest depth is 468 metres. Its total coastline is estimated at 273 km, of which 30% is built up. Dams built on the distribuary of Vorma in 1858, 1911, 1947, and 1965 raised the level by approximately 3.6 metres in total. In the last 200 years, 20 floods have been registered that added 7 metres to the level of Mjøsa. Several of these floods inundated the city of Hamar.
The cities of Hamar
Hamar
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hamar. The municipality of Hamar was separated from Vang as a town and municipality of its own in 1849...
, Gjøvik
Gjøvik
is a town and a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Gjøvik.In 1861, the village of Gjøvik in the municipality of Vardal was granted town status and was separated from Vardal to form a separate municipality...
, and Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
were founded along the shores of the lake. Before the construction of railways past the lake, it was an important transport route. Today, aside from minor leisure boating and the steamship Skibladner
Skibladner
PS Skibladner is a paddle steamer operating on the lake of Mjøsa in Norway.Skibladner is a sidewheel design, and her maiden voyage was on 2 August 1856, making her the world's oldest paddle steamer still in timetabled service...
, there is no water traffic on the lake. Most of its shores are dominated by rolling agricultural areas, among them some of the most fertile grainlands in Norway. The main train line, Dovrebanen
Dovrebanen
The Dovre Line is the main line of the Norwegian railway system between Oslo and Trondheim. The 64 km section south of Eidsvoll has been replaced by the Gardermo Line, the only high-speed line in the country. The line between Eidsvoll and Dombås is from old times the Eidsvoll–Dombås Line. The line...
between 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...
and Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
goes along its eastern shore, making stops in Hamar and Lillehammer. The largest, and only, island is Helgøya
Helgøya, Hedmark
Helgøya is an island in Mjøsa located to Ringsaker municipality in Hedmark county, Norway.With an area of 18.3 km², Helgøya is the largest freshwater island in Norway. The island is located south of the peninsula Nes, connected by bridge since 1957, and was formerly a part of Nes municipality.The...
. Except for Helgøya, Mjøsa only contains small islets. The most interesting of these are Steinsholmen, with the ruins of a Middle Age citadel.
From the south European route E6
European route E6
European route E 6 is the designation for the main north-south road in Norway, and the west coast of Sweden, running from the southern tip of Sweden, at Trelleborg, into Norway and through almost all of the country north to Finnmark. The route ends close to the Norwegian border with Russia...
runs along the eastern shore of the lake until the Mjøsa Bridge
Mjøsa Bridge
Mjøsa Bridge is a box girder bridge that crosses lake Mjøsa between Moelv and Biri in Hedmark and Oppland counties in Norway. The bridge is 1421 metres long, the longest span is 69 metres, and the clearance to the water is 15 metres...
connects Moelv
Moelv
Moelv is the second largest center in the municipality of Ringsaker in Norway.Situated at the shores of lake Mjøsa at the mouth of the Moelva river, the town is bordered by green, forested hills farmland. Home to about 4,000 inhabitants, the town consists of a few shopping centers, a railway...
on the east with Biri
Biri, Norway
Biri is a village in the municipality of GjøvikOppland county, Norway. It was formerly classified as a municipality.The parish of Biri was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . On 1 January 1910, the district Snertingdal was divided from Biri to form a municipality of its own,...
on the west.
Fish
Lake Mjøsa has 20 species of fish. Among the most common are pike, European perchEuropean perch
The European perch, Perca fluviatilis, is a predatory species of perch found in Europe and Asia. In some areas it is known as the redfin perch or English perch, and it is often known simply as perch. The species is a popular quarry for anglers and has been widely introduced beyond its native area,...
, common roach, greyling
Grayling (species)
The grayling is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. It is the type species of its genus. Native to the Palearctic ecozone, the grayling is widespread throughout northern Europe, from the United Kingdom and France to the Ural Mountains in Russia...
and the Hundertrout, a Brown Trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
which can reach a weight of more than 20 kg. Another common species is the European smelt, which is the most important baitfish for the predators. Historically, the most economically significant species is the Lågsild (European cisco).
The name
The name (Norse Mjǫrs, Proto-Norse *Merso) must be very old. The meaning is, maybe, 'the bright/shiny one'. (If *mer- is related to the English word mere 'clear, bright', and -so is a suffixSuffix
In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs...
.)
Events
In 1975 the 14th World Scout Jamboree14th World Scout Jamboree
The 14th World Scout Jamboree was held July 29 to August 7, 1975 and was hosted by Norway at Lillehammer, on the shore of Lake Mjøsa.King Olav V and Harald V of Norway, who then was crown prince, opened "Nordjamb '75", as it became popularly known, in the presence of 17,259 Scouts from 94 countries...
was held on its shores. More than 17.000 Scouts
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
from 91 countries took part.
In 1995 a Swedish team lifted a Halifax Bomber that was shot down in World War Two