Tromsø
Encyclopedia
Tromsø (ˈtrʊmsø; ; ) is a city and municipality
in Troms
county
, Norway
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.
Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway
by population. It is the largest city and the largest urban area in Northern Norway, and the second largest city and urban area in Sápmi (following Murmansk
). Most of Tromsø, including the city centre, is located on the small island of Tromsøya
in the county of Troms
, 350 kilometres (217 mi) inside the arctic circle
. Substantial parts of the urban area are also situated on the mainland to the east, and on parts of Kvaløya
- a large island to the west. Tromsøya is connected to the mainland by the Tromsø Bridge
and the Tromsøysund Tunnel
, and to the island of Kvaløya
by the Sandnessund Bridge
. The city is warmer than most other places located on the same latitude, due to the warming effect of the Gulf Stream
.
The city centre of Tromsø contains the highest number of old wooden houses in Northern Norway, the oldest house dating from 1789. The Arctic Cathedral
, a modern church from 1965, is probably the most famous landmark in Tromsø. The city is a cultural centre for its region, several festivals taking place in the summer. Some of Norways most known musicians, Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge of the electronica duo Röyksopp
, both grew up and started their careers in Tromsø.
The largest football team in the city, Tromsø I.L
, plays in the Norwegian Premier League
.
. In Tønsvika, just outside the city limits, there has been found traces of a settlement from late stone age (4000-1800 BCE).
and Sámi
heritage is well documented. The Norse chieftain Ohthere who lived there during the 890s, is assumed to have inhabited the southernmost reaches of today's Tromsø municipality. He described himself as living "furthest to the North of all Norwegians", with areas north of this being populated by Sámi. An Islandic source (Rimbegla) from the 1100s also describes the fiord Malangen
in the south of today's Tromsø municipality as a border between the Norse and Sámi coast settlements during that part of the Middle Ages. There has, however, also been extensive Sámi settlement on the coast south of this 'border', as well as scattered Norse settlements north of Malangen - for example, both Sámi and Norse Iron Age (0 - 1050 CE) have been found on southern Kvaløya
.;.
The first church on the island of Tromsøya was erected in the 1252, Ecclesia Sanctae Mariae de Trums juxta paganos ("The Church of Saint Mary in Troms near the Heathens" - the nominal'heathens' being the Sámi), was built in 1252 during the reign of King Hákon Hákonarson
. At the time, it was the northernmost church in the world. Around the same time, a turf rampart
was built to protect the area against raids from Karelia
and Russia
.
At that time, Tromsø was not just a Norwegian outpost in an area mainly populated by the Sámi, but also a frontier city towards Russia: the Novgorod state
had the right to tax the Sámi on the coast to Lyngstuva
and on the inland to Skibotn River
or Målselv River
, whereas Norway was allowed to tax areas east to - and including - the Kola Peninsula
. During the next five hundred years, however, Norway's border to Russia and the limits of Norwegian settlement would be pushed eastwards to Sør-Varanger
, making Tromsø lose its character as a "frontier town".
and during this period a redoubt
, Skansen, was built. Despite only being home to around 80 people,Tromsø was issued its city charter in 1794 by King Christian VII
. The city quickly rose in importance. The diocese of Hålogaland
was created in 1804, with the first bishop being Mathias Bonsach Krogh. The city was established as a municipality 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
).
Arctic hunting, from Novaya Zemlya
to Canada
, started up around 1820. By 1850, Tromsø was the major center of Arctic hunting, overtaking the former center of Hammerfest
, and the city was trading from Arkhangelsk
to Bordeaux
. The town grew increasingly important in other maritime economic activities also, the first shipyard was established in 1848.
In 1848, the teacher training college was also moved from Trondenes
(near current-day Harstad
) to Tromsø, with part of its mission being to educate Sámi scholars - there was a quota ensuring that Sámi gained access. The teacher college was followed by the Tromsø Museum in 1872, and the Mack Brewery
in 1877.
During the 1800s, Tromsø became known as the "Paris of the North". It is disputed how this moniker came into being, but the reason is generally assumed to be that people in Tromsø appeared as far more 'civilized' than expected by travellers from the south.
By the end of the 19th century, Tromsø had become a major Arctic
trade center from which many Arctic expeditions originated. Explorers like Roald Amundsen
, Umberto Nobile
and Fridtjof Nansen
made use of the know-how in Tromsø on the conditions in the Arctic, and often recruited their crew in the city. The Northern lights
observatory was founded in 1927.
When Germany invaded Norway in 1940, Tromsø served briefly as the seat of Norwegian government. General Carl Gustav Fleischer
arrived in Tromsø on 10 April 1940 after flying in terrible conditions. From Tromsø he issued orders for total civilian and military mobilisation and declared North Norway a theatre of war. Fleischer's strategic plan was to first wipe out the German forces at Narvik
and then transfer his division to Nordland
to meet a German advance from Trøndelag
. The Germans soon overtook all of Norway, although they encountered fierce resistance from the Finnmark
-based Alta Batallion at Narvik. Tromsø escaped the war without any damage, although the German battleship Tirpitz
was sunk off the Tromsøy island on 12 November 1944, killing close to 1,000 German soldiers.
At the end of the war, the city received thousands of refugees from the Finnmark
province and the North Troms area - which had been devastated by German forces using schorched earth tactics in expectation of the Red Army
offensive.
and Ullsfjord
, and most of Hillesøy
, were merged with Tromsø on 1 January 1964, creating today's Tromsø municipality and almost tripling Tromsø's population - from 12,430 to 32,664. In addition, the population growth has been strong, with at times more than 1,000 more Tromsøværinger (Tromsø citizens) annually. The population of Tromsø municipality today is 68,239, and the urban area, Norway's ninth most populous, is home to 58,486 people. This excludes most of the city's students, however, who often do not change their address when moving to Tromsø.
The late 1900s also saw a major infrastructural revolution in the opening of Tromsø Airport in 1964. Unlike many other airports, which are situated somewhat outside the city they serve, Tromsø Airport is situated on the main island. Another revolutionary development in Tromsø's history has been the locating of important academic institutions in the city. The University of Tromsø
was opened here in 1972, at the time one of four universities in Norway and the only one serving the northern half of the country. The teacher's college and the museum were eventually incorporated into the university. The Norwegian Polar Institute
was also relocated to Tromsø from Oslo
in 1998.
Needs section on current Tromso industry and employment.
of Tromsøya
, which it is situated on. While the last element of the city's name comes from Danish
ø which means "island" , the etymology
of the first element is uncertain. Several theories exist. One theory holds "Troms-" to derive from the old (uncompounded) name of the island (Old Norse
: Trums). Several islands and rivers in Norway have the name Tromsa, and the names of these are probably derived from the word straumr which means "(strong) stream". (The original form must then have been Strums, for the missing s see Indo-European s-mobile
.) Another theory holds that Tromsøya was originally called Lille Tromsøya (Little Tromsøya), because of its proximity to the much bigger island today called Kvaløya
, that according to this theory was earlier called "Store Tromsøya" due to a characteristic mountain known as Tromma (the Drum). The mountain's name in Sámi
, Rumbbučohkka, is identical in meaning, and it is said to have been a sacred mountain for the Sámi in pre-Christian times.
The Sámi name of the island, Romsa, is assumed to be a loan from Norse - but according to the phonetical rules of the Sami language the frontal t has disappeared from the name. However, an alternative form - Tromsa - is in informal use. There is a theory that holds the Norwegian name of Tromsø derives from the Sámi name, though this theory lacks an explanation for the meaning of Romsa. A common misunderstanding is that Tromsø's Sámi name is Romssa with a double "s". This, however, is the accusative and genitive form of the noun used when, for example, writing "Tromsø Municipality" (Romssa Suohkan).
of Tromsø kommune was originally devised in 1870. The official blazon
in Norwegian ("I blått en gående sølv rein") translates to "On a field Azure
a reindeer
trippant Argent
". The coat of arms has traditionally been displayed on an escutcheon of a modern French type. A mural crown
with five turret
s traditionally surmounts the escutcheon. The greaty stylised rendering which is currently being used by the municipal administration was drawn by Hallvard Trætteberg (1898–1987) and adopted by royal resolution on 24 September 1941. In addition to stylising the reindeer charge
, Trætteberg's design reduces the number of turrets on the mural crown from five to four, and straightens the base of the escutcheon. Tromsø's coat of arms is one of six Norwegian municipal coats of arms to include one or more reindeers or reindeer antler
s as charges. The other five are those of Eidfjord
, Porsanger
, Rendalen
, Vadsø
, and Vågå
.
, with a population of 58,486. The city is home to the world's most northerly university
and also houses the most northerly brewery
, botanical garden
and planetarium
.
The city center is located on the east side of the Tromsøya
— over 300 km inside the Arctic Circle
at 69°40′33"N 18°55′10"E. Suburban areas include Kroken, Tromsdalen
(on the mainland, east of the Tromsøya island), the rest of the Tromsøya island, and the eastern part of the large Kvaløya, west of the Tromsøya Island. Tromsø Bridge
and a four laned road tunnel connects the mainland with Tromsøya by road, and, on the western side of the city, Sandnessund Bridge
connects Tromsøya island with Kvaløya island.
(Köppen climate classification
Dfc) because winter temperatures are just cold enough to qualify and the summer season is short. However, the weather and precipitation amount and pattern, with maximum precipitation in autumn and early winter, as well as lack of permafrost
, are atypical for subarctic areas. Tromsø has a reputation in Norway for getting a lot of snow in the winter, although there is a lot of variation from year to year. The all-time record for snow depth was set on 29 April 1997, when the meteorological station on top of Tromsøya recorded 240 centimetres (94.5 in) of snow on the ground. The lowest temperature ever recorded is -18.4 C, in February 1966. However, at the airport, also in the city, the lowest ever recording is -20.1 C in February 1985. The January average daily maximum is -2.2 C. Summers are rather cool, with average high and low temperature in July of 15.3 °C (59.5 °F) and 8.7 °C (47.7 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded is 30.2 °C (86.4 °F), in July 1972. Outside the city, large areas in the municipality are above the treeline and have an alpine tundra
climate. On the west coast of Kvaløya (Sommarøy
), climate data show a mean annual temperature of 3.9 °C (39 °F), mostly because winters here are 2 °C (35.6 °F) warmer compared to the city, making this part of the municipaliy a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc) zone.
occurs from about 18 May to 26 July, although the mountains in the north block the view of the midnight sun for a few days, meaning that one can see the sun from about 21 May to 21 July. Owing to Tromsø's high latitude, twilight is long, meaning there is no real darkness between late April and mid-August.
The sun remains below the horizon during the Polar Night from about 26 November to 15 January, but owing to the mountains the sun is not visible from 21 November to 21 January. The return of the sun is an occasion for celebration. However, because of the twilight, there is some daylight for a couple of hours even around midwinter, often with beautiful bluish light. The nights shorten quickly, and by 21 February the sun is above the horizon from 7:45 am to 4:10 pm, and 1 April from 5:50 am to 7:50 pm (daylight saving time).
The combination of snow cover and sunshine often creates intense light conditions from late February until the snow melts in the lowland (usually late April), and sunglasses
are essential when skiing
. Because of these diametrically different light conditions in winter, Norwegians often divide it into two seasons: Mørketid (Polar Night) and Seinvinter (late winter).
Tromsø is in the middle of the Aurora Borealis
(Northern Lights) zone, and is in fact one of the best places in the world to observe this phenomenon. Because of the planet's rotation, Tromsø moves into the aurora zone around 6 pm, and moves out again around midnight. As it is light round the clock in the summer, no aurora is visible between late April and mid-August.
, that co-exist with modern architecture. The houses date from 1789 to 1904, when building wooden houses was banned in the city centre, like in several other Norwegian cities. The oldest house in Tromsø is Skansen, built in 1789 on the remains of a 13th century turf rampart
.
The Polar Museum, Polarmuseet,situated in a wharf house from 1837, presents Tromsø's past as a center for Arctic hunting and starting point for Arctic expeditions
. The Tromsø Cathedral
, Norway's only wooden cathedral, built in 1861, is located in the middle of the city, and so is the small Catholic church Vår Frue. Norway's oldest cinema is still in use, Verdensteatret, was built in 1915-16. The cinema has large wall paintings, made by the local artist Sverre Mack in 1921, that picture scenes from Norwegian folk lore and fairy tales.
The Arctic Cathedral
, a modern church from 1965, is situated on the mainland, facing the sound and city centre. The church, in reality a parish church and not a cathedral
, was drawn by Jan Inge Hovig
and is probably the most famous landmark in Tromsø. The aquarium and experience center Polaria
from 1998 is a short walk south from the city center. The Tromsø Museum is a university museum, presenting culture and nature of North Norway. The museum also displays the Arctic-alpine botanic garden
, the world's northernmost botanical garden. A cable car goes up to mount Storsteinen, 421 metres above sea level
, with a panoramic view over Tromsø. The mountain Tromsdalstinden
, 1238 metres (4,062 ft), on the mainland, which is easily spotted from the city center, is also a major landmark. On top of Tromsøya is lake Prestvannet
.
and Bergen
. The Labour Party
(AP), the Liberal Party (V), the Conservative Party
(H) and the Progress Party
(FrP) are advocating this political system, while the Socialist Left Party
(SV) and Rødt (R) is opposing it.
The largest political party is the Labour Party
. Although the Labour Party is led by Roger Ingebrigtsen
, Labour's Arild Hausberg is mayor. The vice-mayor is Gunhild Johansen, from the Socialist Left Party.
More than 100 nationalities are represented in the population, among the more prominent minorities are the Sami
, Russians
, and Finns, both the local Kvens and immigrants from Finland proper. The world's northernmost mosque
is to be found in Tromsø. The Our Lady Catholic church is the seat of the world's northernmost Catholic
Bishop, who leads the Territorial Prelature of Tromsø
. Although the local Catholic population is only 350 heads strong, Pope John Paul II visited this small church and stayed as a guest of the bishop in 1989.
.
Tromsø city has generally displayed a positive attitude to the indigenous minority culture, f.ex. through municipally arranged celebrations of the Sámi People's Day, bilingual signs at the University, and when the city made its bid for the Winter Olympics the Sámi name of Tromsø, Romsa, was included in the would-be logo of the event - which also incorporated an old Sámi symbol as its main element.
for officials to learn Sámi. The rightist parties FrP
, Venstre
and Høyre, protested the decision and made it a part of their election campaign to reverse the decision out from the notion that Tromsø was "a Norwegian city" and hence it was neither natural to display Sámi toponyms along with Norwegian ones, nor make Sámi an official language along with Norwegian. The rightist parties won the election and reversed the application, and many now fear for Tromsø's capacity to be an accepting haven for the Sámi. It has been stated that the issue has "divided" Tromsø's inhabitants between those who see Sámi culture as naturally belongning there and those who see it as alien to the area. During and after the election campaign, pro-Sámi politicians have been threatened with violence and people wearing traditional Sámi garb have been subjected to verbal abuse;.
Being the largest city in North Norway, Tromsø is a cultural centre for its region. It gained some international attention when it on 11 June 2005 hosted one of six 46664 concerts, designed to put work concerning HIV
/AIDS
on the international agenda. The concert was promoted by Nelson Mandela
, whose prison number provided the arrangement's name, and featured international and local artists.
Many cultural activities take place in Kulturhuset (English
: lit. the culture house), including concerts by Tromsø Symphony Orchestra and plays by Tromsø's professional theater troupe, Hålogaland Teater
. The new theater building was opened in November 2005. The city contains several museums. The largest are the Northern Norwegian Art Gallery (Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum) and the Tromsø Gallery of Contemporary Art (Tromsø Kunstforening).
The Tromsø techno scene
is the origin of many of Norway's
most important artists in electronic music
, and Tromsø was a leading city at the early stages of the house
and techno
scene in Norway from the last part of the 1980s. The internationally recognized duo Röyksopp
and the ambient
electronic musician Geir Jennsen, known as Biosphere
, are the most famous exports.
The record label Beatservice Records
and the Insomnia Festival
makes Tromsø still leading in the country as of the development and promotion of the genre.
The local newspapers are Bladet Tromsø
and Nordlys
.
and Nordlysfestivalen (lit. the Aurora
Festival), a classical music festival, are arranged in January. The end of that month is marked by the Day of the Sun (Soldagen), when the sun finally appearing above the horizon after the Polar Night
is celebrated, mainly by children. The International Day of the Sami People
is celebrated at the University of Tromsø
and the city hall on 6 February every year. Tromsø's Latin American Festival, No Siesta Fiesta, is held at the end of February. It started in 2007 and showcases the best of "Latin America" in Northern Norway with film, dance, music, art, seminars, debates, markets, and a street Samba parade. Every autumn the Insomnia Festival
for electronic music is hosted. It is one of the largest and most important festivals for electronic music and techno culture in Norway.
The Bukta Tromsø Open Air Festival
, held in June and July, is a popular music festival. The Bukta festival is mainly a rock festival, but also features other kinds of modern music. The festival takes place in Telegrafbukta, a park on the south-western part of the Tromsøya island. Other popular cultural summer events among the population of Tromsø is the Karlsøy
festival and the Riddu Riddu
festival, both held in the region surrounding the city.
Tromsø is the home of many football (soccer) clubs, of which the three most prominent are Tromsø IL, which plays in the Norwegian Premier League
and is the world's northermost
Premier League football team, I.F. Fløya
in the Norwegian First Division (women)
, and Tromsdalen U.I.L.
, playing in the Adeccoliga. Tromsø Midnight Sun Marathon
is arranged every year in June and recently also a Polar Night Halfmarathon
in January. The city is home to many clubs in the top division in various sports. Most notably basketball
-outfit Tromsø Storm
in the BLNO
, BK Tromsø in the top volleyball
league for men, and Tromsø Volley in the top volleyball league for women. The oldest sports club in Tromsø is Tromsø Turnforening, a gymnastics club founded in 1862, that also was the cradle of the before mentioned football club Tromsø IL.
Tromsø was selected by the Norwegian National Olympic Committee as Norway's candidate for the 2018 Winter Olympics
. This would have made Tromsø the first city north of the Arctic Circle
to host the games. There were plans to use ships as the media village. In October 2008 the NOC suspended Tromsø's bid, citing excessive costs. From the southern to the northern tip of the island Tromsøya
, there is a floodlit cross country
ski track. A ski jump is also situated on the island, close to the university. As of the spring in 2010, the city's first ice rink has been open and is home to Tromsø Hockey
, which plays in the Swedish Ice Hockey Association's League 3.
thriller 30 Days of Night
: Rumors of the Undead by Steve Niles
and Jeff Mariotte
(Pocket Books 2006), an FBI agent learns that Tromsø was depopulated in the winter of 1842, perhaps due to a mass vampire attack.
Norwegian director Erik Skjoldbjærg
s debut movie Insomnia
takes place in Tromsø.
The town of Trollesund, found in northern Norroway in the His Dark Materials
series of books by Philip Pullman is supposedly based on the city of Tromsø.
The Nobel Prize winning author Knut Hamsun
(1859–1952) published his first novel in a small bookshop in Tromsø in 1877.
One of the six main characters in James Michener's "The Drifters" (1971), Britta Bjorndahl is from Tromso.
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
in Troms
Troms
or Romsa is a county in North Norway, bordering Finnmark to the northeast and Nordland in the southwest. To the south is Norrbotten Län in Sweden and further southeast is a shorter border with Lapland Province in Finland. To the west is the Norwegian Sea...
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 city of Tromsø.
Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in 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...
by population. It is the largest city and the largest urban area in Northern Norway, and the second largest city and urban area in Sápmi (following Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
). Most of Tromsø, including the city centre, is located on the small island of Tromsøya
Tromsøya
Tromsøya is a small island in the strait between the mainland and Kvaløya island in Tromsø municipality, Troms county, Norway. It contains the city centre and several residential areas of the city of Tromsø and has given the city its name. The island's area is roughly and has a population of...
in the county of Troms
Troms
or Romsa is a county in North Norway, bordering Finnmark to the northeast and Nordland in the southwest. To the south is Norrbotten Län in Sweden and further southeast is a shorter border with Lapland Province in Finland. To the west is the Norwegian Sea...
, 350 kilometres (217 mi) inside 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....
. Substantial parts of the urban area are also situated on the mainland to the east, and on parts of Kvaløya
Kvaløya
- External links :****...
- a large island to the west. Tromsøya is connected to the mainland by the Tromsø Bridge
Tromsø Bridge
The Tromsø Bridge is a cantilever road bridge in the city of Tromsø, Norway. It crosses the strait of Tromsøysundet between Tromsdalen on the mainland and Tromsøya. Construction began in 1958, and the bridge was opened in 1960. At the time of its opening, it was the longest bridge in Northern...
and the Tromsøysund Tunnel
Tromsøysund Tunnel
The Tromsøysund Tunnel is an undersea highway tunnel under the Tromsøysund sound, connecting the island of Tromsøya with the mainland in Tromsø, Norway....
, and to the island of Kvaløya
Kvaløya
- External links :****...
by the Sandnessund Bridge
Sandnessund Bridge
Sandnessund Bridge is a cantilever road bridge that crosses Sandnessundet between Tromsøya and Kvaløya in Tromsø, Troms county, Norway. It is one of two bridges that connect Tromsøya with its surroundings...
. The city is warmer than most other places located on the same latitude, due to the warming effect of the Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
.
The city centre of Tromsø contains the highest number of old wooden houses in Northern Norway, the oldest house dating from 1789. The Arctic Cathedral
Arctic Cathedral
The Tromsdalen Church , which is more commonly known as The Arctic Cathedral , is a church in Tromsø, Norway, built in 1965. The church is a parish church and not, in fact, a cathedral.The church was designed by Jan Inge Hovig, and its building materials consist mainly of concrete...
, a modern church from 1965, is probably the most famous landmark in Tromsø. The city is a cultural centre for its region, several festivals taking place in the summer. Some of Norways most known musicians, Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge of the electronica duo Röyksopp
Röyksopp
Röyksopp is a Norwegian electronic music duo from Tromsø, formed in 1998. Since their inception, the band's line-up has included Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland....
, both grew up and started their careers in Tromsø.
The largest football team in the city, Tromsø I.L
Tromsø I.L.
Tromsø Idrettslag is a Norwegian professional football team founded in 1920, and based in Tromsø. They play their home games at Alfheim Stadium. Tromsø I.L...
, plays in the Norwegian Premier League
Norwegian Premier League
Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
.
History
The area has been inhabited since the end of the ice ageIce age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
. In Tønsvika, just outside the city limits, there has been found traces of a settlement from late stone age (4000-1800 BCE).
The Middle Ages: A fortress on the frontier
The area's rich NorseNorsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
and Sámi
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...
heritage is well documented. The Norse chieftain Ohthere who lived there during the 890s, is assumed to have inhabited the southernmost reaches of today's Tromsø municipality. He described himself as living "furthest to the North of all Norwegians", with areas north of this being populated by Sámi. An Islandic source (Rimbegla) from the 1100s also describes the fiord Malangen
Malangen
Malangen is a fjord and a former municipality in Troms county in Norway. The fjord is located between the islands of Kvaløya and Senja and the area today is divided between the municipalities of Balsfjord, Lenvik, Tromsø, and Målselv...
in the south of today's Tromsø municipality as a border between the Norse and Sámi coast settlements during that part of the Middle Ages. There has, however, also been extensive Sámi settlement on the coast south of this 'border', as well as scattered Norse settlements north of Malangen - for example, both Sámi and Norse Iron Age (0 - 1050 CE) have been found on southern Kvaløya
Kvaløya
- External links :****...
.;.
The first church on the island of Tromsøya was erected in the 1252, Ecclesia Sanctae Mariae de Trums juxta paganos ("The Church of Saint Mary in Troms near the Heathens" - the nominal'heathens' being the Sámi), was built in 1252 during the reign of King Hákon Hákonarson
Haakon IV of Norway
Haakon Haakonarson , also called Haakon the Old, was king of Norway from 1217 to 1263. Under his rule, medieval Norway reached its peak....
. At the time, it was the northernmost church in the world. Around the same time, a turf rampart
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
was built to protect the area against raids from Karelia
Karelia
Karelia , the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Finland, Russia, and Sweden...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
At that time, Tromsø was not just a Norwegian outpost in an area mainly populated by the Sámi, but also a frontier city towards Russia: the Novgorod state
Novgorod Republic
The Novgorod Republic was a large medieval Russian state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains between the 12th and 15th centuries, centred on the city of Novgorod...
had the right to tax the Sámi on the coast to Lyngstuva
Lyngen
Lyngen is a municipality and a fjord in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lyngseidet.- General information :...
and on the inland to Skibotn River
Skibotn
Skibotn is a village with approximately 700 inhabitants in Storfjord municipality, located on the southeastern shore of the Lyngen Fjord in the Northern Norwegian county of Troms. The village area is located at the crossroads of the highways E6 and E8...
or Målselv River
Målselv
Målselv is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Moen. Some other villages include Andslimoen, Bardufoss, Alappmoen, Holmen, Fossmoen, and Heggelia...
, whereas Norway was allowed to tax areas east to - and including - the Kola Peninsula
Kola Peninsula
The Kola Peninsula is a peninsula in the far northwest of Russia. Constituting the bulk of the territory of Murmansk Oblast, it lies almost completely to the north of the Arctic Circle and is washed by the Barents Sea in the north and the White Sea in the east and southeast...
. During the next five hundred years, however, Norway's border to Russia and the limits of Norwegian settlement would be pushed eastwards to Sør-Varanger
Sør-Varanger
Sør-Varanger is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kirkenes. Sør-Varanger was separated from the municipality of Vadsø on 1 July 1858.-Name:...
, making Tromsø lose its character as a "frontier town".
The 1700s and 1800s: The 'Paris of the North'
During the 17th century, while Denmark–Norway was solidifying its claim to the northern coast of ScandinaviaScandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
and during this period a redoubt
Redoubt
A redoubt is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, though others are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldiers outside the main defensive line and can be a permanent structure or a...
, Skansen, was built. Despite only being home to around 80 people,Tromsø was issued its city charter in 1794 by King Christian VII
Christian VII of Denmark
Christian VII was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Schleswig and Holstein from 1766 until his death. He was the son of Danish King Frederick V and his first consort Louisa, daughter of King George II of Great Britain....
. The city quickly rose in importance. The diocese of Hålogaland
Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland
Nord-Hålogaland is a diocese in the Church of Norway. It covers Lutheran churches in the counties of Troms, Finnmark and Svalbard. The cathedral city is Tromsø, and the bishop since 2002 is Per Oskar Kjølaas...
was created in 1804, with the first bishop being Mathias Bonsach Krogh. The city was established as a municipality 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...
).
Arctic hunting, from Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya , also known in Dutch as Nova Zembla and in Norwegian as , is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in the north of Russia and the extreme northeast of Europe, the easternmost point of Europe lying at Cape Flissingsky on the northern island...
to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, started up around 1820. By 1850, Tromsø was the major center of Arctic hunting, overtaking the former center of Hammerfest
Hammerfest
is a city and municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The municipality encompasses parts of three islands: Kvaløya, Sørøya, and Seiland. Hammerfest was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
, and the city was trading from Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...
to Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
. The town grew increasingly important in other maritime economic activities also, the first shipyard was established in 1848.
In 1848, the teacher training college was also moved from Trondenes
Trondenes
Trondenes is a parish and a former municipality in Troms county in Norway. It is located along the Vågsfjorden in the present-day municipality of Harstad. Trondenes includes the majority of the island of Grytøya and part of the island of Hinnøya as well as some smaller islands...
(near current-day Harstad
Harstad
is the second largest city and municipality by population, in Troms county, Norway – the city is also the third largest in North Norway. Thus Harstad is the natural centre for its district. Situated approximately north of the Arctic Circle, the city celebrated its 100th anniversary in...
) to Tromsø, with part of its mission being to educate Sámi scholars - there was a quota ensuring that Sámi gained access. The teacher college was followed by the Tromsø Museum in 1872, and the Mack Brewery
Mack Brewery
Mack Bryggeri is a brewery in Tromsø, Norway. It is also considered the world's northernmost brewery and coca cola factory.-History:Mack Bryggeri was founded during 1877 in Tromsø by Ludwig Markus Mack , son of a German immigrant, businessman and local politician...
in 1877.
During the 1800s, Tromsø became known as the "Paris of the North". It is disputed how this moniker came into being, but the reason is generally assumed to be that people in Tromsø appeared as far more 'civilized' than expected by travellers from the south.
The Early 1900s: Exploration and War
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
trade center from which many Arctic expeditions originated. Explorers like Roald Amundsen
Roald Amundsen
Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole between 1910 and 1912 and he was the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. He is also known as the first to traverse the Northwest Passage....
, Umberto Nobile
Umberto Nobile
Umberto Nobile was an Italian aeronautical engineer and Arctic explorer. Nobile was a developer and promoter of semi-rigid airships during the Golden Age of Aviation between the two World Wars...
and Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In his youth a champion skier and ice skater, he led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, and won international fame after reaching a...
made use of the know-how in Tromsø on the conditions in the Arctic, and often recruited their crew in the city. The Northern lights
Aurora (astronomy)
An aurora is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere...
observatory was founded in 1927.
When Germany invaded Norway in 1940, Tromsø served briefly as the seat of Norwegian government. General 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...
arrived in Tromsø on 10 April 1940 after flying in terrible conditions. From Tromsø he issued orders for total civilian and military mobilisation and declared North Norway a theatre of war. Fleischer's strategic plan was to first wipe out the German forces at 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...
and then transfer his division to 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...
to meet a German advance from Trøndelag
Trøndelag
Trøndelag is the name of a geographical region in the central part of Norway, consisting of the two counties Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag. The region is, together with Møre og Romsdal, part of a larger...
. The Germans soon overtook all of Norway, although they encountered fierce resistance from the Finnmark
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...
-based Alta Batallion at Narvik. Tromsø escaped the war without any damage, although the German battleship Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
was sunk off the Tromsøy island on 12 November 1944, killing close to 1,000 German soldiers.
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...
province and the North Troms area - which had been devastated by German forces using schorched earth tactics in expectation of the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
offensive.
The Late 1900s - Today: Rapid expansion
Expansion after World War II has been rapid. The rural municipalities of TromsøysundTromsøysund
Tromsøysund is a former municipality in Troms county in Norway. It is located in the southern and eastern parts of the present-day municipality of Tromsø, including the villages of Tromsdalen and Movik.-History:...
and Ullsfjord
Ullsfjord
Ullsfjord is a former municipality in Troms county in Norway. It is located in the eastern part of the present-day municipality of Tromsø and also the southwestern part of Lyngen. It is also the name of a fjord east of Tromsø and west of Lyngen.-Name:...
, and most of Hillesøy
Hillesøy
Hillesøy is a former municipality in Troms county in Norway. It is located in the present-day municipalities of Tromsø and Lenvik and both sides of the Malangen fjord...
, were merged with Tromsø on 1 January 1964, creating today's Tromsø municipality and almost tripling Tromsø's population - from 12,430 to 32,664. In addition, the population growth has been strong, with at times more than 1,000 more Tromsøværinger (Tromsø citizens) annually. The population of Tromsø municipality today is 68,239, and the urban area, Norway's ninth most populous, is home to 58,486 people. This excludes most of the city's students, however, who often do not change their address when moving to Tromsø.
The late 1900s also saw a major infrastructural revolution in the opening of Tromsø Airport in 1964. Unlike many other airports, which are situated somewhat outside the city they serve, Tromsø Airport is situated on the main island. Another revolutionary development in Tromsø's history has been the locating of important academic institutions in the city. The University of Tromsø
University of Tromsø
The University of Tromsø is the world's northernmost university. Located in the city of Tromsø, Norway, it was established in 1968, and opened in 1972. It is one of eight universities in Norway. The University of Tromsø is the largest research and educational institution in northern Norway...
was opened here in 1972, at the time one of four universities in Norway and the only one serving the northern half of the country. The teacher's college and the museum were eventually incorporated into the university. The Norwegian Polar Institute
Norwegian Polar Institute
The Norwegian Polar Institute is Norway's national institution for polar research. It is run under the auspices of the Norwegian Ministry of Environment. The institute organizes expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic regions and runs a research station at Ny-Ålesund...
was also relocated to Tromsø from 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...
in 1998.
Needs section on current Tromso industry and employment.
Toponymy
Tromsø has been named after the islandIsland
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 Tromsøya
Tromsøya
Tromsøya is a small island in the strait between the mainland and Kvaløya island in Tromsø municipality, Troms county, Norway. It contains the city centre and several residential areas of the city of Tromsø and has given the city its name. The island's area is roughly and has a population of...
, which it is situated on. While the last element of the city's name comes from Danish
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...
ø which means "island" , the etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
of the first element is uncertain. Several theories exist. One theory holds "Troms-" to derive from the old (uncompounded) name of the island (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....
: Trums). Several islands and rivers in Norway have the name Tromsa, and the names of these are probably derived from the word straumr which means "(strong) stream". (The original form must then have been Strums, for the missing s see Indo-European s-mobile
Indo-European s-mobile
In Indo-European studies, the term s-mobile designates the phenomenon where a PIE root begins with an which is sometimes but not always present...
.) Another theory holds that Tromsøya was originally called Lille Tromsøya (Little Tromsøya), because of its proximity to the much bigger island today called Kvaløya
Kvaløya
- External links :****...
, that according to this theory was earlier called "Store Tromsøya" due to a characteristic mountain known as Tromma (the Drum). The mountain's name in Sámi
Sami languages
Sami or Saami is a general name for a group of Uralic languages spoken by the Sami people in parts of northern Finland, Norway, Sweden and extreme northwestern Russia, in Northern Europe. Sami is frequently and erroneously believed to be a single language. Several names are used for the Sami...
, Rumbbučohkka, is identical in meaning, and it is said to have been a sacred mountain for the Sámi in pre-Christian times.
The Sámi name of the island, Romsa, is assumed to be a loan from Norse - but according to the phonetical rules of the Sami language the frontal t has disappeared from the name. However, an alternative form - Tromsa - is in informal use. There is a theory that holds the Norwegian name of Tromsø derives from the Sámi name, though this theory lacks an explanation for the meaning of Romsa. A common misunderstanding is that Tromsø's Sámi name is Romssa with a double "s". This, however, is the accusative and genitive form of the noun used when, for example, writing "Tromsø Municipality" (Romssa Suohkan).
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...
of Tromsø kommune was originally devised in 1870. The official blazon
Blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
in Norwegian ("I blått en gående sølv rein") translates to "On a field Azure
Azure
In heraldry, azure is the tincture with the colour blue, and belongs to the class of tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of horizontal lines or else marked with either az. or b. as an abbreviation....
a reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
trippant Argent
Argent
In heraldry, argent is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures, called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it...
". The coat of arms has traditionally been displayed on an escutcheon of a modern French type. A mural crown
Mural crown
-Usage in ancient times:In Hellenistic culture, a mural crown identified the goddess Tyche, the embodiment of the fortune of a city, familiar to Romans as Fortuna...
with five turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
s traditionally surmounts the escutcheon. The greaty stylised rendering which is currently being used by the municipal administration was drawn by Hallvard Trætteberg (1898–1987) and adopted by royal resolution on 24 September 1941. In addition to stylising the reindeer charge
Charge (heraldry)
In heraldry, a charge is any emblem or device occupying the field of an escutcheon . This may be a geometric design or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object or other device...
, Trætteberg's design reduces the number of turrets on the mural crown from five to four, and straightens the base of the escutcheon. Tromsø's coat of arms is one of six Norwegian municipal coats of arms to include one or more reindeers or reindeer antler
Antler
Antlers are the usually large, branching bony appendages on the heads of most deer species.-Etymology:Antler originally meant the lowest tine, the "brow tine"...
s as charges. The other five are those of Eidfjord
Eidfjord
Eidfjord is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Eidfjord was separated from Ulvik May 1, 1891....
, Porsanger
Porsanger
Porsanger or Porsáŋgu or Porsanki is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lakselv...
, Rendalen
Rendalen
Rendalen is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bergset.-Name:...
, Vadsø
Vadsø
is a city and municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The city is the administrative centre of the municipality and the county of Finnmark....
, and Vågå
Vågå
Vågå is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vågåmo....
.
Geography
Tromsø is the eighth-largest municipality in Norway with a population 68,239, and the centre of the ninth-largest urban areaUrban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
, with a population of 58,486. The city is home to the world's most northerly university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
and also houses the most northerly brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
, botanical garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
and planetarium
Planetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
.
The city center is located on the east side of the Tromsøya
Tromsøya
Tromsøya is a small island in the strait between the mainland and Kvaløya island in Tromsø municipality, Troms county, Norway. It contains the city centre and several residential areas of the city of Tromsø and has given the city its name. The island's area is roughly and has a population of...
— over 300 km inside 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....
at 69°40′33"N 18°55′10"E. Suburban areas include Kroken, Tromsdalen
Tromsdalen
Tromsdalen is a village area and valley in the municipality of Tromsø in Troms county, Norway. It is located just to the east of the city of Tromsø on the mainland along the coast of the Tromsøysundet. The population of Tromsdalen is 4,589....
(on the mainland, east of the Tromsøya island), the rest of the Tromsøya island, and the eastern part of the large Kvaløya, west of the Tromsøya Island. Tromsø Bridge
Tromsø Bridge
The Tromsø Bridge is a cantilever road bridge in the city of Tromsø, Norway. It crosses the strait of Tromsøysundet between Tromsdalen on the mainland and Tromsøya. Construction began in 1958, and the bridge was opened in 1960. At the time of its opening, it was the longest bridge in Northern...
and a four laned road tunnel connects the mainland with Tromsøya by road, and, on the western side of the city, Sandnessund Bridge
Sandnessund Bridge
Sandnessund Bridge is a cantilever road bridge that crosses Sandnessundet between Tromsøya and Kvaløya in Tromsø, Troms county, Norway. It is one of two bridges that connect Tromsøya with its surroundings...
connects Tromsøya island with Kvaløya island.
Climate
Tromsø experiences a subarctic climateSubarctic climate
The subarctic climate is a climate characterized by long, usually very cold winters, and short, cool to mild summers. It is found on large landmasses, away from the moderating effects of an ocean, generally at latitudes from 50° to 70°N poleward of the humid continental climates...
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Dfc) because winter temperatures are just cold enough to qualify and the summer season is short. However, the weather and precipitation amount and pattern, with maximum precipitation in autumn and early winter, as well as lack of permafrost
Permafrost
In geology, permafrost, cryotic soil or permafrost soil is soil at or below the freezing point of water for two or more years. Ice is not always present, as may be in the case of nonporous bedrock, but it frequently occurs and it may be in amounts exceeding the potential hydraulic saturation of...
, are atypical for subarctic areas. Tromsø has a reputation in Norway for getting a lot of snow in the winter, although there is a lot of variation from year to year. The all-time record for snow depth was set on 29 April 1997, when the meteorological station on top of Tromsøya recorded 240 centimetres (94.5 in) of snow on the ground. The lowest temperature ever recorded is -18.4 C, in February 1966. However, at the airport, also in the city, the lowest ever recording is -20.1 C in February 1985. The January average daily maximum is -2.2 C. Summers are rather cool, with average high and low temperature in July of 15.3 °C (59.5 °F) and 8.7 °C (47.7 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded is 30.2 °C (86.4 °F), in July 1972. Outside the city, large areas in the municipality are above the treeline and have an alpine tundra
Alpine tundra
Alpine tundra is a natural region that does not contain trees because it is at high altitude. Alpine tundra is distinguished from arctic tundra, because alpine soils are generally better drained than arctic soils...
climate. On the west coast of Kvaløya (Sommarøy
Sommarøy
Sommarøy is a populated island in the western part of the municipality of Tromsø, in Troms county, Norway, about west of the city of Tromsø. The island is connected to Kvaløya island with the Sommarøy Bridge. The village of Sommarøy covers the island as well as the neighboring island of Hillesøy...
), climate data show a mean annual temperature of 3.9 °C (39 °F), mostly because winters here are 2 °C (35.6 °F) warmer compared to the city, making this part of the municipaliy a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc) zone.
Light and darkness
The Midnight SunMidnight 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...
occurs from about 18 May to 26 July, although the mountains in the north block the view of the midnight sun for a few days, meaning that one can see the sun from about 21 May to 21 July. Owing to Tromsø's high latitude, twilight is long, meaning there is no real darkness between late April and mid-August.
The sun remains below the horizon during the Polar Night from about 26 November to 15 January, but owing to the mountains the sun is not visible from 21 November to 21 January. The return of the sun is an occasion for celebration. However, because of the twilight, there is some daylight for a couple of hours even around midwinter, often with beautiful bluish light. The nights shorten quickly, and by 21 February the sun is above the horizon from 7:45 am to 4:10 pm, and 1 April from 5:50 am to 7:50 pm (daylight saving time).
The combination of snow cover and sunshine often creates intense light conditions from late February until the snow melts in the lowland (usually late April), and sunglasses
Sunglasses
Sunglasses or sun glasses are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can sometimes also function as a visual aid, as variously termed spectacles or glasses exist, featuring lenses that...
are essential when 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....
. Because of these diametrically different light conditions in winter, Norwegians often divide it into two seasons: Mørketid (Polar Night) and Seinvinter (late winter).
Tromsø is in the middle of the Aurora Borealis
Aurora (astronomy)
An aurora is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere...
(Northern Lights) zone, and is in fact one of the best places in the world to observe this phenomenon. Because of the planet's rotation, Tromsø moves into the aurora zone around 6 pm, and moves out again around midnight. As it is light round the clock in the summer, no aurora is visible between late April and mid-August.
Villages
Tromsø municipality includes these villages:- ErsfjordbotnErsfjordbotnErsfjordbotn is a village at the end of the Ersfjord on the island of Kvaløya in the municipality of Tromsø in Troms county, Norway, about west of the city of Tromsø. Its population is 343. The villages of Kjosen and Kvaløysletta are located just to the east of Ersfjordbotn....
- KaldfjordKaldfjordKaldfjord is a fjord on the west coast of Kvaløya island and it is a village at the end of the fjord. Kaldfjord is located in the municipality of Tromsø in Troms county, Norway, about northwest of the city of Tromsø. The population in Kaldfjord village is 765. The villages of Kjosen,...
- KjosenKjosen, TromsøKjosen is a village in the municipality of Tromsø in Troms county, Norway, about west of the city of Tromsø. It is located at the end of the Kaldfjorden about east of Ersfjordbotn and west of Kvaløysletta. Kjosen's population is 222 and the village area is about ....
- MovikMovikMovik is a village in the municipality of Tromsø in Troms county, Norway. It's located about northeast of the city of Tromsø on the mainland part of the municipality. The population of Movik is 334....
- SommarøySommarøySommarøy is a populated island in the western part of the municipality of Tromsø, in Troms county, Norway, about west of the city of Tromsø. The island is connected to Kvaløya island with the Sommarøy Bridge. The village of Sommarøy covers the island as well as the neighboring island of Hillesøy...
Cityscape
The compact city center is the biggest concentration of historic wooden houses north of TrondheimTrondheim
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...
, that co-exist with modern architecture. The houses date from 1789 to 1904, when building wooden houses was banned in the city centre, like in several other Norwegian cities. The oldest house in Tromsø is Skansen, built in 1789 on the remains of a 13th century turf rampart
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
.
Arctic exploration
Arctic exploration is the physical exploration of the Arctic region of the Earth. The region that surrounds the North Pole. It refers to the historical period during which mankind has explored the region north of the Arctic Circle...
. The Tromsø Cathedral
Tromsø Cathedral
Tromsø Cathedral in Tromsø, Norway is the seat of the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.Tromsø Cathedral is the only Norwegian cathedral made of wood. The church is in Gothic revival style, with the church tower and main entrance facing west. It is likely to be the northernmost Protestant cathedral in...
, Norway's only wooden cathedral, built in 1861, is located in the middle of the city, and so is the small Catholic church Vår Frue. Norway's oldest cinema is still in use, Verdensteatret, was built in 1915-16. The cinema has large wall paintings, made by the local artist Sverre Mack in 1921, that picture scenes from Norwegian folk lore and fairy tales.
The Arctic Cathedral
Arctic Cathedral
The Tromsdalen Church , which is more commonly known as The Arctic Cathedral , is a church in Tromsø, Norway, built in 1965. The church is a parish church and not, in fact, a cathedral.The church was designed by Jan Inge Hovig, and its building materials consist mainly of concrete...
, a modern church from 1965, is situated on the mainland, facing the sound and city centre. The church, in reality a parish church and not a cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
, was drawn by Jan Inge Hovig
Jan Inge Hovig
Jan Inge Hovig was a Norwegian architect.Hovig finished his studies at the Norwegian Institute of Technology in 1946. He was city architect during the reconstruction of Narvik 1947-1950, which had been devastated during a battle in 1940. In 1950 he moved to Oslo and founded his own office...
and is probably the most famous landmark in Tromsø. The aquarium and experience center Polaria
Polaria
Polaria is the world's most northerly aquarium. It is located in Tromsø, in northern Norway.Rather than a mainly scientific aquarium such as the one in Bergen in the Norwegian midlands, Polaria, which opened in May 1998, is designed to be an educational experience, with particular emphasis on...
from 1998 is a short walk south from the city center. The Tromsø Museum is a university museum, presenting culture and nature of North Norway. The museum also displays the Arctic-alpine botanic garden
Arctic-alpine botanic garden
The Arctic-alpine Botanic Garden is the world's northernmost botanic garden. It is located in Tromsø, Norway, and is run by the Tromsø University Museum. It opened in 1994, and is open from late May to early October. The garden displays Arctic and alpine plants from all over the northern hemisphere...
, the world's northernmost botanical garden. A cable car goes up to mount Storsteinen, 421 metres above sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
, with a panoramic view over Tromsø. The mountain Tromsdalstinden
Tromsdalstinden
Tromsdalstinden is a mountain east of the city Tromsø, Norway. The summit measures 1,238 meters above sea level. Snowfall varies from one year to another, but the peak is usually snow free only for a few months in the summer. The mountain is easily spotted from the city centre of Tromsø...
, 1238 metres (4,062 ft), on the mainland, which is easily spotted from the city center, is also a major landmark. On top of Tromsøya is lake Prestvannet
Prestvannet
Prestvannet is a small lake on the high part in the central part of the island of Tromsøya in the municipality of Tromsø in Troms county, Norway. Prestvannet was built up as a reservoir in 1867, and continued in that function until 1921...
.
Governance
The highest political body is the Municipal council (Kommunestyret), which elects a governing body, the Formannskap and five political committees. There is a discussion of whether to introduce city parliamentarism, as practiced in OsloOslo
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 Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
. The Labour Party
Norwegian Labour Party
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
(AP), the Liberal Party (V), the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Norway
The Conservative Party is a Norwegian political party. The current leader is Erna Solberg. The party was since the 1920s consistently the second largest party in Norway, but has been surpassed by the growth of the Progress Party in the late 1990s and 2000s...
(H) and the Progress Party
Progress Party (Norway)
The Progress Party is a political party in Norway which identifies as conservative liberal and libertarian. The media has described it as conservative and right-wing populist...
(FrP) are advocating this political system, while the Socialist Left Party
Socialist Left Party (Norway)
The Socialist Left Party or SV, is a Norwegian left-wing political party. At one point one of the smallest parties in Parliament, it became the fourth-largest political party in Norway for the first time in the 2001 parliamentary election, and has been so ever since...
(SV) and Rødt (R) is opposing it.
The largest political party is the Labour Party
Norwegian Labour Party
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
. Although the Labour Party is led by Roger Ingebrigtsen
Roger Ingebrigtsen
Roger Ingebrigtsen is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party.He served as a deputy representative to the Parliament of Norway from Troms during the term 1989–1993...
, Labour's Arild Hausberg is mayor. The vice-mayor is Gunhild Johansen, from the Socialist Left Party.
Demographics and Ethnic Composition
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...
, Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
, and Finns, both the local Kvens and immigrants from Finland proper. The world's northernmost mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
is to be found in Tromsø. The Our Lady Catholic church is the seat of the world's northernmost Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Bishop, who leads the Territorial Prelature of Tromsø
Territorial Prelature of Tromsø
The Territorial Prelature of Tromsø is a Roman Catholic territorial prelature located in the city of Tromsø in Norway.-History:* April 8, 1931: Established as Mission “sui iuris” of Northern Norway from the Apostolic Vicariate of Norway...
. Although the local Catholic population is only 350 heads strong, Pope John Paul II visited this small church and stayed as a guest of the bishop in 1989.
Sami population
As noted in the history section, the Tromsø area is from old times a home to Sámi culture. The assimilation of the Coast Sámi, however, led to the local Sámi culture becoming increasingly invisible in the Tromsø area during the 1900s. The 1970s, however, saw a revitalization of Sámi culture and identity, which also made itself felt in Tromsø. Today there is a Sami kindergarten and Sami language classes in certain schools of Tromsø. There have been attempts at countering the decline of the Sámi language for example through the establishment of a Sami language center in UllsfjordUllsfjord
Ullsfjord is a former municipality in Troms county in Norway. It is located in the eastern part of the present-day municipality of Tromsø and also the southwestern part of Lyngen. It is also the name of a fjord east of Tromsø and west of Lyngen.-Name:...
.
Tromsø city has generally displayed a positive attitude to the indigenous minority culture, f.ex. through municipally arranged celebrations of the Sámi People's Day, bilingual signs at the University, and when the city made its bid for the Winter Olympics the Sámi name of Tromsø, Romsa, was included in the would-be logo of the event - which also incorporated an old Sámi symbol as its main element.
The 2011 Language Controversy
In 2011, however, the role of Sámi culture in Tromsø became controversial. The Municipal Board had applied for Tromsø to join the Sámi Language Administrative Area. This would entail giving equal space to selected Sámi toponyms on signposts, allowing Sámi-speakers to communicate in their language with local authorities, and make means available from the Sámi ParliamentSami Parliament of Norway
The Sami Parliament of Norway is the representative body for people of Sami heritage in Norway. It acts as an institution of cultural autonomy for the indigenous Sami people....
for officials to learn Sámi. The rightist parties FrP
FRP
FRP can refer to:* Fibre-reinforced plastic, consists of fiberglass, carbon, aramid, hybrid or other fabric reinforced plastic* Final resting place, as in Cemetery* Franco-Provençal language* Functional reactive programming-Politics:...
, Venstre
Venstre
Venstre is the name of two Scandinavian liberal political parties*Venstre *Venstre...
and Høyre, protested the decision and made it a part of their election campaign to reverse the decision out from the notion that Tromsø was "a Norwegian city" and hence it was neither natural to display Sámi toponyms along with Norwegian ones, nor make Sámi an official language along with Norwegian. The rightist parties won the election and reversed the application, and many now fear for Tromsø's capacity to be an accepting haven for the Sámi. It has been stated that the issue has "divided" Tromsø's inhabitants between those who see Sámi culture as naturally belongning there and those who see it as alien to the area. During and after the election campaign, pro-Sámi politicians have been threatened with violence and people wearing traditional Sámi garb have been subjected to verbal abuse;.
Culture
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
/AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
on the international agenda. The concert was promoted by Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
, whose prison number provided the arrangement's name, and featured international and local artists.
Many cultural activities take place in Kulturhuset (English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: lit. the culture house), including concerts by Tromsø Symphony Orchestra and plays by Tromsø's professional theater troupe, Hålogaland Teater
Hålogaland Teater
Hålogaland Teater is a regional theatre serving the region of Nord-Norge, the northernmost of Norway. When established in 1971, it was the first regional theatre in Norway, and the first professional theatre in Nord-Norge. Many of its productions are staged in the regional Norwegian dialects...
. The new theater building was opened in November 2005. The city contains several museums. The largest are the Northern Norwegian Art Gallery (Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum) and the Tromsø Gallery of Contemporary Art (Tromsø Kunstforening).
Tromsø techno scene
The Tromsø techno scene is the origin of many of Norway's most important artists within electronic music. The internationally best-known names are Röyksopp, Biosphere and Bel Canto....
is the origin of many of Norway's
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...
most important artists in electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, and Tromsø was a leading city at the early stages of the house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
and techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
scene in Norway from the last part of the 1980s. The internationally recognized duo Röyksopp
Röyksopp
Röyksopp is a Norwegian electronic music duo from Tromsø, formed in 1998. Since their inception, the band's line-up has included Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland....
and the ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
electronic musician Geir Jennsen, known as Biosphere
Biosphere (musician)
Biosphere is the main recording name of Geir Jenssen , a Norwegian musician who has released a notable catalogue of ambient electronic music. He is well known for his "ambient techno" and "arctic ambient" styles, his use of music loops, and peculiar samples from sci-fi sources. His track "Novelty...
, are the most famous exports.
The record label Beatservice Records
Beatservice Records
Beatservice Records is a Tromsø, Norway based record label which releases electronic music. It was started by Vidar Hanssen in 1995, who was dj'ing for a local student radio with the program The Beatservice Radio Show at the time. Beatservice Records have released music ranging from minimalistic...
and the Insomnia Festival
Insomnia Festival
The Insomnia Festival is an annual electronic music festival which takes place during autumn in Tromsø, Norway. The first festival was held in 2002. Alongside the Numusic festival in Stavanger and Ekkofestival in Bergen, it is the largest and most important festival for electronic music in...
makes Tromsø still leading in the country as of the development and promotion of the genre.
The local newspapers are Bladet Tromsø
Bladet Tromsø
Bladet Tromsø is a daily newspaper published in Tromsø, Norway by Bladet Tromsø A/S, a subsidiary of Harstad Tidende, and through this part of the Schibsted Group. In 2006 the paper had an average circulation of about 110.000. It distributes daily, except Sundays...
and Nordlys
Nordlys
Nordlys is a Norwegian newspaper published in Tromsø, covering the region of Troms, and the largest newspaper in Northern Norway. Chief editor is Anders Opdahl. Nordlys was founded in 1902 by Alfred Eriksen, who also was its first editor-in-chief. Among the later editors are Ivan Kristoffersen, who...
.
Festivals and celebrations
Both the Tromsø International Film FestivalTromsø International Film Festival
The Tromsø International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Tromsø, Norway.The inaugural Tromsø International Film Festival was held in 1991, and today TIFF is the largest film festival in Norway as considered by attendance figures; in 2010 there were 58 267 admissions. In 2006 TIFF...
and Nordlysfestivalen (lit. the Aurora
Aurora (astronomy)
An aurora is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere...
Festival), a classical music festival, are arranged in January. The end of that month is marked by the Day of the Sun (Soldagen), when the sun finally appearing above the horizon after the Polar Night
Polar night
The polar night occurs when the night lasts for more than 24 hours. This occurs only inside the polar circles. The opposite phenomenon, the polar day, or midnight sun, occurs when the sun stays above the horizon for more than 24 hours.-Description:...
is celebrated, mainly by children. The International Day of the Sami People
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...
is celebrated at the University of Tromsø
University of Tromsø
The University of Tromsø is the world's northernmost university. Located in the city of Tromsø, Norway, it was established in 1968, and opened in 1972. It is one of eight universities in Norway. The University of Tromsø is the largest research and educational institution in northern Norway...
and the city hall on 6 February every year. Tromsø's Latin American Festival, No Siesta Fiesta, is held at the end of February. It started in 2007 and showcases the best of "Latin America" in Northern Norway with film, dance, music, art, seminars, debates, markets, and a street Samba parade. Every autumn the Insomnia Festival
Insomnia Festival
The Insomnia Festival is an annual electronic music festival which takes place during autumn in Tromsø, Norway. The first festival was held in 2002. Alongside the Numusic festival in Stavanger and Ekkofestival in Bergen, it is the largest and most important festival for electronic music in...
for electronic music is hosted. It is one of the largest and most important festivals for electronic music and techno culture in Norway.
The Bukta Tromsø Open Air Festival
Bukta Tromsø Open Air Festival
Bukta Tromsø Open Air Festival, commonly abbreviated The Bukta Festival, is an open air music festival taking place every July in Telegrafbukta, Tromsø, Norway. The festival was first staged in 2004.- History :...
, held in June and July, is a popular music festival. The Bukta festival is mainly a rock festival, but also features other kinds of modern music. The festival takes place in Telegrafbukta, a park on the south-western part of the Tromsøya island. Other popular cultural summer events among the population of Tromsø is the Karlsøy
Karlsøy
Karlsøy is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hansnes. Karlsøy is also the name of a village on Karlsøya island in the municipality of Karlsøy. The village of Karlsøy had a population of 70.- General information :Karlsøy was...
festival and the Riddu Riddu
Riddu Riddu
Riddu Riđđu is an annual Sami music and culture festival held in Olmmáivággi in the Gáivuotna municipality in Norway. The goal of the festival is to bring forward both Sami culture and that of other indigenous peoples. Translated to English, the name of the festival is "small storm at the coast"...
festival, both held in the region surrounding the city.
Sports
Norwegian Premier League
Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
and is the world's northermost
The world's most northern
This is a list of various northernmost things on earth.- Cities and settlements :See also: Northernmost settlements, Northernmost cities and towns-Geography:-Animals:-General:-Shrubs:-Trees:-Culture and music:-Sport :- Religion :...
Premier League football team, I.F. Fløya
I.F. Fløya
IF Fløya is a Norwegian football club from the city of Tromsø. The club was founded on June 24, 1922 and named for the Fløya mountain which overlooks Tromsø centre....
in the Norwegian First Division (women)
Norwegian First Division (women)
The Norwegian First Division is the second highest division in Norwegian women's association football league system.Before year 2000, the First Division was regionally divided, and the winners of the different pools met in one or two promotional rounds...
, and Tromsdalen U.I.L.
Tromsdalen U.I.L.
Tromsdalen UIL is a Norwegian sports club founded in 1938, from Tromsdalen in the municipality of Tromsø. It has sections for football, athletics, skiing and gymnastics....
, playing in the Adeccoliga. Tromsø Midnight Sun Marathon
Tromsø Midnight Sun Marathon
Tromsø Midnight Sun Marathon is the northernmost Association of International Marathons and Distance Races certified marathon in the world. The Midnight Sun Marathon is hosted annually by the Norwegian city of Tromsø in June each year.-Midnight Sun Marathon:...
is arranged every year in June and recently also a Polar Night Halfmarathon
Polar Night Halfmarathon
Polar Night Halfmarathon is an annual half marathon running competition in Tromsø, Norway. It takes place in the beginning of January, during the Polar night-period, when the sun does not rise above the horizon. At almost 70° north, it is the northernmost AIMS-certified half marathon in the world...
in January. The city is home to many clubs in the top division in various sports. Most notably basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
-outfit Tromsø Storm
Tromsø Storm
Tromsø Storm is a Norwegian basketball team from the city of Tromsø, playing in the Norwegian Basketball Premier League, BLNO. The home arena of Tromsø Storm is Tromsøhallen, which has an official capacity of approximately 2,500 spectators....
in the BLNO
BLNO
BLNO is Norway's premier professional men's basketball league. It was established in 2000.-Competition:There are 8 teams in the BLNO. Foreign players are allowed on all teams, but a maximum of two Americans are allowed on the court at a time...
, BK Tromsø in the top volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
league for men, and Tromsø Volley in the top volleyball league for women. The oldest sports club in Tromsø is Tromsø Turnforening, a gymnastics club founded in 1862, that also was the cradle of the before mentioned football club Tromsø IL.
Tromsø was selected by the Norwegian National Olympic Committee as Norway's candidate for the 2018 Winter Olympics
2018 Winter Olympics
The 2018 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXIII Olympic Winter Games, is a winter multi-sport event scheduled to take place in Pyeongchang, South Korea, between 9 and 25 February 2018. The elected host city was announced on 6 July 2011 by the International Olympic Committee , after the...
. This would have made Tromsø the first city 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....
to host the games. There were plans to use ships as the media village. In October 2008 the NOC suspended Tromsø's bid, citing excessive costs. From the southern to the northern tip of the island Tromsøya
Tromsøya
Tromsøya is a small island in the strait between the mainland and Kvaløya island in Tromsø municipality, Troms county, Norway. It contains the city centre and several residential areas of the city of Tromsø and has given the city its name. The island's area is roughly and has a population of...
, there is a floodlit cross country
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
ski track. A ski jump is also situated on the island, close to the university. As of the spring in 2010, the city's first ice rink has been open and is home to Tromsø Hockey
Tromsø Hockey
Tromsø Hockey is an ice hockey team from Tromsø. While being from Norway, and under the Norwegian Ice Hockey Association the team plays it's games as a part of the Swedish Ice Hockey Association's League 3...
, which plays in the Swedish Ice Hockey Association's League 3.
Famous residents
In popular culture
In the vampireVampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
thriller 30 Days of Night
30 Days of Night
30 Days of Night is a three-issue horror comic book mini-series written by Steve Niles, illustrated by Ben Templesmith, and published by IDW Publishing in 2002. All three parties co-own the property....
: Rumors of the Undead by Steve Niles
Steve Niles
Steve Niles is an American comic book author and novelist, known for works such as 30 Days of Night, Criminal Macabre, Simon Dark, Mystery Society and Batman: Gotham County Line....
and Jeff Mariotte
Jeff Mariotte
Jeff Mariotte is an author who currently lives in Arizona with his wife, author Maryelizabeth Hart, and family. As well as his own original work, he is best known for writing novels and comic books based on licensed properties.-Biography:...
(Pocket Books 2006), an FBI agent learns that Tromsø was depopulated in the winter of 1842, perhaps due to a mass vampire attack.
Norwegian director Erik Skjoldbjærg
Erik Skjoldbjærg
Erik Skjoldbjærg is a Norwegian director and writer best known for co-writing and directing the film Insomnia and directing Prozac Nation-External links:...
s debut movie Insomnia
Insomnia (1997 film)
Insomnia is a 1997 Norwegian thriller film about a police detective investigating a murder in a town located above the Arctic Circle. The investigation goes horribly wrong when he mistakenly shoots his partner and subsequently attempts to cover up his bungle...
takes place in Tromsø.
The town of Trollesund, found in northern Norroway in the His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman comprising Northern Lights , The Subtle Knife , and The Amber Spyglass...
series of books by Philip Pullman is supposedly based on the city of Tromsø.
The Nobel Prize winning author 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....
(1859–1952) published his first novel in a small bookshop in Tromsø in 1877.
One of the six main characters in James Michener's "The Drifters" (1971), Britta Bjorndahl is from Tromso.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Tromsø has eleven twin towns:| Sister City | Since | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Kemi Kemi Kemi is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located very near the city of Tornio. It was founded in 1869 by royal decree, because of its proximity to a deep water harbour.... |
1940 |  Finland |
| Luleå Luleå - Transportation :Local buses are run by .A passenger train service is available from Luleå Centralstation on Sweden's national SJ railway service northbound to Narvik on the Norwegian coast, or southbound to Stockholm. See Rail transport in Sweden.... |
1950 |  Sweden |
| Ringkøbing Ringkøbing Ringkøbing is a town in Ringkøbing-Skjern municipality in Region Midtjylland on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in west Denmark. The town has a population of 9,742 .-History:... |
1950 |  Denmark |
| Grimsby Grimsby Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996... |
1961 |  United Kingdom |
| Pune Pune Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ... |
1966 |  India |
| Anchorage Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States... |
1969 |  United States |
| Zagreb Zagreb Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city... |
1971 |  Independent State of Croatia |
| Murmansk Murmansk Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland... |
1972 |  Russia |
| Quetzaltenango Quetzaltenango Quetzaltenango, also commonly known by its indigenous name, Xelajú , or more commonly, Xela , is the second largest city of Guatemala. It is both the capital of Quetzaltenango Department and the municipal seat of Quetzaltenango municipality.... |
1999 |  Guatemala |
| Gaza Gaza Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,... |
2001 |  Palestinian National Authority |
| Nadym Nadym Nadym is a town in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia, situated on the Nadym River. It serves as the administrative center of Nadymsky District, although it is not administratively a part of it. Population: It is served by the Nadym Airport.... |
2008 | Russia |