Ytre Hvaler National Park
Encyclopedia
Ytre Hvaler National Park is a national park
in Hvaler
and Fredrikstad
in Østfold
, Norway
. It is mostly a marine park
, covering the outer parts of the skerries
of the Oslofjord
's east shore. To the south, the national park's border lies on the Norway–Sweden border
next to Kosterhavet National Park
. Ytre Hvaler covers an area of 354 km² (136.7 sq mi), of which 340 km² (131.3 sq mi) is sea and 14 km² (5 sq mi) is land. The park was established on 26 June 2009 and is the only marine national park in the country.
Settlements in the area may have been as old as the Bronze Age
. The park is dominated by the coastal culture which has used the area for centuries, resulting in it including boathouses for fishing. Akerøya
was settled between 1682 and 1807. There are more than 50 shipwreck
s in the park, the most prominent being the frigate Lossen. Within the park are two lighthouses: Torbjørnskjær and Homlungen, both which are operated by the Norwegian Coastal Administration
. The islands remain in use for grazing
.
The park includes the largest known coral reef
in sheltered waters in Europe, which is located near the island Tisler
.
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
in Hvaler
Hvaler
Hvaler is a municipality that is a group of islands in the southwestern part of Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Skjærhalden, on the island of Kirkeøy. The only police station in the municipality is located in Skjærhalden...
and Fredrikstad
Fredrikstad
is a city and municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Fredrikstad....
in Østfold
Østfold
is a county in southeastern Norway, bordering Akershus and southwestern Sweden , while Buskerud and Vestfold is on the other side of the bay. The seat of the county administration is Sarpsborg, and Fredrikstad is the largest city.Many manufacturing facilities are situated here. Moss and...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is mostly a marine park
Marine park
A marine park is a park consisting of an area of sea sometimes protected for recreational use, but more often set aside to preserve a specific habitat and ensure the ecosystem is sustained for the organisms that exist there...
, covering the outer parts of the skerries
Skerry
A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. It may simply be a rocky reef. A skerry can also be called a low sea stack....
of the Oslofjord
Oslofjord
The Oslofjord is a bay in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the Torbjørnskjær and Færder lighthouses and down to Langesund in the south to Oslo in the north....
's east shore. To the south, the national park's border lies on the Norway–Sweden border
Norway–Sweden border
The Norway–Sweden border is a long land national border, and the longest border for both Norway and Sweden.-Geography:Most of the border follows the drainage divide in the Scandinavian Mountains. In Norway, the border lies along the counties, from south to north, of Østfold, Akershus, Hedmark,...
next to Kosterhavet National Park
Kosterhavet National Park
Kosterhavet National Park is the first national marine park of Sweden and was inaugurated in September 2009. It is located in Strömstad and Tanum municipalities in Bohuslän, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It consists of the sea and shores around the Koster Islands, however excluding the islands...
. Ytre Hvaler covers an area of 354 km² (136.7 sq mi), of which 340 km² (131.3 sq mi) is sea and 14 km² (5 sq mi) is land. The park was established on 26 June 2009 and is the only marine national park in the country.
Settlements in the area may have been as old as the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
. The park is dominated by the coastal culture which has used the area for centuries, resulting in it including boathouses for fishing. Akerøya
Akerøya
Akerøya is an uninhabited island in Hvaler in Østfold, Norway. The island has an area of 1.6 km². On the islet Festningholmen near Akerøya is Akerøya Fort from the 17th century, part of the fortifications of Fredrikstad Fortress. Akerøya was protected as a nature reserve from 1978, and is...
was settled between 1682 and 1807. There are more than 50 shipwreck
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
s in the park, the most prominent being the frigate Lossen. Within the park are two lighthouses: Torbjørnskjær and Homlungen, both which are operated by the Norwegian Coastal Administration
Norwegian Coastal Administration
Norwegian Coastal Administration is a Norwegian government agency responsible for the water transport infrastructure along the 92,000 km Coast of Norway. It is responsible for coastal navigation infrastructure, pilotage and harbour and port infrastructure, including lighthouses...
. The islands remain in use for grazing
Grazing
Grazing generally describes a type of feeding, in which a herbivore feeds on plants , and also on other multicellular autotrophs...
.
The park includes the largest known coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
in sheltered waters in Europe, which is located near the island Tisler
Tisler
Tisler is a small island in south-east Norway in Østfold. Tisler is one of many islands in the Hvaler Islands, which is a county in southeastern of Norway. Tisler is the last island which there is regularly people on before you reach Sweden and the Skagerrak...
.