The 656-square-kilometre (253 sq mi) municipality is the 172nd largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Andøy is the 191st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 4,553. The municipality's population density is 6.9 inhabitants per square kilometre (18/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 8.8% over the previous 10-year period.[5][6]
General information
Andenes and Bleik are located on the northern part of Andøya
The municipality of Andøy was established as a new municipality on 1 January 1964 due to the work of the Schei Committee. Andøy Municipality was created from the merger of Andenes Municipality (population: 3,812), Bjørnskinn Municipality (population: 1,835), and Dverberg Municipality (population: 1,719). Initially, the new Andøy Municipality had 7,366 residents. The municipal boundaries have not changed since that time.[7]
Name
The municipality is named after the island on which it is located, Andøya (Old Norse: Amdarøy). The first element is the genitive case of the old uncompounded name of the island Ǫmd which has an unknown meaning. The last element is øy which means "island".[8][9]
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 7 January 1983. The official blazon is "Azure, a schnecke argent from base sinister to sinister" (Norwegian: Delt av blått og sølv ved virvelsnitt mot venstre). This means the arms have a field (background) that is divided by a line called a schnecke (a swirling counter-clockwise spiral design that is looks like a wave). The field located below the line has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The tincture above the line is blue. The colors and design of the arms were chosen as a symbol for the fact that the municipality is situated at the sea and that fishing is important economically to the municipality. The arms were designed by Hallvard Trætteberg after an idea of Henry Oddlo Erichsen.[10][11][12]
Andøya Space, formerly Andøya Rocket Range, is a civilian rocket range located a few kilometres south of Andenes. As of 2022, construction is in progress for a spaceport capable of launching small satellites. Andøya Space supports research as well as providing educational programming and military work. It also operates another launch site in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard.[13]
Geography
Part of Andøya seen towards the eastForfjord valley on Hinnøya, partly in Andøy municipality.
Andøy Municipality is spread across the island of Andøya (the northernmost island in the Vesterålenarchipelago) and the northeastern part of the island of Hinnøya (the largest and most populous island in Norway). The municipality also consists of smaller skerries including Bleiksøya, Vomma, and Stavaøyan. Andøy is located between the Gavlfjorden and the Andfjorden, and the Risøysundet strait separates the two main islands in Andøy. The Andøy Bridge connects the two islands.
The highest point in the municipality is the 889.18-metre (2,917.3 ft) tall mountain Skrivartinden.[1] The midsection of the island consists of bogs and marshes, known for their Arctic cloudberries. There are numerous lakes on the island including Bleiksvatnet and Skogvollvatnet. The island is also the only place in continental Norway where coal and fossils from dinosaurs are found. Forfjorddalen nature reserve on Hinnøya has some of the oldest pine trees in Scandinavia, some more than 700 years old.[14]
Birdlife
Lying furthest north in the area known as Vesterålen, Andøy is a mixture of vast areas of marshlandfens, with a backdrop of high peaked mountains such as Kvasstinden. The coast is famous for its sheltered bays with white sandy shores. The area has a rich bird life and this is reflected in some good birding localities like Forfjorddalen Nature Reserve and Skogvoll, the latter a Ramsar site of international importance.
The bird cliff at Bleiksøya, outside of Bleik, is a spectacular and photogenic landmark outside the northern part of Andøya, with many species of seabirds including puffin.[15]
Climate
Andøya has a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc).
Climate data for Andenes 1991-2020 (10 m, extremes 1958-2024)
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Andøy is made up of 23 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.
The mayor (Norwegian: ordfører) of Andøy is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position:[34]
Helmer Hanssen (1870 in Bjørnskinn – 1956), a sailor, pilot, and polar explorer who was one of the first five explorers to reach the South Pole with Roald Amundsen
Nanna With (1874 in Andenes – 1965), a journalist and voice pedagogue
