Øksnes is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is located on the northwestern part of the large island of Langøya, which is a part of the traditional region of Vesterålen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Myre. Other villages in Øksnes include Alsvåg, Barkestad, Breidstrand, Nyksund, Strengelvåg, and Stø.[3]
Øksnes kommune | |
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Municipality | |
![]() View of Alsvåg in Øksnes | |
![]() Flag ![]() Coat of arms ![]() Nordland within Norway | |
![]() Øksnes within Nordland | |
Coordinates: 68°53′18″N 15°11′00″E | |
Country | Norway |
County | Nordland |
District | Vesterålen |
Established | 1 Jan 1838 |
Administrative centre | Myre |
Government | |
• Mayor (2019) | John H. Danielsen (Sp) |
Area | |
• Total | 319.59 km2 (123.39 sq mi) |
• Land | 310.71 km2 (119.97 sq mi) |
• Water | 8.88 km2 (3.43 sq mi) 2.8% |
• Rank | #257 in Norway |
Population (2022) | |
• Total | 4,458 |
• Rank | #193 in Norway |
• Density | 14.3/km2 (37/sq mi) |
• Change (10 years) | ![]() |
Demonym | Øksnesværing[1] |
Official language | |
• Norwegian form | Neutral |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
ISO 3166 code | NO-1868 |
Website | Official website |
The 320-square-kilometre (120 sq mi) municipality is the 257th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Øksnes is the 193rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 4,458. The municipality's population density is 14.3 inhabitants per square kilometre (37/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 0.2% over the previous 10-year period.[4][5]
The municipality of Øksnes was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1866, a small area of southern Øksnes (population: 40) was transferred to the neighboring Bø Municipality. On 1 July 1919, the northeastern part of Øksnes along the Gavlfjorden (population: 1,085) was separated to form the new Langenes Municipality. This left Øksnes with 2,296 residents.
During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the Krakberget area and the part of Øksnes on the peninsula north of Krakberget (population: 271) was transferred to the neighboring municipality of Bø. On the same date the municipality of Langenes was merged with Øksnes. Prior to the merger, Øksnes had 3,112 residents and Langenes had 2,037 residents.[6]
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Øksnes farm (Old Norse: Yxnes), since the first Øksnes Church was built there. The first element is probably an old name of Skogsøya island (Old Norse: Yxn) and the last element is nes which means "headland". The old name of the island is identical with the word yxn (plural form of uxi which means "ox"). The mountains of the island have maybe been compared with a group of oxen.[7]
The coat of arms was granted on 22 August 1986. The arms show two black fishing hooks on a gold background, appropriate symbols for a municipality which is dependent on fishing and sailing.[8]
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Øksnes. It is part of the Vesterålen prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.
Parish (sokn) | Church Name | Location of the Church | Year Built |
---|---|---|---|
Øksnes | Alsvåg Church | Alsvåg | 1923 |
Langenes Church | Stø | 1500s | |
Myre Church | Myre | 1979 | |
Øksnes Church | Skogsøya | 1703 |
Øksnes municipality encompasses the northwestern part of the island of Langøya in the Vesterålen archipelago. It also includes many small islands around there including the islands of Anden, Dyrøya, Nærøya, Skogsøya, and Tindsøya. The Gavlfjorden flows along the northeastern part of the boundary with Andøy Municipality on the other side. The southeastern part of Øksnes borders Sortland Municipality and the southwestern part borders Bø Municipality (both municipalities are also located on Langøya island). The rest of the municipality borders the Norwegian Sea.
The municipality is quite rugged with the exception of the area east of Myre which is very flat and marshy. The large lake Alsvågvatnet lies near this flat area, just east of the village of Alsvåg. This flat area lies just to the north of the large mountain Snøkolla. The Anda Lighthouse is located on the tiny island of Anden.
An area of about 6000 ha at the north-eastern end of the island, comprising coastal lagoons, fens, transition mires, springs and mudflats, including the Grunnfjorden nature reserve and Grunnfjorden Ramsar site as well as other wetlands, has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International (BLI) because it supports populations of pink-footed and barnacle geese on passage migration.[9]
Climate data for Myre, Øksnes | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.0 (28.4) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
1.5 (34.7) |
5.8 (42.4) |
9.1 (48.4) |
11.6 (52.9) |
11.5 (52.7) |
8.1 (46.6) |
4.5 (40.1) |
1.2 (34.2) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
3.9 (39.0) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 130 (5.1) |
121 (4.8) |
105 (4.1) |
91 (3.6) |
64 (2.5) |
69 (2.7) |
82 (3.2) |
86 (3.4) |
141 (5.6) |
195 (7.7) |
146 (5.7) |
150 (5.9) |
1,380 (54.3) |
Source: Norwegian Meteorological Institute[10] |
All municipalities in Norway, including Øksnes, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor.[11] The municipality falls under the Vesterålen District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Øksnes is made up of 21 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 5 | |
Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 2 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 2 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 8 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
Liberal Party (Venstre) | 2 | |
Total number of members: | 21 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 6 | |
Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 2 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 2 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
Øksnes cross-party list (Øksnes tverrpolitiske liste) | 4 | |
Total number of members: | 21 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 7 | |
Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 2 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 3 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 2 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 1 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
Øksnes cross-party list (Øksnes tverrpolitiske liste) | 5 | |
Total number of members: | 21 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 5 | |
Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 4 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 1 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 2 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
Øksnes cross-party list (Øksnes tverrpolitiske liste) | 7 | |
Total number of members: | 21 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 3 | |
Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 4 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 3 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
Øksnes cross-party list (Øksnes Tverrpolitiske liste) | 4 | |
Total number of members: | 21 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 8 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 3 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 5 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 3 | |
Liberal Party (Venstre) | 1 | |
Total number of members: | 31 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 9 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 6 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 4 | |
Pensioners' Party (Pensjonistpartiet) | 1 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 7 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 4 | |
Total number of members: | 31 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 9 | |
Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 2 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 6 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 3 | |
Pensioners' Party (Pensjonistpartiet) | 2 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 5 | |
Total number of members: | 31 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 10 | |
Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 3 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 8 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 4 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 3 | |
Liberal Party (Venstre) | 1 | |
Total number of members: | 31 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 9 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 4 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 3 | |
Liberal Party (Venstre) | 1 | |
Free Voters (Frie Velgere) | 1 | |
Total number of members: | 31 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 8 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 8 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 5 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
Liberal Party (Venstre) | 1 | |
Øksnes Free Voters' List (Øksnes Frie Velgeres Liste) | 2 | |
Øksnes West and Midtbygd's common list (Øksnes Vest- og Midtbygds fellesliste) | 2 | |
Total number of members: | 31 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 10 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 5 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 6 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
Liberal Party (Venstre) | 1 | |
Øksnes Free Voters' List (Øksnes Frie Velgeres Liste) | 4 | |
Total number of members: | 31 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 13 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 3 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 4 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
Liberal Party (Venstre) | 2 | |
Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 6 | |
Total number of members: | 31 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 15 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 5 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 4 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 1 | |
Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti) | 3 | |
Liberal Party (Venstre) | 3 | |
Total number of members: | 31 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 14 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 4 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 5 | |
Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti) | 1 | |
Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 7 | |
Total number of members: | 31 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 5 | |
Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 16 | |
Total number of members: | 21 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 21 | |
Total number of members: | 21 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 8 | |
Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) | 8 | |
Total number of members: | 16 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 7 | |
Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) | 9 | |
Total number of members: | 16 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 5 | |
Total number of members: | 16 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 16 | |
Total number of members: | 16 | |
Note: Due to the German occupation of Norway during World War II, no elections were held for new municipal councils until after the war ended in 1945. |
The mayors of Bindal (incomplete list):
Nordland county, Norway | |||||||
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