Øksfjord

Øksfjord (Northern Sami: Ákšovuotna) is the administrative centre of Loppa Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located at the mouth of the Øksfjorden on the mainland, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) northwest of Øksfjordbotn, a village at the other end of the Øksfjorden. The 0.33-square-kilometre (82-acre) village has a population (2017) of 504 which gives the village a population density of 1,527 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,950/sq mi).[1]

Øksfjord

Ákšovuotna  (Northern Sami)
Village
View of the village
Øksfjord
Location in Finnmark
Øksfjord
Øksfjord (Norway)
Coordinates: 70.2394°N 22.3507°E / 70.2394; 22.3507
CountryNorway
RegionNorthern Norway
CountyTroms og Finnmark
DistrictVest-Finnmark
MunicipalityLoppa Municipality
Area
 • Total0.33 km2 (0.13 sq mi)
Elevation15 m (49 ft)
Population
 (2017)[1]
 • Total504
 • Density1,527/km2 (3,950/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Post Code
9550 Øksfjord

The village of Øksfjord was historically an important regional fishing village that included a fish processing factory and fish oil factory. The factories have been closed since the 1980s, but since then some fish farms have been in use. Øksfjord Church is located in this village and it is the main church for the municipality.

Øksfjord is visited by the Hurtigruten boat daily, stopping here between stops at Skjervøy and Hammerfest. Since most of Loppa municipality is inaccessible by car, Øksfjord is a major transportation hub with regular car ferry connections to the Nuvsvåg, Bergsfjord, and Sør-Tverrfjord areas. There is also a regular ferry connection from Øksfjord to the village of Hasvik on the neighboring island of Sørøya in Hasvik municipality.

History

On 12 April 1941, the Royal Norwegian Navy — exiled to the United Kingdom — moored the destroyer Mansfield at the pier at one o'clock in the night, with two objectives: To show the people of occupied Norway that the Navy was operating on the coast of Norway; and to blow up a fish oil factory. The warship departed after two hours, while inhabitants stood on the pier singing the national anthem.[3]

Notable person
  • Hans E. Kinck (1865–1926), novelist, dramatist and essayist, was born and raised in Øksfjord.

Commerce

The village has one café and one pub, as of 2015.[4]

View of the stunning surrounding area looking to the southwest from Øksfjord

Climate

Øksfjord's climate type is dominated by the winter season, a long, bitterly cold period with short, clear days, relatively little precipitation mostly in the form of snow, and low humidity. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Dfc". (Continental Subarctic Climate).[5]

Climate data for Øksfjord
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) −2
(28)		 −2
(29)		 0
(32)		 3
(37)		 8
(46)		 13
(55)		 16
(60)		 14
(58)		 10
(50)		 5
(41)		 1
(34)		 −1
(31)		 5
(41)
Average low °C (°F) −8
(18)		 −7
(19)		 −5
(23)		 −2
(28)		 2
(36)		 6
(43)		 9
(49)		 8
(47)		 5
(41)		 1
(33)		 −3
(26)		 −6
(21)		 0
(32)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 74
(2.9)		 66
(2.6)		 56
(2.2)		 51
(2)		 46
(1.8)		 51
(2)		 58
(2.3)		 71
(2.8)		 79
(3.1)		 100
(4.1)		 81
(3.2)		 86
(3.4)		 830
(32.7)
Source: Weatherbase [6]

References
  1. Statistisk sentralbyrå (1 January 2017). "Urban settlements. Population and area, by municipality".
  2. "Øksfjord, Loppa (Finnmark)". yr.no. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
  3. "På denne dag". Aftenposten.
  4. Gjerstad Olsen, Knut; Mohr, Anniken C. (2015-08-08). "Biter seg fast i loppa". Klassekampen. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
  5. Climate Summary
  6. "Weatherbase.com". Weatherbase. Jan 2014. Retrieved 2014-01-13.
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