Lofoten ( , ; ; ) is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Lofoten has distinctive scenery with dramatic mountains and peaks, open sea and sheltered bays, beaches, and untouched lands. There are two towns, Svolvær and Leknes — the latter is approximately north of the Arctic Circle and approximately away from the North Pole. The archipelago experiences one of the world's largest elevated temperature anomalies relative to its high latitude. As of 2017, the islands attract one million tourists each year. Winter tourism has grown significantly, with visitors coming to experience the northern lights and unique Arctic scenery during the polar night season.
Etymology In Norway, the archipelago and the area are called Lofoten. There have been many attempts to research the origins and meanings of both the names Lofoten and Ofoten, which have led to numerous theories but no definitive information. Critical examination has not reached any generally accepted and justified interpretation of the name.
According to one explanation Lofoten () was the original name of the island Vestvågøya. The first element is (i.e., "lynx") and the last element is derived from Norse (i.e., "foot"), as the shape of the island must have been compared with that of a lynx's foot. (The old name of the neighbouring island Flakstadøya was , "wolf's foot", from "wolf".) The explanation has at least been seen in an article about Lofoten published in The New York Times newspaper, for which the reporter had claimed to have heard the explanation from the locals. However, this interpretation of the name has also received criticism. It is considered doubtful that the name Lófót itself meant the island of Vestvågøya from the beginning. Unlike, for example, the local names Værøya and Gimsøya, where the names clearly contain the endings meaning the island, the "i Lofot" appearing in the texts rather refers to the district, which nevertheless also included Vestvågøya.
Alternatively, the name could derive from the word for light in reference to the presence of aurora borealis as the word for light itself is the root of the Old Norse word for lynx . However, the earliest evidence suggests that was first the name of the island of Vestvågøy and later came to refer to the chain of islands. Most parsimonious is the analogy with Aurora Borealis, as the word is typically not used to describe the feet of beasts of prey, instead using the word (paw) or (also paw) for animals such as cats or dogs. can be used to describe legs, and as such, 'light leg' represents the most plausible etymology, taking into account the geography of the archipelago, eventually morphing to describe only the island of Vestvågøy before once again describing the island chain from its main island.
Another name one might come across is "Lofotveggen" or the Lofoten wall. The archipelago looks like a closed wall when seen from elevated points around Bodø Municipality or from the sea, some long and high.
History
According to Robert M. D'Anjou and others: "There is evidence of human settlement extending back at least 11,000 years in Lofoten, and the earliest archaeological sites ... are only about 5,500 years old, at the transition from the early to late Stone Age". Iron Age agriculture, livestock, and significant human habitation can be traced back to
The town of Vågan () is the first known town formation in northern Norway. It existed in the early Viking Age, maybe earlier, and was located on the southern coast of eastern Lofoten, near today's village Kabelvåg in Vågan Municipality. The Lofotr Viking Museum with the reconstructed longhouse (the largest known) is located near Borg on Vestvågøya, which has many archeological finds from the Iron Age and Viking Age.
The islands have for more than 1,000 years been the centre of great cod fisheries, especially in winter, when the cod migrate south from the Barents Sea and gather in Lofoten to spawn. Bergen in southwestern Norway was for a long time the hub for the export of cod southward to different parts of Europe, particularly when trade was controlled by the Hanseatic League. In the lowland areas, particularly Vestvågøy, agriculture plays a significant role, as it has done since the Bronze Age.
In March 1941, the islands were raided by British Commandos during Operation Claymore, and in a subsequent diversionary attack to support the Vaagso raid in December.
Geography
Lofoten is located at the 68th and 69th parallels north of the Arctic Circle in North Norway. Lofoten encompasses the municipalities of Vågan, Vestvågøy, Flakstad, Moskenes, Værøy, and Røst. The principal islands, running from north to south, are:
Southern tip of Hinnøya. Southern 60% (approx.) of Austvågøya ( in total ) Gimsøya ( ) Vestvågøya ( ) Flakstadøya ( ) Moskenesøya ( )
Further to the south are the small and isolated islands of Værøy Municipality () and Røst Municipality (). The total land area amounts to , and the population totals 24,500. Many will argue that Hinnøya, the northern part of Austvågøya and several hundred smaller islands, skerries, and rocks to the east of Austvågøya are also part of the Lofoten district. Historically, the territorial definition of Lofoten has changed significantly. Between the mainland and the Lofoten archipelago lies the vast, open Vestfjorden, and to the north is the Vesterålen district. The principal towns in Lofoten are Leknes in Vestvågøy Municipality and Svolvær in Vågan Municipality. The main islands are joined to each other and the mainland by road bridges.
The Lofoten Islands are characterised by their mountains and peaks, sheltered inlets, stretches of seashore and large virgin areas. The highest mountain in Lofoten is Higravstinden () in Austvågøy; the Møysalen National Park just northeast of Lofoten has mountains reaching . The famous Moskstraumen (Malstrøm) system of tidal eddies is located in western Lofoten, and is indeed the root of the term maelstrom.
Geology
Lofoten is a horst ridge of bedrock. The rocks of Lofoten belong to the wider Western Gneiss Region of Norway. Some of the high relief and irregular surfaces of Lofoten has been attributed to etching that took place during the Mesozoic Era. Evidence of this would be the kaolinite found at some locations. To the northwest the Lofoten archipelago is bounded by the NE–SW-trending West Lofoten Border Fault. This is a normal fault whose fault scarp has been eroded, forming a strandflat.
In Vestvågøya, mountains have steep slopes towards the open sea in the northwest and southeast, while slopes pointing towards the interior of the island are more gradual. This is the result of erosion acting on a landscape that has been uplifted along NE–SW-trending faults in the margins of Lofoten while the interior axis has remained more stable. In tectonic terms mountains are half-grabens and faults are of the dip-slip type.
The sea around Lofoten is known to host significant oil reserves: 1.3 bn barrels. Oil extraction in the Lofoten area is prohibited.
Oceanography The Lofoten archipelago lies along the eastern margin of the Lofoten Basin Vortex (also referred to as the Lofoten Basin Eddy), a deep depression in the Norwegian Sea that reaches the depths of over 3,000 M, which acts as a major heat reservoir in the Nordic Seas. Most of this is due to the inflow of the warm, saline Atlantic Water, which plays an important role in regional water mass transformation.
This regional circulation is dominated by two branches of the Norwegian Atlantic Current (NwAC)
The Norwegian Atlantic Slope Current, which flows northwards along the continental shelf break and the steep Lofoten Escarpment. The Norwegian Atlantic Front Current, which follows a more offshore path along the Mohn, Knipovich Ridge. This forms a sharp hydrographic front between the warmer Atlantic waters in the east and the colder, fresher waters of Arctic origin in the west.
The interactions between the Norwegian Atlantic Current and the fresher Norwegian Coastal Current are particularly active in the Lofoten Basin, where the high eddy activity enhances the mixing and tracer exchanges between the two currents. Now the Lofoten Vortex itself is a semi-permanent feature that is distinguishable by its unusual location, longevity, and deep vertical structure, especially with the Atlantic Water penetrating down to approximately 1,000 m in depth within the eddy core. Observations seen from Seagliders over three years (2012-2015) have revealed a detailed evolution, showing that the vortex maintains a weakly stratified core and plays a significant role in the dissipation of kinetic energy in the basin.
Wildlife The sea is rich with life, and the world's largest deep water coral reef, called the Røst Reef, is located west of Røst. Approximately 70% of all fish caught in the Norwegian and Barents seas use its islands' waters as a breeding ground. Otters are common, and there are elk on the largest islands. There are some woodlands with downy birch and rowan. There are no native conifer forests in Lofoten, but some small areas with private spruce plantations. Hedlundia hybrida and Malus sylvestris occurs in Lofoten, but not further north.
Birds Some of marine waters along the north-western coasts and fjords of the Lofoten Islands have been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International (BLI) because it supports overwintering populations of common eiders and yellow-billed loons. The IBA contains or overlaps with the Seløya, Morfjorden, Laukvikøyene, Eggum and Borgværet nature reserves, as well as the Laukvikøyene Ramsar site. Lofoten has a high density of sea eagles and cormorants, and millions of other sea birds, among them the colourful puffin. It has the largest seabird colony in mainland Europe. The birds once mistaken for the extinct great auk turned out to be some of the nine king penguins released around Norway's Lofoten Islands in August 1936, there until at least 1944.Martin, Stephen. Penguin. Reaktion Books Ltd., 2009, p. 22.
Climate Lofoten features a mostly subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc) under the Köppen climate classification, although some areas, such as Skrova, feature a temperate oceanic climate (Cfb). Winter temperatures in Lofoten are extremely mild considering its location north of the Arctic Circle – possibly the largest positive temperature anomaly in the world relative to latitude. The mild winters are a result of the temperate waters of the Norwegian Sea, which is warmed by the North Atlantic Current and the Norwegian Current. The mild air (Lows) from the Atlantic, having a free path northwards even in winter, is also very significant.
Strong winds can occur in late autumn and winter. Snow and sleet are not uncommon in winter. The mountains can have substantial snowfall, and avalanches may occur on steep slopes.
In Svolvær, the sun is above the horizon continuously ("midnight sun") from 25 May to 17 July, and in winter the sun does not rise from 4 December to 7 January. In Leknes, the sun is above the horizon from 26 May to 17 July, and in winter, the sun does not rise from 9 December to 4 January.
Sea temperatures have been recorded since 1935. At depth in the sea near Skrova, water temperatures vary from a low of in March to in August, some years peaking above . November is around . At a depth of , the temperature is near all year.