Tromsø kommune
—  Municipality  —
Coat of arms Troms within Norway
Tromsø within Troms
Coordinates: 69°40′58″N 18°56′34″E / 69.68278, 18.94278
Country	Norway
County	Troms
Municipality ID	NO-1902
Administrative centre	Tromsø
Government
- Mayor (2008)	Arild Hausberg (Ap)
Area (Nr. ||} Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions called counties ( fylker, singular fylke) and 430 municipalities ( kommuner, cf Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional ||-||} Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties ( Norwegian: singular fylke, plural fylker ( Bokmål or Romsa ( Sami language) is a county in North Norway, bordering Finnmark to the northeast and Nordland in the southwest ISO 3166-2NO is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to Norway. The Norwegian Labour Party ( Norwegian: Det norske arbeiderparti ( DNA) or Arbeiderpartiet ( AP) is a Social democratic Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 18 in Norway)
- Total	2,566 km² (990. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 7 sq mi)
- Land	2,519 km² (972. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 6 sq mi)
Population (2007)
- Total	64,782
- Density	25/km² (64. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 7/sq mi)
- Change (10 years)	13. 3 %
- Rank in Norway	8
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Official language form	Neutral
Data from Statistics Norway
Website: www.tromso.kommune.no

Tromsø (help·info) (Romsa^[1] in Northern Sami, Tromssa in Kvensk) is a city and municipality in the county of Troms, Norway. Central European Time ( CET) is one of the names of the Time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+1 is used in the following locations Central European Time West Africa Time Western European Summer Time Daylight saving time ( DST Central European Summer Time ( CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+2 corresponds to the following Time zones Eastern European Time Egypt Standard Time Central Africa Time Norwegian ( norsk) is a North Germanic Language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language Norwegian ( norsk) is a North Germanic Language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language or Romsa ( Sami language) is a county in North Norway, bordering Finnmark to the northeast and Nordland in the southwest Northern or North Sami ( Davvisápmi, formerly Davvisámi or Davvisaami; improperly Lappish or Lapp) is the most widely The Kven language also known as Kvennish, ( suomi, kveenin kieli or recently proposed kainun kieli) is a Finno-Ugric language ||} Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions called counties ( fylker, singular fylke) and 430 municipalities ( kommuner, cf ||-||} Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties ( Norwegian: singular fylke, plural fylker ( Bokmål or Romsa ( Sami language) is a county in North Norway, bordering Finnmark to the northeast and Nordland in the southwest Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional

The area has been inhabited since the end of the ice age, and the Sámi culture is the first known culture of the region. An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets The Sami people are the Indigenous people of northern Europe inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway Speakers of Norse, the ancestor of Norwegian brought their culture to the area during the migrations of the Vikings before AD 890, when Ohthere's settlement existed to the south of today's Tromsø. Norwegian ( norsk) is a North Germanic Language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language The first church on the island of Tromsøya was erected in the 13th century, and the area one of Denmark-Norway's very northernmost territories not contested by Russia. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending During the 1600s, Denmark-Norway solidified its claim to the northern coast of Scandinavia and during this period a redoubt, Skansen, was built. A redoubt is a Fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort usually relying on earthworks though others Tromsø was issued its city charter in 1794 by King Christian VII. The city was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1838 ( MDCCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Formannskaps-distrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. The rural municipalities of Tromsøysund and Ullsfjord, and most of Hillesøy, were merged with Tromsø January 1, 1964. Tromsøysund is a former municipality in Troms county Norway It was created in 1837 as Tromsøe landdistrikt, adjacent to the city of Tromsøe. Ullsfjord (Moskavuotna Moskivuono is a former municipality in Troms county Norway Hillesøy is a former municipality in Troms county Norway It was created by a split from Lenvik in 1855 (or 1871 the sources do not concur New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. The population of Tromsø municipality is 63,596, and the urban area, Norway's ninth most populous, is home to 53,622 people. ^[2]

Most of Tromsø, including the city centre, is located on the small island of Tromsøya in the county of Troms, 350 km (217 mi) inside the arctic circle. Tromsøya is a small island in the Strait between the mainland and Kvaløya in Tromsø municipality, Troms, Norway or Romsa ( Sami language) is a county in North Norway, bordering Finnmark to the northeast and Nordland in the southwest A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. The island is connected to the mainland by the Tromsø Bridge and the Tromsøysund Tunnel, and to the island of Kvaløya by the Sandnessund Bridge. Tromsø Bridge (Tromsøbrua is a Cantilever Road bridge that crosses Tromsøysundet from Tromsdalen on the mainland to Tromsøya The Tromsøysund Tunnel ( Norwegian: Tromsøysundtunnelen is an undersea highway tunnel under the Tromsøysund sound connecting the island of Tromsøya This article is about the bridge near Tromsø For information about Sannesund Bridge in Sarpsborg see Sannesund Bridge. The city is warmer than most other places located on the same latitude, due to the warming effect of the Gulf Stream, with an average January temperature of -4 °C. The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful warm and swift Atlantic Ocean current that Tromsø is still quite cool in the summer, with a 24-hour average of 12 °C and average daily high of 15°C in July.

The city centre of Tromsø contains the highest number of old wooden houses in North Norway, the oldest house dating from 1789. North Norway ( Norwegian: Nord-Norge ( Bokmål) or Nord-Noreg ( Nynorsk) is the geographical region of northern The Arctic Cathedral, a modern church from 1965, is probably the most famous landmark in Tromsø. The Tromsdalen Church ( Tromsdalen Kirke) which is more commonly known as The Arctic Cathedral ( Ishavskatedralen, literally "The Cathedral The city is a cultural centre for its region, several festivals taking place in the summer. The largest football team in the city, Tromsø I.L, plays in the Norwegian Premier League. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Tromsø IL is a Norwegian professional football team founded in 1920 and based in Tromsø. Tippeligaen is the top division for football in Norway. Its official Norwegian name is Tippeligaen after its sponsor Norsk Tipping

History

The area was first settled at the end of the ice age. An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets The Sámi culture is indigenous to the region, but the Norse culture arrived quite early on the scene - sometime in the early Medieval Age. The Sami people are the Indigenous people of northern Europe inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway The first church, Ecclesia Sanctae Mariae de Trums juxta paganos ("The Church of Saint Mary in Troms near the Heathens") , was built in 1252 during the reign of king Hákon Hákonarson. Haakon Haakonsson (1204 &ndash December 15, 1263) ( Norwegian Håkon Håkonsson, Old Norse Hákon Hákonarson) also called ^[3] At the time, it was the northernmost church in the world. Around the same time, a turf rampart was built to protect the area against raids from Karelia and Russia. The rampART is a squatted Social centre in the Whitechapel area of East London. Karelia ( Karelian and Finnish Karjala, Карелия ( Kareliya) Karelen the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending

Peder Balke: Tromsø

Despite only being home to around 80 people, Tromsø was issued its city charter in 1794. Peder Balke ( 1804 &ndash 1887) was a Norwegian painter He was known for portraying the nature of Norway in a positive manner and influenced a dramatic However, the city quickly rose in importance. The diocese of Hålogaland was created in 1804, with the first bishop being Mathias Bonsach Krogh. Nord-Hålogaland is a Diocese in the Church of Norway. It covers Troms, Finnmark and Svalbard. ^[4] A teacher training college and the first shipyard were established in 1848, followed by the predecessor of the University of Tromsø, the Tromsø Museum, in 1872,^[5] and the Mack Brewery in 1877. The University of Tromsø ( Norwegian: Universitetet i Tromsø) is the world's northernmost University. Tromsø University Museum is the oldest scientific institution in North-Norway Mack Bryggeri ( English: Mack Brewery; Norwegian official name AS L ^[6]

View of the Tromsø Cathedral, the northernmost cathedral in the world. Tromsø Cathedral (Tromsø domkirke in Tromsø, Norway is the seat of the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland, the only Norwegian Cathedral made of

In the 19th century, Tromsø was known as the "Paris of the North", probably because people in Tromsø appeared as far more civilized than expected to foreign tourists. ^[7]

Arctic hunting, from Novaya Zemlya to Canada, started up around 1820. Novaya Zemlya (Но́вая Земля́ also spelled Novaja Zemlja, lit Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page By 1850, Tromsø was the major center of Arctic hunting, overtaking the former center of Hammerfest, and the city was trading from Arkhangelsk to Bordeaux. is a city and municipality in the county of Finnmark, Norway. Arkhangelsk (Арха́нгельск formerly called Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast ( Gascon: Bordèu) is a port city in southwest France, with one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area at a 2008 estimate By the end of the 19th century, Tromsø had become a major Arctic trade center from which many Arctic expeditions originated. The Arctic is the Region around the Earth 's North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. Explorers like Roald Amundsen, Umberto Nobile and Fridtjof Nansen made use of the know-how in Tromsø on the conditions in the Arctic, and often recruited their crew in the city. Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (ˈɾuːɑl ˈɑmʉnsən ( July 16, 1872 – c Umberto Nobile ( January 21, 1885 &ndash July 30, 1978) was an Italian aeronautical engineer and Arctic explorer Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen (October 10 1861 – May 13 1930 was a Norwegian Explorer, Scientist and Diplomat. The Northern lights observatory was founded in 1927.

During World War II, it served briefly as the seat of Norwegian government. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including However, the city escaped the war without any damage, although the German battleship Tirpitz was sunk off the Tromsøy island on November 12, 1944, when close to 1,000 German soldiers died. Operational history This battleship was launched on 1 April 1939 and she was planned to be deployed in a manner similar to the ''Bismarck'', as a Commerce raider Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. At the end of the war, the city received thousands of refugees from the Finnmark province, which was evacuated and devastated by German forces at the time in expectation of the Red Army offensive. or Finnmárku ( Sami language) is a county in the extreme northeast of Norway. The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya

Expansion after World War II has been rapid. The population growth has been strong, some years more than 1,000 people. The present municipal borders were created through the merger of Tromsø, Hillesøy, Tromsøysund and most of Ullsfjord in 1964, almost tripling the population from 12,430 to 32,664. Hillesøy is a former municipality in Troms county Norway It was created by a split from Lenvik in 1855 (or 1871 the sources do not concur Tromsøysund is a former municipality in Troms county Norway It was created in 1837 as Tromsøe landdistrikt, adjacent to the city of Tromsøe. Ullsfjord (Moskavuotna Moskivuono is a former municipality in Troms county Norway ^[8] Tromsø Airport opened in 1964, the University of Tromsø in 1972 and the Norwegian Polar Institute was relocated to Tromsø from Oslo in 1998. Tromsø Airport, formerly known as Tromsø Airport Langnes (Norwegian Tromsø lufthavn) is situated in Tromsø, on the western side of the The University of Tromsø ( Norwegian: Universitetet i Tromsø) is the world's northernmost University. The Norwegian Polar Institute (in Norwegian: Norsk Polarinstitutt) is Norway 's national institution for polar research (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway.

The German battleship Tirpitz, which was sunk off Tromsøy island in 1944. Operational history This battleship was launched on 1 April 1939 and she was planned to be deployed in a manner similar to the ''Bismarck'', as a Commerce raider

Name and coat-of-arms

Tromsø is named after the island of Tromsøya, which it is situated on. Tromsøya is a small island in the Strait between the mainland and Kvaløya in Tromsø municipality, Troms, Norway While the last element of the city's name comes from Danish ø 'island' (Norwegian: øy, finite form øya), the etymology of the first element is uncertain. Norwegian ( norsk) is a North Germanic Language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language Several theories exist. One theory holds "Troms-" to derive from the old (uncompounded) name of the island (Norse Trums). Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age Several islands and rivers in Norway have the name Tromsa, and the names of these are probably derived from the word straumr '(strong) stream'. (The original form must then have been *Strums, for the missing s see Indo-European s-mobile. In Indo-European studies, the term s -mobile ( mobile pronounced as in Italian; the word is a Latin neuter adjective designates the phenomenon ) Another theory holds that Tromsøya was originally called Lille Tromsøya (Little Tromsøya), because of its proximity to the much bigger island today called Kvaløya, that according to this theory was earlier called "Store Tromsøya" due to a characteristic mountain known as Tromma (the Drum). The mountain's name in Sámi language, Rumbbučohkka, is identical in meaning, and it is said to have been a sacred mountain for the Sámi in pre-Christian times. Sami or Saami is a general name for a group of Finnic languages spoken by the Sami people in parts of northern Finland, Norway

The Sámi name of the island, Romsa, is assumed to be a loan from Norse - but according to the phonetical rules of the Sami language the frontal t has disappeared from the name. However, an alternative form - Tromsa - is in informal use. There is a theory that holds the Norwegian name of Tromsø derives from the Sámi name, though this theory lacks an explanation for the meaning of Romsa. A common misunderstanding is that Tromsø's Sámi name is Romssa with a double "s". This, however, is the accusative and genitive form of the noun - used when f. ex. writing "Tromsø Municipality" (Romssa Suohkan).

The original reindeer coat-of-arms design is from 1870. The current version was created by Hallvard Trætteberg (1898–1987) and was adopted in 1941. ^[9] Tromsø's coat-of-arms is one of six Norwegian coat-of-arms showing reindeer or their antlers, the other five being those of Eidfjord, Porsanger, Rendalen, Vadsø and Vågå. Antlers are the usually large and complex horn -like appendages of most Deer species mostly worn by males only for some species such as Caribou by both Eidfjord is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Porsanger ( Norwegian) or Porsáŋgu ( Northern Sami) or Porsanki ( Kven / Finnish) is a municipality in the Rendalen is a municipality in the county of Hedmark, Norway Rendalen was established as a municipality January 1 1838 (see Formannskapsdistrikt) ( Čáhcesuolu in Northern Sami, Vesisaari in Finnish) is a city and municipality in the county of Finnmark, Norway. Vågå is a municipality in the county of Oppland, Norway. The parish of Vaage was established as a municipality January 1 1838 (see

Geography

Tromsø is the eight-largest municipality in Norway with a population 63,596, and the centre of the ninth-largest urban area, with a population of 53,622. ^[2] The city is home to the world's northernmost university (the University of Tromsø), brewery, botanical garden[1] and planetarium. This is a list of various different northernmost things on earth A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects The University of Tromsø ( Norwegian: Universitetet i Tromsø) is the world's northernmost University. A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of Beer, though beer can be made in the home and has been for much of beer's history Botanical gardens grow a wide variety of Plants primarily to categorize and document for scientific purposes A planetarium is a Theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about Astronomy and the night sky or for training in Celestial navigation ^[10] The city center is located on the east side of the Tromsøya — over 300 km inside the Arctic Circle at 69°40′33″N, 18°55′10″E. Tromsøya is a small island in the Strait between the mainland and Kvaløya in Tromsø municipality, Troms, Norway The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. Suburban areas include Kroken, Tromsdalen (on the mainland, east of the Tromsøya island), the rest of the Tromsøya island, and the eastern part of the large Kvaløya, west of the Tromsøya Island. Tromsdalen is a district in the city of Tromsø, Norway. In English Tromsdalen means " Troms Valley Tromsø Bridge and a four laned road tunnel connects the mainland with Tromsøya by road, and, on the western side of the city, Sandnessund Bridge connects Tromsøya island with Kvaløya island. Tromsø Bridge (Tromsøbrua is a Cantilever Road bridge that crosses Tromsøysundet from Tromsdalen on the mainland to Tromsøya This article is about the bridge near Tromsø For information about Sannesund Bridge in Sarpsborg see Sannesund Bridge.

Panoramic view of Tromsø from Fløya

Climate

Tromsø has a reputation in Norway for getting a lot of snow in the winter, although this varies a lot from one year to the next. "Snowfall" redirects here For other uses see Snow (disambiguation or Snowfall (disambiguation. The all-time record was set April 29, 1997, when the meteorological station on top of Tromsøya recorded 240 cm of snow. Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar The lowest temperature ever recorded is –18. 4 °C, and the January average is a mere –4 °C. This is due to the warming effects of the North Atlantic Current, an extension of the Gulf Stream. The North Atlantic Current ( North Atlantic Drift and the North Atlantic Sea Movement) is a powerful warm Ocean current that continues the Gulf Stream The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful warm and swift Atlantic Ocean current that The proximity to the sea moderates temperatures; Sommarøy, on the west coast of Kvaløya, has January average of –1. Sommarøy is a populated island in the municipality of Tromsø, Norway. 9 °C. Summer is rather cool, with a July 24-hour average of 12 °C; daytime temperatures are usually slightly warmer, but vary from 9 to 25 °C. In the summer of 1972, which is the warmest in the record, (mean temperature of 12. 9°C) the temperature reached 30 °C ([1]). Norway is located in Northern Europe on the western and northern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula, bordering the North Sea in southwest The warmest year on record is 2005, with a mean temperature of 4. 38°C, compared to the current annual average of about 3. 5°C. ^[11]

Light and darkness

View on Tromsø from the Fjellheisen aerial tramway connecting the mountain Storsteinen with the city. Fjellheisen ( English: The mountain lift) is an Aerial tramway located in the city of Tromsø, Norway. An aerial tramway is a type of Aerial lift in which a cabin is suspended from a cable and is pulled by another cable The airport is visible in the upper-left corner, while the ski jump can be seen in the upper-right corner.

The geographical location some 350 km (220 mi. ) north of the Arctic Circle means that Tromsø has both midnight sun and polar night. The polar night is the night lasting more than 24 hours usually inside the Polar circles The opposite phenomenon when the sun stays above the horizon for a long time is called

The Midnight sun is above the northern horizon from about May 18 to July 26, although the mountains in the north block the view to the Midnight sun a few days, meaning that you can optically see the sun from about May 21 to July 21. The midnight sun is a phenomenon occurring in Latitudes north and nearby to the south of the Arctic Circle and south and nearby to the north of the Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Due to the position on top of the globe, the twilight is longer, meaning there is no real darkness between late April and mid August.

The sun remains below the horizon from about November 26 to January 15, but due to the mountains the sun is absent from the center from November 21 to January 21. Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus" Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade. The return of the sun is an occasion for celebration. Due to the twilight, there is some daylight for a couple of hours even around midwinter, often with beautiful bluish light. The nights shorten quickly, and by February 21 the sun is above the horizon from 07:45 to 16:10, and April 1 from 05:50 to 19:50 (summertime). Events 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria. 1245 - Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne

The combination of snow cover and sunshine often creates intense light conditions from late February until the snow melts in the lowland (usually late April), and sunglasses are essential when skiing. Sunglasses or sun glasses are a visual aid variously termed Spectacles or Glasses, which feature lenses that are coloured or darkened to prevent strong Snow skiing is a group of sports utilizing Skis as primary equipment Because of these diametrically different light conditions in winter, Norwegians often divide it into two seasons: Mørketid (the dark time) and Seinvinter (late winter).

Tromsø Bridge

Tromsø is in the middle of the Aurora Borealis (northern lights) zone, and is in fact one of the best places in the world to observe this phenomenon. Tromsø Bridge (Tromsøbrua is a Cantilever Road bridge that crosses Tromsøysundet from Tromsdalen on the mainland to Tromsøya Because of the planet's rotation, Tromsø moves into the aurora zone around 6 pm, and moves out again around midnight. Due to the light, no aurora is visible between late April and mid August.

Cityscape

The compact city center is the biggest concentration of historic wooden houses north of Trondheim, that co-exist with modern architecture. (Trondhjem is a city and municipality in the county of Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. The houses date from 1789 to 1904, when building wooden houses was banned in the city centre, like in several other Norwegian cities. The oldest house in Tromsø is Skansen, built in 1789 on the remains of a 13th century turf rampart. The rampART is a squatted Social centre in the Whitechapel area of East London.

In the middle of Tromsø's main street.

The Polar Museum, situated in a wharf house from 1837, presents Tromsø's past as a center for Arctic hunting and starting point for polar expeditions. Polar exploration is the physical exploration of the Arctic and Antarctic regions of the Earth. The Tromsø Cathedral, Norway's only wooden cathedral, built in 1861, is located in the middle of the city, and so is the small Catholic church Vår Frue. Tromsø Cathedral (Tromsø domkirke in Tromsø, Norway is the seat of the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland, the only Norwegian Cathedral made of Norway's oldest cinema is still in use, Verdensteatret, was built in 1915-16. Cinemaaustraliajpg|thumb|A movie theater in Australia ]]A movie theater, movie theatre, picture theatre or cinema is a venue The cinema has large wall paintings, made by the local artist Sverre Mack in 1921, that picture scenes from Norwegian folk lore and fairy tales.

The Arctic Cathedral, a modern church from 1965, is situated on the mainland, facing the sound and city centre. The Tromsdalen Church ( Tromsdalen Kirke) which is more commonly known as The Arctic Cathedral ( Ishavskatedralen, literally "The Cathedral The church, in reality a parish church and not a cathedral, was drawn by Jan Inge Hovig and is probably the most famous landmark in Tromsø. This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral The aquarium and experience center Polaria from 1998 is a short walk south from the city center. Polaria is the world's most northerly Aquarium. It is located in Tromsø, in northern Norway. The Tromsø Museum is a university museum, presenting culture and nature of North Norway. Tromsø University Museum is the oldest scientific institution in North-Norway North Norway ( Norwegian: Nord-Norge ( Bokmål) or Nord-Noreg ( Nynorsk) is the geographical region of northern The museum also displays the Arctic-alpine botanic garden, the world's northernmost botanical garden. Arctic-alpine botanic garden is the worlds northernmost botanical garden located in Tromsø, Norway, and is run by the Tromsø University Museum. A cable car goes up to mount Storsteinen, 421 metres above sea level, with a panoramic view over Tromsø. The mountain Tromsdalstinden, 1238 m, on the mainland, which is easily spotted from the city center, is also a major landmark. Tromsdalstinden (Sálašoaivi is a mountain east of the city Tromsø, Norway. On top of Tromsøya is lake Prestvannet. Prestvannet is a scenic area on the top of the island of Tromsø, Norway.

Governance

The highest political body is the City Council (Bystyret), which elects a governing body, the Formannskap and five political committees. There is a discussion of whether to introduce city parliamentarism, as practiced in Oslo and Bergen. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway. is the second largest city in Norway. It is located on the south-western coast of Norway in the county of Hordaland in between a group of mountains known as De syv fjell The Labour Party (AP), the Liberal Party (V), the Conservative Party (H) and the Progress Party (FrP) are advocating this political system, while the Socialist Left Party (SV) is opposing it. The Norwegian Labour Party ( Norwegian: Det norske arbeiderparti ( DNA) or Arbeiderpartiet ( AP) is a Social democratic The Liberal Party of Norway (Venstre V meaning "left" is a social liberal Political party in Norway. The Conservative Party ( Høyre, H meaning " right " is a Norwegian Political party. The Progress Party ( Bokmål: Fremskrittspartiet, Nynorsk: Framstegspartiet, Norwegian abbreviation FrP is a Norwegian The Socialist Left Party ( Sosialistisk Venstreparti or SV is a Norwegian Political party founded in 1975

The largest political party is the Labour Party. The Norwegian Labour Party ( Norwegian: Det norske arbeiderparti ( DNA) or Arbeiderpartiet ( AP) is a Social democratic Although the Labour Party is led by Roger Ingebrigtsen, Labour's Arild Hausberg is mayor. Roger Ingebrigtsen (born 8 September 1966) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. The vice-mayor is Gunhild Johansen, from the Socialist Left Party.

Demographics

Interior from one of the city's shopping malls

More than 100 nationalities are represented in the population, among the more prominent minorities are the Sami, Russians, and Finns, both the local Kvens and immigrants from Finland proper. The Sami people are the Indigenous people of northern Europe inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries The terms Finns and Finnish people ( Finnish: suomalaiset, Swedish: finländare) are used in English to Kvens ( kveeni in Kven language / Finnish; kvener in Norwegian, and láddelažžat in Northern Sami ^[12] The world's northernmost mosque is to be found in Tromsø. A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger The Our Lady Catholic church is the seat of the world's northernmost Catholic Bishop, although the Catholic population is only 350 heads strong — it is in this context interesting to note that Pope John Paul II visited this small church and stayed as a guest of the bishop in 1989. Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". Pope ^[13]

Sami population

The Sami minority is making itself felt, and there is a Sami kindergarten and Sami language classes in school. Sami was once spoken in communities throughout Tromsø, but use of the language declined during the 1900s' "Norwegianization" campaign. There are attempts to counter this trend, for example through the establishment of a Sami language center in Ullsfjord. Sami or Saami is a general name for a group of Finnic languages spoken by the Sami people in parts of northern Finland, Norway Ullsfjord (Moskavuotna Moskivuono is a former municipality in Troms county Norway Most Sami speakers in Tromsø migrated there from other Sami-speaking areas of the North.

Culture

Being the largest city in North Norway, Tromsø is a cultural centre for its region. North Norway ( Norwegian: Nord-Norge ( Bokmål) or Nord-Noreg ( Nynorsk) is the geographical region of northern It gained some international attention when it on June 11, 2005 hosted one of six 46664 concerts, designed to put work concerning HIV/AIDS on the international agenda. Events 1184 BC - Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned according to the calculations of Eratosthenes. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 46664 ( four double six six four) is a series of AIDS charity concerts played in honour of Nelson Mandela by South African musicians in the 2000s Human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV) is a Lentivirus (a member of the Retrovirus family that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome The concert was promoted by Nelson Mandela, whose prison number provided the arrangement's name, and featured international and local artists. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (xolíɬaɬa mandéːla born 18 July 1918 is a former President of South Africa, the first to be elected in fully representative

Ølhallen, one of the many clubs, pubs and bars in Tromsø.

The combined capacity of clubs, pubs, and bars is of more than 20,000 people, meaning that one out of three can go out at the same time. A club is an association of people united by a common interest or goal Rorbua achieved national fame when hosting the popular TV show Du skal høre mye, which ran for sixteen years, making it one of the most seen entertainment shows in the history of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. Rorbua is a Pub in Tromsø, Norway. It was opened in 1974, and claims to be the most famous pub in all of Norway. A television program (US television programme (UK or television show (U The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation ( Norwegian: Norsk rikskringkasting AS) which is usually known as the NRK, is the Norwegian

Many cultural activities take place in Kulturhuset (English: lit. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States the culture house), including concerts by Tromsø Symphony Orchestra and plays by Tromsø's professional theater troupe, Hålogaland Teater. Tromsø Symphony Orchestra (Tromsø Symfoniorkester is a professional ensemble situated in Tromsø, Norway. Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one Hålogaland Teater is a regional theatre serving the region of Nord-Norge, the northernmost of Norway. The new theater building was opened in November 2005. The city contains several museums. The largest are the Northern Norwegian Art Gallery (Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum) and the Tromsø Gallery of Contemporary Art (Tromsø Kunstforening).

Tromsø was a leading city at the early stages of the house and techno scene in Norway from the last part of the 1980s. House music is a style of Electronic dance music initially popularized in mid-1980s Discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino Techno is a form of Electronic dance music (EDM that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, USA during the mid to late 1980s ^[14] Local artists such as Bel Canto, Biosphere, Mental Overdrive, Ismistik/Bjørn Torske, Aedena Cycle, Y. Bel Canto is a Norwegian music duo originally a trio fronted by Anneli Drecker, signed originally to Crammed Discs. Biosphere is the main recording name of Geir Jenssen (born 1962 a Norwegian musician who has released a notable catalogue of ambient Electronic music Bjørn Torske is a House music producer. Born in 1971 in Tromsø, Norway, he got involved with producing music and local radio before B. U. , Open Skies, Alanïa, Those Norwegians, Phonophani, Lene Marlin, Drum Island and lately Röyksopp have all made their marks internationally. Lene Marlin (born August 17, 1980) is a Norwegian Musician. She was born Lene Marlin Pedersen in Tromsø, Norway Röyksopp ('ɾœʏkˌsop is an electronic music duo based in Tromsø, Norway composed of Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge The Insomnia Festival pays tribute to this and seeks to profile relevant electronic music. The Insomnia Festival is an annual Electronic music festival which takes place during autumn in the town of Tromsø, Norway.

The local newspapers are Bladet Tromsø and Nordlys. Bladet Tromsø is a daily newspaper published in Tromsø, Norway by Bladet Tromsø A/S, a subsidiary of Harstad Tidende, and Nordlys is a Newspaper published in Tromsø, Norway.Translated to English its name means "Northern lights" also known as Aurora

Nelson Mandela at 46664 Arctic

Festivals and celebrations

Both the Tromsø International Film Festival and Nordlysfestivalen (lit. The Tromsø International Film Festival (TIFF is an annual Film festival held in Tromsø, Norway. the Aurora Festival), a classical music festival, are arranged in January. The end of that month is marked by the Day of the Sun (Soldagen), when the sun finally appearing above the horizon after the polar night is celebrated, mainly by children. The polar night is the night lasting more than 24 hours usually inside the Polar circles The opposite phenomenon when the sun stays above the horizon for a long time is called The International Day of the Sami People is celebrated at the University of Tromsø and the city hall on February 6 every year. The Sami people are the Indigenous people of northern Europe inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway The University of Tromsø ( Norwegian: Universitetet i Tromsø) is the world's northernmost University. Tromsø's Latin American Festival, No Siesta Fiesta, is held at the end of February. It started in 2007 and showcases the best of "Latin America" in Northern Norway with film, dance, music, art, seminars, debates, markets, and a street Samba parade.

The Bukta Tromsø Open Air Festival, held in June and July, is a popular music festival that started three years ago as a merger between the smaller non-profit festival "North of Nowhere" and the "Fucking North Pole Punk Rock Festival". Bukta - Tromsø Open Air Festival is a music festival held each July in Tromsø in Northern Norway. The Bukta festival is mainly a rock festival, but also features other kinds of modern music. The festival takes place in Telegrafbukta, a park on the south-western part of the Tromsøya island. Other popular cultural summer events among the population of Tromsø is the Karlsøy festival and the Riddu Riddu festival, both held in the region surrounding the city. Karlsøy is a municipality in the county of Troms, Norway. Karlsøy was established as a municipality January 1 1838 (see Formannskapsdistrikt Riddu Riđđu is an annual Sami music and culture festival held in Olmmaivaggi (Manndalen in Gáivuotna (Kåfjord municipality in Norway.

Sports

The Arctic Cathedral illuminated by the midnight sun. The Tromsdalen Church ( Tromsdalen Kirke) which is more commonly known as The Arctic Cathedral ( Ishavskatedralen, literally "The Cathedral The midnight sun is a phenomenon occurring in Latitudes north and nearby to the south of the Arctic Circle and south and nearby to the north of the

Tromsø is the home of many football (soccer) clubs, of which the three most prominent are Tromsø IL, which plays in the Norwegian Premier League and is the world's northermost Premier League football team, I.F. Fløya in the Norwegian Premier League for women, and Tromsdalen U.I.L., playing in the Adeccoliga. Tromsø IL is a Norwegian professional football team founded in 1920 and based in Tromsø. Tippeligaen is the top division for football in Norway. Its official Norwegian name is Tippeligaen after its sponsor Norsk Tipping This is a list of various different northernmost things on earth IF Fløya is a Norwegian football club from the city of Tromsø. The Norwegian Premier League for women ( Toppserien in Norwegian) is the top female football league in Norway Tromsdalen UIL is a Norwegian football and sports (among others Skiing and gymnastics club founded in 1938, from the city of Tromsø The First Division ( Norwegian: 1 divisjon or Adeccoligaen ' for Sponsorship reasons is the second highest division of the Norwegian football Tromsø Midnight Sun Marathon is arranged every year in June and recently also a Polar Night Half marathon in January. Tromsø Midnight Sun Marathon is a Midnight Sun Marathon hosted by the Norwegian city Tromsø in June each year The city is home to many clubs in the top division in various sports. Most notably basketball-outfit Tromsø Storm in the BLNO, BK Tromsø in the top volleyball league for men, and Tromsø Volley in the top volleyball league for women. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m BLNO started in the year 2000 and is the premier Basketball league in Norway. Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 active players (5 normal players and one 'libero' are separated by a net that is usually four feet

Tromsø has been selected by the Norwegian National Olympic Committee as Norway's candidate for the 2018 Winter Olympics. The 2018 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXIII Olympic Winter Games will be celebrated in 2018 and are an international Winter sports athletic This would make Tromsø the first city north of the Arctic Circle to host the games. The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. There are plans to use ships as the media village. As of March 2007, the Norwegian government still has yet to officially support Tromsø's bid. ^[15] From the southern to the northern tip of the island Tromsøya, there is a floodlit cross country ski track. Tromsøya is a small island in the Strait between the mainland and Kvaløya in Tromsø municipality, Troms, Norway Cross-country skiing (also known as XC skiing) is a Winter sport popular in many countries with large snowfields primarily Northern Europe, A ski jump is also situated on the island, close to the university. Ski jumping is a Sport in which skiers go down an "inrun" with a take-off ramp (the jump attempting to go as far as possible

Tromsø is also famous for eliminating Galatasaray SK of Turkey from the UEFA Cup in 2005. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The UEFA Cup is a football competition for European club teams organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA.

Famous residents

See also: People from Tromsø (category)

In popular culture

In the vampire thriller 30 Days of Night: Rumors of the Undead by Steve Niles and Jeff Mariotte (Pocket Books 2006), an FBI agent learns that Tromso was depopulated in the winter of 1842, perhaps due to a mass vampire attack. Vampires are mythological or folkloric revenants who subsist by feeding on the blood of the living 30 Days of Night is a three-issue horror Comic book Limited series written by Steve Niles, illustrated by Ben Templesmith WARNING Please see the talk page before adding controversial content to this article Jeff Mariotte is an Author who currently lives in Arizona with his wife author Maryelizabeth Hart and family

Norwegian director Erik Skjoldbjærgs debut movie Insomnia takes place in Tromsø. Erik Skjoldbjærg (born December 14, 1964 in Tromsø, Norway) is a Norwegian director best known for directing the films Insomnia is a 1997 Norwegian film about a police detective investigating a murder in a town located above the Arctic Circle.

Twin towns

Tromsø has eleven twin towns:^[16]

References

External links

• Tromsø travel guide from Wikitravel
• Homepage
• Weather forecast and map for Tromsø
• Visit Tromsø Tourist information Office
• Climate statistics Tromsø municipality
• Pictures of Tromsø
• Tromsø Volley