Map of Nordland
Nordland is a first-level division of Norway. Its largest mapped city is Bodø, with about 34,073 people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on Nordland, and the tables list its 4 mapped cities along with the mountains, lakes, ports, World Heritage Sites nearest to them.
- Cities Mapped
- 4
- Largest City
- Bodø
- Country
- Norway
- Highest Point Mapped
- 1,916 m
Interactive Map of Nordland
About Nordland
Nordland (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈnûːrlɑn] ; Lule Sami: Nordlánnda, Southern Sami: Nordlaante, Northern Sami: Nordlánda, lit. 'Northland') is one of the three northernmost counties in Norway in the Northern Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Trøndelag in the south, Norrbotten County in Sweden to the east, Västerbotten County to the south-east, and the Atlantic Ocean (Norwegian Sea) to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is in the town of Bodø. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen has been administered from Nordland since 1995. In the southern part of the county is Vega, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Nordland (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Nordland in Depth
History
There is evidence of human settlement in Nordland as far back as 10,500 years ago, about as early as in southern Norway. These Stone Age people lived near the coast, often on islands and typically along straits near the open sea, with a rich provision of marine resources. Such archeological evidence has been found on Vega, in the Leirfjorden, and along the Saltstraumen. There are at least 15 locations with prehistoric rock carvings in Nordland, from Helgeland in the south to Narvik in the north (see Fosna-Hensbacka culture).
Some of the oldest houses known in Norway were excavated on Langhågan on the island Sanna in Træna Municipality; the oldest house was oval, 6 metres (20 ft) by 4.5 metres (15 ft), and is dated to 4000 BC.
Geography
Nordland is located along the northwestern coast of the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Norway. Due to the large distance to the densely populated parts of Europe, this is one of the least polluted areas in Europe. Nordland extends about 500 kilometres (310 mi) from Trøndelag to Troms county. The distance by road from Bindal Municipality in the far south of the county to Andenes on the northern tip of Andøy Municipality in the northern edge of Nordland is roughly 800 kilometres (500 mi).
Nordland has a rugged coastline, with many fjords. From south to north, the main fjords are Bindalsfjord, Vefsnfjorden, Ranfjorden, Saltfjorden-Skjerstadfjorden, Folda, Tysfjorden, Ofotfjorden (the longest) and Andfjorden, which is shared with Troms county.
Economy
The key industries are fisheries and offshore petroleum exploration. Nordland is well known for the fishing of codfish and fish farming of salmon. Main export markets are Germany, Scandinavia, Britain, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, France, Russia and Japan.
Tourism is important, mainly in the summer season, although there are some winter visitors looking for good skiing or wanting to see the Northern Lights, especially from February to April. Tourists are attracted by the scenic coast, especially Lofoten, which is also visited by many cruise ships in the summer, while the rest of the county often is ignored by tourists. Mountain hiking is popular among natives and some tourists.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Nordland (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Nordland: Key Facts
| Population | 243,385 (2019) |
|---|---|
| Area | 38,155 km² |
| Capital | Bodø |
| Head of government | Kari Anne Bøkestad Andreassen |
Facts from Wikidata Q50630 (CC0).
History of Nordland: Empires and States
The atlas records 8 polities whose mapped territory included part of Nordland, from Scandinavian minor kingdoms in 500 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here |
|---|---|
| Scandinavian minor kingdoms | 500–869 CE |
| Old Kingdom of Norway | 870–1401 CE |
| North Sea Empire | 1028–1039 CE |
| Norway-Denmark | 1046–1055 CE |
| Kalmar Union | 1402–1525 CE |
| Denmark-Norway | 1526–1813 CE |
| Kingdom of Norway | 1814–2024 CE |
| United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway | 1815–1904 CE |
Historical Maps of Nordland
Nordland on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Nordland
Nordland is a county in Northern Norway. Nordland has an endless and very rugged coastline with thousands of islands. Further inland there are high mountains, glaciers and plateaus. Nordland has a long, rugged strip of the mainland, while wide archipelagos stretch far into the Atlantic. Because of fjords cutting deep into the bedrock, Nordland is only a few kilometers wide from the border to the sea at the most narrow points.
Summers have non-stop daylight (including midnight sun), while during the darker season there is frequent display of northern lights (aurora borealis).
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Nordland (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Nordland
4 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bodø | 34,073 | Nordland | Admin-1 capital |
| 2 | Mo i Rana | 20,409 | Nordland | Populated place |
| 3 | Narvik | 20,000 | Nordland | Populated place |
| 4 | Svolvær | 4,197 | Nordland | Populated place |
Highest Mountains in Nordland
1 mountain mapped. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oksskolten | 1,916 m | 6,286 ft | Europe |
Largest Lakes in Nordland
1 lake mapped. Ranked by mapped surface area. A lake on a border is listed under each country it lies in, with the area of the whole lake. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Surface Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Røssvatnet | 233 km² | Lake |
Ports in Nordland
36 ports mapped. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andenes | 49.4 m | Very Small | Norwegian Sea & European Arctic | medium vessels |
| 2 | Stokkmarknes | 49.4 m | Very Small | Norwegian Sea & European Arctic | medium vessels |
| 3 | Reine | 49.4 m | Very Small | Norwegian Sea & European Arctic | medium vessels |
| 4 | Stamsund | 49.4 m | Very Small | Norwegian Sea & European Arctic | medium vessels |
| 5 | Mosjoen | 49.4 m | Very Small | Norwegian Sea & European Arctic | medium vessels |
| 6 | Tjotta | 49.4 m | Very Small | Norwegian Sea & European Arctic | medium vessels |
| 7 | Berg | 49.4 m | Very Small | Norwegian Sea & European Arctic | point_of_interest |
| 8 | Ballstad | 45.7 m | Very Small | Norwegian Sea & European Arctic | medium vessels |
| 9 | Tranoy | 42.1 m | Very Small | Norwegian Sea & European Arctic | medium vessels |
| 10 | Sortland | 38.4 m | Very Small | Norwegian Sea & European Arctic | medium vessels |
The other 26 (channel depth, class, sea, max vessel)
- Litle Ballangen · 38.4 m · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · medium vessels
- Finnsnes · 38.4 m · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · medium vessels
- Lakselv · 34.7 m · Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · medium vessels
- Henningsvaer · 20.1 m · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · medium vessels
- Glomfjord · 5.5 m · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · medium vessels
- Sjovegan · 5.5 m · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · medium vessels
- Ornes · 5.5 m · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · point_of_interest
- Mo Inlet · 5.5 m · Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · large vessels
- Narvik · 5.5 m · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · large vessels
- Harstad · 5.5 m · Minor · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · medium vessels
- Hemnesberget · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · medium vessels
- Lodingen · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · medium vessels
- Ulvik · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · point_of_interest
- Gibostad · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · medium vessels
- Medby · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · medium vessels
- Skrova Havn · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · medium vessels
- Brettesnes · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · medium vessels
- Lilandsgrunnen · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · point_of_interest
- Drag · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · medium vessels
- Korsnes · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · medium vessels
- Kjerringoy · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · medium vessels
- Fauske · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · point_of_interest
- Rognan · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · medium vessels
- Sandnessjoen · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · medium vessels
- Bronnoysund · Very Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · medium vessels
- Svolvaer · Small · Norwegian Sea & European Arctic · medium vessels
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Nordland
1 World Heritage Site mapped. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vega Archipelago | 2004 | Cultural | (v) |
Nordland: Quick Answers
- Where is Nordland?
- Nordland is a first-level division of Norway, in Europe. Its mapped cities centre on 67.5450° N, 15.1055° E.
- What is the largest city in Nordland?
- Bodø is the largest city mapped in Nordland, with a metropolitan population of about 34,073.
- How many cities are in Nordland?
- YearMaps maps 4 cities and towns in Nordland, with a combined metropolitan population of about 78,679. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.
- What is the highest mountain in Nordland?
- The highest summit mapped in Nordland is Oksskolten at 1,916 m.
- What is the largest lake in Nordland?
- The largest lake mapped in or beside Nordland is Røssvatnet, at about 233 km².