Leka (island)

Leka

View of the island's landscape
Geography
Location	Trøndelag, Norway
Coordinates	65.0969°N 11.6496°E / 65.0969; 11.6496
Area	57 km^2 (22 sq mi)
Length	14.5 km (9.01 mi)
Width	6 km (3.7 mi)
Administration
Norway
County	Trøndelag
Municipality	Leka Municipality

Leka^[1] is the main island in Leka Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The 57-square-kilometre (22 sq mi) island makes up about half of the area of the municipality of Leka. The island is surrounded by dozens of smaller islands. The smaller island of Madsøya lies south of Leka, and it is connected to Leka by a short bridge. The larger island of Austra lies about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) east of Leka. There is a ferry connection between Leka and Austra, and Austra is connected to the mainland by a bridge.^[2]

The village of Leknes is the administrative centre of Leka Municipality and it is located on the northeast part of the island. Leka Church is located on the island as well. The mountain Lekamøya lies on the southern part of the island.

History

The island has been inhabited for at least 10,000 years, as evidenced by cave drawings in the Solsem cave at the southwest tip of the island. Dated to the Viking Age, the burial mound Herlaugshaugen is one of the largest (in Norway) from that era.^[3]

Name

The Old Norse form of the name was Leka. The meaning of the name is unknown, but it may come from the word lekke which can mean "gravelly ground".^[2][4]

See also

• List of islands of Norway

References

1. "Informasjon om stadnamn". Norgeskart (in Norwegian). Kartverket. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
2. Rosvold, Knut A., ed. (2018-01-02). "Leka". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
3. "Mysteriet på Herlaugshaugen fortsetter - Nærmere undersøkelser av Herlaugshaugen på Leka har ikke gitt flere svar på hva som skjuler seg i haugen. De har likevel kartlagt noen nye funn" [The mystery at Herlaugshaugen continues - Closer examinations of Herlaugshaugen at Leka has not given more answers about what is hiding in the mound. They have nevertheless identified some new discoveries] (in Norwegian). NRK.
4. Rygh, Oluf (1903). Norske gaardnavne: Nordre Trondhjems amt (in Norwegian) (15 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 369.