The 119-square-kilometre (46 sq mi) municipality is the 322nd largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Moskenes is the 338th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 954. The municipality's population density is 8 inhabitants per square kilometre (21/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 13.9% over the previous 10-year period.[5][6]
The municipal government owes 100 million kr (as of 2022), and the significance of this debt has made it difficult to find a neighboring municipality that is interested in merging with Moskenes.[7]
History
The municipality was established on 1 July 1916 when the southern part of Flakstad Municipality was separated to become Moskenes. Initially, Moskenes had a population of 1,306.
On 1 January 1964, the Flakstad Municipality and Moskenes Municipality were reunited, as a new, larger Moskenes Municipality. Prior to the merger, Moskenes had 2,001 residents and the new municipality of Moskenes had 4,068 residents. This new municipality did not last long because on 1 January 1976, Flakstad Municipality broke away again to once again form a separate municipality. This left Moskenes with 1,705 residents.[8]
Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Moskenes farm (historically spelled "Muskenes" in 1567) since the first Moskenes Church was built there. The first element is likely an old name for the island. It may have been derived from the word mosk or muskwhich means "sea spray" . The last element is nes which means "headland".[9]
The coat of arms was granted on 12 September 1986. The official blazon is "Azure, a gurge argent" (Norwegian: I blått en sølv spiral). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a vortexspiral. The spiral has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The blue color in the field and the spiral were chosen to represent vortexes or whirlpools, such as the Moskenstraumen, which appear in the channel just south of the island of Moskenesøya when the tide comes in, making it a hazardous channel. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen.[10][11][12]
Moskenes is among the most scenic municipalities in all Norway, and the picturesque fishing villages of Hamnøya, Reine, Sørvågen, Moskenes, Å, and Tind all have a dramatic backdrop of jagged peaks rising above the Vestfjorden. The historic Glåpen Lighthouse is located just east of Sørvågen.
Between Lofotodden, the southwestern tip of the Lofoten chain, and the offshore island of Mosken, there is the tidal current of Moskenstraumen. This is better known internationally as the Maelstrom, feared by all sailors. On the isolated northwestern coast of the island, there are also interesting Stone Age cave paintings. The highest mountain is Hermannsdalstinden at 1,029 metres (3,376 ft). Lofotodden National Park is partially located within the municipality.
The municipal council(Kommunestyre) of Moskenes is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.
The mayor (Norwegian: ordfører) of Moskenes is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position (incomplete list):[33]
Moskenes has a subarctic climate (KöppenDfc). The municipality of Moskenes lies near the southern end of the Lofoten archipelago on the southern part of the island of Moskenesøya. The Vestfjorden lies to the east, the Moskenstraumen strait lies to the south, and the Norwegian Sea lies to the west. Flakstad Municipality lies to the north (on the northern part of the same island) and the nearby Værøy Municipality is located on islands about 20 kilometres (12 mi) to the south. The highest point in the municipality is the 1,026.38-metre (3,367.4 ft) tall mountain Hermannsdalstinden.[1]
