View source for Finnmark

{{Short description|County in Northern Norway}}
{{About||the obsolete currency|Finnish markka|the newspaper|Finnmarken}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox kommune
|name                   = Finnmark
|fylke                  = yes
|native_name            = {{lang|se|Finnmárkku fylka}}<br />{{lang|fkv|Finmarkun fylkki}}
|other_name             = 
|former_name            = Finmarkens amt
|image_skyline          = Silfar canyon in Porsanger, Troms og Finnmark, Norway, 2022 August - 2.jpg
|image_caption          = Silfar canyon in [[Porsanger Municipality]], 2022 August
|idnumber               = 56
|county                 = Finnmark
|map                    = none
|district               = [[Northern Norway]]
|capital                = [[Vadsø (town)|Vadsø]]
|established            = {{Start date|1576}}
|disestablished         = 1 January 2020
|succeeded              = [[Troms og Finnmark]] county
|established2           = 1 January 2024<ref name="VGdemerger" />
|preceded2              = [[Troms og Finnmark]] county
|demonym                = Finnmarking
|language               = Bokmål
|sami_language          = [[Northern Sami]]
|other_language         = [[Kven language|Kven]]
|webpage                = www.ffk.no
|county_mayor           = [[Runar Sjåstad]]
|county_mayor_party     = [[Norwegian Labour Party|Ap]]
|county_mayor_as_of     = 2007-2019
|governor               = [[Ingvild Aleksandersen]]
|governor_as_of         = 2016–2018
|area_rank              = 2
|area_total_km2         = 48618
|area_land_km2          = 45757
|area_water_km2         = 2861
|area_water_percent     = 5.9
|population_as_of       = 30 September 2019
|population_rank        = 18
|population_total       = 75,540
|population_density_km2 = 1.55
|population_increase    = 2.73
|income_per_capita      = 128,300
|income_year            = 2001
|GDP                    = 185,563
|GDP_year               = 2001
|GDP_rank               = 18
|GDP_rank_percent       = 0.9
|coordinates            = {{coord|70|25|type:adm1st_region:NO|display=inline,title}}
}}

'''Finnmark'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stadnamn og rettskriving |url=https://www.kartverket.no/kart/stedsnavn/stadnamn-og-rettskriving/ |access-date=2018-07-13 |publisher=[[Kartverket]] |language=no}}</ref> ({{IPA|no|ˈfɪ̀nːmɑrk|lang|Finnmark.ogg}}; {{langx|se|Finnmárku}} {{IPA|se|ˈfinːˌmaːrːhkuː|}}; {{langx|fkv|Finmarkku}}; {{langx|fi|Finnmarkin lääni}}; {{langx|ru|Финнмарк}}) is a [[counties of Norway|county]] in northern [[Norway]]. By land, it borders [[Troms]] county to the west, [[Finland]]'s [[Lapland (Finland)|Lapland region]] to the south, and [[Russia]]'s [[Murmansk Oblast]] to the east, and by water, the [[Norwegian Sea]] ([[Atlantic Ocean]]) to the northwest, and the [[Barents Sea]] ([[Arctic Ocean]]) to the north and northeast.

The county was formerly known as ''Finmarkens amt'' or ''Vardøhus amt''. Since 2002, it has had two official names: Finnmark ([[Norwegian language|Norwegian]]) and Finnmárku ([[Northern Sami language|Northern Sami]]). It is part of the [[Sápmi]] region, which spans four countries, as well as the [[Barents Region]], and is Norway's second-largest and least populous county.

Situated at the northernmost part of continental [[Europe]], where the [[Norwegian coastline]] swings eastward, Finnmark is an area "where East meets West" in culture as well as in nature and geography. [[Vardø Municipality]], Norway's easternmost municipality, is farther east than [[Saint Petersburg]] and [[Istanbul]].

On 1 January 2020, Finnmark merged with the neighbouring county of [[Troms]] to form [[Troms og Finnmark]] county. On 1 January 2024, the counties of Finnmark and [[Troms]] were restored after parliament decided on 15 June 2022 to separate them.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Føleide |first=Anita |date=Jun 14, 2022 |title=Vedtatt i Stortinget: Storfylkene skal splittes igjen, nå ønsker de ansatte ro og forutsigbarhet |url=https://www.nrk.no/tromsogfinnmark/vedtatt-i-stortinget_-storfylkene-skal-splittes-igjen_-na-onsker-de-ansatte-ro-og-forutsigbarhet-1.16001790 |access-date=Jan 16, 2023 |website=[[NRK]]}}</ref><!--Expectation since September 2021, but without the developments since 28 October 2021: This merger is expected to be reversed by the government resulting from the [[2021 Norwegian parliamentary election]].--><ref>{{Cite web |date=13 October 2021 |title=Jubel i nord etter skilsmissen: – Nå skal vi feire! |url=https://www.nrk.no/tromsogfinnmark/troms-og-finnmark-sin-tvangssammenslaing-er-historie-og-det-jubles-i-nord-1.15688341 |access-date=2021-10-14 |publisher=[[NRK]] |language=no}}</ref><!-- On 28 October 2021, the Norwegian government confirmed that work had started in regard to Finnmark becoming a separate county again.--><ref name="VGdemerger">{{Cite news |last=Lægland |first=Martin |date=29 October 2021 |title=Vedum: Startet prosessen med oppløsning av Troms og Finnmark |url=https://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/i/0GW3LJ/vedum-startet-prosessen-med-opploesning-av-troms-og-finnmark |access-date=29 October 2021 |work=[[Verdens Gang]]}}</ref>

== Etymology ==
{{See also|Hedmark|Telemark|Marches}}

The name ''Finnmark'' is derived from [[Old Norse]] ''Finnmǫrk'': The first element is [[Finn (ethnonym)|''finn(ar)'']], the Norse name for the [[Sámi people|Sámi]] people, and the last element is ''mǫrk'', which means "woodland" or "borderland". In Norse times the name referred to the land of the Sámi people, or any place where Sámi people lived.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rygh |first=Oluf |author-link=Oluf Rygh |title=Norske gaardnavne: Finmarkens amt |publisher=W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri |year=1924 |edition=18 |location=Kristiania, Norge |pages=1–7 |language=no}}</ref>

== Coat of arms ==
The coat of arms is black with a gold-colored castle tower—its [[blazon]] reads, "Sable, a single-towered castle Or". The design is from 1967 and shows the old [[Vardøhus Fortress]], historically on the eastern border with Russia.<ref name="snl">{{Cite web |last=Store norske leksikon |author-link=Store norske leksikon |title=Finnmark |url=http://snl.no/Finnmark |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130206221319/http://snl.no/Finnmark |archive-date=2013-02-06 |access-date=2013-02-18 |language=no}}</ref>

== History ==
=== Sami ===
{{Main|Sami history}}

The Sami are the indigenous people of Finnmark, but Norwegians have lived for hundreds of years on the islands' outer parts, where they made up the majority. The [[Sami people]] still constitute the majority in Finnmark's interior parts, while the fjord areas have been ethnically mixed for a long time. This essentially holds true today.

The Sami were for years victims of the [[Norwegianization]] policy, which in essence was an attempt by the government to make them "true Norwegians" and forget about their Sami way of life and religion, which was seen as inferior. As a result, the Sami living at the coast and in the fjords gradually lost much of their culture and often felt ashamed by their Sami inheritance. The Sami in the interior managed to preserve more of their culture. In the 1970s, instruction of the [[Sami language]] started in schools, and a new sense of consciousness started to grow among the Sami; today most are proud of their background and culture.

In the midst of this awakening (1979), Norway's government decided to build a [[dam]] in Alta to produce [[hydropower]], provoking multiple Sami and [[environmentalist]]s to demonstrations and civil disobedience—[[Alta conflict|Alta Conflict]]. In the end, the dam was built on a much smaller scale than originally intended and the Sami culture was on the government's agenda. The [[Sámi Parliament of Norway|Sami parliament]] (''Sámediggi'') was opened in Karasjok in 1989.

=== Norwegian ===
[[File:Kola Peninsula map from 1660.jpg|thumb|A Dutch map of Finnmark (1660), showing the border between Norway, Sweden and Russia.]]

[[Gjesvær]] in Nordkapp is mentioned in the [[Sagas]] ([[Heimskringla]]) as a northern harbor in the [[Viking Age]], especially used by Vikings on the way to [[Bjarmaland]] (see [[Ottar from Hålogaland]]), and probably also for gathering food in the nearby seabird colony. Coastal areas of Finnmark were colonized by Norwegians beginning in the 10th century, and there are stories describing clashes with the [[Karelians]]. Border skirmishes between the Norwegians and [[Republic of Novgorod|Novgorodians]] continued until 1326, when the [[Treaty of Novgorod (1326)|Treaty of Novgorod]] settled the issue.

The first known [[fortification]] in Finnmark is [[Vardøhus Fortress|Vardøhus festning]], first erected in 1306 by King [[Haakon V Magnusson]]. This is [[the world's most northern]] fortress. In the 17th century, 88 young women were burned as witches in Vardø, an extremely high number compared to the total population in this area at the time.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1970-01-01 |title=BioOne article |url=http://www.bioone.org/bioone/?request=get-document&issn=0013-0001&volume=057&issue=03&page=0403 |access-date=2009-02-12 |publisher=Bioone.org}}</ref> The first person burned as witch in Vardø in the 17th century was a man. [Vardø archives]

Finnmark first became subject to increased colonization in the 18th and 19th century. Norway, Sweden, and Russia all claimed control over this area. Finland was part of Russia at that time and had no independent representative. Finnmark was given the status of an ''[[Amt (subnational entity)|Amt]]'' (county) in the 19th century. For a time, there was a vibrant trade with Russia ([[Pomor trade]]), and a number of Norwegians settled on the [[Kola Peninsula]] (see [[Kola Norwegians]]).

=== Kven ===
{{Main|Kven people}}

The [[Finnic languages|Finnic]] ''[[Kven people|Kven]]'' residents of Finnmark are largely descendants of [[Finland|Finnish]]-speaking immigrants who arrived in the area in the 18th century from [[Meänmaa]], and later in the 19th century from [[Finland]], suffering from [[famine]] and war.<ref>{{Cite web |last=politidepartementet |first=Justis- og |date=1 August 1996 |title=NOU 1994: 21 |url=https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/nou-1994-21/id374516/sec3#DEL2-KAP4-7 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107024634/https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/nou-1994-21/id374516/sec3#DEL2-KAP4-7 |archive-date=7 November 2017 |access-date=28 April 2018 |website=Regjeringen.no}}</ref>

=== Brief summary ===
In 1576, the [[Frederick II of Denmark|King of Norway]] established ''Vardøhus [[Len (Norway)|len]]'' as a new administrative unit for most northern part of the kingdom. In 1660, it became ''Vardøhus [[Amt (country subdivision)|amt]]'', a subordinate to the large ''Trondhjems stiftamt'', based in [[Trondheim]]. In 1787, the [[Senja (island)|island of Senja]] and the [[Troms]] area were transferred from [[Nordland]]enes amt to Vardøhus amt. In 1866, the island of Senja and the Troms area were separated from Vardøhus to form the new [[Troms|Tromsø amt]]. In 1919, the name was again changed to Finnmark [[fylke]]. In 2002, the [[Sami language]] name, ''Finnmárku'', was added as a co-official name for the county.

[[Per Fugelli]] has said that World War II resulted in many persons acquiring psychiatric disorders (''psykiske senskadene'') which could be from experiencing "bombing, accidents involving [[Land mine|mines]], burning down of homes, forcible evacuation, illness and starvation during the war and liberation. But it was maybe in particular the treatment of Russian prisoners that left marks on the local population."<ref name="Scars">{{Cite web |last=NRK |date=13 September 2013 |title=Den glemte krigen |url=http://www.nrk.no/fordypning/den-glemte-krigen-1.11238509 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150616075558/http://www.nrk.no/fordypning/den-glemte-krigen-1.11238509 |archive-date=16 June 2015 |access-date=20 May 2016 |website=NRK}}</ref>

=== World War II ===

Around 120,000 German forces occupied the area from the summer of 1940 onwards. In 1945 the Germans put into force [[Operation Nordlicht (1944–1945)|Operation Nordlicht]], and used the [[scorched earth]] tactic in Finnmark and northern [[Troms]] to frustrate the [[Red Army]] as the Germans retreated southwards. As a consequence of this, few houses survived the war, and around two thirds of the population of 60,000 was forcefully evacuated further south.<ref>The War Illustrated (periodical) 2 February 1945</ref> ([[Tromsø (city)|Tromsø]] was crowded), but some people avoided evacuation by hiding in caves and mountain huts and waited until the Germans were gone, then inspected their burned homes. There were 11,000 houses, 4,700 cow sheds, 106 schools, 27 churches, and 21 hospitals burned. There were 22,000 communications lines destroyed, roads were blown up, boats destroyed, animals killed, and 1,000 children separated from their parents.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Zimmerman |first=Susan |date=November–December 2010 |title=Finnmark |magazine=World War II Magazine |page=31 |volume=25 |number=4}}</ref>

After taking the town of [[Kirkenes]] on 25 October 1944 (as the first town in Norway), the Red Army did not attempt further offensives in Norway. [[Free Norwegian forces]]  arrived from Britain and [[Liberation of Finnmark|liberated the rest]] of the county. When war was over, more than 70,000 people were left homeless in Finnmark.  The government imposed a temporary ban on residents returning to Finnmark because of the danger of [[landmine]]s.  The ban lasted until the summer of 1945 when evacuees were told that they could finally return home.{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}

=== Cold War ===
The [[Cold War]] was a period with sometimes high tension in eastern Finnmark, at the {{convert|196|km|adj=on}} long border with the [[Soviet Union]]. To keep tensions from getting too high, Norway declared that no [[NATO]] exercises would take place in Finnmark.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=German |first=Robert K. |date=1982 |title=Norway and the Bear: Soviet Coercive Diplomacy and Norwegian Security Policy |journal=International Security |volume=7 |issue=2 |page=70 |doi=10.2307/2538433 |jstor=2538433 |s2cid=154321588}}</ref>

== Geography ==
[[File:North Norway.png|thumb|upright=1.2|Map showing coastline and rivers. The largest river, slightly to the right, is [[Tana River (Norway)|Tana]], and slightly to the left is [[Altaelva|Alta-Kautokeino]] river. Down to the right is [[lake Inari]] (Finland) from which goes the [[Pasvikdalen|Pasvik]] valley of the [[Pasvikelva]] river. Near the far left corner of the map is the green [[Målselvdalen|Målselv]] valley of [[Troms]], with the [[Målselva]] river.]]

Finnmark is Norway's northernmost and easternmost county ([[Svalbard]] is not considered a county).  By area, Finnmark is Norway's second-largest county, even larger than the neighboring country of [[Denmark]]. With a population of about 75,000, it is also the least populous Norwegian county. Finnmark has a total coastline of {{convert|6844|km}}, including {{convert|3155|km}} of coastline on the islands. As of 2000, nearly 12,300 people, 16.6% of the county's population, lived in the 100-meter belt along the coastline.

[[Knivskjellodden]] in [[Nordkapp Municipality]] (on the island of [[Magerøya]]) is sometimes considered Europe's northernmost point (on an island); [[Kinnarodden]] on [[Nordkinn Peninsula]] in [[Lebesby Municipality]] is the northernmost point on the European mainland. [[Honningsvåg]] in Finnmark claims to be world's northernmost city, and [[Vardø (town)|Vardø]] is the easternmost town in Norway and farther east than [[Istanbul]].

The coast is indented by large [[fjord]]s, some of which (in a strict sense) are false fjords, as they are not carved out by glaciers. Some of Norway's largest [[sea bird]] colonies are on the northern coast; the largest are ''Hjelmsøystauran'' on the island of [[Hjelmsøya]] in [[Måsøy Municipality]] and ''[[Gjesværstappan]]'' in [[Nordkapp Municipality]]. The highest point is atop the glacier [[Øksfjordjøkelen]], which has an area of {{convert|45|km2}}, and is in [[Loppa Municipality]]. Both Øksfjordjøkelen and [[Seilandsjøkelen|Seiland Glacier]] are in western Finnmark.

The Øksfjord [[plateau glacier]] [[Ice calving|calved]] directly into the sea (''Jøkelfjorden'') until 1900, the last glacier in mainland Norway to do so. Finnmark's central and eastern parts are generally less mountainous, and have no glaciers. The land east of Nordkapp is mostly below {{convert|300|m|abbr=on}}.

The nature varies from barren coastal areas facing the [[Barents Sea]] to more sheltered fjord areas and river valleys with gullies and tree vegetation. About half the county is above the [[tree line]], and large parts of the other half is covered with small [[Downy birch]].

The lushest areas are the [[Alta Municipality|Alta]] area and the [[Tana River (Norway)|Tana]] valleys, and in the east is the lowland area in the [[Pasvik]] valley in [[Sør-Varanger Municipality]], where the [[Scots pine|pine]] and [[Siberia]]n [[spruce]] forest is considered part of the Russian [[taiga]] vegetation. This valley has the highest density of [[Brown bear]]s in Norway, and is the only place in the country with a population of [[muskrat]]s, stemming from their introduction from their native [[North America]] into Europe in the early 20th century, which included their release in 293 localities all over Finland from 1919 onward, and then of about 1,000 muskrats on the [[Kola Peninsula]] during 1931–36. The animal spread and the observations of first 'possible' muskrats in the river [[Altaelva|Alta]] area in [[Troms]] were made around 1960, though the first actual specimen was not recovered until 1969, when a muskrat was captured alive in {{interlanguage link|Smalfjord|no}} in [[Tana Municipality]] (Lund & Wikan 1995). In 1970, another specimen was collected from [[Jarfjorden]] in [[Sør-Varanger Municipality]] in Finnmark (Pedersen 1970). Between 1980 and 1988 there were few observations of muskrats in Norway (Lund & Wikan 1995). Since 1988 there has been a rapid population increase in Sör-Varanger, and the muskrat has spread to almost every part of the municipality.<ref>Danell, Kjell. (1996). Introductions of aquatic rodents: lessons of the muskrat Ondatra zibethicus invasion. Wildlife Biology. 2. 213–220. 10.2981/wlb.1996.021.</ref> [[Lynx]] and [[moose]] are common in large parts of Finnmark, but rare on the coast.

The county's interior parts are part of the great [[Finnmarksvidda]] plateau, with an elevation of {{convert|300|to|400|m|abbr=on}}, with multiple [[List of lakes in Finnmark|lakes]] and river valleys.  The plateau is famous for its tens of thousands of reindeer owned by the Sámi, and swarms of mosquitoes in midsummer. Finnmarksvidda makes up 36% of the county's area. [[Stabbursdalen National Park]] ensures protection for the world's northernmost Scots pine forest.

The [[Tana River (Norway)|Tana River]], which partly defines the border with [[Finland]], gives the largest catch of salmon of all rivers in Europe, and also has the world record for [[Atlantic salmon]], {{convert|36|kg|abbr=on}}. In the east, the [[Pasvikelva]] defines the border with [[Russia]].

<gallery widths=200 heights=160>
File:View from Bárrás.jpg|Mountain landscape near [[Kvalsund (village)|Kvalsund]] in [[Hammerfest Municipality]]
File:Altafjord Norwegen.jpg|[[Altafjorden]], [[Alta Municipality|Alta]] (<!--Uploaded in-->2003)
File:Kiollefiord.jpg|Kjøllefjord on the northeastern coast
File:Peder Balke-Fra Hammerfest.jpg|''Fra Hammerfest'' by Peder Balke (1851)
File:Neiden panorama.jpg|Neiden in Sør-Varanger
</gallery>

=== Climate ===
{{climate chart
|[[Alta Airport|Alta Airport (1961–90)]]
| -12.6 | -5.3 | 32
| -11.7 | -4.5 | 25
| -8.6 | -1.4 | 23
| -4.0 | 2.6 | 17
| 1.5 | 7.5 | 20
| 7.0 | 13.7 | 33
| 10.2 | 17.2 | 54
| 8.7 | 15.2 | 49
| 4.3 | 10.0 | 38
| -1.1 |  4.0 | 39
| -6.8 | -0.8 | 34
| -10.5 | -3.4 | 36
| float=right
| clear=none
| source= [http://met.no/Klima/Klimastatistikk/Klimadata/ met.no/klimastatistikk/eklima]
}}

The [[Finnmarksvidda]] plateau in the interior of the county has a [[continental climate]] with the coldest winter temperatures in Norway: the coldest temperature ever recorded was {{convert|-51.4|C}} in [[Karasjok Municipality]] on 1 January 1886. The 24-hour averages for January and July at the same location are {{convert|-17.1|C}} and {{convert|13.1|C}}, the annual average is {{convert|-2.4|C}}, and precipitation is only {{convert|366|mm}} per year with summer as the wettest season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Norwegian Meteorological Records |url=http://met.no/observasjoner/finnmark/normaler_for_kommune_2021.html?kommuner |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071120082628/http://met.no/observasjoner/finnmark/normaler_for_kommune_2021.html?kommuner |archive-date=2007-11-20 |access-date=2009-02-12 |website=met.no}}</ref> Karasjok has recorded up to {{convert|32.4|C}} in July, giving a possible year amplitude of {{convert|84|C-change}} (rare in [[Europe]]). Finnmarksvidda has annual mean temperatures down to {{convert|-3|C}} (Sihcajavri in [[Kautokeino Municipality]]), the coldest in mainland Norway (except for higher mountain areas) and even colder than [[Jan Mayen]] and [[Bear Island (Norway)|Bear Island]]. Sihcajavri has also recorded {{convert|34.3|C}} on 23 June 1920.

Due to the proximity to the ice-free ocean, winters are much milder in coastal areas (and more windy); [[Loppa Municipality]] has average January and July temperatures of {{convert|-2|C}} and {{convert|11.6|C}} respectively, with an annual mean of {{convert|3.6|C}},<ref>{{Cite web |title=Meteorological data |url=http://met.no/observasjoner/finnmark/normaler_for_kommune_2014.html?kommuner |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071120082609/http://met.no/observasjoner/finnmark/normaler_for_kommune_2014.html?kommuner |archive-date=2007-11-20 |access-date=2009-02-12 |website=met.no}}</ref> despite being further north. Average annual precipitation is {{convert|914|mm}} and the wettest season is September until December. The year average temperature difference between Loppa and Karasjok (6&nbsp;°C) is comparable to the difference between Loppa and [[London]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-02-04 |title=Meteorological data |url=http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/data.pl?ref=N51W000+1102+03776W |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080619180206/http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/data.pl?ref=N51W000+1102+03776W |archive-date=2008-06-19 |access-date=2009-02-12 |website=worldclimate.com}}</ref>

In the [[Köppen climate classification]], the climate in Karasjok–and most of the lowland areas in Finnmark–corresponds to the Dfc category ([[subarctic climate]]), while the Loppa climate corresponds to the Cfc category. The northeastern coast, from [[Nordkapp Municipality]] east to [[Vardø Municipality]], have [[arctic]] [[tundra]] climate (Köppen: ET), as the average July temperature is below {{convert|10|C}}.

Furthermore, elevations exceeding approximately {{convert|100|to|200|m}} in coastal areas in western Finnmark and {{convert|300|to|500|m}} in the interior result in an [[alpine climate]], and in the northeast this merges with the Arctic [[polar climate|tundra climate]].

The climate in sheltered parts of fjord areas (particularly the [[Altafjorden]]) is usually considered the most hospitable: winters are not as cold as in the interior, and summer warmth is comparable. Even if winter temperatures are milder in coastal areas, the coast is more exposed to winter storms, which often complicate or shut down road and air communications.

=== Midnight sun ===
[[File:Vadso Norwegen Februar 2004.jpg|thumb|right|Sunrise at 07:33 in February; [[Vadsø (town)|Vadsø]]]]

Situated north of the [[Arctic Circle]], Finnmark has [[midnight sun]] from the middle of May until late July. Conversely, in two months of the winter, from late November to late January, the county experiences [[polar night]]s where the sun is always below the horizon. As a consequence, there is continuous daylight from early May to early August. At midwinter, there is only a bluish twilight for a couple of hours around noon, which can almost reach full daylight if there are clear skies to the south.

=== Northern lights ===
Finnmark is in the [[Aurora (astronomy)|Aurora Borealis]] zone, and because of the dry climate with frequent clear skies, [[Alta Municipality]] was early chosen as a location for study of the phenomenon. For this reason, [[Alta (town)|Alta]] is sometimes called the city of the northern lights.

== Demographics ==
{{Historical populations
|footnote = '''''Source''': [http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/02/02/folkendrhist_en/tables/tab/20.html Statistics Norway].''<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 May 2012 |title=Statistikkbanken |url=http://statbank.ssb.no/statistikkbanken/Default_FR.asp?PXSid=0&nvl=true&PLanguage=0&tilside=selecttable%2FhovedtabellHjem.asp&KortnavnWeb=folkfram |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023110552/http://statbank.ssb.no/statistikkbanken/Default_FR.asp?PXSid=0&nvl=true&PLanguage=0&tilside=selecttable%2FhovedtabellHjem.asp&KortnavnWeb=folkfram |archive-date=23 October 2013 |access-date=28 April 2018 |website=ssb.no}}</ref>
|shading = off
|1951|64511
|1961|72104
|1971|76311
|1981|78331
|1991|74590
|2001|74087
|2011|73417
|2016|75758
}}
{{bar box
|title=Religion in Finnmark<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 July 2012 |title=Statistikkbanken |url=http://statbank.ssb.no/statistikkbanken/Default_FR.asp?PXSid=0&nvl=true&PLanguage=0&tilside=selecttable%2FhovedtabellHjem.asp&KortnavnWeb=kirke_kostra |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716151336/http://statbank.ssb.no/statistikkbanken/Default_FR.asp?PXSid=0&nvl=true&PLanguage=0&tilside=selecttable%2FhovedtabellHjem.asp&KortnavnWeb=kirke_kostra |archive-date=16 July 2012 |access-date=28 April 2018 |website=ssb.no}}</ref><ref>[http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/07/02/10/trosamf_en/tab-2010-12-13-02-en.html Statistics Norway – Members of religious and life stance communities outside the Church of Norway, by religion/life stance. County. 2006–2010] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111102060754/http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/07/02/10/trosamf_en/tab-2010-12-13-02-en.html |date=November 2, 2011 }}</ref>
|titlebar=#ddd
|left1=religion
|right1=percent
|float=right
|bars=
{{bar percent|[[Christianity]]|Purple|89.2}}
{{bar percent|[[Islam]]|Green|0.32}}
{{bar percent|[[Buddhism]]|Red|0.11}}
{{bar percent|Other|Blue|10.37}}
}}

The old [[Stone Age]] [[Komsa]] culture is difficult to relate to the people living in Finnmark today. There are findings suggesting that the Sami people have been there for a long time, but exactly how long is unclear, some scholars {{who|date=November 2010}} claiming 8000 years but others {{who|date=November 2010}} only 2500 years. From the 10th century, the coastal areas have been populated and visited by ethnic Norwegians, and Finnmark became part of the kingdom.

The [[Sami people|Sami]] core areas in Norway are in Finnmark, where they constitute about one quarter of the total population. [[Kautokeino Municipality]], [[Karasjok Municipality]], [[Tana Municipality]], [[Nesseby Municipality]], and [[Porsanger Municipality]] in Finnmark county (and some other municipalities in other counties) have official names in the [[Sami languages|Sami language]]. Most municipalities in [[Sápmi (area)|Sápmi]] have unofficial names in Sámi as well.

In the 18th century and the 19th century, a number of Finnish-speaking [[immigrants]] settled in Finnmark. Since 1996, they have had minority status as [[Kven people]]. The town of [[Vadsø (town)|Vadsø]] ({{langx|fkv|Vesisaari}}) is often seen as the "Kven capital" in Finnmark.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-02-28 |title=Den kvenske folkevandringen til Troms og Finnmark |url=http://www.nordlys.no/debatt/kronikk/article1880185.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090715034812/http://www.nordlys.no/debatt/kronikk/article1880185.ece |archive-date=2009-07-15 |access-date=2009-02-12 |publisher=nordlys.no |language=no}}</ref>

[[Lakselv]], in central Finnmark, is sometimes referred to as "meeting place for three tribes". After the collapse of the Soviet Union and severe economic troubles in the Russian economy during the 1990s, Russian immigrants and shoppers arrived in Kirkenes. Since the beginning of the [[European migrant crisis]] a number of Syrian refugees arrived in Kirkenes via Russia.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Haroon Siddique |date=18 November 2015 |title=Bicycles used by Syrian refugees to enter Norway from Russia to be destroyed |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/18/bicycles-syrian-refugees-enter-norway-russia-destroyed |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624054807/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/18/bicycles-syrian-refugees-enter-norway-russia-destroyed |archive-date=24 June 2016 |access-date=20 May 2016 |website=The Guardian}}</ref>

People have lived in Finnmark for at least 10,000 years (see [[Komsa]], [[Pit-Comb Ware culture]] and [[Rock carvings at Alta]]). The destiny of these early cultures is unknown. Three ethnic groups have a long history in Finnmark: the [[Sami people]], the [[Norwegian people]], and the [[Kven people]]. Of these, the Sami probably were the first people to explore Finnmark. [[Ohthere of Hålogaland]] was an adventurous Norwegian (Norseman) from [[Hålogaland]], the area roughly corresponding to today's [[Nordland]] county. Around 890 AD, he claimed, according to historical sources (see [[Ohthere of Hålogaland]]) that he lived "north-most of all the Northmen", and that "no one [lived] to the north of him."  Later, Norwegians in the 14th century, and Kvens in the 16th century, settled along the coast. See the articles on [[Kven people]] and [[Vardøhus Fortress]] for more details.

== Economy ==
[[File:Hammerfest suburb 2005.jpg|thumb|The Hammerfest suburb of [[Rypefjord]]]]

[[Fisheries]] have traditionally been the most important way of living along the coast, where the majority of the Norwegian population live. The [[Paralithodes camtschaticus|red king crab]], originally from the northern [[Pacific Ocean]] but brought to the Barents sea by the Russians, have invaded from the east and are now being exploited commercially (especially in the [[Varangerfjord]]). To prevent the crab from spreading too far south, crab fishing west of Nordkapp is totally unregulated.

In more recent years, [[tourism]] has grown in importance, with the [[North Cape, Norway|North Cape]] (in [[Nordkapp Municipality]]) and the towns of Alta and [[Hammerfest (town)|Hammerfest]] as the most important destinations.

As of 2001, one percent of the work force were employed in the oil industry and the mining industry.

There is some mining industry, though exploitation of the [[iron]] [[ores]] along the [[Kirkenes–Bjørnevatn Line]] was paused in 2015 and has not restarted as of 2022.<ref>[https://snl.no/Sydvaranger_-_gruveselskap Sydvaranger (gruveselskap)], Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 2022-10-15</ref>

The [[slate]] industry in Alta is well known and have sold to customers as far away as [[Japan]].

An irregular<ref>[https://www.nrk.no/tromsogfinnmark/navaerende-statssekretaer-bestilte-hurtigbat-til-finnmark_-men-manglet-politisk-godkjenning-1.16137389 NRK no. Retrieved 2022-20-15]</ref> procurement of a commuter boat [or [[ferry]] ] in 2020, priced at [[Norwegian kroner]] 83 million, is still (as of 2022) causing fear that Finnmark will alone get stuck with paying off the boat (when Finnmark becomes a county in 2024); the expense can lead to budget cuts.

The town of Hammerfest is experiencing an economic boom as a consequence of [[Statoil]]'s construction of the large land-based [[LNG]] site on the island of [[Melkøya]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Duval-Smith |first=Alex |date=2005-11-27 |title=Arctic booms as climate change melts polar ice cap |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2005/nov/27/oilandpetrol.theobserver |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080109162656/http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1651724,00.html |archive-date=2008-01-09 |access-date=2009-02-12 |publisher=Observer.guardian.co.uk |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Snøhvit |url=http://www.statoil.com/STATOILCOM/snohvit/svg02699.nsf?OpenDatabase&lang=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214134257/http://www.statoil.com/STATOILCOM/snohvit/svg02699.nsf?OpenDatabase&lang=en |archive-date=December 14, 2007 |access-date=2009-02-12 |publisher=Statoil.com}}</ref> which gets natural gas from the [[Snøhvit]] undersea gas field. A new [[oil field]] was discovered in 2009 just {{convert|45|km|abbr=on}} off shore,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aftenpost article |url=http://www.aftenposten.no/english/business/article1183572.ece |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091214085120/http://www.aftenposten.no/english/business/article1183572.ece |archive-date=2009-12-14 |access-date=2009-02-12 |publisher=Aftenposten.no}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Aftenpost article |url=http://www.aftenposten.no/english/business/article1197441.ece |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090126181525/http://www.aftenposten.no/english/business/article1197441.ece |archive-date=2009-01-26 |access-date=2009-02-12 |publisher=Aftenposten.no}}</ref> close to the Snøhvit field.

There is optimism in the eastern part of the county, as the growing [[petroleum]] activity in the Barents Sea is expected to generate increased economic activity on land as well.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Norwegian environmental group Bellona |url=http://www.bellona.no/en/energy/fossil/barents/27569.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050920065052/http://www.bellona.no/en/energy/fossil/barents/27569.html |archive-date=2005-09-20 |access-date=2009-02-12 |publisher=Bellona.no}}</ref>

Some [[snow mold]]s are prevalent and well adapted here, including ''[[Sclerotinia borealis]]'' and ''[[Typhula ishikariensis]]'' (especially ''T. i.'' group III). Both are [[plant pathogen|pathogens]] of [[wheat]], and ''S. b.'' also affects [[rye]], [[barley]], and some trees.<ref name="Hoshino-et-al-2009">{{Cite journal |last=Hoshino |first=Tamotsu |last2=Xiao |first2=Nan |last3=Xiao |first3=Nan |last4=Hoshino |first4=Tamotsu |last5=Tkachenko |first5=Oleg B. |year=2009 |title=Cold adaptation in the phytopathogenic fungi causing snow molds |journal=[[Mycoscience]] |publisher=[[Mycological Society of Japan]] ([[J-STAGE]]) |volume=50 |issue=1 |pages=26–38 |doi=10.1007/s10267-008-0452-2 |issn=1340-3540 |s2cid=85291046}}</ref>

===Infrastructure===
There are eleven airports, but only [[Alta Airport]], [[Lakselv Airport, Banak|Lakselv-Banak Airport]], and [[Kirkenes Airport, Høybuktmoen|Kirkenes-Høybuktmoen Airport]] have direct flights to [[Oslo]]. In addition, [[Lakselv Airport, Banak|Lakselv-Banak Airport]] in [[Porsanger Municipality]] is used for training by the [[Royal Norwegian Air Force]] and other [[NATO]] allies, in conjunction with the nearby [[Halkavarre]] shooting range, which allows for practice with precision-guided munitions. [[Garnisonen i Porsanger]] is near the Halkavarre training area. There is also the [[Garnisonen i Sør-Varanger]] ([[Garnisonen i Sør-Varanger|Gsv]]) in the east, which guards the border with Russia.

== Administration ==
{{main|Finnmark County Municipality}}
[[File:Vadso Kirche.jpg|thumb|right|Vadsø with the church, February 2004]]

The town of [[Vadsø (town)|Vadsø]] is the [[administrative centre]] for the county of Finnmark, although [[Alta (town)|Alta]] has the largest population.  The [[Finnmark County Municipality]] was the governing body for the county.  The county was generally divided into two districts: [[West-Finnmark]] (''Vest-Finnmark'') and [[East-Finnmark]] (''Øst-Finnmark'').

Until 2006, [[Statskog]], the Norwegian state-owned agency responsible for the management of state owned forest and mountain real estate, owned about 95% of the land in Finnmark county. On 1 July 2006, the [[Finnmark Estate]] agency took over the ownership and management of that land in Finnmark. The Finnmark Estate was governed in tandem by the [[Finnmark County Municipality]] and the [[Sami Parliament of Norway]]. The Sami Parliament of Norway is based in the village of [[Karasjok (village)|Karasjok]].

The national government runs the [[Northern Norway Regional Health Authority]] which in turn owns and operates two [[hospital]]s in Finnmark, located in [[Kirkenes]] and [[Hammerfest (town)|Hammerfest]].

=== Municipalities ===
There were 19 municipalities in Finnmark when the county merged into ''Troms og Finnmark''. 18 of those exist as of 2021.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan=2|Municipalities in Finnmark
|-
!Key
|rowspan=2|[[File:Locator map of municipalities in Finnmark, Norway numbered.svg|600px]]
|-
|
# [[Alta Municipality|Alta]]
# [[Berlevåg Municipality|Berlevåg]]
# [[Båtsfjord Municipality|Båtsfjord]]
# [[Gamvik Municipality|Gamvik]]
# [[Hammerfest Municipality|Hammerfest]]
# [[Hasvik Municipality|Hassvik]]
# [[Karasjok Municipality|Kárášjohka or Karasjok]]
# [[Kautokeino Municipality|Guovdageaidnu or Kautokeino]]
# [[Hammerfest Municipality|Hammerfest]] (formerly Kvalsund, merged in 2020)
# [[Lebesby Municipality|Lebesby]]
# [[Loppa Municipality|Loppa]]
# [[Måsøy Municipality|Måsøy]]
# [[Nesseby Municipality|Unjárga or Nesseby]]
# [[Nordkapp Municipality|Nordkapp]]
# [[Porsanger Municipality|Porsanger or Porsángu or Porsanki]]
# [[Sør-Varanger Municipality|Sør-Varanger]]
# [[Tana Municipality|Deatnu or Tana]]
# [[Vadsø Municipality|Vadsø]]
# [[Vardø Municipality|Vardø]]
|}
<!-- Note! Do not reorder the list without changing the numbering in the figure. -->

== References ==
=== Footnotes ===
{{reflist|2}}

=== Bibliography ===
* {{Cite book |last=Bjørbæk |first=Gustav |title=Norsk Vær i 110 År |publisher=Damm |year=2003 |isbn=978-82-04-08695-2 |location=Oslo}}
* {{Cite book |last=Brooke, Arthur de Capell |url=http://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2015090729005 |title=A winter in Lapland and Sweden, with various observations relating to Finmark and its inhabitants |publisher=John Murray |year=1826}}
* {{Cite book |editor-last=Haugan |editor-first=Trygve B |year=1940 |title=Det Nordlige Norge Fra Trondheim Til Midnattssolens Land |publisher=Reisetrafikkforeningen for Trondheim og Trøndelag |location=Trondheim}}
* {{Cite book |last=Moen |first=Asbjørn |title=Nasjonalatlas for Norge: Vegetasjon |publisher=Statens Kartverk |year=1998 |isbn=978-82-90408-26-3 |location=Hønefoss}}
* [[Norwegian Meteorological Institute]] (24-hr averages, 1961–90 base period)
* {{Cite book |last=Tollefsrud, Jan Inge |title=Perler i Norsk Natur – En Veiviser |last2=Tjørve, Even |last3=Hermansen, Pål |publisher=Aschehoug |year=1991 |isbn=978-82-03-16663-1}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
* [https://archive.today/20121209043520/http://www.uit.no/melkoya/perioder/older_stone.htm Stone age in Finnmark]
* [http://www.finnmark.no/index.jsp?lang=en Finnmark county administration]
* [http://www.visitnorway.com/en/Stories/Norway/North/Finnmark/ Finnmark at the official travel guide to Norway]
* [http://www.dagbladet.no/2015/08/21/kultur/meninger/kronikk/lokale/valg15-finnmark/40717274/ Kampen vår mot Akersystemet og Staten blir som om Justin Bieber skulle møtt Mike Tyson til boksekamp. Hvor er sensasjonspressen? Hvor er VG, Aftenposten, NRK Dagsrevyen og TV2? Hvor er Dagsnytt atten? Er ikke landets nest største eksportnæring viktig nok?] [Our struggle against ''Akersystemet'' and the government is as if Justin Bieber was to meet Mike Tyson for a smoker. Where is the press? Where is Verdens Gang, Aftenposten, NRK Dagsrevyen and TV"? Where is "Dagsnytt atten"? Is the country's second largest export industry, not important enough?]
* {{Cite AmCyc|wstitle=Finmark |short=x}}

{{Finnmark}}
{{Counties of Norway|current}}
{{Polar regions}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Finnmark| ]]
[[Category:1662 establishments in Norway]]
[[Category:2020 disestablishments in Norway]]
[[Category:2024 establishments in Norway]]
[[Category:Counties of Norway]]
[[Category:Former Norwegian colonies]]
[[Category:Regions of the Arctic]]