Senja Municipality


Senja is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. It was established on 1 January 2020 when the municipalities of Berg, Lenvik, Torsken, and Tranøy were merged into one municipality. It is located in the traditional district of Hålogaland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Finnsnes. Some of the notable villages in Senja include Å, Aglapsvik, Bjorelvnes, Botnhamn, Finnsæter, Fjordgård, Flakstadvåg, Gibostad, Gryllefjord, Husøy, Langnes, Laukhella, Lysnes, Medby, Mefjordvær, Rossfjordstraumen, Sandbakken, Senjahopen, Silsand, Skaland, Skrollsvika, Stonglandseidet, Torsken, and Vangsvik.
The municipality includes all of the island of Senja, the smaller surrounding islands, and part of the mainland between the Gisundet strait and the Malangen fjord. The municipality is the 40th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Senja is the 83rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 14,894. The municipality's population density is and its population has increased by 0.2% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

In March 2017, the Parliament of Norway voted to merge the municipalities of Berg, Lenvik, Torsken, and Tranøy. The new municipality was established on 1 January 2020 as Senja Municipality.
On 1 January 2024, the large Troms og Finnmark county was divided and the municipality became part of the newly re-created Troms county.

Etymology

The Old Norse form of the name must also have been Senja or perhaps Sændja. The meaning of the name is unknown, but it might be related to the verb sundra which means to "tear" or "split apart", possibly because the west coast of the island is torn and split by numerous small fjords. It might also be derived from a Proto-Norse form of the word Sandijōn meaning " of sand" or "sandy island".

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was approved for use starting on 1 January 2020. The blazon is "Azure, northern lights vert over mountain peaks argent to sinister". This means the arms have a dark blue field and the charge is the green northern lights above some mountain peaks. The mountain peaks have a tincture of argent which means they are commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The mountain peak is a depiction of the Okshornan mountain.

Churches

The Church of Norway has four parishes within Senja Municipality. It is part of the Senja prosti in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.
Parish Church nameLocation of the churchYear built
BergBerg ChurchSkaland1955
BergFinnsæter ChapelFinnsæter1982
BergMefjordvær ChapelMefjordvær1916
LenvikFinnsnes ChurchFinnsnes1979
LenvikLenvik ChurchBjorelvnes1879
LenvikRossfjord ChurchRossfjordstraumen1822
LenvikFjordgård ChapelFjordgård1976
LenvikGibostad ChapelGibostad1939
LenvikHusøy ChapelHusøy i Senja1957
LenvikLysbotn ChapelLysnes1970
LenvikSandbakken ChapelSandbakken1974
TorskenTorsken ChurchTorsken1784
TorskenFlakkstadvåg ChapelFlakstadvåg1925
TorskenGryllefjord ChapelGryllefjord1902
TorskenMedby ChapelMedby1890
TranøyStonglandet ChurchStonglandseidet1896
TranøyTranøy ChurchTranøya1775
TranøySkrolsvik ChapelSkrollsvika1924
TranøyVangsvik ChapelVangsvik1975

Government

Senja Municipality is responsible for primary education, outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Nord-Troms og Senja District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council of Senja Municipality is made up of 45 representatives that are elected to four-year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors

The mayor of Senja Municipality 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:
Senja Municipality is located along the Troms county coast. The municipality encompasses the whole island of Senja, plus some smaller areas on the mainland around the Gisundet strait and the around the Rossfjordvatnet lake. The island is connected to the mainland by the Gisund Bridge. The northern coasts of the island of Senja faces the open sea, the western coast faces the islands of Andøya and Krøttøya, the southern coast faces the islands of Andørja and Dyrøya. On the western coast, steep and rugged mountains rise straight from the sea, with some fishing villages tucked into the small lowland areas between the mountains and the sea. The eastern and southern parts of the island are milder, with rounder mountains, forests, rivers and agriculture land. The highest point in the municipality is the tall mountain Vassbruntinden which lies on the border of Senja Municipality and Målselv Municipality.
The municipality is located to the southwest of Tromsø Municipality; west of Balsfjord Municipality; northwest of Målselv Municipality; north of Sørreisa Municipality, Dyrøy Municipality, and Ibestad Municipality; and east of Harstad Municipality and Andøy Municipality. All of these neighboring municipalities are separated from Senja by water except for a land border with Målselv Municipality and Sørreisa Municipality.

Climate

Laukhella is near Silsand on Senja island, facing the mainland towards the east. The eastern part of the island is less windy, with warmer summers and colder winters than the west coast. The climate data from Hekkingen Lighthouse is more typical for the west coast, albeit the precipitation is higher in the very west.

Attractions

Among the sights of the island are Ånderdalen National Park with coastal pine forests and mountains, traditional fishing communities, and the Senja Troll, the world's largest troll. There are several small museums documenting local history, among these the Halibut Museum in Skrolsvik.

Notable people