Everything about Vard totally explained
() is a town and
municipality in the
county of
Finnmark in the extreme northeast of
Norway.
Vardø was established as a municipality on
January 1,
1838 (see
formannskapsdistrikt). The law required that all cities should be separated from their rural districts - but because of low population, and very few voters, this was impossible to carry out for Vardø in 1838. (See also
Hammerfest and
Vadsø.)
The rural district of Vardø (
Vardø herred, after 1957 named
Båtsfjord) was separated from the city 1868. (The eastern part of Båtsfjord was, however, again merged with Vardø
January 1,
1964.)
The name
The
Norse form of the name was
Vargøy. The first element is
vargr m '
wolf', the last element is
øy f 'island'.
The first element was later (around 1500) replaced with
varða f '
cairn'.
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from 1895. It shows two
fishing boats, a
cod and a
sunrise.
It also has a text in Latin: VARDØENSIS INSIGNIA URBIS. CEDANT TENEBRÆ SOLI. "The seal of Vardø city. The darkness must give way to the Sun."
Geography and climate
Vardø is the easternmost town in
Norway, and it's actually east of
Saint Petersburg,
Kiev and
Istanbul. The eastern part of Finnmark is in the same
time zone as the rest of the country, even if it's more than an hour at odds with daylight hours.
The
port of Vardø, on the
Barents Sea, remains
ice-free all year round thanks to the effect of the warm
North Atlantic drift. Vardø is usually referred to as Norway's only mainland town in the
Arctic climate zone, although this isn't strictly correct since the town is located on an island about 2 km off the northeastern coast of the
Varanger Peninsula. In July, the 24-hr average temperature is only 9.1°C, while the January average is a modest -5.1°C
(External Link
).
The island is connected to the mainland via an undersea tunnel (Norway's first such structure); the town's airport,
Vardø Airport, Svartnes, and the settlement of Svartnes are located on the mainland opposite the tunnel entrance. Vardø is a port of call on Norway's
Hurtigruten ferry service. The town is the northern termination of
European route E75, which starts in
Sitia,
Crete.
Economy and tourism
Fishing and seafood processing remain Vardø's major sources of income, although tourism is starting to become an important economic factor.
Vardø's tourist attractions include
Vardøhus Festning, a fortress dating back to the late 13th century, although the present structure dates from
1734,
several sea bird colonies,, two museums: one about the
Pomor trade and the other about local history and birdlife, and remnants of German fortifications from
World War II. The
Yukigassen competition in Vardø is unique in Norway.
Vardøhus Festning is home to two
rowan trees which are diligently nurtured and warmed in winter since these trees can't normally survive in Vardø's cold climate, north of the Arctic
tree line. Originally, seven trees were planted in
1960; the one that survived managed to blossom twice, in
1974 and
1981. The tree finally succumbed to cold weather in
2002, but two new saplings have been planted in its place.
The Globus II Radar
Since
1998, the town has housed a
radar installation called
Globus II. Its official purpose is the tracking of
space junk; however, due to the site's proximity to
Russia, and an alleged connection between the
Globus II system and
US anti-missile systems, the site has been the basis for heated controversy in diplomatic and intelligence circles.
(External Link)
Birdlife
The municipality of Vardø with its seabird colonies of Hornøy and Reinøy are amongst the most interesting on this part of the coast. There is a small breeding population of Brunnich’s Guillemot as well as larger numbers of Razorbill and Common Guillemot.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Vard'.
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