Sør-Varanger (Northern Sami: Máttá-Várjjat, Kven: Etelä-Varenki, Finnish: Etelä-Varanki, Russian: Сёр-Вара́нгер) is a municipality in the county of Finnmark, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kirkenes. Located west of the Norway–Russia border, Sør-Varanger is the only Norwegian municipality that shares a land border with Russia, with the only legal border crossing at Storskog.
Geography: there are fjords in the municipality, including Langfjorden and Jarfjorden.
Road infrastructure: the E6 road has a bridge across Langfjorden (Finnmark): Strømmen bridge.[3]
Culture: The sled dog race Finnmarksløpet goes thru the county.
History
For some time until 1826, Sør-Varanger was a district that (at the same time) belonged to Russia and Norway; there was an Eastern Sami (østsamisk)[4] population; the population was under Russia's jurisdiction.
A part of Norway, it became in 1826.[4]
Norway's government had a fear that the county could be lost to Finland[4] or Russia; Finland was under Russian domination (or rule) during 1809 - 1918. Part of the fear was that Finnish-speaking Kven people[5] would help Finland/Russia, to take Northern areas, away from [the government of] Norway.
(Cwenas[5] is the Old English name for a group of people of Finnish heritage; this group immigrated to North Norway - from Finland and Sweden.)[6]
During the 19th century, the area was colonized by Sámi from Norway; people from Finland; and Norwegians.[4]
The mining industry in Kirkenes, and at Bjørnevatn, was started in 1906; the majority of the county's population then, were Norwegian.[4]
The people that were Finnish, mostly [lived] at three settlements: Bugøynes in the West, Pasvik in the East, and at Neiden (between Bugøynes and Pasvik); those who spoke Finnish, were in majority (in these 3 settlements).[4]
Economy
Media said in 2022's second quarter that the level of employment is 2,100 full-time positions.[7]
[Around] 600 people (in 2022's first quarter) work in industries related to ships and boats, including delivering supplies and services including repairs; Kimek is one of the largest companies in the municipality.[8]
Regarding the economy's benefit of trade related to Russians: media said in 2022, that around 300 jobs are directly dependent on "the co-operation with Russia", while 670 jobs have a "connection" with Russia.[7]
Settlements
Settlements in the municipality include the villages of Bjørnevatn, Bugøynes, Elvenes, Grense Jakobselv, Hesseng, Jakobsnes, Neiden, Sandnes and Kirkenes (a town).
Administration
The municipal council is elected until late 2027.
(The 25 council members were elected during the 2023 Norwegian local elections.)
Famous people
Gallery
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Street in the town of
Kirkenes
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Sør-Varanger museum
Related pages
References
Other websites
Media related to Sør-Varanger at Wikimedia Commons
