Gamvik
ⓘ (Northern Sami: Gáŋgaviika) is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Mehamn. The other main villages in Gamvik include Gamvik and Skjånes. Gamvik is known as one of the poorest and most undeveloped municipalities in Norway. The number of inhabitants rose at one moment in 2012, but in 2014, after the fish factory closed, the population declined dramatically with the departure of the eastern European fishermen.
Gamvik Municipality
Gamvik kommune | |
|---|---|
View of Mehamn on New Year's Day (during the polar night) | |
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Flag | |
Finnmark within Norway | |
Gamvik within Finnmark | |
| Coordinates: 71°02′28″N 27°51′05″E | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Finnmark |
| District | Øst-Finnmark |
| Established | 1 Jan 1914 |
| • Preceded by | Tana Municipality |
| Administrative centre | Mehamn |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2023) | Ragnhlid Vassvik (Ap) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,416.34 km2 (546.85 sq mi) |
| • Land | 1,355.08 km2 (523.20 sq mi) |
| • Water | 61.47 km2 (23.73 sq mi) 4.3% |
| • Rank | #65 in Norway |
| Population (2023) | |
| • Total | 1,054 |
| • Rank | #331 in Norway |
| • Density | 0.8/km2 (2/sq mi) |
| • Change (10 years) | −0.8% |
| Demonyms | Gamviking Gamvikværing |
| Official language | |
| • Norwegian form | Neutral |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | NO-5626 |
| Website | Official website |
Most people live in the village of Mehamn (about 500 inhabitants), which has an airport, Mehamn Airport, and is also a port of call of the hurtigruten coastal boats. The Slettnes Lighthouse near the village of Gamvik is the northernmost lighthouse on the mainland of Europe. Nervei and Langfjordbotn are two very small villages in southern Gamvik that are only accessible by boat. Finnkongkeila is an abandoned village along the Tanafjorden.
The 1,416-square-kilometre (547 sq mi) municipality is the 65th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Gamvik is the 331st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,054. The municipality's population density is 0.8 inhabitants per square kilometre (2.1/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 0.8% over the previous 10-year period.