Hinnøya

Historie

Hinnøya is the fourth-largest island in Norway – and the largest off the mainland – covering an area of. It is located on the west coast of the country, in Northern Norway. The western part of the island is in the district of Vesterålen, the southwestern part is in Lofoten, the southeastern part is in Ofoten and the northeastern part is in Southern Troms. In 2001, Hinnøya was Norway's most populated island.NameThe Old Norse form of the name was just Hinn (-øya meaning 'the island' was added later). The large island is almost divided in two parts by the Gullesfjorden and Kanstadfjorden, and the old name is probably derived from an old verb with the meaning "cleave", "split", or "cut".EnvironmentHinnøya is dissected by several fjords, and two very long ones, Gullesfjorden in the Northeast and Øksfjorden in the Southwest, almost sever the island; it is only 5km between their respective heads. The island contains a mostly rugged and mountainous terrain, especially the southern part. The best agricultural area is in the northeast, in Harstad and Kvæfjord. The southern part is the location of Møysalen National Park, which includes the highest mountain on the island, the 1262m tall Møysalen. In the northwestern part of the island, near Forfjord, is a nature reserve containing a valley with forests and bogs, including the oldest pine trees in Norway, more than 700 years old.