Astafjorden

Astafjorden
Astafjorden
Location of the fjord
Astafjorden
Astafjorden (Norway)
Location Troms county, Norway
Coordinates 68°47′15″N 17°14′40″E / 68.7875°N 17.2445°E / 68.7875; 17.2445Coordinates: 68°47′15″N 17°14′40″E / 68.7875°N 17.2445°E / 68.7875; 17.2445
Type Fjord
Primary inflows Salangen, Lavangen, Gratangen
Primary outflows Vågsfjorden
Basin countries Norway
Max. length 30 kilometres (19 mi)
Max. width 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi)

Astafjorden is a fjord (more accurately, a strait) in Troms county, Norway. It flows through the municipalities of Salangen, Gratangen, Ibestad, and Skånland. The 30-kilometre (19 mi) long fjord flows from the Salangen fjord in the east to the Vågsfjorden in the west. The 3.5-kilometre (2.2 mi) wide fjord separates the islands of Andørja and Rolla from the mainland. There are several small fjords that branch off this fjord including: Lavangen, Gratangen, Grovfjorden, and Salangen.[1]

The Astafjorden flows left to right in this picture

Name

The fjord (and the former municipality of Astafjord) were named after the old Ånstad farm (Old Norse: Arnastaðafjǫrðr). The first element of the old name comes from the male name Arna or "Arne", the second element staða means "home" or "farm", and the last element fjǫrðr is identical with the word for "fjord". Thus, the fjord by Arne's farm.[2][3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Store norske leksikon. "Astafjorden" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2012-08-31.
  2. ↑ Rygh, Oluf (1911). Norske gaardnavne: Troms amt (in Norwegian) (17 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 48.
  3. ↑ "Astafjord" (in Norwegian). Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
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