Vega, Norway

Vega kommune

County	Nordland
District	Helgeland
Municipality	NO-1815
Administrative centre	Gladstad
Mayor (2003)	Einar Silseth (Sp)
Official language form	Bokmål
Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage	Ranked 355 163 km² 161 km² 0.05 %
Population  - Total (2004)  - Percentage  - Change (10 years)  - Density	Ranked 382 1,380 0.03 % -7.5 % 9/km²
Demonym	{{{demonym}}}[1]
Coordinates	65°40′N 11°57′E / 65.667, 11.95Coordinates: 65°40′N 11°57′E / 65.667, 11.95
www.vega.kommune.no Data from Statistics Norway

Vega is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway.

Nes, Vega

Vega was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt) The municipality comprises 6,500 islands of the Vega Archipelago. Vega is also the name of the main island within the municipality. Its area is 163 km². Early settlements on the main island date back 10,000 years, making it one of the oldest places of inhabitance in North Norway. Agriculture and fishing are at present as they were in the past, key fields of labour. Today's inhabitants are concentrated in Holand, Valla, Igerøy and Gladstad, the latter being the location of the municipal council and most of the island's commerce.

Søla island

In 2004, the archipelago's cultural landscape was inscribed by UNESCO on the World Heritage List as representative of "the way generations of fishermen/farmers have, over the past 1,500 years, maintained a sustainable living in an inhospitable seascape near the Arctic Circle, based on the now unique practice of eider down harvesting." The oceanic climate and limestone bedrock has allowed 10 different species of orchids to grow in Vega, and 210 species of birds have been recorded at the archipelago. Eidemsliene nature reserve has many warmth loving species of plants and the most oceanic pine forest in North Norway ([1]). Holandsosen nature reserve is an important wetland area with a shallow lake and soil rich in lime; 149 species of birds have been observed in this reserve which has a rich bird life all year (many birds use this as their winter quarter). Lånan nature reserve preserves many types of coastal nature and is a very important area for many species of birds; eider down harvesting is still practiced here ([2]). There is one hotel on Vega - the Vega Havhotell.

Vega islands, photo:Ann Elin Bratseth

The name

The municipality is named after the main island of Vega (Norse Veiga). The name is probably derived from veig f 'liquid, fluid' (referring to the lakes and the marshes of the island). Until 1891 the name was written Vegø.

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1987). It shows a bailer for a boat. An earlier suggestion for a Vega coat-of-arms picturing the black silhouette of a sailing boat on a yellow background is now used as the coat-of-arms of Nordland county.

External links

• Vega Havhotell (Hotel; site in Norwegian)
• Images of Vega Island and the surrounding region, Dana Morris

A summer day

Vegaøyan -- The Vega Archipelago*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	Norway
Type	Cultural
Criteria	v
Reference	1143
Region†	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	2004  (28th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

•  • e World Heritage Sites in Norway
Bryggen · Rock Art of Alta · Røros Mining Town · Struve Geodetic Arc (with nine other countries) · Urnes Stave Church · Vegaøyan – The Vega Archipelago · West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord