Alta (town)

Alta
Alattio / Áltá
Town

View of parts of the town
Alta

Location in Finnmark

Coordinates: 69°58′07″N 23°16′17″E / 69.96861°N 23.27139°E / 69.96861; 23.27139Coordinates: 69°58′07″N 23°16′17″E / 69.96861°N 23.27139°E / 69.96861; 23.27139
Country Norway
Region Northern Norway
County Finnmark
District Vest-Finnmark
Municipality Alta
Area[1]
  Total 9.05 km2 (3.49 sq mi)
Elevation[2] 60 m (200 ft)
Population (2013)[1]
  Total 14,272
  Density 1,577/km2 (4,080/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+01:00)
  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+02:00)
Post Code 9509 Alta

Alta (Northern Sami: Áltá; Kven: Alattio) is a town in Alta Municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The town is the administrative centre of the municipality and it is located on the southern end of the Altafjorden, at the mouth of the river Altaelva. There are several suburbs around the town. Kåfjord, Kvenvik, and Jiepmaluokta lie to the west; Øvre Alta and Tverrelvdalen lie to the south; and Rafsbotn lies to the east. The famous rock carvings at Alta lie just to the west of the town.[3]

The town of Alta has three churches: the historic Alta Church in Bossekop, the relatively new Elvebakken Church in Elvebakken, and the Northern Lights Cathedral (the new "main" church for the municipality that was completed in 2013). Alta is also an educational centre in Finnmark county. Finnmark University College is based in Alta as well as the local primary and secondary schools, including Alta videregående skole. Alta District Court is based in the town, serving the municipalities of Loppa and Alta. Alta IF is the main sports team for the town.[3]

Population

View of the central part of Alta

Alta is considered the northernmost city in the world with a population surpassing 10,000. The town of Alta was established in 2000 when the villages of Bossekop, Elvebakken, and Alta were joined and declared a town by the municipality council. The 9.05-square-kilometre (2,240-acre) town has a population (2013) of 14,272, which gives it a population density of 1,577 inhabitants per square kilometre (4,080/sq mi).[1][3]

Transportation

Alta is a centre of transportation in Finnmark county. The town has port facilities along the Altafjorden, just alongside Alta Airport in Elvebakken. The airport has direct flights to Oslo. The European route E06 highway also runs through the town. The main industries present in Alta include a concrete product factory; several wood mills and sawmills; and dairy, horticulture trade, and maritime services.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Statistisk sentralbyrå (1 January 2013). "Urban settlements. Population and area, by municipality.".
  2. "Alta" (in Norwegian). yr.no. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Store norske leksikon. "Alta tettsted" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2013-01-21.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/25/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.