Malangen

This article is about the former municipality in Troms county, Norway. For the fjord in Troms county, Norway, see Malangen (fjord).
Malangen herred
Former Municipality

Malangen
Coordinates: 69°21′8″N 18°50′51″E / 69.35222°N 18.84750°E / 69.35222; 18.84750Coordinates: 69°21′8″N 18°50′51″E / 69.35222°N 18.84750°E / 69.35222; 18.84750
Country Norway
County Troms
District Nord-Norge
Municipality ID NO-1932
Adm. Center Mortenhals
Area[1]
 • Total 372 km2 (144 sq mi)
Created from Balsfjord and Lenvik in 1871
Merged into Balsfjord and Målselv in 1964

Malangen (Northern Sami: Málatvuotna or Kven: Malankivuono) is a former municipality in Troms county in Norway. The old municipality surrounded the Malangen fjord and today that area is divided between the municipalities of Balsfjord, Lenvik, Tromsø, and Målselv. The main church for the municipality was Malangen Church, located in Mortenhals.

Malangen church.

Name

The name Malangen is probably derived from the Old Norse word mál which means "bag" and it may refer to the baggy shape of the fjord. The same word mál is probably also the origin of the name of the Målselva, the big river that enters the fjord from the Målselvdalen and Bardu valleys. The second element of the name angr which means "inlet" or "fjord".[1][2]

History

The Saga of Haakon Haakonarson mentions that the king in 1242 allowed refuges from Bjarmaland (since they were attacked by the Tatars - «bjarmar rymdi fyrir tattarum») to settle in the area of Malangen.

Rambergkirka: A stone located at Sand.

The municipality of Malangen was established on 1 January 1871 when it was separated from Balsfjord. The initial population was 1,425. Also on that date, a small area of Lenvik (population: 70) was transferred to the new municipality of Malangen.

On 1 January 1873, an area of northern Malangen (population: 287) was transferred to Tromsøysund municipality. In 1891, a small part around the village of Målsnes in Målselv (population: 30) was transferred to Malangen.

On 1 January 1964, the municipality of Malangen ceased to exist. The Navaren and Målsnes areas (population: 118) were transferred to neighboring Målselv. The remaining areas of Malangen (population: 1,940) were transferred back into Balsfjord.[1] [3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Malangen" (in Norwegian). Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
  2. ↑ Rygh, Oluf (1911). Norske gaardnavne: Troms amt (in Norwegian) (17 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 120.
  3. ↑ Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå.
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