| Ånderdalen National Park | |
|---|---|
| Ånderdalen nasjonalpark | |
 | |
 Interactive map of Ånderdalen National Park | |
| Location | Senja,Troms,Norway |
| Nearest city | Finnsnes (closer),Harstad |
| Coordinates | 69°12′N17°16′E / 69.200°N 17.267°E /69.200; 17.267 |
| Area | 134 km2 (52 sq mi) |
| Established | 1970, enlarged 2004 |
| Governing body | Norwegian Environment Agency |
Ånderdalen National Park (Norwegian:Ånderdalen nasjonalpark) is located on the largeisland of Senja inTroms county,Norway. The 134-square-kilometre (52 sq mi) park lies withinSenja Municipality. The park was established by royal decree on 6 February 1970 and it was enlarged in 2004. The national park preserves thisNorthern Norwegian coastal landscape. The bedrock consists of hard granite rocks and the landscape image gives exciting impressions of the glacial forces that have worked on Senja. The coastal pine forest in Ånderdalen has in some areas primeval forest with over 600 years old trees and countless marble pines and lower. Along the river there are many lush hawked birch forests and floodplain forests.[1]
The national park had nomoose before 1940, but it now has a permanent population. It is also an important calving and grazing area for semi-domesticatedreindeer. The most common smaller animals arered foxes,stoats,hares, small rodents, and two species ofshrews.Seals occur at the heads of the fjords andotters are often seen along rivers. Trout andchar are common, and salmon run right up the river to the lake Åndervatn.[2][3]
The last element is the finite form ofdal which means "dale" or "valley". The meaning of the first element is unknown. In the valley and the park are similar names such as the riverÅnderelva and the lakeÅndervatnet.
