The 1,437-square-kilometre (555 sq mi) municipality is the 62nd largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Nesseby is the 344th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 859. The municipality'spopulation density is 0.6 inhabitants per square kilometre (1.6/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 6.5% over the previous 10-year period.[7][8]
In popular culture: The municipality has been the main set of movies, as late as the 2020s.[9]
The municipality (originally theparish) was originally named after the oldNæsseby farm since the firstNesseby Church was built there. The first element comes from the wordnes which means "headland". The last element isby which means "town". Thus it's the "town on the headland".[10] Historically, the name of the municipality was spelledNæsseby. On 3 November 1917, aroyal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality toNesseby.[11]
In 1989, the municipality formally changed its name toUnjárga-Nesseby.[12] It was the second municipality in Norway to get aSami name. This name was the old Sami name for the area. The meaning of the first element (u-) in the Sami name is unknown and the last element isnjárga which means "headland". In 2005, the name was again changed, such that eitherUnjárga orNesseby can be used.[13] The spelling of the Sami language name changes depending on how it is used. It is calledUnjárga when it is spelled alone, but it isUnjárgga gielda when using the Sami language equivalent to "Nesseby municipality".[14]
Thecoat of arms was granted on 27 June 1986. The officialblazon is"Gules, a cloudberry plantOrcouped at base" (Norwegian:I rødt en opprett gul molteplante). This means the arms have a redfield (background) and thecharge is acloudberry plant (Rubus chamaemorus). The cloudberry plant has atincture ofOr which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. Cloudberry plants are commonly found in the municipality and theFinnmark region, growing in marshes and wet fields. The berries are collected and eaten locally as well as commercially exported to other parts of Norway. The berries are at first red, but when ripe they get a golden or orange colour, so the colour combination of yellow and red was used on the arms to represent this. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen.[15][16][17]
Farming ofsalmon in NessebyView of the lake Gánddajávri
The most importantwinter market (during the 17th and 18th century) inSapmi, was in present-day Nesseby municipality; in 2024, media said that archaeology has pinpointed the market to 1 km West ofKarlebotn.[18]
Wildreindeer used to cross theisthmus in prehistoric times until the year 1900, causing extensive human activity throughout the millennia. Therefore, the area is full of archeological finds from different periods.
The municipality of Nesseby was originally established in 1839 a year after theformannskapsdistrikt law went into effect. The largeVadsø landdistrikt municipality was divided and the western portion became Nesseby Municipality. Initially, there were 598 residents. This was short-lived, however, since the two were merged back together in 1858. On 1 January 1864, Nesseby Municipality was re-created from the western district of Vadsø landdistrikt. The initial population (this time) was 886. On 1 January 1903, the western part of Nesseby Municipality (population: 450) was separated to form the newPolmak Municipality.[19]
On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the newly formedTroms og Finnmark county. Previously, it had been part of the oldFinnmark county.[20] On 1 January 2024, theTroms og Finnmark county was divided and the municipality once again became part ofFinnmark county.[21]
In 2013, 26% of jobs of in the municipality were within the health sector andsocial sector; 8% were within education; there were 373 jobs in the municipality.[22] The hydroelectric power station,Gandvik kraftverk produces [around] 20.1 gigawatt-hours (72 TJ) (as of 2021).[23]
The innermostmarina in theVaranger Fjord (Kløvnes havn nearNesseby Church) is operating at full capacity - 32 vessels; many of those are fishing vessels.[24]
The municipality is situated on the isthmus between theVarangerfjord and theTana River at the entrance to theVaranger Peninsula. All the people live in small settlements along thefjord.Varangerhalvøya National Park is partially located in the park. The riverJakobselva partially forms the border between Nesseby Municipality andVadsø Municipality to the northeast. The highest point in the municipality is the 520-metre (1,710 ft) tall mountain Midthaugen.[1]
The municipality of Unjárga-Nesseby is known for its interesting birding localities and is mentioned in several birding guide books. Other than the Varangerford, the mainhabitat istundra with areas ofbog andmarsh. One species that can usually be seen on small ponds during the summer months is thered-necked phalarope.
Themunicipal council(Kommunestyre) of Nesseby is made up of 15 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by politicalparty.
The building that is likely the oldest, is at [Nesseby graveyard]Nesseby kirkegård; it is [a small hut made of timber]tømmerstue, and it is probably from when the first chapel was built (year 1718) atAngsnes - further inside the fjord, according to media.[48]
Grasbakken (settlement) has its landmark building; It has the appearance of a small church; It was built as a pentecostal church, but later sold to an association of community members of Grasbakken.[49]
Most inhabitants are ofSami origin,[citation needed] and todaySami is being taught as the first language in schools. The municipality has its own Sami costume.
A survey conducted on behalf of the Sami Language Council in the year 2000 showed that 75 percent of the population areSami speakers.[50]
TheNorwegian Sami Parliament's department of culture and environment is located in Unjárga-Nesseby. TheVárjjat Sámi Museum is located in the municipality. The museum is about the sea-sami culture. Unjárga-Nesseby is also the birthplace ofIsak Saba the first Sami to be elected into theNorwegian Parliament.
'A municipality of Coastal Sami', orsjøsamekommune, is a description used by media and the government of Norway.[51][52]
The popular teen-age pop-bandThe Blacksheeps come from Nesseby.