Lofoten

Geography
Lofoten is the archipelago to the west in the ocean, north of the Arctic Circle, at the 67th and 68th degree parallels. The principal islands are Austvågöy, Gimsöy, Vestvågöy, Flakstadöy, Moskenesöy, Vaeröy and Röst.
The southernmost part of Norway´s largest island, Hinnöy, is also in Lofoten.
The total land area amounts to 1,227 sq. km. About 24,500 people live there. The road distance is almost 170 km from Fiskeboel near Vesteraalen in the north to Å in the south, where the E10 ends. From Lofotodden, at the south end of Moskenesöy Island, the air distance is more than 60 km to Skomvaer, the southernmost point in Lofoten.
Lofoten stretches like a wall of mountains to the southwest in the sea. Between the mainland and the "Lofoten Wall" lies the Vestfjord. Lofoten consists of mountains and peaks, wide open ocean, sheltered inlets, stretches of seashore and large virgin areas.
Transportation
Lofoten has airfields in Svolvaer, at Leknes and at Röst. There are daily departures for Bodö. A helicopter service has been opened between Vaeröy Island and Bodö. The Coastal Express calls at Stamsund and Svolvaer, both on the way north and on the way south every day.
Vesterålen and Bodö are served by express boats from Svolvaer. There are also bus and express boat services to Narvik. From there it is possible to travel further by train to Sweden. The ferry between Svolvaer and Skutvik is the connection to the E6. When heading towards Vesteraalen, people take the ferry from Fiskeböl to Melbu. A project has been started to provide a ferry-free connection to the mainland. There are ferries from Moskenes to Bodö and routes in the south to Vaeröy and Röst, which also have daily ferry service to Bodö.Bridges and tunnels have replaced the ferries between the largest islands in Lofoten
History
The first people came to Lofoten about 6,000 years ago. Lofoten´s Stone Age inhabitants survived on fishing and hunting in an area which provided good living. All of Lofoten was covered by large pine and birch woods at that time. There were deer, bear, wild reindeer, lynx and beaver, and the sea was full of fish, seals and whales. Agriculture developed early, and grain was harvested in Lofoten as early as 4,000 years ago.The Viking Era saw the emergence of several large chieftain seats. Tofts from a Viking chieftain seat have been found at Borg on Vestvågøy Island, containing the largest Viking banquet hall ever found in any country. The building was 8.5 metres wide and as much as 83 metres long. A reconstruction of the building has been raised, and the Viking Museum, LOFOTR, at Borg opened in June 1995.The Lofot Fisheries early gained importance. King Øystein considered these fisheries to be of such significance that he, as early as 1103, built a church in Vaagan, which at that time was the base of the Lofot fisheries. In about 1120, he also built the first fishermen´s huts ever mentioned in the Saga.
Stockfish, produced from spawning cod, was the staple good, and it was sold to almost all of Europe. Italy is still the most important market for high-quality stockfish from Lofoten. Near Kabelvåg is the location of Vågar, the only medieval town of the North Calotte.From the 14th century on, Lofoten had to pay taxes to Bergen. This was the beginning of an economic dominance which lasted for 600 years, first executed by the German Hansa tradesmen, and then by their Norwegian heirs. Changing times with bad years and poverty were succeeded by periods of good years and wealth. Following the 1860s came the large herring migrations which were the basis of growth, prosperity and immigration. The foundation of today´s settlement was laid.
Income
The winter fisheries for cod are still crucial for the settlement in Lofoten. Fishermen from all over North Norway take part in the Lofot Fisheries, which are based on the Norwegian Arctic cod´s spawning in the Vestfjord between January and April. The Lofot Fisheries have been strictly regulated for many years, and the stocks are recovering. This has led to optimism for the fisheries in Lofoten. The aquaculture industry has also recovered after a few difficult years. Agriculture is still significant to some of the areas in Lofoten, even though the number of farms has been greatly reduced in the past 30 years. Lofoten exports dairy products and meat.
The industry is largely connected to the fisheries, but there is also other industrial activity in the region. The tourist industry is becoming increasingly important, now counting approximately 200,000 visitors per year. Public and private services as well as commercial and cultural activities are well-developed.


Climate
Due to the warm Gulf Stream, Lofoten has a much milder climate than other parts of the world at the same latitude, such as Alaska and Greenland.The coastal climate in Lofoten makes the winters mild and the summers relatively cool. January and February are the coldest months, with an average temperature of -1°C. July and August are warmest with an average temperature of 12°C. May and June are the driest months, with an average 40 mm of rainfall.
The Midnight Sun
In the areas to the west and the north of the Lofoten islands the midnight sun is visible from 27 May till 17 July. At Væröy and Röst this period is a little shorter.
Life in the Sea
The Gulf Stream brings many fish species from the south, and Arctic species migrate from the north. Fishing has always been the very foundation of life in Lofoten. This is due to the close proximity to the fishing grounds. "Skrei" (spawning cod), which is caught during the winter fisheries, is the most important for the industry. In addition comes other importantspecies such as haddock, saithe, red-fish, catfish, herring, tusk, ling, plaice, halibut and squid. Seals and killer-whales are regularly observed offshore Lofoten