Kandalaksha

Kandalaksha ( _ru. Кандала́кша; _fi. Kantalahti, also "Kandalax" or "Candalax" in the old maps, Norwegian: "Kandalaksja", Karelian: "Kannanlakši", _sm. Käddluhtt) is a town in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is located at the head of Kandalaksha Gulf on the White Sea, beyond the Arctic circle. Geographical coordinates: coord|67|13|N|32|20|E|. Population: 40,564 (2002 Census).

History

The settlement has existed since the 11th century. In the 13th century along with the southern part of the Kola Peninsula it became a part of Novgorod Republic, and in 1478 was annexed to Muscovite Russia. In 1915 building of a seaport started, and in 1918 a railroad connecting Moscow to Murmansk running through the town was opened.

Since 1995, the oil port Vitino operates near the station Beloye More (Белое Море) a few kilometers south of Kandalaksha.

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