- Varangerfjord
The Varangerfjord ("Varanginvuono"' in Finnish) in the county of
Finnmark , is the easternmostfjord inNorway . It is approximately 100 km long. In a strict sense, it is afalse fjord , as it does not have the hallmarks of a fjord carved by glaciers.Its mouth, between the city of
Vardø ("Vuoreija" in Finnish) in the north and Grense Jacobselv - nearKirkenes ("Kirkkoniemi" in Finnish) - in the south, is about 70 km wide. The fjord stretches westwards inland toVarangerbotn in the municipality ofNesseby .History
The "
Kven " residents of "Varangerfjord" are largely descendants of Finnish immigrants who arrived to the area during the 19th century fromFinland and northernSweden .In the first half of the 19th century, the possibility of
Russia demanding the cession of a stretch of coast along the Varangerfjord was for some time on the European diplomatic agenda, inducing KingOscar I of Sweden and Norway to conclude an alliance with Britain andFrance in order to forestall this possibility.References
*This article is based on a translation of the corresponding article in the Norwegian Wikipedia, accessed 27 April 2005.
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