Lofoten

Lofoten, island group, in the Norwegian Sea, northern Norway. Lying off the mainland entirely within the Arctic Circle, the group comprises the southern end of the Lofoten-Vesterålen archipelago and includes five main islands (Austvågøya, Gimsøya, Vestvågøya, Flakstadøya, and Moskenesøya) extending about 70 miles (110 km) from north to south. In addition, there are many small islands and skerries (rocky islets and reefs). The total length of the archipelago is about 110 miles (175 km). A broad and deep fjord, the Vesterålsfjorden, lies between Lofoten and the mainland. The islands, composed of volcanic rocks (gneiss and granite), are the highly eroded tops of a partially submerged mountain range. The highest peak is Higravtinden (3,760 feet [1,146 metres]) on Austvågøya. North of the Arctic Circle, the islands are washed by the warm North Atlantic Current, which tempers their climate.

The Lofoten have been continuously inhabited since at least 1120, when King Øystein built a church and lodgings for fishermen near Kabelvåg, on Austvågøya. Fishing has always been predominant, and until the late 19th century, when tourists arrived on the islands, it was almost the only economic activity. Cod, along with some haddock, are the principal catch. During the spawning season, from February through April, thousands of people from all over the Norwegian west coast come to the area to land and process the cod catch. Stockfish from Lofoten, dried in the winter wind and sun without the use of salt, have been exported for centuries. Local industries are related to fishing (cod-liver-oil processing and fertilizer manufacture from fish parts). Some potatoes and berries are grown, but the scanty soils will not support even the hardiest grains.

Svolvær, on Austvågøya, is the chief town and main port of the islands. Between Moskenesøya and the islet of Mosken flows the famed Moskenstraumen tidal channel, also called the Maelstrom, with its treacherous reversing currents. Many artists come to the Lofoten group to depict the highly scenic landscapes; the famed Norwegian painter Gunnar Berg (1863–93) was born in Svolvær. The Norwegian novelist Johan Bojer described the Lofoten fisheries at the end of the 19th century in Den siste viking (1921; Last of the Vikings, 1923).