Karasjok

( ; ) is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway.

The municipality (of which the urban area is a part,) has Sami (or Sámi) and Norwegian as official languages.

The municipality is one of two in Norway where the majority of inhabitants speak Sami and have it as their main language.

## History

Before the beginning of the 1700s, there might not have been a permanent population there. However the area was used by nomads.

### World War II

During World War II a Nazi concentration camp was built in Karasjok: _Lager IV Karasjok_ (German for "Karasjok Camp No.4", ). The camp was run by SS, and it was among the first four Nazi concentration camps in Northern Norway.

In July 1943, 374 political prisoners and POWs prisoners [mostly Yugoslav,] were brought to the concentration camp. They were tasked with widening the road to Karigasniemi, Finland. After four or five months, only 111 of these prisoners were still alive. At the end of the prisoners' stay in Karasjok, before transportation out of Karasjok, 45 prisoners were massacred by the firing of small arms. At least one former prisoner is (as of 2013) still alive.

### Later

In 2015 the second edition of Sapmi Pride, the LGBT pride festival, was held in Karasjok. To protest homosexuals attending the Karasjok Church, and to protest that a female priest held the services, Norges Samemisjon cancelled one of their radio broadcasts.

## Education

Regarding all the students in elementary schools grades one, two and three: For the last three years (as of 2024), all those students are in classes that have [Northern] Sami as the main language (of those classes).

### Main language of students at secondary school

The Sami secondary school, is one of two in Norway (as of 2014); 73% of the schools students say that Sami is their main language; 27% say that Sami is their second language (as of the school year that started in [August]  2009 and ended in [June] 2010); That school is run by the government.

## Administration

The municipal council is elected until late 2027.
- 7 council members are from Labour party
- 5 from _Karasjoklista_
- 2 from _Samelista i Karasjok_
- 2 from _Samefolkets Parti i Karasjok_
- 2 from Centre party
- 1 from Conservative party

(The 19 council members were elected during the 2023 Norwegian local elections.)

## Related pages

- List of mayors in Norway that are elected until 2027

## Infobox (kommune)

- **name**: Karasjok
- **native name**: Kárašjoga gielda
- **native name lang**: sme
- **other name**: Kaarasjoki
- **image skyline**: Kaarasjoki.jpg
- **idnumber**: 5437
- **capital**: Karasjok (village), Karasjok
- **language**: Bokmål and
Northern Sami
- **established**: 1 Jan 1866
- **demonym**: Karasjoking
- **coatofarms**: Karasjok komm.svg
- **flag**: Flag of Karasjok.png
- **munwebpage**: karasjok.kommune.no
- **mayor**: Svein Atle Somby
- **mayor party**: Arbeiderpartiet, Ap
- **mayor as of**: 2023
- **area rank**: 2
- **area total km2**: 5452.95
- **area land km2**: 5209.46
- **area water km2**: 243.49
- **area water percent**: 4.5
- **population as of**: 2020
- **population rank**: 245
- **population total**: 2,628
- **population density km2**: 0.5
- **population increase**: −5.8
- **utm zone**: 35W
- **utm northing**: 7709261
- **utm easting**: 0425889
- **geo cat**: adm2nd