Sør-Varanger

**Sør-Varanger** (Northern Sami: Máttá-Várjjat, _Kven_: Etelä-Varenki, Finnish: Etelä-Varanki) is a municipality in the county of Finnmark, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kirkenes. Located west of the Norway–Russia border, Sør-Varanger is the only Norwegian municipality that shares a land border with Russia, with the only legal border crossing at Storskog.

Geography: there are fjords in the municipality, including Langfjorden and Jarfjorden.

Road infrastructure: the E6 road has a bridge across Langfjorden (Finnmark): Strømmen bridge.

The public hospital is one of the two public hospitals in Finnmark county.

## History

For some time until 1826, Sør-Varanger was a district that (at the same time) belonged to Russia and Norway; there was an Eastern Sami (_østsamisk_) population; the population was under Russia's jurisdiction.

A part of Norway, it became in 1826.

Norway's government had a fear that the county could be lost to Finland or Russia; Finland was under Russian domination (or rule) during 1809 - 1918. Part of the fear was that Finnish-speaking Kven people would help Finland/Russia, to take Northern areas, away from [the government of] Norway.
(Cwenas is the Old English name for a group of people of Finnish heritage; this group immigrated to North Norway - from Finland and Sweden.)

During the 19th century, the area was colonized by Sámi from Norway; people from Finland; and Norwegians.

The mining industry in Kirkenes, and at Bjørnevatn, was started in 1906; the majority of the county's population then, were Norwegian.

The people that were Finnish, mostly [lived] at three settlements: Bugøynes in the West, Pasvik in the East, and at Neiden (between Bugøynes and Pasvik); those who spoke Finnish, were in majority (in these 3 settlements).

## Economy

Media said in 2022's second quarter that the level of employment is 2,100 full-time positions.

[Around] 600 people (in 2022's first quarter) work in industries related to ships and boats, including delivering supplies and services including repairs; Kimek is one of the largest companies in the municipality.

Regarding the economy's benefit of trade related to Russians: media said in 2022, that around 300 jobs are directly dependent on "the co-operation with Russia", while 670 jobs have a "connection" with Russia.

## Culture

The sled dog race Finnmarksløpet goes thru the county.

There is at least one spirit house in Neiden (settlement); That thing is on top of a grave.

Russian New Year still gets celebrated at some elementary schools (2022).

### Buildings

- "Nothing Hill" is a building [and landmark] on Prestøya (map), Kirkenes; Until 2018, it was the hospital building, for several municipalities.

## Settlements

Settlements in the municipality include the villages of Bjørnevatn, Bugøynes, Elvenes, Grense Jakobselv, Hesseng, Jakobsnes, Neiden, Sandnes and Kirkenes (a town).

## Administration

The municipal council is elected until late 2027.
- 8 council members are from the Conservative Party, including mayor Magnus Mæland
- 7 from Labour party
- 3 from Socialist Left party
- 3 from Progress party
- 2 from Centre party
- 2 from Red party

(The 25 council members were elected during the 2023 Norwegian local elections.)

Later (2025), there was a parliamentary election.
- Labour Party got [c. 35% or] 35.7% of the votes.
- Progress Party, [c. 24% or] 24.2% of the votes
- Red Party, [c. 10% or] 10.8% of the votes
- Conservative Party (Norway), [c. 6% or] 6.9% of the votes

## Famous people

- Roger Meyer (c. 1932), double agent and builder of hydropower stations,

## Related pages

- Leirpollen (concentration camp)
- List of mayors in Norway that are elected until 2027

## Infobox (kommune)

- **name**: Sør-Varanger
- **other name**: Mátta-Várjjaga gielda
Etelä-Varengin komuuni
- **image skyline**: N886-Grense-Jakobselv-2012-07-06-12-00-21.jpg
- **idnumber**: 5444
- **county**: Troms og Finnmark
- **district**: Øst-Finnmark
- **capital**: Kirkenes
- **established**: 1 Jul 1858
- **demonym**: Varangværing
- **language**: Bokmål
- **coatofarms**: Sør-Varanger komm.svg
- **flag**: Flag of Sør-Varanger.png
- **munwebpage**: sor-varanger.kommune.no
- **mayor party**: Labour Party (Norway), Ap
- **mayor as of**: 2015
- **area rank**: 6
- **area total km2**: 3971.58
- **area land km2**: 3,458.68
- **area water km2**: 512.90
- **area water percent**: 12.9
- **population as of**: 2025
- **population total**: 9,963
- **population density km2**: 2.8
- **utm zone**: 35W
- **utm northing**: 7730906
- **utm easting**: 0606607
- **geo cat**: adm2nd