Kvaløya (Tromsø)

Kvaløya is a large and mountainous island located in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. With a total area of , it is the fifth largest island in mainland Norway. The island is connected to neighboring islands and the mainland by bridges and tunnels.

 Geography 
Kvaløya is home to at least ten mountains higher than 700 metres and three that are over 1,000 metres, including Store Blåmann, the highest peak on the island at 1,044 metres. The island is also characterized by several small fjords, including Kaldfjorden, Ersfjorden, and Kattfjorden, which almost divide the island into two or three parts.

The Rystraumen, a tidal current in the Straumsfjorden strait separating Kvaløya from the mainland, is a popular recreation area for fishing and is home to Ryøya, an island that was formerly home to a small population of musk oxen. The island is also home to Straumhella, a popular recreational area near the current.

 Statistics 
Approximately 13,000 people live on Kvaløya, with most residing on the eastern side near Kvaløysletta, which is a suburban area of the city of Tromsø, located near the Sandnessund Bridge.

The west coast of Kvaløya, facing the open ocean, is the warmest part of Tromsø municipality, with the weather station at Sommarøy recording 24-hour averages of -1.9°C in January and 11.9°C in July, and a mean annual temperature of 3.9°C. Annual precipitation on the west coast of Kvaløya is approximately 940 millimetres. 

 References 

Category:Islands of Norway
Category:Troms