**Sør-Varanger** (Northern Sami: Máttá-Várjjat, *Kven*: Etelä-Varenki, Finnish: Etelä-Varanki, Russian: Сёр-Вара́нгер) is a municipality in the county of Troms og 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.

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

History
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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
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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.

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

Administration
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The municipal council is elected until late 2027.

* 8 council members are from the Conservative Party
* 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.)

Famous people
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* Roger Meyer (c. 1932), double agent and builder of hydropower stations,

Gallery
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* Street in the town of KirkenesStreet in the town of Kirkenes
* Sør-Varanger museumSør-Varanger museum

Related pages
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* Leirpollen (concentration camp)
* List of mayors in Norway that are elected until 2027

Other websites
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 Media related to Sør-Varanger at Wikimedia Commons