Sortland
In 1997, the municipal council declared "town status" for the urban area of Sortland. Sortland is the largest town and commercial centre in Vesterålen. The town of Sortland is located close to the Sortland Bridge which crosses the Sortlandsundet strait and connects the two large islands of Langøya and Hinnøya by road. Since a lot of houses in the town are painted blue, Sortland is sometimes referred to as "the blue city". The municipality is the 159th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Sortland is the 106th most populous municipality in Norway with a population  of 10,566. The municipality's population density is and its population has increased by 7.6% over the previous 10-year period. In January 2012, the number of citizens in Sortland reached 10,000 for the first time. General information. The municipality of Sortland was established in 1841 when it was separated from the large Hadsel Municipality. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1963, the Holm area (population: 65) along the Gavlfjorden was transferred from Langenes Municipality to Sortland. Also on that date, the area around the  inner and western part of the Eidsfjorden (population: 1,360) was transferred from Hadsel Municipality to Sortland. On 1 January 2000, the area surrounding the Godfjorden was transferred from Kvæfjord Municipality (and Troms county) to Sortland (and Nordland county). Name. The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old "Sortland" farm (Old Norse: "Svortuland"), since the first Sortland Church was built there. The first element is the genitive case of a river name "Svorta" and the last element is "land" which means "land" or "farm". The river name is derived from "svartr" which means "black/dark". Coat of arms. The  coat of arms were granted on 15 March 1985. It shows a gold-colored castle gate on a blue background. The gate symbolizes Sortland as the gateway to the Vesterålen region with its many lakes. The arms were based on the seal used by the municipality since the 1950s, which also showed a (natural) gate in a landscape. The blue colour symbolises the blue sea. Churches. The Church of Norway has one parish () within the municipality of Sortland. It is part of the Vesterålen prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland. Geography. The municipality of Sortland is located on  the islands of Langøya and Hinnøya in the Vesterålen archipelago. The municipality surrounds the inner part of the Eidsfjorden and the Sortlandssundet strait. There are several bridges in the municipality including Djupfjordstraumen Bridge, Kvalsaukan Bridge, and Sortland Bridge. The Sortland Bridge is located just north of the town of Sortland. One of the main roads through the municipality is Norwegian County Road 82. The mountain Møysalen and part of Møysalen National Park are located in southern Sortland. Midnight Sun and Aurora Borealis. The midnight sun occurs from May 23 to July 23. Great places to observe the midnight sun includes  the Sortland Bridge, Ramnflauget, Godfjorden, Holm, and Skytterhaugen in the Vestmarka residential area. Because of Sortland's high latitude, there is no real darkness between late April and mid-August. Polar night occurs in Sortland from 30 November to 12 January when the sun remains below the horizon and is not visible at all. The return of the sun is an occasion for celebration (pupils always claim to have spotted the sun before the actual return and hope to be given the day off in celebration). The polar night does not mean that it becomes totally dark. The experience of  the winter with the uniqueness of the light, the northern lights, and snow is fantastic. Especially beautiful is the blue light southwards where the sky can also be colored in pink, just before it becomes dark. Sortland and the Vesterålen region are perfect for observing the spectacular Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) phenomenon. The aurora borealis trails its multi coloured banner across the sky and the moon lights the scene making it a breathtaking experience. Pictures taken here have been presented in National Geographic Magazine. Climate. Sortland has a subpolar oceanic climate. The weather station (Sortland-Kleiva) has been recording since  January 1956. The record high of was set on July 29, 2018. The record low was set in January 2016 (extremes available since 2004). The average date for first overnight freeze (below ) in autumn is October 14 (1981-2010 average). Government. All municipalities in Norway, including Sortland, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor. The municipality falls under the Vesterålen District Court and the Hålogaland  Court of Appeal. Municipal council. The municipal council () of Sortland is made up of 27 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows: Mayor. The mayors of Sortland (incomplete list): Music and culture. Sortland has been regarded as one of the best music communities in Norway, and the local band Madrugada has been one of the best ones in the nation. Sortland Jazz Festival is an event organized by Sortland Jazz and Music Club, which takes place every autumn. Some of the world's leading jazz musicians have been participating. Shopping . Sortland is the largest commercial centre in Vesterålen with several indoors shopping centers and many small businesses. The retail turnover per inhabitant in Sortland is greater than in any other town in North Norway. Sortland is one of the few North Norwegian towns that have grown annually since the 1970s.