Steinkjer Municipality
Steinkjer Municipality
Steinkjer kommune | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
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| Country | Norway |
| County | Nord-Trøndelag |
| District | Innherred |
| Administrative centre | Steinkjer |
| Government | |
| • Governor (2005) | Per Sverre Rannem (Ap) |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,564 km2 (604 sq mi) |
| • Land | 1,423 km2 (549 sq mi) |
| • Rank | #45 in Norway |
| Population (2004) | |
• Total | 20,451 |
| • Rank | #43 in Norway |
| • Density | 14/km2 (40/sq mi) |
| • Change (10 years) |  −1.3% |
| Official language | |
| • Norwegian form | Neutral |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | NO-1702[2] |
| Website | Official website |
lat_seclon_seclon_minlat_deglon_deglat_min Steinkjer is the centre of its municipality Steinkjer Kommune and the administrative city of the county of Nord-Trøndelag, Norway. The city is located on the northern shores of the Trondheimsfjord, in the Beitstadfjord fjord, which is a smaller fjord in the fjord system of the Trondheimsfjord. Being over 50 km from the coast, Steinkjer is actually connected to the ocean through the narrow straight of Skarnsundet, which is situated between the Trondheimsfjord and the Beitstadsfjord. The longest cable-stayed bridge in Norway , Skarnsundsbrua, crosses it (total length of 1,010 metres). Large ships can rather easily pass through Skarnsundet and this allows tourists to visit Steinkjer by ship.
Steinkjer has survived two major disasters in modern history. The first major incident was a city-wide fire in the year 1905 which burned down much of the central parts of the city. The second major incident happened on April 20th, 1940, when the Luftwaffe bombed most of the city to the ground with air bombers like the Heinkel 111. The city was quickly rebuilt after the war ended and much of the architecture of today's Norway originates from the 1950s and 1960s with Functionalism inspired style. Some important buildings of Steinkjer survived the bombardment of the 20th of April, 1940, like the train station and city college. These buildings are based upon a classic architecture inspired from Switzerland.
Steinkjer is as mentioned Nord-Trøndelag’s county (city) center and houses the county authorities and institutions like Fylkets hus. Steinkjer lies by the main road about 120 km north of Trondheim (following European route E6).
Steinkjer Kommune has a rich, beautiful and varied vegetation, stretching from the fjord to the mountains. It is obvious from the landscape that Steinkjer is a typical agricultural municipality. In addition, there are large forest resources in the immediate area. The tallest buildings in Steinkjer are two 50 metres tall grain silos, which are visible many kilometres from Steinkjer and today mark the skyline, especially when viewed from the south. Kirknesvaag Sag & Høvleri is a large wood mill and industry park producing wood planks and treehouse module components. Almost half of the inner city area consists of this large industrial park for wood products.
Steinkjer is one of Norway’s larger urban municipalities measured by area. Approximately half of the population live near the town center, while the rest of the population lives in rural areas. Much of the city is however today in the process of urbanization, with the building of several apartment blocks in or within the immediate vicinity of the city.
Steinkjer is easily accessible by boat, road and train. European route E6 and the railway line go through the town, and it takes around 90 minutes by car or train to get to Trondheim Airport with Trønderbanen (NSB).
Further north from Steinkjer, geographical distances between cities grow. The temperate climate of Steinkjer also marks a border with the more harsh conditions typical of inland areas further north. Although the January average in Steinkjer is -5°C ([1]), which is colder than coastal areas further north, Steinkjer is more sheltered and is the most northern town with a summer season warm and long enough to allow reliable cultivation of a range of vegetables and grain such as wheat. Steinkjer is therefore recognized as a "border town" between the more densely populated, warmer southern parts of Norway and the less populated, cooler northern parts.
Steinkjer also has a rich culture and hosts one of the most prominent music cultures in central Norway. Steinkjer is also labeled "Steinkjer Punkrock City" by its most lively citizens.
The city will mark its 150th anniversary in 2007.
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- ^ "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
- ^ Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (2023-01-26). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget.