Alta (town)

{{Short description|City/town within Alta Municipality, Finnmark, Norway}}{{Infobox settlement

|official_name = {{native name list|tag1=no|name1=Alta|tag2=se|name2=Áltá|tag3=fkv|name3=Alattio}}

|other_name =

|nickname =

|settlement_type = Town/CityIn the Norwegian language, the word by can be translated as "town" or "city".

|image_skyline = Alta-Marketsgata.JPG

|image_caption = View of parts of the town

|image_map = {{Infobox mapframe|zoom=9|marker=town}}

|pushpin_map = Finnmark#Norway

|pushpin_label = Alta

|pushpin_label_position = bottom

|subdivision_type = Country

|subdivision_name = Norway

|subdivision_type1 = Region

|subdivision_name1 = Northern Norway

|subdivision_type2 = County

|subdivision_name2 = Finnmark

|subdivision_type3 = District

|subdivision_name3 = Vest-Finnmark

|subdivision_type4 = Municipality

|subdivision_name4 = Alta Municipality

|timezone1 = CET

|utc_offset1 = +01:00

|timezone1_DST = CEST

|utc_offset1_DST = +02:00

|established_title = Established as

|established_date =

|established_title1 = Town ({{lang|no|By}})

|established_date1 = 2000

|area_footnotes =

|area_total_km2 = 9.81

|population_as_of = 2023

|population_footnotes =

|population_total = 15,931

|population_density_km2 = 1624

|population_demonym = Altaværing

|postal_code_type = Post Code

|postal_code = 9509 Alta

|coordinates = {{coord|69.9689|23.2716|region:NO_type:city|display=inline,title}}

|elevation_m = 60

|elevation_footnotes = {{Cite web |title=Alta, Alta (Finnmark) |url=https://www.yr.no/place/Norway/Finnmark/Alta/Alta/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214191615/http://www.yr.no/place/Norway/Finnmark/Alta/Alta/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 14, 2007 |access-date=2018-04-21 |publisher=yr.no}}

}}

{{native name|no|Alta|paren=omit}} (Norwegian; {{IPA|no|ˈɑ̂ɫtɑ|pron|audio=Alta.ogg}}), {{native name|se|Áltá}}, or {{native name|fkv|Alattio}}{{Cite web |title=Informasjon om stadnamn |url=https://stadnamn.kartverket.no/fakta/625468 |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=Norgeskart |publisher=Kartverket |language=no}} is a town in Alta Municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The town is the administrative centre of the municipality and the major commercial centre in the western part of the county of Finnmark. The town is located on the southern end of Altafjorden at the mouth of the river Altaelva. There are several suburbs around the town: Kåfjord, Kvenvik, and Jiepmaluokta lie to the west; Øvre Alta and Tverrelvdalen lie to the south; and Rafsbotn lies to the east. The famous rock carvings at Alta lie just to the west of the town.{{Cite web |last=Store norske leksikon |author-link=Store norske leksikon |title=Alta - by |url=https://snl.no/Alta_-_by |access-date=2020-12-16 |language=no}}

Alta is considered{{citation needed|date=April 2025}} the northernmost city in the world with a population surpassing 10,000. The {{convert|9.81|km2|acre|adj=on}} town has a population (2023) of 15,931 and a population density of {{convert|1624|PD/km2}}.{{Cite web |last=Statistisk sentralbyrå |author-link=Statistics Norway |date=2023-12-23 |title=Urban settlements. Population and area, by municipality |url=https://www.ssb.no/en/befolkning/folketall/statistikk/tettsteders-befolkning-og-areal}}

The town of Alta has three churches: the historic Alta Church in Bossekop, the relatively new Elvebakken Church in Elvebakken, and the Northern Lights Cathedral (the new "main" church for the municipality that was completed in 2013). Alta is also an educational centre in Finnmark county. The Alta campus of the University of Tromsø is located in the town as well as the local primary and secondary schools, including Alta Upper Secondary School. The Vestre Finnmark District Court has one of its two courthouses in the town, serving Loppa Municipality and Alta Municipality. Alta IF is the main sports team for the town.

History

The town of Alta was established in 2000 when the three neighboring villages of Bossekop, Elvebakken, and Alta were joined together and declared to be a town by the municipal council.

=Name=

The town (originally the village) is named after the local Altafjorden. The name possibly comes from the Old Norse words {{wikt-lang|non|ǫlpt}} or {{wikt-lang|non|alpt}} which refer to a swan. It could also be the Norwegianization of the Finnish word ({{lang|fkv|alaattia}}) which refers to a "lowland".{{Cite book |last=Rygh |first=Oluf |author-link=Oluf Rygh |title=Norske gaardnavne: Finmarkens amt |publisher=W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri |year=1924 |edition=18 |location=Kristiania, Norge |pages=11–12 |language=no}}{{Cite web |last=Store norske leksikon |author-link=Store norske leksikon |title=Alta |url=http://snl.no/Alta |access-date=24 January 2013 |language=no}} Historically, the name of the municipality (and the village) was spelled Alten. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Alta.{{Cite journal |year=1917 |title=Norsk Lovtidende. 2den Afdeling. 1917. Samling af Love, Resolutioner m.m |url=https://www.nb.no/items/URN:NBN:no-nb_digitidsskrift_2015102381014_001 |journal=Norsk Lovtidend |language=no |location=Kristiania, Norge |publisher=Grøndahl og Søns Boktrykkeri |pages=1057–1065}}

Transportation

Alta is a centre of transportation in Finnmark county. The town has port facilities along Altafjorden, just alongside Alta Airport in Elvebakken. The airport has direct flights to Oslo and certain other big cities in Norway like Tromsø. The European route E6 highway also runs through the town and the European route E45 has its northern terminus in the town. The main industries present in Alta include a concrete product factory; several wood mills and sawmills; and dairy, horticulture trade, and maritime services.