Langøya

{{Infobox islands

|name = Langøya
Langøy

|native_name =

|native_name_link =

|sobriquet =

|image_name =

|image_size =

|image_caption =

|location = Nordland, Norway

|coordinates = {{coord|68.6220|14.9407|display=inline,title|region:NO_type:isle}}

|archipelago = Vesterålen

|area_km2 = 850.2

|rank = 3rd largest in Norway

|length_km = 50

|width_km = 40

|coastline_km =

|elevation_m = 763

|highest_mount = Snøkolla

|country = Norway

|country_admin_divisions_title = County

|country_admin_divisions = Nordland

|country_admin_divisions_title_1 = Municipalities

|country_admin_divisions_1 = Bø, Hadsel, Sortland, and Øksnes

|population = 15,791

|population_as_of = 2016

|density_km2 = 18.6

|density_footnotes =

}}

Langøya{{cite web|url=https://stadnamn.kartverket.no/fakta/685470|title=Informasjon om stadnamn|website=Norgeskart|publisher=Kartverket|language=no|accessdate=2024-08-13}} is the third largest island of Norway (outside of Svalbard), with an area of {{convert|850.2|km2}}. The island is a part of the Vesterålen archipelago in Nordland county, Norway. The island includes Bø Municipality and Øksnes Municipality as well as parts of Sortland Municipality and Hadsel Municipality.

Geography

File:Bitterstad_Hallartinden.jpg

File:Alsvåg.jpg in Øksnes Municipality]]

Langøya is mountainous, with mountains reaching {{convert|400-700|m}} above sea level, the highest is the {{convert|763|m|adj=on}} tall Snykolla. There are also lowland near the coasts around the island, and in some valleys, some of it is bogs. The treeline is around {{convert|300|m}} above sea level on Langøya.

The total population on the island is about 15,600 and the largest population center is the town of Sortland (population: 5,600) and the next largest population centre is the village of Myre. Langøya has been settled since the stone age.

The larger island Hinnøya lies to the east (on the other side of the Sortlandssundet). The island of Andøya lies to the northeast. The small island of Skogsøya lies to the northwest. The island of Hadseløya lies to the south. The 69th parallel north crosses Langøya, as does the 15th meridian east.

There are several lakes on the island including Alsvågvatnet. The Eidsfjorden divides the island almost in half. The island has two road bridges connecting it to Hadseløya and Hinnøya via the Hadsel Bridge and Sortland Bridge.{{cite web|url=http://snl.no/Lang%C3%B8ya/%C3%B8y%20i%20Nordland|title=Langøya – øy i Nordland|author=Store norske leksikon|authorlink=Store norske leksikon|language=Norwegian|accessdate=2012-07-30}}

Important Bird Area

A tract of about {{convert|3000|ha}} of low-lying land in central and south-eastern coastal Langøya, consisting mainly of grassland and mudflats, and including the Vikosen nature reserve, has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International (BLI) because it supports populations of several thousand pink-footed and barnacle geese on passage migration.{{cite web |url= http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lang%C3%B8ya-iba-norway|title= Langøya|author= |date=2021|website= BirdLife Data Zone|publisher= BirdLife International|access-date= 2021-12-12}}

Climate

Langøya has a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc), with very mild winter for the location north of the Arctic Circle. The warmest temperature recorded on the island by an official weather station is {{convert|31|°C}} at Kleiva in Sortland municipality in July 2018. The weather station near Stokmarknes Airport, Skagen is located on the southern part of the island and has recorded temperature since June 1972. Data for extremes available since 2004, there might be warmer or colder temperatures recorded before 2004.

{{Weather box

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|location = Stokmarknes Airport Skagen 1991-2020 (3 m, precipitation 1961-90, extremes 2004-2020)

|Jan record high C = 10 | Jan record low C = -13.9

|Feb record high C = 8.4 | Feb record low C = -13.9

|Mar record high C = 9.4 | Mar record low C = -14.4

|Apr record high C = 17.3 | Apr record low C = -10.5

|May record high C = 26.4 | May record low C = -5.6

|Jun record high C = 27.5 | Jun record low C = -0.1

|Jul record high C = 29 | Jul record low C = 3.2

|Aug record high C = 27.2 | Aug record low C = 1.2

|Sep record high C = 22.2 | Sep record low C = -2.9

|Oct record high C = 16.9 | Oct record low C = -7.6

|Nov record high C = 12.3 | Nov record low C = -13

|Dec record high C = 10.3 | Dec record low C = -11.1

|Jan high C = 1

|Feb high C = 1

|Mar high C = 2

|Apr high C = 6

|May high C = 10

|Jun high C = 13

|Jul high C = 16

|Aug high C = 15

|Sep high C = 12

|Oct high C = 7

|Nov high C = 4

|Dec high C = 3

|Jan mean C=-0.1

|Feb mean C=-0.7

|Mar mean C=-0.1

|Apr mean C=2.5

|May mean C=6.4

|Jun mean C=9.7

|Jul mean C=12.8

|Aug mean C=12.2

|Sep mean C=9.2

|Oct mean C=4.9

|Nov mean C=2.7

|Dec mean C=0.9

|year mean C=

|Jan low C = -2

|Feb low C = -2

|Mar low C = -3

|Apr low C = 0

|May low C = 4

|Jun low C = 7

|Jul low C = 10

|Aug low C = 9

|Sep low C = 7

|Oct low C = 3

|Nov low C = 1

|Dec low C = -1

|precipitation colour=green

|Jan precipitation mm=110

|Feb precipitation mm=95

|Mar precipitation mm=83

|Apr precipitation mm=69

|May precipitation mm=49

|Jun precipitation mm=50

|Jul precipitation mm=65

|Aug precipitation mm=68

|Sep precipitation mm=107

|Oct precipitation mm=155

|Nov precipitation mm=123

|Dec precipitation mm=126

|year precipitation mm=1100

|source 1= Norwegian Meteorological Institute{{cite web|url=http://eklima.met.no|title=eKlima Web Portal|publisher=Norwegian Meteorological Institute|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040614073527/http://eklima.met.no |archive-date=2004-06-14}}

|source 2= weatheronline climate robot{{Cite web|url=https://www.weatheronline.co.uk/weather/maps/city?LANG=en&PLZ=_____&PLZN=_____&WMO=01162&CONT=euro&R=0&LEVEL=162®ION=0004&LAND=NO&MOD=tab&ART=TMX&NOREGION=1&FMM=1&FYY=1996&LMM=12&LYY=2020|title = Max. Temperature - Stokmarknes - Climate Robot Norway}}

}}