Andørja Municipality

The administrative centre was located at Engenes where the Andørja Church was also located. Prior to its dissolution in 1964, the 135.4 km2 municipality was the 455th largest by area out of the 689 municipalities in Norway. The municipality's population density was 9.9 PD/km2 and its population had decreased by 3.5% over the previous 10-year period.

• Name — Andørja • Herred — yes • Former — yes • Id Number — 1916 • County — Troms • District — Central Hålogaland • Capital — Engenes • Preceded — Ibestad Municipality • Succeeded — Ibestad Municipality • Population Demonym — Andørja-folk • Language — Bokmål • Elevation Max M — 1275.9 • Area Rank — 455 • Area Total Km2 — 135.4 • Population As Of — 1963 • Population Rank — 558 • Population Total — 1343 • Population Density Km2 — 9.9 • Population Increase — -3.5

• Illustration — Aerial view of Andørja • Illustration — View of the local Andørja Church The municipality of Andørja was established on 1 July 1926 when the large Ibestad Municipality was separated into four municipalities: Ibestad Municipality (population: 1,768), Andørja Municipality (population: 1,420), Astafjord Municipality (population: 1,018), and Gratangen Municipality (population: 1,967). During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, there was a merger where Andørja Municipality (population: 1,330) and Ibestad Municipality (population: 1,821) were merged with the part of neighboring Skånland Municipality that was located on the island of Rolla (population: 134) to form the new, larger Ibestad Municipality.

The municipality is named after the island of Andørja (Andyrja). The meaning of the name is not certain, but one theory is that the first element non which means "against". The last element is non which means "gravel" or "rocks", possibly referring to the waves from the sea hitting against the rocky shores.

The Church of Norway had one parish (no) within Andørja Municipality. It was part of the Ibestad prestegjeld and the Trondenes prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland. Churches in Andørja Municipality • Parish (no) — Church name — Location of the church — Year built • Andørja — Andørja Church — Engenes — 1914

The highest point in the municipality is the 1275.9 m tall mountain Langlitinden.

While it existed, Andørja Municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

The municipal council (Herredsstyre) of Andørja Municipality was made up of 17 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.

The mayor (ordfører) of Andørja Municipality was the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position: • 1926–1928: Magnus Ånstad (NSA) • 1929–1931: Tollef J. Danielsen (Ap) • 1932–1941: Magnus Ånstad (Ap) • 1941–1942: Edvin Lynghaug (NS) • 1942–1945: Sigurd Hammer (NS) • 1945–1945: Magnus Ånstad (Ap) • 1946–1951: Sigurd Hammer (H) • 1952–1959: Karl Berg (Ap) • 1960–1963: Sigurd Hammer (KrF)