Kirkenes

View of the town in June 2013
View of the town in June 2013
Map
Kirkenes is located in Finnmark
Kirkenes
Kirkenes
Kirkenes is located in Norway
Kirkenes
Kirkenes
Coordinates: 69°43′37″N 30°02′44″E / 69.72694°N 30.04556°E / 69.72694; 30.04556
CountryNorway
RegionEastern Norway
CountyFinnmark
DistrictØst-Finnmark
MunicipalitySør-Varanger Municipality
Established as 
Town (By)1998
Area
 • Total2.29 km2 (0.88 sq mi)
Elevation9 m (30 ft)
Population
 (2023)[2]
 • Total3,404
 • Density1,486/km2 (3,850/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Post Code
9900 Kirkenes

Kirkenes (Norwegian; pronounced [ˈçɪ̂rkəneːs] )[4], Girkonjárga (Northern Sami; pronounced [ˈkir̥ː.ko.ˌɲaːrːka][4], or Kirkkoniemi (Kven)[4] is a town[1] in Sør-Varanger Municipality in Finnmark county, in the far northeastern part of Norway. The town lies on a peninsula along the Bøkfjorden, an arm of the large Varangerfjorden, and is located just a few kilometres from the Norway–Russia border.

The 2.29-square-kilometre (570-acre) town has a population (2023) of 3,404 and a population density of 1,486 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,850/sq mi). When the neighbouring suburban villages of Hesseng, Skytterhusfjellet, Sandnes, and Bjørnevatn are all included with Kirkenes, the urban area reaches a total population of almost 8,000 people.[2]

Although Kirkenes is the Norwegian town closest to the Russian border, the town of Vardø to its north is located further east in Norway.

  1. ^ a b In the Norwegian language, the word by can be translated as "town" or "city".
  2. ^ a b c Statistisk sentralbyrå (2023-12-23). "Urban settlements. Population and area, by municipality".
  3. ^ "Kirkenes" (in Norwegian). yr.no. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  4. ^ a b c "Informasjon om stadnamn". Norgeskart (in Norwegian). Kartverket. Retrieved 2024-07-03.