Balsfjord

69°18′17″N 19°12′13″E Balsfjord is a municipality in Troms in Norway. Its administrative centre is the village of Storsteinnes. It has a population of 5,576, with a population density of 3.9 inhabitants per square kilometre.[1] The municipality covers an area of 1,497 square kilometres (578 sq mi) and is the 58th largest municipality in Norway.[2] The area is known for its two fjords, Malangen and Balsfjorden. It is surrounded by fertile farmland and many peaks, including the southern end of the Lyngen Alps.[3] The municipality was separated from the Tromsøe landdistrikt municipality in 1860. It has had several changes over the years, including a merger with neighboring Malangen municipality in 1964. The municipality's coat of arms features a red field with a plough, symbolizing the importance of agriculture to the area. The local inhabitants are descendants of a mixture of Norwegian, Sámi, and Kven people. Trappers, people who hunt and trap wild animals for their fur, meat, or other parts, from Balsfjord were active in the Arctic from the 18th to the 20th century. Balsfjord played a role in the mid-19th century mindekirken movement in the Troms region, which split from the state church parish in Tromsø.

Balsfjord
Municipality
Landscape of Blasfjordeidet
Flag Coat of arms
Coordinates: 69°18′17″N 19°12′13″E
Country	Norway
County	Troms og Finnmark
Area
• Total	1,496.98 km2 (577.99 sq mi)
Population
• Total	5,576
• Rank	168 in Norway
• Density	3.9/km2 (10/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (Central European Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2
ISO 3166 code	NO-5422
Website	http://balsfjord.kommune.no/