The Kingdom of Norway (Norge in Norwegian) is one of the world's most maritime nations. The country is long and narrow, with drowned valleys called fjords that bring the sea far inland in most regions. The mainland coast is estimated to be 2650 km (1650 mi) long and when all the islands and minor indentations are counted the total coastline approaches an astonishing 60,000 km (37,500 mi), long enough the go around the world one and a half times. With such a lengthy and rocky shore it's not surprising that Norway has a large number of lighthouses. The Lofoten Islands are located in Nordland County off the northwestern coast of Norway. Located entirely north of the Arctic Circle, the mountainous islands are known for their spectacular scenery with dramatic mountains rising from the sea; as a result they attract many visitors. Historically they have also been a center of the Norwegian fishing industry with many small fishing harbors nestled amid the mountains. Norway is divided into counties (fylker) and the counties are divided into townships (kommuner). This page describes lighthouses of the outer Lofoten islands in the townships of Flakstad, Moskenes, Værøy, and Røst. Flakstad and Moskenes are accessible by road while Værøy and Rust are reached only by boat. In Norwegian a lighthouse is a fyrtårn (fire tower) or simply a fyr; a fyrlykt is a beacon and a lyktehus is a lantern. Øy is an island, holmen is an islet, skjær is a skerry (a tiny island or rocky reef), sund is a strait (often between an island and the mainland), bukt is a bay, nes is a headland, and havn is a harbor. Aids to navigation in Norway are maintained by the Kystverket (Coast Directorate), an agency of the Ministry of Transport and Communications. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. NF numbers are from the Norsk Fyrliste. Admiralty numbers are from volume L of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 115.
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Flakstad Lighthouses
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Moskenes Lighthouses
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![]() Moskenes Havn Light, Moskenes, July 2015 ex-Panoramio photo copyright Arno Siering; used by permission |
Værøy Lighthouses
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Røst Lighthouses
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Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining pages: North: Inner Lofoten
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Posted August 3, 2006. Checked and revised November 17, 2024. Lighthouses: 30. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.