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Kirkenes
City/town within Sør-Varanger Municipality, Finnmark, Norway / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
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![]() View of the town in June 2013 | |
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Coordinates: 69°43′37″N 30°02′44″E | |
Country | Norway |
Region | Eastern Norway |
County | Finnmark |
District | Øst-Finnmark |
Municipality | Sør-Varanger Municipality |
Established as | |
Town (By) | 1998 |
Area | |
• Total | 2.29 km2 (0.88 sq mi) |
Elevation | 9 m (30 ft) |
Population (2023)[2] | |
• Total | 3,404 |
• Density | 1,486/km2 (3,850/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
Post Code | 9900 Kirkenes |
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.