| Tana | |
| Native Name: | Deanu gielda |
| Native Name Lang: | se |
| Former Name: | Tanen herred |
| Idnumber: | 5628 |
| County: | Finnmark |
| District: | Øst-Finnmark |
| Capital: | Tana bru |
| Established: | 1 Jan 1864 |
| Preceded: | Lebesby Municipality |
| Demonym: | Tanaværing |
| Language: | Bokmål |
| Sami Language: | Northern Sami |
| Coatofarms: | Tana komm.svg |
| Flag: | Flag of Tana.png |
| Webpage: | www.tana.kommune.no |
| Mayor: | Jon Erland Balto |
| Mayor Party: | Sp |
| Mayor As Of: | 2023 |
| Elevation Max M: | 1066.8 |
| Highest Point Ref: | [1] |
| Area Rank: | 5 |
| Area Total Km2: | 4051.28 |
| Area Land Km2: | 3832.70 |
| Area Water Km2: | 218.58 |
| Area Water Percent: | 5.4 |
| Population As Of: | 2024 |
| Population Rank: | 239 |
| Population Total: | 2807 |
| Population Density Km2: | 0.7 |
| Population Increase: | -2.6 |
| Coordinates: | 70.1994°N 28.1858°W |
| Utm Zone: | 35W |
| Utm Northing: | 7788540 |
| Utm Easting: | 0544831 |
| Geo Cat: | adm2nd |
or [2] is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Tana bru. Among the other villages in the municipality are Austertana, Bonakas, Polmak, Rustefjelbma, and Skiippagurra.[3]
The 4051km2 municipality is the 5th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Deanu-Tana is the 239th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,807. The municipality's population density is and its population has decreased by 2.6% over the previous 10-year period.[4] [5]
On 1 January 1864, the large Lebesby Municipality was divided into two. The eastern part (population: 1,388) became the new Tane Municipality and the rest remained as Lebesby. Initially, Tana Municipality included all the land on both sides surrounding the Tanafjorden and the Tana River.
On 1 January 1914, the municipality of Tana was divided into three parts. The southern part (population: 1,426) remained as (a smaller) Tana Municipality. The northern part of the municipality was divided by the Tanafjorden with the western side becoming Gamvik Municipality (population: 1,374) and the eastern side becoming Berlevåg Municipality (population: 784). On 1 January 1964, the neighboring Polmak Municipality (population: 1,072) was merged into Tana. (Polmak was originally part of Nesseby Municipality before 1 January 1903 when it became a separate municipality.)[6]
Tana Municipality marks the furthest Soviet advance into Nazi-occupied Norway.
On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the newly formed Troms og Finnmark county. Previously, it had been part of the old Finnmark county.[7] On 1 January 2024, the Troms og Finnmark county was divided and the municipality once again became part of Finnmark county.[8]
The municipality (originally the parish) was originally named Tanen, a Norwegianized form of the Northern Sami name for the area, Northern Sami: Deanu. The Sami name is identical to the genitive case of Sami word which means "great river" or "large river", referring to the main river (Tana River) which runs through the municipality. Historically, the name of the municiaplity was spelled Tanen. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Tana.[9]
On 1 September 1992, the name of the municipality was changed to "Deatnu-Tana" to symbolize the two official languages in the municipality.[10] Then in 2005, the name was again changed such that either Deatnu or Tana can be used.[11] The Sami language name spelling changes depending on how it is used. It is called Northern Sami: Deatnu when it is spelled alone, but it is Northern Sami: Deanu gielda when using the Sami language equivalent to "Deanu municipality".
The coat of arms was granted on 11 May 1984. The official blazon is "Gules, three boats Or in pale" (Norwegian: I rødt tre gule båter). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is three riverboats. The riverboat has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The red and yellow colors in the arms were chosen to mimic the Norwegian national arms. The three riverboats were chosen because boats like this have been used in the area for centuries. There are three boats to symbolize the three ethnic groups in the border municipality: the Sámi, Kvens, and Norwegians. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen.[12] [13] [14]
In 2013, 29% of the work force was employed in retail, hotels/restaurants and finance; 23% in the healthcare industry and the social sector; 16% in the Secondary sector of the economy; 11% in the primary sector; 9% worked in the education sector; the work force totaled 1,401.[15]
The most important [economic] resources are farmland and [coastal areas, mountains and forests or][16] utmark; the use of these gives [significant results relating to] agriculture.[17]
The world's northernmost dairy is Tine Tana, and it employs around 30 people.[18]
The Tana Valley is the core area for "the River-Sami Culture" in Finnmark; salmon fishing is central in regard to that culture.[19] According to written sources since the 17th century, fishing has been a major livelihood for the Sami people in the river valley of Tana River.[19]
The Church of Norway has two parishes (Norwegian: sokn) within the municipality of Tana. It is part of the Indre Finnmark prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.
| Tana | Austertana Chapel | Austertana | 1958 | |
| Tana Church | Rustefjelbma | 1964 | ||
| Polmak | Polmak Church | Polmak | 1853 |
All municipalities in Norway are 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 is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.[20] The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Indre og Østre Finnmark District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.
The municipal council Norwegian: (Kommunestyre) is made up of 19 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.
The mayors (Norwegian: ordfører) of Tana (incomplete list):
Deatnu-Tana is situated along the lower river basin of the Tana River, which borders Finland along most of its course. People live in small settlements along the river, notably Sirma, Polmak, Rustefjelbma, Seida, Skiippagurra, Austertana, and Tana bru. Most inhabitants of Tana are Sami people, and the Sami language and culture are today promoted by the municipality and the schools. The highest point in the municipality is the 1066.78m (3,499.93feet) tall mountain Rásttigáisá.
The river Tana has represented a mainstay in the economy, as it is one of Europe's main salmon rivers, and it empties into the Tanafjorden. River transportation is traditionally done by long, narrow river boats, that are still in use, albeit motorized. Lakes in this area include Geassájávri, Nissojávri, and Sundvatnet. At Tana bru, the Tana Bridge (part of European route E6 and European route E75) crosses over the Tana River. The nearest airports are Vadsø Airport (about 70km (40miles) away) and Kirkenes Airport (about 130km (80miles) away). Kirkenes Airport (but not Vadsø) has direct flights to Oslo.
With the Tana River flowing through wild and spectacular habitat, the municipality of Tana has one of the most spectacular gatherings in Norway. As many as 25,000 goosanders can accumulate along the Tana waterway system. Add to this, thousands of common eider and long-tailed duck, then you have one of the largest concentrations of wildfowl in Norway.
In 2022 one bear was killed because of deaths of sheep from a local farm; An investigation deemed the killing of the bear, legal; The report said there likely had been at least one other bear in the municipality.[30]
Tana has a subarctic climate (Dfc) with long, cold winters and short cool summers.