| Polmak | |
| Herred: | yes |
| Former: | yes |
| Other Name: | |
| Idnumber: | 2026 |
| County: | Finnmark |
| District: | Øst-Finnmark |
| Capital: | Polmak |
| Established: | 1 Jan 1903 |
| Preceded: | Nesseby Municipality |
| Disestablished: | 1 Jan 1964 |
| Succeeded: | Tana Municipality |
| Demonym: | Polmak-folk |
| Language: | Bokmål[1] |
| Mayor: | Reidar Dybvik |
| Mayor As Of: | 1962-1963 |
| Elevation Max M: | 1067 |
| Highest Point Ref: | [2] |
| Area Rank: | 16 |
| Area Total Km2: | 2257.5 |
| Population As Of: | 1963 |
| Population Rank: | 605 |
| Population Total: | 1040 |
| Population Density Km2: | 0.5 |
| Coordinates: | 70.0697°N 28.0111°W |
Polmak is a former municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The 2257.5km2 municipality existed from 1903 until its dissolution in 1964. The area is now part of Tana Municipality. The administrative centre was the village of Polmak where Polmak Church is located.[3]
Prior to its dissolution in 1964, the 2257.5km2 municipality was the 16th largest by area out of the 689 municipalities in Norway. Polmak Municipality was the 605th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of about 1,040 (in 1963). The municipality's population density was .[4] [5]
The municipality of Polmak was established on 1 January 1903 when the large Nesseby Municipality was divided in two: Polmak (population: 450) in the west and Nesseby (population: 1,058) in the east. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the neighboring municipalities of Polmak (population: 1,072) and Tana (population: 2,237) were merged to form a new, larger Tana Municipality.[6]
The municipality (originally the parish) is named "Polmak". It is possibly a Norwegianization of the Northern Sámi name for the area, Northern Sami: Buolbmát. The meaning of the name is uncertain.[7]
The Church of Norway had one parish (Norwegian: sokn) within the municipality of Polmak. It was part of the Nesseby prestegjeld and the Varanger prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.
| Polmak | Polmak Church | Polmak | 1853 |
The municipality of Polmak stretched along the northern shore of the Tana River (which also forms the border with Finland) from the little village of Leavvajohka in the west to the village of Polmak in the east and then it continues on both sides of the Tana River northwards to the Tana Bridge. The municipality included the upper Tana River valley, along the border with Finland. The highest point in the municipality was the 1067m (3,501feet) tall mountain Rásttigáisá, on the border with neighboring Lebesby Municipality.
While it existed, Polmak municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment, social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.[8] The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.
The mayors (Norwegian: ordfører) of Polmak:[9]
The municipal council Norwegian: (Herredsstyre) of Polmak was made up of representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.
. Norges Sivile, Geistlige, Rettslige og Militære Inndeling 1. Januar 1951 . 1951-01-01 . H. Aschehoug & Co. . Norges Offisielle Statistikk . Oslo, Norge . no . PDF . Statistics Norway.
. Norske gaardnavne: Finmarkens amt . 1924 . W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri . 18 . Kristiania, Norge . 266 . no . Oluf Rygh.