Vegaøyan

The Vega Archipelago (also Vega Islands, Norwegian Vegaøyene ) is an archipelago in the Norwegian Region Sør- Helgeland. The Vega Archipelago are located near the Arctic Circle to the coast of Helgeland in northern Norway and comprises a total of 1037 km ² with about 6,000 islands, islets and skerries, and one part of the sea. The cultural landscape of the Vega Archipelago heard since 1 July 2004 on the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Geography

In addition to the approximately 15 times 15 km large main island of Vega with the main town Gladstad are also inhabited the islands Ylvingen, and Omnøy. Other islands are inter alia Lånan and Skogsholmen. The south of the island of Vega is dominated by the 800 m high mountain Trolltinden, the north on the other hand of a moorland. The islands Hysvær and Sola are part of the conservation area Hysvær / Sola. Other protected areas are nature reserves and Eidemsliene Lånan / Skjærvær and the bird sanctuaries Lånan, Flovær and Skjærvær and Muddværet.

Economy

The main economic activities are agriculture, some livestock, fisheries and local services as well - particularly in the past - the eider down operation for extraction.

It is primarily herring, cod, saithe and haddock caught in part of the fish is processed on site.

History

The oldest settlements on Vega dated 10,000 years back to the Stone Age. It is the oldest documented settlement in northern Norway. Presumably, the fish-rich waters of the Gulf Stream have ensured that people settled there.

UNESCO World Heritage

The UNESCO committee decision confirmed in July 2004, the uniqueness of the open landscape of the Vega Archipelago with the inclusion in the World Heritage List. On the islands of the Vega Archipelago reflects a more than 1,500 -year-old fishing and agricultural history of the hard life of fishermen and their women, who traditionally processed the down of eider ducks. Fishing villages, duck farms, wharves, warehouses and lighthouses and dominated by agricultural use natural spaces illustrate their way of life.

The harmonious co-existence of " human " and " animal " inhabitants on Vega in a centuries- long interaction of man and nature represented a particularly important aspect for UNESCO at the presentation of the World Heritage status represents the residents of the Vega Archipelago taught every year in March nesting sites for the eider ducks under stone walls, wooden boxes or in small shacks. During the breeding season the women of Vega ensured the safety of the breeding ducks. After the boys in June / July were fully mature and the ducks left the islands again, the downs have been in this so-called " Eider houses " collected, which had used the ducks to pad the nests. From the down particularly high quality duvets were made. The down were sold all over Europe since the 9th century. Some of these breeding house for the eider ducks are still in operation today. On the main island of Vega there in the fishing harbor of a small Nes, E- huset -called museum and documentation center on the eider ducks.

On 20 April 2005 the recording of the Vega Archipelago was recognized on the World Heritage List of UNESCO with a ceremony on the island Hysvær in the presence of the Norwegian Queen Sonja.