Malangen (fjord)

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Malangen fjord (Norwegian: Malangen; Northern Sami: Málatvuotna; also called Malangsfjorden) is a large fjord in Troms county, Norway. It is about 60 kilometers long and up to 7 kilometers wide. The fjord runs through the municipalities of Balsfjord, Målselv, Senja, and Tromsø.

The waterway starts near Hekkingen Lighthouse off the island of Senja and heads southeast, between Senja and Kvaløya, before turning inland along the border between Balsfjord and Senja. It ends at the village of Nordfjordbotn. In its inner part, Malangen splits into four smaller fjords: Nordfjorden, Aursfjorden, Målselvfjorden, and Rossfjorden. The Målselva river flows into Målselvfjorden. Villages along the coast include Mortenhals, Mestervik, and Rossfjordstraumen.

Name and history: The name Malangen comes from Old Norse Malangr. The first part mál may come from a word meaning bag or leather bag, possibly referring to the fjord’s shape, and angr means inlet or narrow fjord. Historically, the area was an important northern boundary for Norwegian settlement in the Middle Ages. In the 13th century, King Haakon IV granted land around the fjord to settlers from Bjarmaland. From 1871 to 1964, much of the surrounding area was part of Malangen Municipality, named after the fjord.