Just inside the Arctic, between hundreds of islands and dozens of peaks.
At the top of the mountains there is always snow and big and small glaciers, the largest of which is Svartisen, northern Scandinavia's largest glacier.
The Svartisen (Black Ice) Glacier got its name not because it is so black, but because it is so blue! The deep blue colour of the ice contrasts with the fresh white snow drifts, and so the ice is called black ice.
The glacial meltwater is the basis of an industrial enterprise in Glomfjord just north of Ørsnes. Norsk Hydro has produced zinc, aluminium, fertilizer and solar panels here. They extracted riches from nature, but also gave back to the people, e.g. chairlifts, swimming pools and tennis courts. The industrial group and this village were a state within the state, and the state only assumed social responsibility in Glomfjord in 1982.
NES
