Røst is a small island municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Lofoten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Røstlandet on the island of Røstlandet.
The island municipality is very small and is essentially a large fishing village centered around Røstlandet. Many of the residents are involved in the fishing industry or support the industry. There are six fish farms in Røst. During the main fishing season, there can be up to 600 fishing boats based out of Røst.
The municipality is the 353rd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Røst is the 351st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 469. The municipality's population density is , and its population has decreased by 21.2% over the previous 10-year period.
General information
The municipality of Røst was established on 1 July 1928 when it was separated from Værøy Municipality. Initially, it had 731 residents. The municipal boundaries have not changed since that time.
Name
The municipality is named after the main island of Røstlandet (Old Norse: Rǫst). The name is identical with the word rǫst which means "maelstrom". (See Moskstraumen.)
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 28 November 1986. The official blazon is "Argent, three cormorants issuant from the base sable" (). This means the arms have a field (background) that has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The charge is three black European shags (Gulosus aristotelis), which is a species of cormorant. The design was chosen to symbolize a local legend of three brothers who could transform themselves into cormorants. This story was recounted by Asbjørnsen and Moe, the famous collectors of Norwegian folklore. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen.
Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish () within the municipality of Røst. It is part of the Bodø domprosti (arch-deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.
History
A vivid description of medieval island life has been delivered by the shipwrecked Venetian sea captain Pietro Querini, who was rescued by the islanders in 1432. He described the society as very harmonious and pious, and described how they made a living from fishing cod and some agriculture. The Norwegian Lundehund originated from this part of Norway, where it natively would have climbed along cliff paths to hunt puffins. Fishing is the main economic activity on Røst.
Culture
The island has a rich cultural life. Every year in June there is a popular festival in honor of the puffin (Lundefestivalen).
Querini opera
In 2012, the Querini Opera was shown on Røst for the first time, telling the dramatic story about Pietro Querini who shipwrecked on Røst in 1432. The show was a great success and was shown again in 2014.
Literary Park Pietro Querini
In 2017, the Pietro Querini Literary Park (litteraturpark på Røst) was established with the Municipality of Røst, the Dante Committee, I Parchi Letterari Network and the support of the Embassy of Italy. The park started its activity in 2018. https://www.parchiletterari.com/parchi/pietro-querini-063/vita.php
Government
All municipalities in Norway, including Røst, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor. The municipality falls under the Salten District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.
Municipal council
The municipal council of Røst is made up of 11 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:
Mayor
The mayors of Røst (incomplete list): 1929-1941: Mathias Skaar (H) 1988-1999: Arnfinn Ellingsen (V) 1999-2007: Paul Rånes (Kyst) 2007-2011: Arnfinn Ellingsen (V) 2011-2019: Tor-Arne Andreassen (Ap) 2019–present: Elisabeth Mikalsen (LL)
Transportation
As an isolated island municipality, there are no road connections to Røst. It can be reached by boat and airplane. There are ferry connections to the neighboring island of Værøya and also to the nearby town of Bodø on the mainland. Røst Airport has regularly scheduled flights to Bodø.
Economy
During the winter, the population of Røst gets doubled due to the number of boats arriving at Røst to fish. Yearly, the small island of Røst produces fish and fish-related products worth more than .