Astafjorden


Astafjorden is a fjord in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It flows through the municipalities of Salangen, Gratangen, Ibestad, and Tjeldsund. The long fjord flows from the Salangen fjord in the east to the Vågsfjorden in the west. The wide fjord separates the islands of Andørja and Rolla from the mainland. There are several small fjords that branch off this fjord including: Lavangen, Gratangen, Grovfjorden, and Salangen.

Name

The fjord were named after the old Ånstad farm. The first element of the old name comes from the male name Arna or "Arne", the second element staða means "home" or "farm", and the last element fjǫrðr is identical with the word for "fjord". Thus, the fjord by Arne's farm.
Another possible explanation for the origen of the name of the Astafjord in Troms might be that it was named after Queen Asta, mother of King "Hellige" Olav in the 11th century who allegedly brought Christianity to Norway.