Bardu ( and ) is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Setermoen, the largest urban area in the municipality. The 2704 km2 municipality is the 18th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Bardu is the 203rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 3,986. The municipality's population density is 1.5 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 0.03% over the previous 10-year period. Norway's largest military garrison is located at Setermoen. The military is the municipality's largest employer and more than 1,000 young soldiers perform their duty service here each year. The world's most northern zoo, Polar Park, is located in the southern part of the municipality.

General information

The municipality of Bardodalen was established in 1854 when the eastern part of the old Ibestad Municipality was separated to form the new municipality. The initial population of the new municipality was 757. The municipal borders have not changed since then, although the name was later changed to Bardu. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the newly formed Troms og Finnmark county. Previously, it had been part of the old Troms county. On 1 January 2024, the Troms og Finnmark county was divided and the municipality once again became part of Troms county.

Name

The municipality has had several name variations since its establishment in 1854. Initially, the name was Bardodalen from 1854 until 1889. In 1889, the name was shortened to Bardo. On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Bardu. The root of the name is possibly a Norwegianized form of the Sámi name Beardu. The meaning of the Sámi name is probably "long and steep mountain side". The original suffix of the name, means "the valley", thus the name was "the valley of Bardo". An alternate explanation is that "Bardo" is a corruption of the old Norwegian male name Berto or Berdo.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 6 June 1980. The official blazon is "Or, a wolverine statant sable". This means the arms have a charge that is a wolverine which has a tincture of sable. The field (background) has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The wolverine was chosen as a symbol for the large forests and the rich wildlife in the municipality. There is a permanent population of wolverines living in the extensive forests and mountain areas of Bardu. The motif also expresses strength and continuity. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen.

Churches

The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within Bardu Municipality. It is part of the Indre Troms prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland.

Government

Bardu Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Nord-Troms og Senja District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Bardu is made up of 19 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors

The mayor of Bardu is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position (incomplete list):

Geography

Bardu borders Lavangen Municipality and Salangen Municipality to the west, Målselv Municipality to the north, Narvik Municipality (in Nordland county) to the south, and Sweden to the east. The Barduelva river runs through the municipality from south to north along the Bardudalen valley. The Salangsdalen valley is located along the western part of the municipality. The largest lake in the county, Altevatnet, is located in the eastern part of the municipality, near the smaller lakes Geavdnjajávri and Leinavatn. These lakes lie in and near Rohkunborri National Park. The highest point in the municipality is the 1660.61 m tall mountain Rohkunborri, also located within Rohkunborri National Park.

Climate

Bardu, although not far from the coast, is known for its cold winters compared to the coastal areas. This is caused by mountains usually blocking the milder, coastal air from reaching the Bardu valley. In summer, however, it is usually warmer than the coastal areas.

Notable people

Sport

Media gallery