Vadso is a city and municipality in the county of Finnmark, Norway. The city is the administrative centre of the county of Finnmark.
Vadso was established as a municipality January 1, 1838. The law required that all cities should be separated from their rural districts - but because of low population, and very few voters, this was impossible to carry out for Vadso in 1838.
The rural districts of Vadso were separated from the city in three stages: Nesseby (1846), Sør-Varanger (1858) and Nord-Varanger (1894). The last one was, however, again merged with the city January 1, 1964.
Vadso forms the southern coast of the Varanger Peninsula, which is largely covered by birch forests on this more sheltered side (as opposed to the northern side).
In the 1500s the settlement consisted of a fishing village and a church, located on the island of Vadsøya. The settlement later moved to the mainland. Township privilege was granted in 1833, and soon settlers came from Finland, which suffered from famine. Finnish was rapidly becoming the language of the majority, and this continued through decades. Even today Finnish is still spoken in some households. During World War II, Vadsø suffered several air raids from the Soviet Union.
However, there is, unlike most places in Finnmark, a number of nineteenth century wooden houses preserved close to the city centre, notably the house of Esbensen, built by a Norwegian, and the house of Tuomainen, built by a Finn. On the island of Vadsøya is the airship mast used by Umberto Nobile and Roald Amundsen for their expedition over the North Pole with the airship Norge in 1926, and used again on Nobile's flight with the airship Italia in 1928.
Vadso has an airport and is also a port of call for the Hurtigruten.
Situated on the shores of the Varangerfjord the municipality of Vadso is known for its interesting birdlife. Many of its coastal localities like Store Ekkerøy are internationally known for its rich and interesting birdlife. The harbour at Vadso can produce all three species of Eider, including the small and stunning Steller’s Eider.
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