Editing Gratangen Municipality (section)

==General information==
The municipality of Gratangen was established on 1 July 1926 when it was separated from the large [[Ibestad Municipality]]. The initial population of Gratangen was 1,967. The municipal boundaries have not changed since that time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jukvam |first=Dag |year=1999 |title=Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen |url=http://www.ssb.no/emner/00/90/rapp_9913/rapp_9913.pdf |publisher=[[Statistics Norway|Statistisk sentralbyrå]] |language=no}}</ref>

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.<ref name="snl5">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Troms og Finnmark |encyclopedia=[[Store norske leksikon]] |publisher=[[Kunnskapsforlaget]] |url=https://snl.no/Troms_og_Finnmark |access-date=2019-12-26 |date=2019-12-24 |editor-last=Mæhlum |editor-first=Lars |language=no}}</ref> On 1 January 2024, the [[Troms og Finnmark]] county was divided and the municipality once again became part of [[Troms]] county.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-05 |title=Fylkesinndelingen fra 2024 |url=https://www.regjeringen.no/no/tema/kommuner-og-regioner/kommunestruktur/fylkesinndelingen-fra-2024/id2922222/ |publisher=Regjeringen.no |language=no}}</ref>

===Name===
The municipality (originally the [[parish]]) is named after the [[Gratangen (fjord)|Gratangen]] [[fjord]] ({{langx|non|Grjótangr}}). The first element is {{lang|non|grjót}} which means "[[Rock (geology)|stone]]". The last element is {{lang|non|angr}} which means "[[fjord]]".<ref name="snl">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Gratangen |encyclopedia=[[Store norske leksikon]] |publisher=[[Kunnskapsforlaget]] |url=https://snl.no/Gratangen |access-date=2018-08-29 |date=2018-02-12 |editor-last=Thorsnæs |editor-first=Geir |language=no |editor2-first=Terje |editor2-last=Dalfest}}</ref>

On 16 February 2024, the national government approved a resolution to add a co-equal, official [[Sami language]] name for the municipality: {{lang|se|Rivttága suohkan}}.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-16 |title=Fastsetting av Rivttága suohkan som samisk namn for Gratangen kommune |url=https://lovdata.no/dokument/LTII/forskrift/2024-02-16-272 |access-date=2024-07-25 |publisher=LovData.no |language=no}}</ref> The spelling of the Sami language name changes depending on how it is used. It is called {{lang|se|Rivtták}} when it is spelled alone, but it is {{lang|se|Rivttága suohkan}} when using the Sami language equivalent to "Gratangen Municipality".<ref name="sami name">{{Cite web |title=Stadnamn og rettskriving |url=https://www.kartverket.no/til-lands/stadnamn/stadnamn-og-offisielle-sprak-i-noreg |access-date=2023-11-21 |publisher=[[Kartverket]] |language=no}}</ref>

===Coat of arms===
The [[coat of arms]] was granted on 15 June 1990. The official [[blazon]] is ''"[[Azure (heraldry)|Azure]], a [[Chevron (heraldry)|chevron]] [[embowed]] [[argent]]"'' ({{langx|no|I blått en innbøyd sølv sparre}}). This means the arms have a blue [[field (heraldry)|field]] (background) and the [[charge (heraldry)|charge]] is a curved chevron. The chevron has a [[tincture (heraldry)|tincture]] of [[argent]] which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The blue color in the field symbolizes the blue sky (on top) and the [[Gratangen (fjord)|Gratangen fjord]] and sea (on the bottom). The chevron was chosen to represent the snowy mountain peaks. The arms were designed by Even Jarl Skoglund.<ref name="snl" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen |url=https://www.heraldry-wiki.com/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=Gratangen |access-date=2023-01-26 |publisher=Heraldry of the World}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Gratangen, Troms (Norway) |url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/no-19-19.html |access-date=2023-01-26 |website=Flags of the World}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1990-08-17 |title=Godkjenning av våpen og flagg |url=https://lovdata.no/dokument/LF/forskrift/1990-06-15-505?q=flagg |access-date=2023-01-26 |website=Lovdata.no |publisher=Norges kommunal- og arbeidsdepartementet |language=no}}</ref>

===Churches===
The [[Church of Norway]] has one parish ({{lang|no|sokn}}) within Gratangen Municipality. It is part of the [[Trondenes prosti]] ([[deanery]]) in the [[Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland]].

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ style="font-size:medium"|'''''Churches in Gratangen'''''
!Parish ({{lang|no|sokn}})!!Church name!!Location of the church!!Year built
|-
|Gratangen||[[Gratangen Church]]||[[Årstein]]||1971
|}