Editing Kvænangen Municipality (section)

==History==
The municipality surrounds the [[Kvænangen (fjord)|Kvænangen]] fjord, after which it is named. The population is primarily of [[Sami people|Sami]] origin, although the [[Kven people|Kven]] population constitutes a sizeable minority. Archeological finds indicate [[nomad]]ic activity in the area going back 10,000 years.

There is evidence that Kværnangen was the site for a transitional state between nomadic and agricultural society through what was known as "siida" - delimited areas where permanent housing was established and natural resources put under stewardship.
[[File:Skorpa_from_Gildetun-Kvænangenfjorden.jpg|thumb|left|210px|Skorpa island in Kvænangsfjord]]
The Kvens settled in the area in the 18th century, occupying themselves with [[fishing]], [[hunting]], and [[agriculture]]. Over time, fisheries became a primary industry, and the community exported dried fish to southern areas. Ethnic Norwegians gradually immigrated to facilitate trade and administration.

Norwegian public policy in the 1930s and post-war years homogenized the three groups, ethnic Norwegians, Sami, and Kven, considerably, to the point that most residents speak Norwegian at home, regardless of their ethnic heritage. A majority of people in Kvænangen declared themselves Sami or Kven in the 1930 census. In the 1950 census, all but a handful declared themselves Norwegian.

During the [[Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany|Nazi occupation]] during [[World War II]], a [[Kvænangen concentration camp|temporary work camp]] was established at Kvænangen. In large part due to the generosity of the local population, prisoners had ample food. As the German [[Wehrmacht]] retreated in early 1945, the population was evacuated by force, and all buildings were burned. Today, a local museum shows typical reconstruction houses.