Hardangerfjorden

Hardangerfjord
Hardangerfjorden
View of the inner part of the fjord, seen from Odda
Location	Hordaland county, Norway
Coordinates	60°10′N 6°00′E / 60.167°N 6.000°E / 60.167; 6.000Coordinates: 60°10′N 6°00′E / 60.167°N 6.000°E / 60.167; 6.000
Basin countries	Norway
Max. length	179 kilometres (111 mi)
Max. width	2 to 10 kilometres (1.2 to 6.2 mi)
Max. depth	860 metres (2,820 ft)
Settlements	Odda, Leirvik

The Hardangerfjord is the fourth longest fjord in the world, and the second longest fjord in Norway. It is located in Hordaland county in the Hardanger region. The fjord stretches 179 kilometres (111 mi) from the Atlantic Ocean into the mountainous interior of Norway along the Hardangervidda plateau. The innermost point of the fjord reaches the town of Odda.

The Hardangerfjord starts at the Atlantic Ocean about 80 kilometres (50 mi) south of the city of Bergen. Here the fjord heads in a northeasterly direction between the island of Bømlo and the mainland. It passes by the larger islands of Stord, Tysnesøya, and Varaldsøy on the north/west side and the Folgefonna peninsula on the south/east side. Once it is surrounded by the mainland, it begins to branch off into smaller fjords that reach inwards towards the grand Hardangervidda mountain plateau. The longest branch of the Hardangerfjord is Sørfjorden which cuts south about 50 kilometres (31 mi) from the main fjord. Its maximum depth is more than 860 metres (2,820 ft) just outside the village of Norheimsund in the middle of the fjord.

Norway's third largest glacier is found on the Folgefonna peninsula, along of the Hardangerfjord. With its three parts, the Folgefonna glacier covers an area of 220 km² (85 sq mi), and in 2005 it became protected as Folgefonna National Park.