Mehamn

Mehamn
Village
View of the village in winter
Mehamn Show map of Finnmark Mehamn Show map of Norway Location in Finnmark
Coordinates: 71°02′08″N 27°50′57″E / 71.03556°N 27.84917°E / 71.03556; 27.84917Coordinates: 71°02′08″N 27°50′57″E / 71.03556°N 27.84917°E / 71.03556; 27.84917
Country	Norway
Region	Northern Norway
County	Finnmark
District	Øst-Finnmark
Municipality	Gamvik
Area
• Total	0.54 km2 (0.21 sq mi)
Elevation	5 m (16 ft)
Population (2013)
• Total	737
• Density	1,365/km2 (3,540/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+01:00)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+02:00)
Post Code	9770 Mehamn

Mehamn (Northern Sami: Donjevuotna; Kven: Meehamina) is the administrative centre of Gamvik Municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The village is located on the small Vedvik peninsula, itself part of the greater Nordkinn Peninsula, at the southern end of the Mehamnfjorden, a bay off of the Barents Sea. The village of Gamvik lies about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) to the east and the village of Kjøllefjord (in Lebesby Municipality) lies about 30 kilometres (19 mi) to the southwest. Mehamn Chapel is located in this village. The 0.54-square-kilometre (130-acre) village has a population (2013) of 737, which gives the village a population density of 1,365 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,540/sq mi).

Norwegian County Road 888 connects Mehamn to the European route E06 highway at the base of the Nordkinn Peninsula, and from there on to the towns of Kirkenes in the east and Alta in the west. Mehamn is a port of call for the Hurtigruten coastal ship. Mehamn is also connected by air via Mehamn Airport, with services by Widerøe to the nearby town of Tromsø.

Svend Foyn established the whaling station in Mehamn that was built in 1884-1885. It was put into use starting in the spring of 1885, and it became the largest of its kind in Finnmark county. After Foyn’s death in 1894, the whaling station was run by Foyn’s whaling company. Svend Foyn also established the Svend Foyn Chapel, in Mehamn starting in 1887.