The rugged beauty and stunning landscapes of Lofoten, Norway

Today’s Video of the Day from the European Space Agency features the archipelago of Lofoten in northern Norway. Lofoten is known for its rugged beauty. The archipelago has a stunning variety of things to see, including majestic mountains, white sand beaches, traditional fishing villages, and the northern lights.

According to the conservation group SeaLegacy, the ecosystem of Lofoten was in a state of crisis 30 years ago, but has now recovered to become one of Earth’s richest marine ecosystems.

Massive fish populations draw some of the biggest concentrations of humpbacks, sperm whales and orcas in the world. Lofoten is also one of Europe’s largest nesting sites for seabirds.

“Although lying entirely within the Arctic Circle, Lofoten experiences one of the world’s largest elevated temperature anomalies relative to its high latitude. Due to a convergence of the Gulf Stream with two underwater currents, the North Atlantic Current and the Norwegian Current, the weather in Lofoten remains anomalously warm,” reports ESA.

“Svolvær, the chief town and port of the Lofoten island group, is located on the southern coast of Austvågøya, the easternmost island of the archipelago. The economy largely depends on cod fisheries, with the town’s population swelling during the spawning season as fishermen flock in.”

Video & Image Credit: European Space Agency 

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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer