The Municipality of Meløy is located along the coast of Nordland. The municipality has many active and thriving rural communities, small towns and populated islands.
The coastal highway (Hwy 17), which is often called one of the most beautiful stretches of road in Norway, goes through Meløy. Meløy's trade and industry is varied, and includes traditional industry, agriculture, fishing, fish farming, power production and the service industry.
On the ocean's edge lie the fishing villages of Bolga, Støtt and Åmøyhamn, and traditional coastal fishing is the main source of income. In addition to many coastal vessels, the fishing fleet also includes several larger vessels, such as trawlers, which engage in year-round fishing in more remote waters. Halsa and Bolga have two of the region's largest fish farms, and other large farms have been established around Meløy.
Agriculture has been expanding in recent years, even if some smaller farms have been closed down. Dairy production is the most prevalent, but even meat production (beef and sheep) and egg production is common. Forestry is of minor significance in the municipality as of yet, but the industry is under development, and will provide many local jobs in the long run.
Engenbreen, which is a western branch of the glacier Svartisen, is the municipality's main tourist attraction. At the turn of the 20th century, the glacier almost reached Holandsfjorden, but today, the glacier edge sits a few kilometres further in. Svartisen Tourist Centre has been established at the foot of the glacier. From Glomfjord, a chair lift takes visitors up to 520 metres above sea level, and this is an excellent starting point for hikes in the mountains and on the glacier. From Fykanvatnet, gondolas transport visitors high into the mountains. There are also rock carvings near Fykanvatnet, as well as northeast on Åmøya, and these are presumed to be 4000-5000 years old. At Dalen, just north of Reipå, there is a burial mound with a 3.6-metre tall standing stone, known as the "Arrow", which is from the Viking era or even older. Just nearby is the Meløy Rural Museum. At the Ørnes Old Trading Post there are three listed buildings dating back to the 1780s.
Meløy's contribution to the "Footprints in the North" project is the Glomfjord industrial estate. Fykan power station is a well-preserved monument to the harnessing of waterfalls for hydroelectric power just after the turn of the 20th century. A cultural heritage trail guides visitors through the development of a modern industrial community.
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