LOFOTEN AND VESTERAALEN, a group of islands off the N.W. coast of Norway, between 67° 3o' and 69° 20' N., and between 12° and i6° 35' E., forming part of the amt (county) of Nordland. The extreme length of the group from Andenaes, at the north of Ando, to Rost, is about 150 m. ; the aggregate area about 1,560 square miles. It is separated from the mainland by the Vestfjord, Tjaeldsund and Vaagsfjord, and is divided into two sections by the Raftsund between Hindo and ost-Vaago. To the west and south of the Raftsund lie the Lofoten islands proper, of which the most important are ost-Vaagii, Vest-Vaago and Moskenaeso; east and north of the Raftsund are the islands of Vesteraalen, the chief being Hindo, Lango and Ando. The islands, which are of granite or gneiss, are a partially submerged mountain range, and are lofty and rugged. The highest points are found on Ost-Vaago, near the Raftsund and Troldfjord, and the greatest height is Higrafstind (3,811 ft.).
The long line of jagged peaks seen from the Vestfjord forms one of the most striking prospects on the Norwegian coast. The channels which separate the islands are narrow and tortuous, and generally of great depth ; they have remarkably strong tidal currents, particularly the Raftsund and the famous Maelstrom or Moskenstrom near Moskenaes. Though situated within the Arctic circle, the climate of the Lofoten and Vesteraalen group is not rigorous and the coast is never frozen. The isothermal line which marks a mean January temperature of 32° F runs south from the Lofotens, passing east of Bergen onward to Gothenburg and Copenhagen. The prevailing winds are from the south-west and west, the mean temperature is 38.5° F, and the annual rain
fall is in. In summer the hills have only patches of snow. Much of the interior is bleak cranberry moor. Cattle are reared, but the growth of cereals (chiefly barley) is insignificant.
The characteristic industry is the cod fishery carried on along the east coast of the Lofotens in the Vestfjord in spring. This employs many thousands during the season from all parts of Norway. The fish, which is dried on the cliffs during early sum mer, is exported from Bergen to Spain, Holland, Great Britain, Belgium, etc., and the fish heads are used as cattle food. Indus tries arising out of the fishery are the manufacture of cod-liver oil and of artificial manure in factories at Skolvaer, Henningvaer, Kabelvaag, etc. The summer cod fisheries and the lobster fishery are also valuable.
The herring is taken in large quantities off the west coasts of Vesteraalen. Skolvaer built on rocky islands off ost-Vaago is the "capital" and chief port and trading centre, and Kabelvaag is an other fishing port. Loclingen also, at the head of the Vestfjord on Hindo, is a port of call. A church existed at Vaagen (Kabel vaag) in the 12th century, and Hans Egede, the missionary of Greenland, was pastor. Steamers trade between Hamburg or Oslo and Hammerf est, and communication locally is chiefly by small boats for there are few roads. The largest island in the group, and indeed in Norway, is Hinclii, with an area of 86o square miles. In the island of Ando there is a bed of coal at the mouth of Ramsaa, and there are small deposits of magnetite at Lunkefjord and FOested.