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Norwegian island without time limits where the sun does not set for 70 days

Norwegian island without time limits where the sun does not set for 70 days
(Photo: WWS)

The strange conventional day-night cycles have long frustrated the island's 300 or so residents, who are calling on the Norwegian state to allow them to escape the usual time zones.

On this remote island the sun does not set for about a fifth of the year and children can play until 2:00 am.

The island of Sommaroy, which is part of the Arctic Circle, west of Tromso in Norway, has sun for about 70 days in a row, from May to the end of July. The 70 days of light come after an equally harsh winter where the sun does not rise for nearly the same 70-day period.


(Photo: WWS)

Because of these unusual cycles, local residents are calling on the Norwegian authorities to set their time independently from the rest of the world.

Resident Kjell Ove Hveding explains the initiative in a video: "If you want to paint the house at 2:00 a.m. there's no problem here, just like there's no problem cutting the grass at midnight or going for a swim in the sea at 4:00 a.m. ".

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"During these 70 days, this does not affect us, that's why we want to be the first area outside the official time."

(Photo: WWS)

The inhabitants of the island have actually begun to leave behind the usual structure of the day and night, as many businesses such as fishing or tourism have opened at the strangest times".

Kjell said in the interview: "All over the world, people are being overcome by stress and depression, and this is related to the feeling of isolation, where time, the official time, plays an important role. That's why they want us to be a zone free from the clock, where everyone can live their life as they want".

But not everyone on the island was ready to change their lifestyle drastically.

Malin Nordheim, a receptionist at a hotel, told the media: "Such a change could be a problem with our guests coming from conventional time zones, where they have to check in and out at bar and restaurant times." /Top Channel/

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