Mo i Rana

Mo i Rana (ˈmuː ɪ ˈrɑ̀ːnɑ) is a city, and the administrative centre of the municipality of Rana, in Nordland county, Norway. It is located in the Helgeland region of Nordland, just south of the Arctic Circle. Some of the city's suburbs include Båsmoen and Ytteren in the north, Selfors in the east, and Åga/Hauknes/Dalsgrenda in the south. The name "Mo i Rana" (English: Mo in Rana) distinguish it from other places named Mo (including the town of Mosjøen, also located in Helgeland). The city's postal address was "Mo 8600" until 1999, when it was changed to "Mo i Rana 8600". Today, the postal address is "8622 Mo i Rana". The city has a population (2018) of 18,866 and a population density of . This makes it the largest city in Helgeland, and the second largest city (after Bodø) in Nordland county. Directly translated, the name Mo i Rana means "Mo in Rana". The town (originally the parish) is named after the old Mo farm (Móar) since the first Mo Church was built there and this is the site of the modern town of Mo. The name is derived from the word móar which is the plural form of which means "moorland". The last element is the name of the large Rana Municipality (Rana) which means "quick" or "fast", likely referring to the fast water flow in the Ranfjorden which flows past the town. Originally the village (and later the growing town) was generally known simply as Mo, but since many Norwegian settlements bear that name, disambiguating it by specifying it as the one that is located in Rana became commonplace. As the town grew and became more well-known nationwide, the longer form came to dominate. Locals may still refer to it simply as Mo. Also, the short name Mo may also be used as shorthand in contexts in which it is already established that one is referring to Mo i Rana. In Mo i Rana, Nord University is located at Campus Helgeland just a short distance from shops, cafes and bars, cinema, theater, training facilities, and transport services including an airport. The campus hosts around 470 students from Nord University and 330 students from partner institutions.