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Sola, Norway

Sola is a municipality and a Seaside resort in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Jæren. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Solakrossen. Other villages include Tananger, Hålandsmarka, Sørnes, and Stenebyen. Stavanger Airport is located in Sola, just a short distance from the large Stavanger/Sandnes metropolitan area.

The 69 km2 municipality is the 342nd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Sola is the 41st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 28,315. The municipality's population density is 411.4 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 15.2f% over the previous 10-year period.

In the western part of Sola, there are 5 km of long, sandy beaches facing the North Sea. With usually ample supplies of wind and waves, the sandy beaches are a popular place for windsurfing.

General information
The municipality of Sola was established in 1930 when the old municipality of Håland was split into Sola (south of the Hafrsfjorden) and Madla (north of the Hafrsfjorden). Initially, Sola had 3,372 residents. On 1 January 2017, a small 350 daa area on the southwestern edge of the village of Solakrossen was transferred from Sandnes municipality to Sola.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Sola farm (Sóli) since the first Sola Church was built there. The meaning of the name is uncertain. One possibility is that it comes from the word which means "sun". Historically, the name was also spelled Sole.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 12 February 1982. The official blazon is "Azure, two bars double embowed argent" (I blått to sølv bjelker dannet ved et omvendt dobbelt buesnitt). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a set of two curved bars that look like waves. The charge has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The blue color symbolizes the sea and the white/silver color symbolizes the whitecaps of the waves washing up to the long, shallow, sandy beaches along the ocean in the municipality. The arms were designed by the painter Roald Kyllingstad. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has four parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Sola. It is part of the Tungenes prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger.

Geography
The municipality of Sola lies on the west side of the Stavanger Peninsula, south of the Hafrsfjorden. The municipality sits just about 5 km from the centres of the cities of Stavanger and Sandnes. The island of Rott lies just off the western coast of Sola. The Fladholmen Lighthouse lies just off shore of the village of Tananger in northern Sola.

History
According to Snorre Sturlason the Battle of Hafrsfjord took place in the year AD 872, probably outside Ytraberget. Harald Fairhair, the first king of Norway, is celebrated for having united Norway at this notable battle.

The stone crosses at Tjora date from about the year 1150. In early Christian times, these stone crosses were used as gathering points for religious ceremonies before churches were built. Sola Church Ruins (Sola ruinkirke) is the ruins of a Romanesque stone church dating from about the year 1120. The stone church probably replaced an older wooden church in the area. This wooden church was possibly the one that Erling Skjalgsson had built when he converted to Christianity at the end of the 10th century. Sola Church overlooked the Hafrsfjord and was in use until 1842.The artist Johan Bennetter (1822–1904) used the church as a studio and lived there with his family. During World War II, most of the church was demolished. It was later reconstructed, and the restoration was finished in 1995.

Stavanger Airport, Sola was founded in 1937. At Sola airport, the first opposed landing by paratroopers took place as German Fallschirmjägers from 1st battalion of the 1st Regiment, 7th Flieger Division were dropped on the airfield. Sola Air Station became an important airfield for the Germans during World War II.

Government
Sola Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Sør-Rogaland District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Sola is made up of 41 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Sola:

 * 1930–1931: Jakob Svendsen Gimre (H)
 * 1931–1931: Gabriel Bore (Bp)
 * 1932–1934: Gabriel Joa (Bp)
 * 1935–1937: Gabriel Bore (Bp)
 * 1938–1941: Gabriel Joa (Bp)
 * 1942–1943: Sverre Johansson (NS)
 * 1943–1945: Jakob Stokdal (NS)
 * 1945–1945: Gabriel Joa (Bp)
 * 1946–1947: Gabriel Bore (Bp)
 * 1948–1951: Torger Sanne (LL)
 * 1952–1959: Gabriel Joa (Bp)
 * 1960–1961: Knut Rommetveit (Sp)
 * 1962–1963: Leif Sømme (H)
 * 1964–1971: Rasmus Reime (Sp)
 * 1972–1975: Ole Gabriel Ueland (Sp)
 * 1976–1977: Ludvig Klingsheim (H)
 * 1978–1979: Andreas Sanne (KrF)
 * 1980–1987: Kåre Kvalvik (H)
 * 1988–1989: Håkon Rege (FrP)
 * 1990–1991: Trygve Ersland (H)
 * 1992–1995: Trygg Mæland (Sp)
 * 1995–1999: Eli Hellestø (Sp)
 * 1999–2011: Håkon Rege (H)
 * 2011–2019: Ole Ueland (H)
 * 2019–2023: Tom Henning Slethei (FrP)
 * 2023-present: Janne Stangeland Rege (H)

Museums
Museums in Sola include:
 * The Aviation History Museum
 * Rogaland Krigshistorisk Museum, a World War II museum
 * Kystkultursamlingen i Tananger, a Maritime collection

Notable people

 * Andrew Lawrenceson Smith (ca.1620 - ca.1694), a Scottish craftsman, woodcutter, and painter from the Stavanger renaissance
 * Andreas Meling (1839 in Sola – 1928), a ship owner, politician, and mayor of Stavanger from 1893
 * Rasmus Sørnes (1893 in Sola – 1967), an inventor, clockmaker, and radio technician who made advanced astronomical clocks
 * Tor Sørnes (1925 in Sola – 2017), an author, politician, and engineer who invented the VingCard
 * Bjørn Bue (1934 in Sola – 1997), a Lutheran missionary and Bishop of Stavanger from 1986 to 1997
 * Håkon Rege (born 1955), a politician and mayor of Sola from 1999 to 2011
 * Finn Øglænd (born 1957), an author, poet, and literature critic who grew up at Tananger
 * Svein Fjælberg (born 1959 in Sola), a former footballer with 128 caps with Viking FK and 33 with Norway
 * Rita Eriksen (born 1966 in Sola) & Frank Eriksen (born 1961 in Sola), musicians with Eriksen; a roots, country, and blues band
 * Solveig Horne (born 1969), a politician and Minister of Children and Families who lives in Sola
 * Camilla Herrem (born 1986 in Sola), a handball player with 262 caps with Norway women and three Olympic team medals (Gold in London 2012, Bronze in Rio 2016, and in Tokyo 2020)

title: Sola, Norway


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Randaberg

Randaberg is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Jæren, at the northern end of the Stavanger Peninsula. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Randaberg.

Randaberg is located just north of the city of Stavanger. It is the northernmost conurbation of the Stavanger/Sandnes area, one of the largest urban areas in the country. The Byfjord Tunnel connects the islands of Stavanger Municipality to the east with the mainland of Randaberg. The Rogfast tunnel is going to be built from Randaberg, under the Boknafjorden, to the north side of the fjord as well as to the island of Kvitsøy.

The 25 km2 municipality is the 350th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Randaberg is the 99th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 11,671. The municipality's population density is 483.7 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 12.3% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The parish of Randaberg was established on 1 July 1922 when it was separated from the large municipality of Hetland. Initially, there were 1,256 residents of the new municipality. The municipal borders have not changed since that time.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Randaberg farm (Randarberg) since the first Randaberg Church was built there. The first element is the plural genitive case of which means "edge" or "rim". The last element is which means "mountain", "rock" or "cliff". Before the early 1900s, the area was known as Randeberg.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 26 June 1981. The official blazon is "Azure, fourteen plates in orle" (I blått 14 sølv mynter langs randen). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a set of fourteen circles that outline the shield. The charge has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The circles are meant to symbolize silver coins. The arms are partly canting since the name of the municipality is derived from a word that means "edge" and the coins are placed around edge of the shield. The coins symbolize the ball-shaped stones found in large amounts on the beach in Randaberg. The arms were designed by Truls Nygaard who based it off a preliminary design by Magnus Hardeland. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms, except that it is rectangular.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Randaberg. It is part of the Tungenes prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger.

Economy
Randaberg is still an active agricultural community, and produces over 80% of Norway's parsley. About 3/5 of the land is arable, and about 2% of the inhabitants are engaged in agriculture. Dairy production, chickens, and pigs are important industries. Only Klepp municipality surpasses Randaberg and has more agricultural production in Rogaland county. The first potatoes every year are grown here in Randaberg and are given to the Royal Family of Norway. However, due to its close proximity to the large city of Stavanger, the area is becoming more urban. There are three main suburbs of Stavanger where most of Randaberg's residents live: Randaberg sentrum (310 houses), Viste/Goa (315 houses), and Grødem (135 houses).

History
Some of the first inhabitants of Norway settled here, and it is believed that the first people came here around 12,000 years ago. It is thought that Svarthola (local name: Vistehålå) was the main shelter for a group of 25 persons, from around 6000 BC. These people were mainly gatherers and hunters, but from around 4000 BC they also started farming. From around 2000 BC, their main activity was farming.

Government
Randaberg Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Sør-Rogaland District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Randaberg is made up of 27 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Randaberg:

 * 1922–1937: Andreas Harestad (Bp)
 * 1938–1940: Rasmus T. Viste (Bp)
 * 1945–1947: Rasmus T. Viste (Bp)
 * 1956–1959: Andreas A. Vistnes (Bp)
 * 1960–1963: Andreas H. Bø (Sp)
 * 1964–1967: Kristen Viste Bø (Sp)
 * 1968–1973: Berge Harestad (Sp)
 * 1974–1975: Kristian Nybø (KrF)
 * 1976–1979: Hans Edvard Bø (Sp)
 * 1980–1981: Berit Brunvand (H)
 * 1982–1985: Knut Bø Sande (KrF)
 * 1986–1989: Oddvin Mørch Rogstad (H)
 * 1990–1993: Kari Austenå (Ap)
 * 1994–1999: Olav Sande (Sp)
 * 1999–2007: Tom Tvedt (Ap)
 * 2007–2011: Tone Tvedt Nybø (KrF)
 * 2011–2015: Bjørn Christian Kahrs (H)
 * 2015–2019: Kristine Enger (Ap)
 * 2019–present: Jarle Bø (Sp)

Attractions
During the summer the beaches here are very popular, and among the finest in the area around Stavanger. This includes Sandestraen and Vistestraen. Hålandsvannet, a small lake, is also a popular place for swimming.

Notable people

 * Tom Tvedt (born 1968 in Randaberg), a politician and mayor of Randaberg for eight years
 * Bent Høie (born 1971 in Randaberg), a politician and Minister of Health and Care Services in 2013
 * Rune Holta (born 1973), a Polish speedway rider who grew up in Randaberg

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Randaberg


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Forsand

Forsand is a former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The 780 km2 municipality existed from 1871 until 2020 when it was merged into Sandnes municipality. It was located in the traditional district of Ryfylke. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village of Forsand. Other villages in the municipality included Lysebotn, Øvre Espedal, Oanes, Kolabygda, and Fløyrli.

Forsand municipality surrounded the famous Lysefjorden and it was located on the east side of the Høgsfjorden. In 1999, evidence of a population here dating back to around 7500 BC was located.

Prior to its dissolution in 2020, it was one of the largest municipalities within the county of Rogaland in terms of area, and one of the smallest in terms of population. The 780 km2 municipality was the 141st largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Forsand was the 376th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,245. The municipality's population density was 1.8 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 12.9% over the last decade.

General information
The municipality of Fossan was established on 1 January 1871 when the very large municipality of Høgsfjord was divided into two: Fossan (located east of the Høgsfjorden and south of the Frafjorden) and Høle (located west of the Høgsfjorden). Initially, Fossan had 2,081 residents.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, the municipality was split, with everything located south and east of the Frafjorden being transferred to the neighboring municipality of Gjesdal. The reason for this border change was because this area had no road connection with the rest of Forsand, but it was connected by road to Gjesdal.

On 1 January 2020, Forsand municipality was dissolved. The area on the northwestern shore of the Lysefjorden around the Preikestolen became a part of the neighboring Strand Municipality and the rest of Forsand became part of Sandnes Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Forsand farm (Forsandr) since the first Forsand Church was built there. The first element is for which means "sticking out" or "protruding". The last element is which means "sand" or "sandy beach". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Fossan. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Forsand.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 11 March 1988 and it was in use until 1 January 2020 when the municipality was dissolved. The official blazon is "Vert, a heron vigilant argent" (På grøn grunn ein sølv hegre). This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is a heron standing on one leg. The charge has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The green color in the field symbolizes the importance of the local forests and wildlife. The heron was chosen since it is a common bird that lives in the area, from the fjords all the way up into the mountains. The arms were designed by John Digernes. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway had one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Forsand. It was part of the Ryfylke prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger.

Geography
Forsand was a large municipality that is very mountainous with a long, narrow fjord running through the middle from east to west. The Lysefjorden was surrounded by very steep 1000 m tall cliffs such as Kjerag and Preikestolen, with the Lysefjord Bridge crossing the fjord near the western end. The famous Kjeragbolten boulder and Kjeragfossen waterfall were located along the inner part of the fjord. The village of Lysebotn is located at the eastern end of the fjord. The lake Nilsebuvatnet is located high up in the mountains, north of Lysebotn at the border of Strand and Forsand municipalities. It is regulated for hydroelectric power use at the Lysebotn Hydroelectric Power Station.

Government
While it existed, this municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment, social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Ryfylke District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Forsand was made up of 17 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The party breakdown for the councils was as follows:

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Forsand:

 * 1871-1879: Osmund G. Espedal
 * 1880-1881: Knud O. Moluf
 * 1882-1885: Osmund G. Espedal
 * 1886-1887: Rasmus I. Norland
 * 1888-1889: Thormod Schavland
 * 1890-1893: Rasmus I. Nordland
 * 1894-1895: Thormod Schavland
 * 1896-1897: Børge T. Kommedal
 * 1898-1899: Tore T. Haaland
 * 1901-1910: Rasmus I. Norland
 * 1911-1913: Ingebret R. Norland
 * 1914-1916: Rasmus I. Norland
 * 1917-1918: Torvald O. Espedal
 * 1918-1919: Rasmus J. Dirdal
 * 1920-1922: Ingebret R. Norland
 * 1923-1940: Torgeir Espedal
 * 1941-1941: Torstein I. Fossan
 * 1945-1947: Torgeir Espedal
 * 1948-1958: Peter Norland
 * 1958-1961: Torstein I. Fossan
 * 1962-1965: Alf T. Espedal (LL)
 * 1966-1967: Tormod Harboe
 * 1968-1971: Alf T. Espedal
 * 1972-1978: Tormod Rossavik (KrF)
 * 1978-1983: Per Fløysvik (KrF)
 * 1984-1989: Årstein Løland (Sp)
 * 1990-1991: Torstein Haukalid (KrF)
 * 1992-1999: Fridtjov Thorsen Norland (Sp)
 * 1999-2003: Torstein Haukalid (KrF)
 * 2003-2007: Ingeborg Søyland (Sp)
 * 2007-2015: Ole Tom Guse (KrF)
 * 2015-2019: Bjarte S. Dagestad (H)

title: Forsand


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Strand

Strand or The Strand may refer to:

Topography

 * The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a:
 * Beach
 * Shoreline
 * Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida

Africa

 * Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa
 * Strand Street, a road in Cape Town, South Africa

Asia

 * A park alongside the river Ganges in Chandannagar, India
 * Strand Road, Kolkata, a road alongside the river Ganges in Kolkata, India

Australia

 * The Strand Arcade, a Victorian shopping arcade in Sydney, Australia
 * The Strand, Townsville, a beachside foreshore in Townsville, Australia
 * The Strand, Auckland, a street in Auckland, New Zealand
 * The Strand Station, the former main railway station of Auckland, New Zealand, known as The Strand for excursion trains

United Kingdom

 * Strand (UK Parliament constituency), former constituency in the City of Westminster
 * Strand, County Down, a townland in County Down, Northern Ireland
 * Strand, London, a street in Central London
 * St Mary le Strand (parish), City of Westminster
 * Strand District (Metropolis), a local government district within the metropolitan area of London, England, from 1855 to 1900
 * The Strand, Wiltshire, a hamlet
 * The Strand, recreation area in Gillingham, Kent
 * New Strand Shopping Centre, a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside
 * Strands, Cumbria, a location

Europe

 * Strand (island), a German island that was split into two by the Burchardi Flood of 1634
 * Ștrand, a district of Sibiu, Romania
 * Štrand, a beach on the Danube in Novi Sad, Serbia
 * Strand, Akershus, a village area in Bærum municipality in Akershus county, Norway
 * Strand, Friesland, a hamlet in Súdwest-Fryslân, Friesland, the Netherlands
 * Strand, Nordland, a village in Sortland municipality in Nordland county, Norway
 * Strand, Norway, a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway
 * Strand, Vestfold, a village in Sandefjord municipality in Vestfold county, Norway

Canada

 * Strand Fiord Pass, a pass on Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut, Canada

United States

 * Strand, Iowa
 * Grand Strand, a stretch of beaches in North and South Carolina
 * Silver Strand (San Diego), or The Strand, a narrow isthmus connecting Coronado Island with Imperial Beach, California
 * Strand National Historic Landmark District, a neighborhood in Galveston, Texas
 * The Strand (bicycle path), a pedestrian/bike path along the coast of the South Bay, Los Angeles

Music

 * Groups
 * The Strand, a British hard rock band that eventually evolved into the Sex Pistols
 * Works
 * Strand (album), an album by the Spinanes
 * "Baile's Strand", a song on the album Crógacht by the band Suidakra, based on the same Celtic legend as Yeats' play
 * "Do the Strand," a song by the British band Roxy Music

Periodicals

 * The Strand, a publication of Victoria University in the University of Toronto
 * The Strand Magazine, a British monthly founded in the 1890s (named after the street in London)

Other art, entertainment, and media

 * Strand (film), a 2009 Iranian film
 * The Strand (radio), a daily BBC World Service arts programme
 * Victor Strand, a character in Fear the Walking Dead
 * T. K. Strand, a character in 9-1-1: Lone Star
 * The New York Times Strands, an online word game

Biology

 * Coding strand, a strand of DNA
 * A strand of hair

Brands and enterprises

 * Strand (cigarette), a 1950s/1960s brand of cigarette notorious for its failed advertising campaign, "You're never alone with a Strand"
 * Strand Bookstore, a famous bookstore in New York City
 * Strand Cinema, art deco cinema in Belfast, Northern Ireland
 * Strand Hotel (also known as The Strand), a colonial-style hotel in Yangon, Myanmar
 * Strand Lighting, a company supplying lighting equipment to the entertainment industry
 * Strand Publishing, a publishing company based in Sydney, Australia; publisher of books by Grenville Kent
 * Strand Releasing, a theatrical distribution company based in Culver City, California
 * The Strand (Providence theater), a live music venue and theater in Providence, Rhode Island

Other uses

 * Strand (programming language), a parallel programming system
 * Strand (surname)
 * Strand, part of an electrical cable
 * Strand (mathematics), part of a knot as meant in the definition of tricolorability

title: Strand


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Hjelmeland

is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Ryfylke. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hjelmelandsvågen. Other villages in the municipality include Fister, Årdal, and Jøsenfjorden.

Hjelmeland is known for its fruit (apples, pears, plums, cherries and strawberries) and fish production. Salmon has been important for the fish industry in Hjelmeland for a couple of decades, but white fish such as cod and halibut has increased its value in the latter years.

The 1068 km2 municipality is the 105th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Hjelmeland is the 247th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,619. The municipality's population density is 2.8 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 6.4% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
Hjelmeland was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). In 1859, Hjelmeland municipality was split into two: the southern portion of the municipality (population: 1,315) was split off to form the new municipality of Årdal and the remainder of the municipality became the municipality of Hjelmeland og Fister (population: 3,084). On 1 July 1884, the western islands and the western coast of the mainland (population: 832) were split off from Hjelmeland og Fister to form the new municipality of Fister and the rest of the municipality was renamed simply "Hjelmeland" which now had 2,249 residents.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, all of Hjelemland municipality (population: 1,691) was merged with most of the municipality of Årdal (except the Sundgardene area along the Årdalsfjorden), the mainland part and the island of Randøy from the municipality of Fister, and the small Buergårdene area on Ombo from the municipality of Jelsa. The population of the newly enlarged Hjelemland was 2,909; nearly doubling the size of the municipal population.

On 1 January 2020, the parts of Hjelmeland municipality that were located on the island of Ombo were transferred to the neighboring Stavanger Municipality so that the whole island would be part of the same municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Hjelmeland farm (Hjalmaland) since the first Hjelmeland Church was built there. Today the farm is a part of the Hjelmelandsvågen urban area. The first element of the name is the plural genitive case of which means "helmet" (likely referring to two hills behind the farm which have the form of two helmets). The last element is which means "land" or "farm".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 30 November 1984. The official blazon is "Gules, a triple saltire fretty Or" (På raud grunn ein gull Andreaskross, laga med trilling strengar). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a set of three interwoven St. Andrew's crosses. The charge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. They are based on the local tradition of making chairs and other furniture with seats of woven twigs (jærstoler). The process of weaving is symbolised in the arms. At the same time the arms show the strength and solidarity of the municipality. Furthermore, there are three sets of crosses to represent the fact that Hjelmeland is made up of three previous municipalities (Hjemeland, Fister, and Årdal) that were merged in 1965. The arms were designed by Svein Magnus Håvarstein who based the idea from an initial idea by Magnus Torgersen. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has three parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Hjelmeland. It is part of the Ryfylke prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger.

Government
Hjelmeland Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Sør-Rogaland District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Hjelmeland is made up of 19 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Hjelmeland (incomplete list):

 * 1995-2007: Terje Thornquist (KrF)
 * 2007-2011: Bjørn Laugaland (Sp)
 * 2011-2015: Trine L. Danielsen (H)
 * 2015-2022: Bjørn Laugaland (Sp)
 * 2022-present: Anita Husøy Riskedal (Sp)

Geography
The municipality stretches from the mountains bordering the Setesdal valley to the shores of the fjords that connect to the main Boknafjorden. The small Jøsenfjorden and Årdalsfjorden cut into the mainland. There are several islands that are part of Hjelmeland including Randøy as well as some smaller surrounding islands. The island of Randøy is connected to the mainland by the Randøy Bridge.

There are several large lakes in the municipality including Nilsebuvatnet, Øvre Tysdalsvatnet, and Tysdalsvatnet. The large lake Blåsjø partially lies in the municipality. The Trollgarden glacial moraine lies atop a mountain in Hjelmeland. The Ritland crater is also located in the municipality.

Notable people

 * Jacob Tostrup (1806 in Hjelmeland – 1890), a jeweller, goldsmith, and silversmith
 * Per Hovda (1908 in Hjelmeland – 1997), a philologist
 * Per Pedersen Tjøstland (1918 in Fister - 2004), a Norwegian Nazi activist and SS volunteer
 * Kjell Erfjord (born 1940 in Hjelmeland), a educator and politician who was mayor of Lund from 1981-1991 and 1999-2007

title: Hjelmeland


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Suldal

Suldal is a municipality in the northeast corner of Rogaland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Ryfylke. Since 1965, the administrative centre of Suldal is the village of Sand i Ryfylke (prior to that it was the village of Suldalsosen). Other villages in Suldal include Haugsland, Jelsa, Marvik, Nesflaten, and Suldalsosen.

The 1737 km2 municipality is the 46th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Suldal is the 210th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 3,815. The municipality's population density is 2.4 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 1.5% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The parish of Suledal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). In 1842, the northern district of the municipality (population: 1,584) was separated to become the new municipality of Søvde. This left Suldal with 2,030 residents. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, Suldal (population: 1,412) was merged with the neighboring municipalities of Sand (population: 1,135) and Erfjord (population: 610) as well as all of the municipality of Jelsa except for the parts on the island of Ombo (population: 928) and the parts of Imsland municipality located south of the Vindafjorden (population: 61). On 1 January 1978, the parts of Vindafjord Municipality located southeast of the Vindafjorden on the Ropeid peninsula (population: 13) was transferred to Suldal.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Suledalen valley (Súladalr) since it was a central geographical feature of the municipality. The first element is the plural genitive case of which means "pillar" or "column" (likely referring to the mountain pass Suldalsporten). The last element is which means "valley" or "dale". Before 1891, the name was written "Suledal".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 11 March 1976. The official blazon is "Gules, three bendlets wavy Or" (I raudt ein gull bølgjeforma trillingstreng, skråstilt høgre venstre). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a set of the three diagonal wavy lins. The charge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The lines represent the local river Suldalslågen which runs through the municipality. The arms were designed by Magnus Hardeland. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has four parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Suldal. It is part of the Ryfylke prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger.

History
The area that is now Suldal municipality has a long history of trade connections to the nearby valley regions to the north and east. The main mountain plateau trade route led east from Suldal municipality over the plateau to the nearby Setesdal valley in Bykle municipality in Agder county. Another route led north from Suldal in Rogaland county through the Røldal area in Vestland county, and then east into Vinje municipality in Telemark county. There has also been found Viking artefacts and graves in Suldal.

Geography
At 1736 km2, Suldal is the largest municipality in Rogaland county. The municipality borders three counties: Vestland (north), Telemark (northeast), and Agder (east). To the north, Suldal is bordered by Sauda and Ullensvang municipalities, in the east by Vinje and Bykle, in the south by Hjelmeland, and in the west by Vindafjord. Across the Jelsafjorden and Vindafjorden lie the municipalities of Stavanger and Tysvær.

The mountain Kistenuten is located at the triple border point of Rogaland, Vestland and Telemark. Other mountains in Suldal are Vassdalseggi, the highest mountain in Rogaland, Trollaskeinuten, Snønuten, Mælen, Knoda, Fitjanuten, Leirnuten, Kaldafjellet, Simlenuten, Steinkilenuten, and Raudberga, all reaching above 1400 m m.a.s.l.

The Sandsfjorden and Hylsfjorden lie within Suldal, as does lake Suldalsvatnet. The Saudafjorden lies partially within the boundary of Suldal. The Erfjorden and the lakes Blåsjø, Holmavatnet, and Holmevatnet also lie on the boundary of Suldal.

Economy
The Ulla-Førre project of building huge hydroelectric dams in the mountains was initiated in the 1960s. At times, the project employed over a thousand people. The finished hydroelectric complex has a total capacity of approximately 2100 MW and produces about 4.8 TWh yearly.

Government
Suldal Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Haugaland og Sunnhordland District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Suldal is made up of 19 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Suldal (incomplete list):

 * 1838-1845: Lars Olsson Kolbeinstveit
 * 1850-1855: Lars Olsson Kolbeinstveit
 * 1856-1859: Njeld Larsen Kolbenstvedt (V)
 * 1860-1861: Lars Olsson Kolbeinstveit
 * 1862-1863: Njeld Larsen Kolbenstvedt (V)
 * 1866-1869: Njeld Larsen Kolbenstvedt (V)
 * 1876-1880: Njeld Larsen Kolbenstvedt (V)
 * 1886-1889: Ole Osmundsson Berge (V)
 * 1981-1992: Halvard Bakka (Sp)
 * 1992-1998: Torkel Myklebust (Sp)
 * 1998-2000: Eldbjørg Sivertsen (KrF)
 * 2000-2003: Roar Obrestad (KrF)
 * 2003-2007: Andreas Drarvik (Sp)
 * 2007-2015: Torkel Myklebust (Sp)
 * 2015-2023: Gerd Helen Bø (Sp)
 * 2023-present: Mads Drange (Ap)

Notable people

 * Rasmus Løland (1861 at Ryfylke – 1907), a journalist, novelist, and children's writer
 * Trygve Fjetland (1926 in Jelsa – 2013), a businessperson
 * Hilde Sandvik (born 1970 in Erfjord), a journalist
 * Inger Bråtveit (born 1978), a novelist and children's writer who grew up in Suldal

title: Suldal


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Sauda

Sauda  is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sauda, where most of the population lives. Other villages in the municipality include Saudasjøen and Amdal. Despite being in the northern part of the region of Ryfylke, Sauda participates in the Haugalandet Council and is under the jurisdiction of the Haugaland og Sunnhordland District Court.

The 547 km2 municipality is the 197th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Sauda is the 190th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 4,543. The municipality's population density is 9 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 4.3% over the previous 10-year period.

The city of Sauda is the fifth largest city in Rogaland county with 4,254 inhabitants (2016), and the city center is home to Northern Europe's largest melting plant, Eramet Norway AS. The municipality is situated in the mountain valleys surrounding the Saudafjorden.

General information
The municipality of Sauda was established in 1842 when it was separated from the large municipality of Suldal. Initially, Sauda had a population of 1,584. The municipal boundaries have never changed. The municipality declared the urban area of Sauda as a city in 1999.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Sauda farm (Sauðar) since the first Sauda Church was built there. The farm is now part of the village of Saudasjøen. The name seems to come from the word which means "sheep", however, the same word is also the singular past indicative of the verb  which means "to seethe" or "to boil", possibly referring to a spring of water. Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Søvde or Saude. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Sauda.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 14 May 1976. The official blazon is "Azure, three pallets dancetty argent" (I blått en vertical sølv trillingstreng med bredtannet snitt). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a set of three, vertical, jagged lines. The charge has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The jagged lines symbolically represent a river as a means for hydroelectricity (they can also be seen as "electrical sparks"). Historically, power was generated by watermills, providing a possibility for the development of an industry in the village. Presently, the power is used for melting metal ore in smelters in the municipality. The arms were designed by Johan Matland. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Sauda. It is part of the Ryfylke prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger.

History
Archaeological excavation in Saudasjøen shows that people have been living in Sauda since the latest Ice Age. In 1349, the Plague/Black Death wiped out about two-thirds of the population in Sauda, causing a decline in both population and economy. Despite this, the population was increasing during the medieval period, and a new type of industry started to grow. Along the fjord, the power from several waterfalls was used to build and run sawmills, and large-scale lumber production was started. People from all over the world, especially from the Netherlands, started to trade with the people of Sauda. This resulted in major ship traffic, giving impetus to further development of the villages and farms in Sauda.

By the end of the 19th century, a new type of adventure would change the lives of the inhabitants forever. The mining industry started in the mountains of Hellandsbygd, making Sauda a small industrial area and trading center for the surrounding region. In 1910, the American company Electric Furnace Company (EFP) began the construction of Europe's largest smelting plant in Sauda. This could only be done because of the large number of waterfalls and rivers that made it possible to build power plants situated a short distance from the smelter, which uses large amounts of electricity.

Sauda's time as a farming village was now over, and the people of today still live on the foundation of the new city that emerged. By the end of World War II, the Germans had finished building a large Aluminum Melting Plant in Saudasjøen, but the production was moved to Årdal in 1946. The remaining buildings were demolished by the municipality in the 1950s, leaving the industrial area in Saudasjøen empty for decades. In the 1980s, a glass production factory was established together with a couple of mechanic production factories. The population of Sauda reached its peak in the mid-1960s, approximately 6,700 inhabitants. In 1998, the urban area of Sauda was declared to be a city (mostly a symbolic name, with no new municipal authority).

Geography
Sauda is located in the valleys and mountains surrounding the Saudafjorden. Outside of the main valley, most of the municipality is very mountainous terrain, with mountains like Skaulen (1560 m) and Kyrkjenuten (1620 m). The city of Sauda is located about two hours by boat from the city of Stavanger, about four hours by car from the city of Bergen, and about six hours by car from the national capital, Oslo. The mountains surrounding the village of Saudasjøen contain one of the biggest ski resorts on the west coast of Norway. The city of Sauda is located on flat land, a delta created by the rivers that empty into the fjord just outside the town centre.

Climate
Sauda has something in between a humid continental climate (Dfb) and a temperate oceanic climate (Cfb). The wettest part of the year is late autumn and winter and the driest is spring and early summer, which demonstrates an oceanic precipitation pattern. December precipitation is almost three times larger than in May. Situated at the innermost part of the long and narrow fjord of Sauda, the oceanic influences are less than in Stavanger, but still enough to moderate winters. Atlantic lows coming from the west goes up against the mountains surrounding Sauda and the result is a large amount of precipitation. The weather station in Sauda has been operating since March 1928. The all-time high temperature 34.6 °C was recorded July 2019, and the record low -17.2 °C was set in January 2010 (extremes available back to 2003).The average date for the first overnight freeze (below 0 °C) in autumn is October 15 (1981-2010 average).

Government
Sauda Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Haugaland og Sunnhordland District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Sauda is made up of 19 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Sauda (incomplete list):

 * 1968-1977: Hans Frette (Ap)
 * 1999-2005: Torfinn Opheim (Ap)
 * 2005-2011: Laura Seltveit (Ap)
 * 2011-2015: Frode Sulen (Ap)
 * 2015-2023: Asbjørn Birkeland (Sp)
 * 2023-present: Håvard Handeland (Ap)

Economy
The main activity is industry, with large companies represented like Eramet, Saint-Gobain, Statkraft, Sauda Building Center, Statnett, Elkem, and Effektivt Renhold

Attractions

 * Rondahaugen – with views over the city and out towards Stavanger
 * Sauda Church, Solbrekk Chapel, Hellandsbygd Chapel, and Saudasjøen Chapel – local churches
 * Allmannajuvet – old mines with guided tour
 * Sauda Smelteverk – melting plant that is still active, guided tour after appointment
 * Nordag – former aluminium melting plant in Saudasjøen
 * Old Graveyard in Saudasjøen – containing tombs of Russian POWs who died when building the Nordag aluminium melting plant during World War II
 * Tveittunet in Saudasjøen – old refurbished estate in Saudasjøen
 * Jonegarden på Hustveit –  old refurbished farm and a lumber mill
 * Løyning – old farm about 10 kilometers away from Sauda
 * Risvoldtunet – food service, conference center, guided tour on a mini power plant
 * Åbøbyen – best conserved North-American styled village area in Norway
 * Honganvikfossen – a waterfall
 * Svandalsfossen – a waterfall
 * Jetegrytene in Åbødalen – rivers and waterfalls
 * Sauda museum – collection in downtown Sauda featuring local heritage
 * Industriarbeidermuseet – museum about the life of local workmen (1920s to 1950s)
 * Fagerheimsaminga – exhibition of carved wooden figures in Saudahallen
 * City walk – arrangement in summer time with a guided tour through the city of Sauda
 * City center – during winter, heated streets are free of snow

Notable people

 * Jakob Aano (1920–2016), a politician who was a member of the Parliament of Norway
 * Paul Engstad (1926–2012), a politician, journalist, and author
 * Hans Frette (1927–1989), a politician, local mayor, and member of the Parliament of Norway
 * Dr. Arne Fjørtoft (born 1937), a Norwegian politician, journalist, and author
 * Odd Bondevik (1941–2014), the Bishop of the Diocese of Møre in the Church of Norway
 * Kjartan Fløgstad (born 1944), an author who was associated with magic realism in Norway
 * Svein Mathisen (1952–2011), a footballer with 329 club appearances and 25 for Norway
 * Bjørn Eidsvåg (born 1954), a singer, songwriter, and ordained Lutheran minister
 * Torfinn Opheim (born 1961), a former mayor and member of the Parliament of Norway
 * Hildeborg Juvet Hugdal, (Norwegian Wiki) (born 1983), a powerlifter known as the World's Strongest Woman

Twin towns — sister cities
Sauda has sister city agreements with the following places:
 * San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

title: Sauda


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Finnøy

Finnøy is a former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The 104 km2 island municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 2020 when it was merged into Stavanger Municipality. It was located in the traditional district of Ryfylke. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village of Judaberg.

The municipality consisted of a number of islands on the south side of the Boknafjorden, about 24 km northeast of the city of Stavanger. The Finnøy Tunnel connects the two islands of Finnøy and Talgje to the mainland. The rest of the islands are accessible only by boat.

Finnøy is an agricultural community dominated by dairy, meat, poultry, and fish farming products, with strong horticultural traditions, mainly greenhouse production of tomatoes, as well as some tourism.

Prior to its dissolution in 2020, the 104 km2 municipality is the 375th largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Finnøy was the 256th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 3,235. The municipality's population density was 31.4 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 21.1% over the last decade.

General information
The parish of Finnø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). It originally encompassed the islands of Finnøy, Talgje, and Fogn as well as the small surrounding islets and the southeasternmost corner of the island of Rennesøy. On 1 January 1918, the part of Finnøy located on the island of Rennesøy (population: 72) was transferred from Finnøy to the neighboring municipality of Rennesøy.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, the municipality of Finnøy was enlarged when it was merged with the entire municipality of Sjernarøy (population: 819), the northeastern part of Ombo island (population: 89) from the municipality of Jelsa, and the Fisterøyene islands (population: 246) from the municipality of Fister.

On 1 January 2020, the municipalities of Finnøy, Rennesøy, and Stavanger were merged into one, large municipality called Stavanger.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the island of Finnøy (Finney) since the historic Hesby Church was built there. The meaning of the first element is uncertain. It is possibly from the word finna which is the local name for Nardus stricta. Another possibility is that it comes from the old male name finni. The last element is which means "island". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Finnø. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Finnøy. The letter y was added to the end of the word to "Norwegianize" the name (ø is the Danish word for "island" and øy is the Norwegian word).

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 23 September 1983 and it was in use until 1 January 2020 when the municipality was dissolved. The official blazon is "Azure, a winged arrowhead argent in bend" (På blå grunn ei vengja sølv pil på skrå oppover). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a winged arrowhead. The charge has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The arms were derived from the arms of the Hestbø family (which included Ogmund Finnsson), one of the mightiest families in the area in the 14th century. They had their stronghold on their Hesby estate on the island of Finnøy in the municipality of Finnøy. The arms were designed by Harald Hallstensen. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway had three parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Finnøy. It was part of the Tungenes prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger.

History
Finnøy was at the top of its power in the middle of the fourteenth century when the King's representative Ogmund Finnsson had his seat at Hesby on the west side of the island of Finnøy. The medieval, stone Hesby Church, dating back to at least the thirteenth century, still stands at Hesby.

It is often claimed that the Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel (1802–1829) was born on Finnøy, since his father Søren Georg acted as rector there. Recent studies indicates, however, that he was born in Nedstrand, a nearby parish. However, he was raised on Finnøy.

Geography
The island municipality of Finnøy was located on the south side of the Boknafjorden. The main islands of Finnøy included Finnøy, Talgje, Fogn, Halsnøya, Sjernarøyane, and the north and west parts of the island of Ombo. The islands of Talgje and Finnøy are connected to the mainland by the undersea Finnøy Tunnel. The rest of the islands are only accessible by boats.

Government
While it existed, this municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment, social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Ryfylke District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Finnøy was made up of 21 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The party breakdown for the councils was as follows:

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Finnøy (incomplete list):
 * 1991-2007: Jorunn Strand Vestbø (Sp)
 * 2007-2011: Kjell Nes (KrF)
 * 2011-2015: Gro Skartveit (V)
 * 2015-2019: Henrik Halleland (KrF)

Notable people

 * Torolf Nordbø, also known as Han Innante, is a Norwegian musician and comedian

title: Finnøy


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Rennesøy

Rennesøy is a former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It was merged into Stavanger municipality on 1 January 2020. It was located in the traditional district of Ryfylke. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vikevåg. Other villages in Rennesøy included Askje and Sørbø. The municipality encompassed a number of islands on the south side of the Boknafjorden, north of the city of Stavanger.

At the time of its dissolution, the 66 km2 municipality was the 404th largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Rennesøy was the 207th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 4,892. The municipality's population density is 75.4 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 38.7% over the last decade.

General information
The parish of Rennesø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 July 1884, the municipality was split in two with the islands of Mosterøy, Klosterøy, Fjøløy, Kvitsøy, and the western part of Åmøy forming the new municipality of Mosterøy, and the islands of Rennesøy and Brimse remained as Rennesøy municipality. This split left Rennesøy with 1,092 residents, less than half of its previous population. The island of Kvitsøy later became an independent municipality of its own.

On 1 July 1918, the Hanasand area of the neighboring municipality of Finnøy (population: 72) that was located on the island of Rennesøy was transferred to Rennesøy municipality.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, the municipality of Mosterøy was merged back into Rennesøy. Prior to the merger, Rennesøy had 1,370 residents.

On 1 January 2020, the municipalities of Finnøy, Rennesøy, and Stavanger were merge into one, large municipality called Stavanger.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the main island of the municipality, Rennesøy (Rennisøy). The meaning of the first element is unknown. One possibility is that it comes from the word which means "snout", likely referring to the shape of the mountain Hodnafjellet on the southeast part of the island. The last element is which means "island". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Rennesø. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Rennesøy. The letter y was added to the end of the word to "Norwegianize" the name (ø is the Danish word for "island" and øy is the Norwegian word).

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 20 February 1981. The official blazon is "Azure, two crosiers addorsed argent" (I blått to oppveksande adosserte sølv krumstavar). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a set of two crosiers standing vertically and mirroring each other. The charge has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The blue represents the ocean, an important feature for this island municipality. The crosiers represent the importance of Norway's oldest and best preserved monasteries, Utstein Abbey, located in the municipality. It was originally an Augustinian monastery, its abbot having a crozier as its symbol. Since Basel, Switzerland already had a crozier on its coat of arms, Rennesøy chose a design with two of them so that it would be different. The arms were designed by Svein Magnus Håvarstein. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway had two parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Rennesøy. It was part of the Tungenes prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger.

Geography
The island municipality sat on the south side of the large Boknafjorden. It consists of about 80 islands, most of which are uninhabited. The main islands are Rennesøy, Mosterøy, Klosterøy, Fjøløy, Sokn, Bru, Brimse, and the western part of Åmøy (the eastern part is part of Stavanger municipality). All of the main islands are connected together and to the mainland by a series of bridges and tunnels (except for Brimse which has a ferry connection). The Fjøløy Lighthouse is located in the northwestern part of the municipality, lighting a main shipping channel to Stavanger.

Government
While it existed, this municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment, social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Stavanger District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Rennesøy was made up of 21 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the final municipal council was as follows:

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Rennesøy (incomplete list):
 * 1892-1913: Jacob Kristensen Austbø
 * 1999-2007: Jostein Eiane (KrF)
 * 2007-2011: Ommund Vareberg (H)
 * 2011-2019: Dagny Sunnanå Hausken (Sp)

Transportation
Since 1992, Rennesøy municipality has been connected to the mainland by a series of bridges and undersea tunnels. The Byfjord Tunnel connects the mainland to the island of Sokn, and it is part of the European route E39 highway. The island of Sokn is connected to the three islands of Åmøy, Bru, and Mosterøy by bridges. Mosterøy is connected to Fjøløy and Klosterøy by short bridges and to Rennesøy by the undersea Mastrafjord Tunnel. Rennesøy island is also connected to the island of Vestre Bokn (across the Boknafjorden) by ferry. Furthermore, the island of Rennesøy is connected to the two islands of Finnøy and Talgje in the neighboring municipality of Finnøy to the northeast by the Finnøy Tunnel.

title: Rennesøy


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Kvitsøy

Kvitsøy is an island municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. At only 6.29 km2, it is the smallest municipality in Norway by area and one of the smallest by population. Kvitsøy is located in the traditional district of Ryfylke. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ydstebøhamn on the island of Kvitsøy. The municipality is an archipelago located at the entrance to the large Boknafjorden. It sits about 2 nmi northwest of the mainland Stavanger peninsula.

The Rogfast tunnel system is currently being built during the 2020s to connect Kvitsøy to the mainland road network via the European route E39 highway.

The 6 km2 municipality is the 356th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway, making it the smallest in the nation. Kvitsøy is the 349th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 535. The municipality's population density is 85.2 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 1.3% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The islands of Kvitsøy were established as a municipality on 1 January 1923 when they were separated from the municipality of Mosterøy. Initially, the municipality had 581 residents. The municipal boundaries have not changed since that time.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Kvitsøy islands (Hvítingsøyjar) since the islands make up the whole parish/municipality. The first element is derived from the word which means "white". The last element derives from the word which means "islands". Thus the name means "the white islands", probably because there is white quartz in the rocks on the islands. Originally, the spelling of the municipality was "Kvitingsø", but later it was shortened to "Kvitsøy".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 25 May 1989. The official blazon is "Azure, three lighthouses argent, two over one" (I blått tre sølv fyrlykter, 2-1). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a set of three lighthouse tops. The charge has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The choice of lighthouses and the color blue are symbolic of the importance of the sea for this island municipality. The arms were designed by Even Jarl Skognlund. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Kvitsøy. It is part of the Tungenes prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger.

History
Kvitsøy is first mentioned in the Snorre Saga, where Snorre records a truce being made between King Olaf II of Norway later to be known as St. Olav (Hellige Olav) and Erling Skjalgsson, under the stone cross. Later it seems that the islands were owned by the Church until the reformation in 1536 (when the nation switched from Roman Catholicism to Lutheranism), when it became Crown property. In 1591, the population had become large enough to fund the construction of the Kvitsøy Church, which is still standing and the first new church in the county after the reformation. From the mid-18th century, Kvitsøy was the location of one of the first navigation beacons in western Norway, and this was later converted to a lighthouse service when the Kvitsøy Lighthouse was built. Kvitsøy Vessel Traffic Service Centre opened on 3 January 2003.

Transmitter
Kvitsøy used to be the site of high power short wave and medium wave broadcasting transmitters of the national broadcasting company, NRK. The aerial tower of the medium-wave transmitter is the Kvitsøy Tower. The transmitter for the medium-wave channel 1314 kHz was switched off at 22:00 UTC (Midnight local time) on Friday June 30, 2006, shortwave broadcasts continued until 2011. In May and June 2012, the entire site was dismantled.

Government
Kvitsøy Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Sør-Rogaland District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Kvitsøy is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Kvitsøy (incomplete list):
 * 2001-2011: Ole Olsen, Jr. (KrF)
 * 2011-2019: Mirjam Ydstebø (KrF)
 * 2019-2023: Stian Gill Bjørsvik (KrF)
 * 2023-present: Kjell André Nordbø (LL)

Geography
The municipality is an archipelago located at the entrance to the large Boknafjorden. It sits about 2 nmi northwest of the mainland Stavanger peninsula and south of the islands of Karmøy and Vestre Bokn. The largest island is Kvitsøy, and it is connected with a few of the other islands in the archipelago, but most of the islands are uninhabited.

Climate
The islands are completely engulfed by the Gulf Stream and hence have a typically wet West Nordic coastal climate. The sea between the islands and the mainland is never frozen. Due to the maritime influence, summers are often chilly with temperatures between 15 C and 20 C being the norm. Winter highs usually are in the mid-single digits in all of the Greater Stavanger region.

Fauna and flora
There are no larger mammals in Kvitsøy except for seals (kobbe) and small dolphins (nise). The islands have a rich marine bird life. Many different plants are found on the islands. Some are natural to Norwegian flora, while others have been transported by ships emptying their hulls of ballast before entering the port of the nearby city of Stavanger.

title: Kvitsøy


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Tysvær

Tysvær is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the Haugalandet region. The municipality is located on the Haugalandet peninsula on the northern side of the Boknafjorden, just east of the towns of Kopervik and Haugesund. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Aksdal. Other villages in the municipality include Dueland, Førre, Grinde, Hervik, Hindaråvåg, Nedstrand, Skjoldastraumen, Susort, Tysvær, and Yrke.

The European route E39 highway and European route E134 highways traverse the municipality with their junction located at Aksdal in Tysvær. The Frekasund Bridge on the E39 highway connects the mainland of Tysvær to the island municipality of Bokn to the south. The Karmøy Tunnel connects Tysvær to the town of Kopervik in neighboring Karmøy municipality.

The 425 km2 municipality is the 231st largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Tysvær is the 101st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 11,405. The municipality's population density is 28.5 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 8.8% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Tysvær was established in 1849 when it was separated from the large municipality of Skjold. Initially, the municipality had a population of 2,058. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, the following areas were merged into a newly enlarged municipality of Tysvær:
 * the old municipality of Tysvær (population: 1,862)
 * the municipality of Nedstrand (population: 1,200)
 * the Gismarvik, Førre, and Stegaberg areas of Avaldsnes municipality (population: 994)
 * the Grinde, Dueland, and Yrkje areas of Skjold municipality (population: 1,133)
 * the Breidal and Stølsvik farms from Vats municipality (population: 16)
 * the Hapnes and Dokskar farms from Vikedal municipality (population: 2)

On 1 January 1969, the small Sponevik farm area (population: 6), just north of the village of Skjoldastraumen, was transferred from the neighboring Vindafjord municipality to Tysvær.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Tysvær farm (Teitsfjörðr) since the first Tysvær Church was built there. The first element is the genitive case of the old male name Teitr. The last element is which means "fjord". Over time, the last element was corrupted to which means "fishing village", but that was not the meaning of the original name.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 3 February 1984. The official blazon is "Azure, a heron argent issuant" (På blå grunn ein oppveksande sølv hegre). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is the top of a grey heron. The heron has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The heron was chosen as a symbol for the municipality since there are several large colonies of grey herons in the municipality. "Tysvær herons" is a nickname for the inhabitants of the municipality. The arms were designed by Stein Davidsen. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has three parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Tysvær. It is part of the Haugaland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger.

Geography
The municipality lies on the northern shore of the Boknafjorden, with the Skjoldafjorden and Vindafjorden both partially located within the municipality. The island of Borgøy lies in the middle of the Skjoldafjorden in Tysvær.

The lake Aksdalsvatnet is the largest lake in the municipality. Another notable lake is Stakkastadvatnet, which lies on the Haugesund-Tysvær municipal border.

Tysvær has a number of scenic walks including Heggelifjellet and Kvinnesland.

Economy
The Kårstø industrial site is located along the shores of the Boknafjorden in southwestern Tysvær. The site has many natural gas-related facilities including the Kårstø Power Station.

Government
Tysvær Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Haugaland og Sunnhordland District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Tysvær is made up of 29 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Tysvær (incomplete list):

 * 1967–1975: John S. Tveit (KrF)
 * 1999–2007: Reidar Pedersen (Ap)
 * 2007–2015: Harald Stakkestad (H)
 * 2015–2023: Sigmund Lier (Ap)
 * 2023-present: Monika Lindanger (H)

Notable people

 * Cleng Peerson (1783 near Tysvær – 1865), the leader of the first group of Norwegians to emigrate to the United States
 * Anders Andersen Bjelland (1790 in Nedstrand – 1850), a farmer and politician
 * Asbjørn Kloster (1823 in Vestre Bokn – 1876), a social reformer and leader of the Norwegian temperance movement
 * Lars Hertervig (1830 at Borgøy – 1902), a painter of semi-fantastical works of coastal landscapes
 * John S. Tveit (born 1931 in Tysvær), a politician who was mayor of Tysvær from 1967 to 1971
 * Nils Olav Fjeldheim (born 1977 in Tysværvåg), a sprint and marathon canoeist who was a bronze medallist in the 2004 Summer Olympics
 * Peder Losnegård (born 1992 in Tysvær) whose stage name is Lido, a hip hop artist, rapper, producer, and songwriter

title: Tysvær


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Karmøy

Karmøy is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is southwest of the town of Haugesund in the traditional district of Haugaland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kopervik.

Most of the municipality lies on the island of Karmøy. The island is connected to the mainland by the Karmøy Tunnel and the Karmsund Bridge. It is known for its industries, as well as for fishing. Karmøy is also well known in Norway for its beautiful heather moors and the white sand surfing beaches.

The 230 km2 municipality is the 294th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Karmøy is the 25th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 42,903, making it one of the largest in the region. The municipality's population density is 195.4 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 4.3% over the previous 10-year period. The island itself is the 4th most populated island in all of Norway.

General information
The municipality of Karmøy is a recent creation. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, Karmøy municipality was created upon the merger of two towns and parts of five municipalities into one large municipality with 23,217 residents. The areas that were merged were:
 * the town of Kopervik (population: 1,737)
 * the town of Skudeneshavn (population: 1,275)
 * the whole municipality of Skudenes (population: 3,583)
 * the whole municipality of Stangaland (population: 2,678)
 * the whole municipality of Åkra (population: 6,008)
 * the part of the municipality of Avaldsnes located west of the Førresfjorden (population: 4,153)
 * most of the municipality of Torvastad (population: 3,783), except for the island of Vibrandsøy which went to Haugesund Municipality

Name
The municipality is named after the island of Karmøy (Kǫrmt), since the majority of the municipality is located on this island. The first element is derived from the word karmr which means "bargeboard", likely in the sense of a "sheltering island". The last element, which means "island", was added later.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 18 April 1975. The official blazon is "Gules, a fret argent" (I rødt et sølv gitterkryss). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the ordinary is a fret (a diamond interwoven with a cross). The ordinary has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The design is canting, as the central diamond shape stands for (which is Norwegian for a "frame"). The island forms a border (or frame) against the sea and protects the inland areas from its forces. The cross in the design symbolizes the local Avaldsnes Church that was the royal chapel here during the Middle Ages. The island is said to be a central location and medieval kings would often choose to stay there to be able to "get everywhere in haste" if needed. The arms were designed by Magnus Hardeland. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has eight parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Karmøy. It is part of the Karmøy prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger.

History
There are several finds from the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. Large burial mounds, stone monuments, and many other ancient monuments are found on the island. Karmøy is the site of the Storhaug, Grønhaug, and Flagghaugen burial mounds.

Karmøy was known for sailing in the old times. The eddic poem Grímnismál says that Thor, the weather god, wades the Karmsundet strait every morning on his way to Yggdrasil, the tree of life. The ocean outside Karmøy is dangerous, filled with underwater currents and rocks. Thus the ships were forced into the narrow Karmsundet. Chieftains and kings controlled the ships passing up and down the coast and demanded taxes.

The Karmsundet strait was also the source of the name of the kingdom, at the time when the first king of the unified Norway, Harald Fairhair, lived on Karmøy. (See History of Norway.)

Avaldsnes is located on the northeastern coast of the island. King Augvald who has given his name to this ancient site is mentioned in the Old Norse sagas as having his home here. Later the residence of Harald Fairhair and other kings are mentioned. There is also a medieval church, St. Olav's church of Avaldsnes, located on this coast.

Visnes, a village in the northwest of Karmøy was once the site of an important copper mine. This mine was source of the copper used for the Statue of Liberty in New York City.

In the 18th century, two girls from Uyea in Shetland rowed to Haaf Gruney to milk some of the cows grazing there. Unfortunately, their return was marred by a strong storm, and eventually they found their tiny boat blown to Karmøy. The Uyea girls ended up marrying Karmøy men, and their descendants still live there. The Dyrland family of Karmoy are believed to be the family that the two girls married into after they arrived on Karmøy. Sivert Dyrland was a member of the Norwegian government in the early 20th century.

Geography
The majority of the municipality is located on the large island of Karmøy, but it also includes the mainland peninsula between the Karmsundet strait and Førresfjorden, plus the island of Feøy and several other small islands.

The natural and cultural landscape is highly heterogeneous, encompassing chalk-white sands, moorland, and several piers around the island. The landscape in the north is mainly agricultural, while large parts of the inland south are heather moors. The island has many white, sandy beaches facing the North Sea, attracting surfers as one of the top spots for windsurfing in Norway.

Towns and villages are mostly located along the coast. The three towns in Karmøy are all on the island, the administrative center Kopervik is on the east side, Åkrehamn is on the west side, while Skudeneshavn is on the southern tip. On the mainland part of Karmøy, the village of Norheim is contiguous with the neighboring town of Haugesund. To the south of Norheim is the village of Vormedal while the village of Kolnes is in the northeastern part of mainland Karmøy. Other villages in Karmøy include Avaldsnes, Eike, Ferkingstad, Sævelandsvik, Sandve, Veavågen, and Visnes.

Haugesund Airport is also located on the island rather than in the town of Haugesund proper. The Geitungen Lighthouse lies at the southern end of the municipality, marking the entrance to the Boknafjorden.

Climate
Karmøy has an oceanic climate (Cfb), also known as marine west coast climate, with rainy winters and warm or mild summers, and a long frost-free season for the latitude. The all-time high 31.2 C was recorded July 2019, and the all-time low -16.6 C was set in January 2010 (extremes since 2003). The wettest time of year is autumn and winter, while April–July is the driest season. Haugesund Airport is situated in Karmøy municipality and has been recording since 1975.

Districts
The municipality is divided into 79 circuits, grouped into 10 areas:
 * Åkra: Tjøsvoll, Tjøsvoll øst, Åkrehamn, Årvold, Grindhaug, Mosbron, Stong, Ådland, Liknes
 * Avaldsnes: Kvalavåg, Visnes, Skeie, Velde, Fiskå, Utvik
 * Fastlandssiden: Norheimsvågen, Norheim, Norheimsskogen, Spanne, Røyksund, Fosen, Mykje, Aksnes, Eike, Moksheim, Bjøllehaugen, Trevarden, Vormedal
 * Ferkingstad: Stava, Stol/Ferkingstad, Langåker/Kvilhaug, Hemnes/Sandhåland
 * Håvik: Østrem, Bygnes, Skår, Sund, Vorå, Kolstø
 * Kopervik: Stokkastrand, Nordstokke, Stangeland, Liar, Kalvatre, Kopervik sentrum, Nordre side, Østremneset, Eide, Brekke
 * Sevland: Heiå, Mannes, Sevlandsvik, Varne
 * Skudenes: Vikra, Sandve, Syre, Breidablikk, Hålandshøgda, Vågen/Varden, Skudeneshavn, Vigevågen, Vik, Falnes, Hillesland, Hovdastad, Snørteland
 * Torvastad: Feøy, Hauge, Håland, Osnes, Litlasund, Karmsund, Storesund, Nordbø, Bø
 * Vedavågen: Sævik, Østhus, Østhusneset, Munkejord, Vea

Government
Karmøy Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Haugaland og Sunnhordland District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Karmøy is made up of 45 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Karmøy:

 * 1965–1968: Thomas Stange (V)
 * 1969–1969: Bjarne Espeseth (KrF)
 * 1970–1971: Kaare Wegner Stange (Sp)
 * 1972–1973: Jakob Eng (KrF)
 * 1974–1975: Kaare Wegner Stange (Sp)
 * 1976–1981: Jakob Eng (KrF)
 * 1982–1982: Godtfred Kristensen (H)
 * 1983–1984: Jakob Eng (KrF)
 * 1985–1989: Hans Sund (H)
 * 1990–1991: Jostein Espeset (KrF)
 * 1992–1993: Gunnar Mosbron (Ap)
 * 1994–1995: Leif Malvin Knutsen (KrF)
 * 1996–2011: Kjell Arvid Svendsen (KrF)
 * 2011–2015: Aase Simonsen (H)
 * 2015–2023: Jarle Nilsen (Ap)
 * 2023-present: Leiv Arne Marhaug (H)

Area attractions

 * Skude Festival (Skudefestivalen) is an annual festival held during the first week of July in Skudeneshavn. It is the largest gathering of coastal culture in Western Norway with boats of all categories: vintage boats of all categories – old wooden boats, vintage boats, modern boats, sailing boats, tall ships. Craftsmen demonstrate handcrafts from olden days connected to sea and shipping. International and national artists entertain in the evenings. In 2004, Skudeneshavn was voted Norway's summer city by national TV viewers.
 * Viking Farm (Vikinggarden) is part of the Nordvegen History Centre, located close to Avaldsnes. The building and use of the farm is an ongoing experimental archaeological research and interpretation programme. The farm includes reconstructed houses.
 * Karmøy Museum of Fishing (Karmøy Fiskerimuseum), which opened in 1999 in Veavågen, presents the history of fishing in the region of Karmøy from the 1950s up to the present day. In addition to the main exhibitions there are salt-water aquariums showing the most common types of fish in the area. The Karmøy Fishery Museum is housed in a new building with unique architecture.
 * Mælandsgården Museum (Museet i Mælandsgården) is situated in the middle of the old, well preserved part of Skudeneshavn. A town model shows what old Skudeneshavn looked like in 1918.
 * Rogaland Fish Museum (Rogaland Fiskerimuseum), located in an old herring salting factory in Åkrehamn, is fully restored to its former glory and housing new exhibitions about the history of this vibrant coastal community. This museum also richly depicts the contact enjoyed between Karmøy and North America.
 * Visnes Mining Museum (Visnes Gruvemuseum) provides the history of the rather special mining community that in the 1800s had 3,000 inhabitants. Visnes supplied the copper for the Statue of Liberty in New York City.
 * Ferkingstad, an area known for its archaeological finds, from the early Viking period to the late medieval era.

Industry
Norsk Hydro is a large aluminium smelter operator located on the island of Karmøy. The power supply of this facility is done by three overhead power lines, which cross the Karmsundet strait on 143.5 m tall pylons. These pylons are the tallest electricity pylons in Norway.

Bauer-Nilsen design and produce high-pressure hydraulics located at Karmøy.

Twin towns – Sister cities
Karmøy has sister city agreements with the following places:
 * 🇸🇪 Mjölby, Sweden
 * Vinderup, Denmark
 * 🇫🇮 Hankasalmi, Finland

Notable people

 * King Augvald (7th century AD), the semi-legendary king in Norway
 * King Ferking (7th century AD), the semi-legendary king in Norway
 * King Harald Fairhair (c. 850—c. 932), the first king of a united Norway
 * Christen Bentsen Schaaning (ca.1611–1679), a clergyman and parish priest of Avaldsnes from 1635–1679
 * Thormodus Torfæus (1636—1719), an Icelandic-born resident of Kopervik, the first Royal Historian of Norway
 * Endre Johannes Cleven (1874—1916), promoter of the settlement and culture of Norwegian immigrants in Manitoba
 * Asbjørn Sunde (1909—1985), a communist resistance fighter and leader of the Osvald Group
 * Jan Ivar Pedersen (born 1936), a Norwegian professor of nutrition
 * Jakob Eng (born 1937) a banker, politician, and Mayor of Karmøy in 1980s
 * Thorhild Widvey (born 1956), a physical therapist, politician, and government minister
 * Leif Johan Sevland (born 1961), a politician who was mayor of Stavanger from 1995 to 2011
 * Leif Ove Andsnes (born 1970), a pianist and chamber musician
 * Jostein Grindhaug (born 1973), a former football player with 135 caps for FK Haugesund and coach
 * Anne Margrethe Hausken (born 1976), an orienteering world champion who grew up in Karmøy
 * Bjørn Eriksen, (Norwegian Wiki) (born 1983), a videogame commentator («Addexio») on YouTube
 * Jesper Pedersen (alpine skier) (born 1999), Gold medalist, at the Winter Paralympics.

title: Karmøy


text:
Utsira

Utsira is the least populous municipality in Norway. The island municipality is located in northwestern Rogaland county, just off the western coast of Norway. Utsira is part of the traditional district of Haugaland.

The municipality consists of the main island of Utsira as well as several small, uninhabited outlying islands. Utsira is located in the North Sea, about 18 km west of the town of Haugesund. All of the 206 residents live on the main island of Utsira, where the administrative centre and Utsira Church are located.

The 6 km2 municipality is the 355th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway, making it the second smallest municipality in Norway after the nearby island municipality of Kvitsøy. Utsira is the 356th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 208, making it the smallest municipality in Norway by population, after Modalen Municipality. The municipality's population density is 33 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 0.5% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Utsira was established on 1 July 1924 when it was separated from the municipality of Torvastad. Initially, Utsira had 414 residents. The municipal borders have not changed since that time.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the island of Utsira which makes up the vast majority of the municipality. The Old Norse forms of the island's name was just Síri (nominative case) or Síra (genitive case). The first element, which means "out" or "offshore", was added during the 16th century (compare the "Out Skerries" in Shetland). The meaning of the last element is uncertain, but it may mean something like "strong stream". The inhabitants still call the island Sira (leaving off the ut prefix) and an inhabitant of the municipality is called a sirabu. The Norwegian language has had several spelling reforms during the 19th and 20th centuries. Before 1875, the name of the parish was written "Udsire", from 1875 to 1924 it was spelled "Utsire", and since 1925 it has used the spelling "Utsira".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 23 July 1982. The official blazon is "Azure, four piles issuant conjoined in cross argent" (I blått et kors dannet ved fire motstøtende sølv spisser). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a set of four triangles whose points all meet in the centre, together making a cross shape. The charge has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The design is meant to symbolize light beams flowing out of the Utsira Lighthouse which was built in the municipality in 1844. The municipality wanted to have the lighthouse on their arms since 1976, but no design they tried was approved by the government. Eventually, they hired John Digernes in 1980 to prepare a variant that could get approvaled. His design was approved in 1982. Since 2004 there have been wind turbines built in the municipality and the design of the arms is also seen to represent those with three wings and a tower. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Utsira. It is part of the Haugaland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger.

Transportation
The island municipality is only accessible by boat. There are roads on the island. A car ferry operated by Rutebåten Utsira runs four round-trips per day connecting the island to the town of Haugesund on the mainland. The trip takes about 70 minutes each way. There are ferry docks on the north and south side of the island. The northern port is more often used because the southern route takes a little longer; the southern is used if the weather demands. An ambulance helicopter can land at the football field in medical emergencies.

Government
Utsira Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Haugaland og Sunnhordland District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Utsira is made up of 11 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Utsira:

 * 1924–1925: Sivert Martin Helgesen
 * 1926–1928: Aasa Helgesen
 * 1929–1931: Sivert Martin Helgesen
 * 1932–1932: Mathias Larsen
 * 1932–1940: Gudmund Klovning
 * 1946–1951: Thorvald Austrheim
 * 1951–1959: Thore Nordvik
 * 1960–1975: Sverre Klovning
 * 1976–1979: Hersleb Helgesen
 * 1980–1991: Torbjørn Rasmussen
 * 1992–2003: Reidar Klovning
 * 2004–2007: Geir Helge Rasmussen (Sp)
 * 2008–2011: Jarle Nilsen (Ap)
 * 2012–present: Marte Eide Klovning (Ap)

History
There are remains from the Stone Age on the island. It has been populated since that time. Historically, the island was governed by Torvastad, based on the mainland, but on 1 July 1924 the island was separated and it was established as a separate municipality. At that time, a new municipal council was to be elected. It was intended that the twelve men on the interim council would be elected, but the official list of candidates listed eleven women and a man. This was not known to even the people involved until the day of the election and by then it was too late. Despite a legal challenge the twelve were elected and Aasa Helgesen, the local midwife, was elected the first Mayor of Utsira and the first female mayor in Norway. Helgesen was a successful Mayor until 1928.

In 2004, Norsk Hydro installed a combined wind-hydrogen utility on Utsira. It is a full scale pilot project for energy self-sufficiency for a remote community. In periods when there is surplus wind energy, the excess power will be used for generating hydrogen by electrolysis. The hydrogen is stored, and is available for power generation in periods where there is little wind. Additional to this an energy storing flywheel exists to help out when for a short time more power is needed.

Climate
Utsira has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb) with cool/mild summers and chilly winters with lots of rainfall. The climate is mild for the latitude; average lows in winter remain above freezing. The island has significant seasonal lag with February–March typically being the coldest months of the year while August is the warmest. The maritime position also renders low diurnal variation in temperature between day and night. The driest season is April - July while the wettest season is August - January. October on average get nearly three times as much precipitation as May. The extreme temperatures in Utsira ranged from -15.5 C on February 6, 1895 to 29.3 C on July 17, 2003.

Shipping forecast
Utsira (under the spelling Utsire) gives its name to "North Utsire" and "South Utsire", two of the sea areas of the British Shipping Forecast.

Notable people

 * Aasa Helgesen (1877–1968), a Norwegian midwife (1903-1942) and politician who served as Mayor of Utsira (1926-1928), making her the first female mayor in Norway

Attractions
Utsira Lighthouse is the highest lighthouse light in Norway at 78.2 m above mean sea level.

Birding
Utsira is known as the best birding site in Norway. There have been 317 different species recorded on Utsira, of which 23 are new to Norway.

title: Utsira


text:
Vindafjord

Vindafjord is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Haugaland. Since 2005, the administrative centre of the municipality has been the village of Ølensjøen (prior to that time it was the village of Sandeid). Other villages in the municipality include Bjoa, Imslandsjøen, Ølensvåg, Skjold, Vats, Vikebygd, and Vikedal. The municipality is centered on the Vindafjorden and Sandeidfjorden in the east and it lies north and east of the Skjoldafjorden in the west.

The 621 km2 municipality is the 186th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Vindafjord is the 122nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 8,844. The municipality's population density is 14.8 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 2.7% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, the new municipality of Vindafjord was created from several areas in northern Rogaland county:
 * all of Sandeid municipality (population: 876)
 * the Liarheim og Langeland areas of Skjold municipality on the north side of the Skjoldafjorden (population: 1,262)
 * all of Vats municipality except for the Breidal and Stølsvik farms (population: 1,128)
 * all of Imsland municipality located north of the Vindafjorden (population: 372)
 * all of Vikedal municipality except for the Hapnes and Dokskar farms (population: 978)

Initially, Vindafjord had 4,616 residents. On 1 January 1969, the Sponevik farm (population: 6) was transferred from Vindafjord to the neighboring municipality of Tysvær. Then on 1 January 1978, the Vormestrand area along the southern shore of the Vindafjorden (population: 13) was transferred to neighboring Suldal municipality.

On 1 January 2006, Vindafjord merged with the neighboring municipality of Ølen (population: 3,420). Ølen had transferred from Hordaland county to Rogaland county 2002. After the merger, the municipal centre of Vindafjord was moved from Sandeid to the village of Ølensjøen, which had been the administrative centre of Ølen.

Name
The municipality (created in 1965) is named after the Vindafjorden (Vindafjǫrðr), a fjord that runs through the eastern part of the municipality. The first element is derived from the verb which means "to turn" or "to twist", referring to the sharp turn of the fjord at Dragneset. The last element is which means "fjord".

Coat of arms
The original coat of arms was granted on 12 December 1986 and it was in use until a new coat of arms was approved on 10 March 2006. The official blazon is "Gules, five chevrons argent two over two over one" (På raud grunn fem svevande kvite sparrar, 2-2-1). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a set of five chevrons. The charge has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The design was meant to give the appearance of a collection of rorbuer or nauster (these are typical Norwegian boat houses that are often painted red and white). There were five shapes used in order to represent the five predecessor municipalitites that were merged into Vindafjord in 1965: Sandeid, Vikedal, Imsland, Vats, and Skjold. The arms were designed by John Digernes. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

A new coat of arms was granted on 10 March 2006, shortly after the merger of Ølen with Vindafjord. The new arms were a mix of the arms of the two municipalities which were merged. The swirling design is taken from the old coat of arms of Ølen and the colours (red and silver/white) are from the old arms of Vindafjord. The official blazon is "Gyronny embowed argent and gules" (Åttedelt av kvitt og raudt ved virvelsnitt). This means the arms are a whirl design that divides the shield into 8 curved sections. The field (background) alternates colors, with half having a tincture of green and the other half have a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The design was chosen to symbolise the way that several major roads come together in the municipality, making it an important centre of trade. The arms were designed by Vigdis Viland. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has eight parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Vindafjord. It is part of the Haugaland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger.

Government
Vindafjord Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Haugaland og Sunnhordland District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Vindafjord is made up of 25 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Vindafjord (incomplete list):
 * 1975–1987: Trygve Mikal Viga (Sp)
 * 2005–2011: Arne Bergsvåg (Sp)
 * 2011–present: Ole Johan Vierdal (Sp)

Geography
The municipality of Vindafjord lies south of the Hardangerfjorden and north of the Skjoldafjorden and Vindafjorden. The Sandeidfjorden flows through the municipality also. The lake Vatsvatnet lies in the central part of the municipality. The municipality sits near the base of the Haugalandet peninsula, connecting the mainland to the city of Haugesund on the western end of the peninsula. The European route E134 highway runs through the municipality.

Notable people

 * Knud Baade (1808 in Skjold - 1879), a Norwegian painter of portraits and landscapes, particularly moonlight paintings
 * Jens Hundseid (1883 in Vikedal – 1965), a Norwegian politician who was Prime Minister of Norway from 1932 to 1933;
 * Ragnvald Eikeland (1921 – 1960, Øvre Vats), art painter
 * Thormod Næs (1930 in Skjold – 1997), a sport shooter who competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics
 * Per Øyvind Heradstveit (1932 in Skjold – 2004), a Norwegian TV journalist and non-fiction writer
 * Agnes Ravatn (born 1983 in Ølen), a Norwegian novelist, columnist, and journalist

title: Vindafjord


text:
Talk:Os. Hedmark

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The correct article is Os, Hedmark

title: Talk:Os. Hedmark