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Sande, Møre og Romsdal

Sande is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Larsnes on the island of Gurskøya. Other villages in Sande include Gursken, Sandshamn, Bringsinghaug, and Voksa.

The 93 km2 municipality is the 331st largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Sande is the 257th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,442. The municipality's population density is 27.1 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 7.1% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
Sande was established as a municipality on 1 January 1867 when it was separated from the large Herøy Municipality. The initial population was 2,493. On 1 January 1873, a part of eastern Sande (with 362 residents) was transferred back to Herøy. On 1 January 1889, the Eksund area and the island of Ekø (population: 119) were transferred to Herøy Municipality.

On 1 January 1905, the eastern district of Sande was separated to form the separate municipality of Rovde. This left Sande with 2,221 residents. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the northern part of the municipality of Rovde (population: 562) plus three farms in the Gurskedalen valley (population: 25) were merged back with Sande (the southern part of Rovde was merged with Vanylven Municipality). The new Sande municipality had a population of 3,465. On 1 January 2002, the Åram area (population: 380) on the mainland was transferred from Sande to Vanylven Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Sande farm (Sandr) since the first Sande Church was built there. The name comes from the word which means "sand" or "sandy beach". Before 1892, the name was written Sandø.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 23 October 1987. The official blazon is "Azure, a line buoy argent" (På blå grunn ei sølv linebøye). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a line buoy. The line buoy 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 in the field symbolizes the importance of the sea. This symbol was chosen since it was historically used by fishermen in ocean and fjords around the island municipality. The arms were designed by Jarle Skuseth who based it off an idea from Helge Kragseth. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has two parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Sande. It is part of the Søre Sunnmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Møre.

Geography
Sande is composed of many islands including Sandsøya, Kvamsøya, Voksa, Riste, and part of Gurskøya (which is shared with neighboring Herøy). The island municipality sits north of the Rovdefjorden and east of the Vanylvsfjorden. The Haugsholmen Lighthouse sits in the southwest part of the municipality.

Government
Sande 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 Møre og Romsdal District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Sande is made up of 21 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 (ordførar) of Sande:

 * 1867–1870: Knut R. Bjørlykke
 * 1871–1880: Bendt L. Redse
 * 1881–1898: Rasmus K. Sætre
 * 1899–1905: Daniel D. Liset
 * 1905–1919: Hans J. Aaram
 * 1920–1922: Ole S. Dyrkoren
 * 1923–1937: August A. Kragset
 * 1938–1941: Jakob Sætre
 * 1941–1941: Torvald Baade (NS)
 * 1941–1945: Oskar Sandanger (NS)
 * 1945–1947: Jakob Sætre
 * 1948–1951: Sverre Myklebust
 * 1952–1955: Torvald Baade
 * 1956–1957: Sverre Myklebust
 * 1958–1975: Petter H. Kragset (V)
 * 1976–1981: John Gjerde (V)
 * 1982–1983: Jon Martin Bringsvor (H)
 * 1984–1987: John Gjerde (V)
 * 1988–2003: Arne Dyrhol (H)
 * 2003–2007: Jon Garen (Sp)
 * 2007–2019: Dag Arne Vaagen (H)
 * 2019–2023: Olav Myklebust (Sp)
 * 2023-present: Dag Arne Vaagen (H)

Notable people

 * Ingolf Rogde (1911 in Haugsholmen, Sande – 1978), a Norwegian actor with the touring theatre Riksteatret
 * Bjartmar Gjerde (1931 in Larsnes, Sande – 2009), a politician, government minister, and DG of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation
 * Odd S. Lovoll (born 1934 in Sande), a Norwegian-American author, historian, educator, and academic
 * Morten Schakenda (born 1966 in Gjerdsvika, Sande), a Norwegian cook and leading chef
 * Jan Åge Fjørtoft (born 1967 in Gursken, Sande), a former footballer with 497 club caps and 71 for Norway

title: Sande, Møre og Romsdal


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Herøy, Møre og Romsdal

Herøy is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the town of Fosnavåg on the island of Bergsøya. The industrial area of Eggesbønes is located south of Fosnavåg on the same island. The Runde Environmental Centre is located in the northern part of the municipality on Runde island. Other population centres in Herøy include the villages of Leikong, Kvalsund, or Moltustranda.

The 120 km2 municipality is the 320th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Herøy is the 123rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 8,842. The municipality's population density is 74.9 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 0.1% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The prestegjeld (parish) of Herøy was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1867, the western district of Herøy was separated to become the new Sande Municipality. This left Herøy municipality with 1,999 residents. On 1 January 1873, an area of Sande (population: 362) was transferred back to Herøy. On 1 January 1889, the Eiksund area and Ekø island (population: 119) were transferred from Sande to Herøy.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, three farms in the Gurskedalen valley (population: 25) were transferred from Herøy to Sande. Also on that date, the Eiksund area and the Eika island (population: 222) were transferred from Herøy to neighboring Ulstein Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after an archipelago of small islands (Herøyjar). The first element is which means "army". The word here is referring to the idea of skipaherr which means "military fleet", referring to the many islands grouped together. The last element is which means "island". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Herø. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Herøy.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 27 March 1987. The official blazon is "Azure, two ship bows argent issuant from the flanks" (På blå grunn to motstilte sølv skipsstamnar). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is two stems of a ship. 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. This design was chosen to represent the 7th century Kvalsund boats found in the municipality. The arms were designed by Even Jarl Skoglund. 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 Herøy. It is part of the Søre Sunnmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Møre.

Government
Herøy 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 Møre og Romsdal District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

Mayors
The mayors (ordførar) of Herøy:

 * 1837–1843: Christoffer Mathias Rønneberg
 * 1844–1845: Peter Wilhelm L'orange
 * 1846–1849: Aage Schavland
 * 1850–1851: Knut A. Brekke
 * 1852–1853: Knut R. Bjørlykke
 * 1854–1857: Aage Schavland
 * 1858–1872: Ole Thorseth
 * 1873–1876: Peter M. Jacobsen
 * 1877–1886: Ole Thorseth (H)
 * 1887–1888: Peter M. Jacobsen
 * 1889–1892: Annanias Stavøstrand (MV)
 * 1893–1894: Gustav Wiig (H)
 * 1895–1907: Severin Sundnes (H)
 * 1908–1917: Rasmus Moltu (V)
 * 1918–1919: Paul Moltu (V)
 * 1920–1922: Lars Havåg (V)
 * 1923–1931: Abel Berge (V)
 * 1932–1934: Hans P.J. Runde
 * 1935–1941: Ole Garvik (V)
 * 1942–1945: Hjalmar Jacobsen (NS)
 * 1945–1947: Ole Garvik (V)
 * 1948–1955: Ivar Nærø
 * 1956–1958: Bjarne Rekdal (Ap)
 * 1958–1959: Olav Thorseth
 * 1960–1961: Magnus Berge
 * 1962–1971: Rolf Ervik
 * 1972–1975: Knut Nærø
 * 1976–1979: Einar Leinebø
 * 1980–1987: Charles Remø (H)
 * 1988–1989: Per Rolf Sævik (KrF)
 * 1990–1995: Svein Gjelseth (Ap)
 * 1995–1999: Leif G. Igesund (KrF)
 * 1999–2003: Svein Gjelseth (Ap)
 * 2003–2019: Arnulf Goksøyr (H)
 * 2019-2023: Bjørn-Halvor Prytz (Ap)
 * 2023-present: Tine Storøy (H)

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Herøy is made up of 33 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Geography
The main population and administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Fosnavåg, located on the island of Bergsøya. The municipality is entirely composed of islands located north of the Rovdefjorden. It includes the main islands of Bergsøya, Leinøya, Nerlandsøya, Remøya, Runde, Skorpa, Flåvær, and the eastern part of Gurskøya, plus many smaller islands. The island of Runde is especially notable for its large seabird colonies (and Runde Lighthouse), while Skorpa is famous for its role as a station for the Shetland bus. The islands are connected together via a series of bridges including the Runde Bridge, Remøy Bridge, Herøy Bridge, and Nerlandsøy Bridge.

The Herøyfjorden bisects Herøy municipality. The half located south of the fjord is referred to as Inner Herøy, while the half located north of the fjord is referred to as Outer Herøy. Inner and Outer Herøy are tied together by the Herøy Bridge which connects the islands of Gurskøy and Leinøya. Along this main route of traffic is the islet Notøy and the even smaller Herøya islet, an old trading station (now museum) and the original location of the original Herøy Church.

The fishing station Flåvær is located on a group of islets and skerries in the Herøyfjord, It includes the islets Flåvær, Husholmen, Torvholmen and Varholmen. The Flåvær Lighthouse is located on Varholmen.

The Svinøy Lighthouse is located on the very small island of Svinøy, about 12 km west of the island of Skorpa.

Climate
Herøy has a temperate oceanic climate, with mild and windy winters, among the mildest winters in Norway. The weather station at Svinøy Lighthouse has been in operation since June 1955.

Notable people

 * Hans Peter L'orange (1835 in Herøy – 1907) military officer, the Commanding General in Norway, 1897 to 1903
 * Suzannah Ibsen (1836 in Herøy – 1914) the wife of playwright and poet Henrik Ibsen
 * Aage Skavlan (1847 in Herøy – 1920) a Norwegian historian and academic
 * Harald Skavlan (1854 in Herøy – 1908) a Norwegian railroad engineer
 * Johannes A. Bøe (1882 at Bøe in Herøy – 1970) a Norwegian politician; Mayor of Jevnaker, 1922 to 1925
 * Per Rolf Sævik (born 1940 in Herøy) a fisherman, ship-owner and politician; Mayor of Herøy, 1987 to 1989
 * Synnøve Eriksen (born 1963 in Herøy) a Norwegian novelist

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

title: Herøy, Møre og Romsdal


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Ulstein

Ulstein is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The commercial and administrative centre of Ulstein is the town of Ulsteinvik. The municipality occupies the western half of the island of Hareidlandet, as well as about 30 smaller islands, four of which are populated.

Ulstein is connected to the mainland of Norway by the Eiksund Bridge (to the island of Eika) and then the Eiksund Tunnel to the neighboring municipality of Ørsta. The Grasøyane Lighthouse is located on a small island in the northwestern part of Ulstein Municipality.

The 97 km2 municipality is the 330th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Ulstein is the 124th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 8,797. The municipality's population density is 92.7 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 11% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Ulstein (originally spelled Ulfsteen) was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). It originally included most of the island of Hareidlandet (except the Eiksund area) and the Vartdal area southeast of the Vartdalsfjorden on the mainland. On 1 January 1895, the area southeast of the Vartdalsfjorden was separated from Ulstein Municipality to become the new municipality of Vartdalsstranden. This left Ulstein with 2,996 residents. Then on 1 January 1917, the eastern half of the island of Hareidlandet was separated from Ulstein to form the new Hareid Municipality. This left 2,336 residents in Ulstein.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the island of Eika, the village of Eiksund, and the surrounding area (population: 222) were transferred from Herøy Municipality to Ulstein Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Ulstein farm (Ulfsteinn) since the first Ulstein Church was built there. The first element is which means "wolf" (possibly an old name for the local river Ulva or referring to the male name Ulfr). The last element is which means "stone mountain", probably referring to a small mountain (now called Ulsteinhetta) which is located behind the farm. Before 1879, the name was written Ulfsten or Ulfsteen, then between 1879 and 1888 it was spelled Ulvsten, and since 1889 it has been spelled Ulstein.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 30 May 1986. The official blazon is "Azure, a fess indented Or" (På blå grunn ein gull bjelke laga med ulvetannsnitt). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a fess (horizontal bar) with indented edges. The fess 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 arms show a bar that is described as wolf-toothed, which makes the bar a canting since the municipality is named after the Ulva river (a name which sounds like the word for wolf (ulv). The blue colour represents the sea and the gold represents wheat. The arms were designed by Jarle Skuseth after an idea by Asbjørn Waage. 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 Ulstein. It is part of the Søre Sunnmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Møre.

Communities
There are several villages throughout the municipality. The largest is the town of Ulsteinvik and others include the villages of Haddal, Flø, Eiksund, Ringstad, Sundgot, Hasund, Varleite. The island of Dimnøya is just outside Ulsteinvik, and there are many residents there. There are also several small populated islands surrounding the main island of Hareidlandet: Eika, Vattøya, and Hatløya.

Government
Ulstein 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 Møre og Romsdal District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Ulstein 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 (ordførar) of Ulstein:

 * 1838–1841: Andreas Hofgaard Winsnæs
 * 1842–1843: Nils Toresen Nedrelid
 * 1844–1845: Martinus Mortensen Overaae
 * 1846–1849: Hans Nicolai Wraamann
 * 1850–1853: Martinus Mortensen Overaae
 * 1854–1855: Hans Nicolai Wraamann
 * 1855–1855: Jon Pedersen Branda
 * 1856–1859: Martinus Mortensen Overaae
 * 1860–1867: Knut Guliksen Hareide
 * 1868–1871: Johannes Pedersen Scheide
 * 1872–1873: Elling Ellingsen Ulfsteen
 * 1874–1875: Lars Hansen Hareide
 * 1876–1881: Johannes Pedersen Scheide
 * 1882–1883: Ole Johannessen Teigene
 * 1884–1895: Martinus Kolbeinsen Bjørndal
 * 1896–1897: Ole Johannessen Teigene
 * 1898–1901: Martinus Kolbeinsen Bjørndal
 * 1902–1904: Ole Johannessen Teigene
 * 1905–1910: Hans Nilsen Rise
 * 1911–1913: Arne Ingebrigtsen Grimstad
 * 1914–1922: Hans B. Osnes
 * 1923–1928: Knut Andreassen Strand
 * 1929–1931: Sverre J. Lynge
 * 1932–1934: Knut Andreassen Strand
 * 1935–1945: Leif H. Saunes (V)
 * 1946–1947: Knut Andreassen Strand
 * 1948–1948: Martin Ulstein (V)
 * 1948–1959: Knut A. Ertesvåg
 * 1960–1963: Jan Remø (H)
 * 1964–1967: Per A. Dimmen (H)
 * 1967–1967: Peter K. Saunes (Ap)
 * 1968–1975: Oskar V. Sundgot (KrF)
 * 1976–1979: Olav B. Urke (KrF)
 * 1979–1987: Asbjørn Flø (Sp)
 * 1987–1993: Ottar Kaldhol (Ap)
 * 1993–1995: Arne Walderhaug (KrF)
 * 1995–2003: Jan Berset (H)
 * 2003–2011: Hannelore Måseide (Ap)
 * 2011–2015: Jan Berset (H)
 * 2015–2023: Knut Erik Engh (FrP)
 * 2023–present: Stian Skorgen Scheide (H)

Maritime Cluster
The Headquarters of the Ulstein Group, Rolls-Royce Marine, and Kleven Verft are located in Ulstein. The maritime industry is renowned for its creativity in the ship industry, which currently employs more than 1,000 people in Ulstein.

Ulstein is known as a central community in the maritime cluster that has been created within the Sunnmøre region, Norway. Large shipyards and ship design companies are situated in Ulsteinvik. Technological innovation has played an import role in the recent history of the town. For example, the Ulstein Group has designed a new hull shape with an inverted bow called the Ulstein Group's X-Bow, examples of which are regularly docked in Ulsteinvik, outside the drydocks of Ulstein Verft.

Notable people

 * Ragnar Ulstein MM (1920–2019), a Norwegian journalist, writer, and resistance member
 * Martin Tore Bjørndal (1944−2015), a Norwegian diplomat in South America
 * Øystein Runde (born 1979), a Norwegian comics writer and comics artist

Sport

 * Ole Bjørn Sundgot (born 1972), a former footballer with 270 club caps
 * Arild Sundgot (born 1978), a former football striker with 312 caps with Lillestrøm SK
 * Magnus Myklebust (born 1985), a Norwegian football striker with 350 club caps
 * Karsten Warholm (born 1996), an athlete who competes in the sprints and hurdles

title: Ulstein


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Hareid

Hareid is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Hareid. The other main population centers are Brandal and Hjørungavåg.

The municipality is situated off the mainland coast of Sunnmøre, on an island named Hareidlandet, which it shared with Ulstein Municipality, the commercial capital of the area. Hareid is regarded as the cultural capital with its annual Hareidsstemne and many choirs. It is also an important traffic hub in Sunnmøre and is connected by ferry to the neighboring island of Sula which in turn is connected to the city of Ålesund and the island of Valderøya. The municipality is connected to the mainland via the Eiksund Bridge and Eiksund Tunnel through Ulstein.

The 82 km2 municipality is the 336th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Hareid is the 181st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 5,159. The municipality's population density is 67.2 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 2% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Hareid was established on 1 January 1917 when it was separated from Ulstein Municipality to form a municipality of its own. Originally, the municipality included the eastern part of Hareidlandet island and the southwestern part of the nearby island of Sula. The initial population of the municipality was 2,310. On 1 July 1958, the southwestern part of the island of Sula (population: 68) was transferred from Hareid Municipality to Borgund Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Hareid farm (Haðareið), since the first Hareid Church was built there. The first element is the genitive case of the name of the island Hǫð (now Hareidlandet). The meaning of the old island name is uncertain, but it is speculated that it might be connected to the Norse god, Höðr. The last element is which means "isthmus".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 11 January 1985. The official blazon is "Azure, three arrowheads argent points to chief" (På blå grunn tre opprette sølv piloddar, to over ein). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is three arrowhead symbols that are pointing upwards. 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 arrowheads were chosen as a symbol for the Battle of Hjörungavágr in 986, in which Earl Håkon defeated the Danish Vikings. This battle played an important role in the struggle by Håkon to unite the whole of Norway. Since the battle took place in the municipality, the arrowheads were considered an appropriate symbol. The arms were designed by Jarle Skuseth. 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 Hareid. It is part of the Søre Sunnmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Møre.

Government
Hareid 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 Møre og Romsdal District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Hareid is made up of 21 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 (ordførar) of Hareid:

 * 1917-1925: Arne I. Grimstad
 * 1926-1941: Randulf R. Rise
 * 1941-1942: Hans Dybhavn (NS)
 * 1942-1945: Asbjørn Riise (NS)
 * 1945-1945: Bernhard Harkjerr
 * 1946-1947: Martin Karlsen
 * 1948-1951: Joakim P. Måseide
 * 1952-1955: Håkon A. Riise (Ap)
 * 1956-1967: Sverre A. Riise (Sp)
 * 1968-1971: Ola L. Grønevet (V)
 * 1972-1976: Endre Hareide (KrF)
 * 1976-1983: Einar Holm (V)
 * 1984-1987: Olav Fure (KrF)
 * 1988-1990: Johan E. Hareide (H)
 * 1990-1991: Olav Fure (KrF)
 * 1992-1999: Einar Holm (V)
 * 1999-2007: Gunn Berit Gjerde (V)
 * 2007-2011: Hans Gisle Holstad (Ap)
 * 2011-2019: Anders Riise (H)
 * 2019–present: Bernt Brandal (LL)

Primary industries
Primary industries such as fisheries and agriculture have traditionally been important ways of life in Hareid, and continue to be so for some of the population.

Industry
In recent years Hareid has developed into a modern industrial municipality with a variety of industries, including furniture, fish farming, offshore and subsea ship systems, and other manufacturers of ship equipment. Many Hareid companies specialize in manufacturing maritime equipment and components, and are part of the maritime cluster of Sunnmøre. Such clusters are considered by the EU to be powerful engines of economic development and drivers for innovation in Europe.

Industrial companies

 * Ekornes (furniture)
 * Hareid Group (electrical systems)
 * Jets (vacuum sanitation)
 * Kvalsvik Produksjon (kitchen furniture)
 * Libra Plast (ship doors)
 * Norway Pelagic (fish processing plant)
 * Rolls-Royce Marine (maritime equipment)
 * Spenncon (precast concrete)
 * Stromek (maritime equipment)
 * Vital Base (specialized pillows and cushions)

Education
The village of Hareid is home to Hareid elementary school and Hareid junior high school, with two more elementary schools in more rural parts of the municipality.
 * Hareid elementary school, grades 1 through 7
 * Bigset elementary school, grades 1 through 7
 * Hjørungavåg elementary school, grades 1 through 7
 * Hareid junior high school, grades 8 through 10

After finishing junior high school in Hareid, students can complete a high school education in one of Hareid's neighbouring communities such as Ulsteinvik or Ålesund.

Notable people

 * Marie Lovise Widnes (born 1930) a poet, author, singer, composer and local politician in Hareid
 * Kjell Magne Yri (born 1943 in Hareid) a Norwegian priest, linguist and translator
 * Åge Hareide (born 1953 in Hareid) a former footballer with 266 club caps and 50 for Norway and national team manager for Norway, 2003–2008 & Denmark, 2016–2020
 * Fredrik Aursnes (born 1995 in Hareid) a footballer with over 240 club caps

title: Hareid


text:
Volda

Volda is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Volda. Other villages in the municipality include Dravlaus, Fyrde, Straumshamn, Leira, Bjørke, and Grodås. The municipality is located about 50 km south of the town of Ålesund.

The 877 km2 municipality is the 132nd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Volda is the 105th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 10,960. The municipality's population density is 13.1 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 8.9% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Volden was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). The original municipality was the same as the parish (prestegjeld) of Volden, including the sub-parishes of Ørsta and Dalsfjord. On 1 August 1883, the sub-parish of Ørsta (population: 2,070) was separated from Volden to form a new municipality of its own. This left Volden with 3,485 residents. On 1 January 1893, the Ytrestølen farm in the Ørsta municipality (population: 13) was transferred to Volden municipality. In 1918, the name was changed from Volden to Volda.

On 1 July 1924, the sub-parish of Dalsfjord (population: 960) was separated from Volda to become a municipality of its own. This left Volda with 4,715 residents. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the municipalities of Dalsfjord (population: 1,151) and Volda (population: 6,056) were merged back together. The new Volda municipality had 7,207 residents.

On 1 January 2020, another large municipal border adjustment took place. The neighboring municipality of Hornindal (previously in Sogn og Fjordane county) and the Bjørke and Leira areas of Ørsta were merged with Volda to make a much larger Volda Municipality (in Møre og Romsdal county).

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Voldsfjorden (Vǫld or Valdr). The meaning of the name is uncertain, but it may come from which means "gush" or "roar" or from another word meaning "wave". It could be compared with the which means "wave". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Volden. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Volda.

Coat of arms
The original coat of arms was granted on 19 June 1987 and they were in use until 1 January 2020 when the municipality was greatly enlarged. The official blazon was "Azure, a downwards pointing fountain pen nib argent" (På blå grunn ein nedvend sølv pennesplitt). This means the arms had a blue field (background) and the charge was the tip of a fountain pen. The charge had a tincture of argent which means it was commonly colored white, but if it was made out of metal, then silver was used. This design was chosen to symbolize the long history of education in Volda–it was the site of the first secondary school outside of a major city in Norway. The arms were designed by Inge Rotevatn. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

The current coat of arms was approved in 2019 for use starting on 1 January 2020 when Hornindal Municipality and part of Ørsta Municipality were added to Volda. The official blazon is "Azure, a downwards pointing fountain pen nib flanked by two scythes endorsed argent". This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is the tip of a fountain pen with a scythe on each side. 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 from 1987 were modified by adding two scythes on either side of the tip of a fountain pen. The scythes were taken from the old arms of the former municipality of Hornindal. Hornindal historically had large numbers of smiths and their scythe production was well known in the wider region. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has six parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Volda. It is part of the Søre Sunnmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Møre.

Geography
Volda's main geographical feature is the Voldsfjorden which branches off into the Austefjorden, Kilsfjorden, and Dalsfjorden. It is also mountainous, particularly southeast of the fjords, with the Sunnmørsalpene mountains surrounding the region. The 1482 m tall mountain Eidskyrkja is located in the southeastern part of the municipality.

Volda is bordered by municipalities of: Vanylven Municipality to the south-west/west; Herøy and Ulstein (only by sea) to the west; Ørsta to the north and east; and Stryn and Stad, in Vestland county, to the south.

The dominant centre, both in terms of population and administration, is the village of Volda, in the northernmost part of the municipality. Other population concentrations include Mork, Ekset, Folkestad, Fyrde, Steinsvika, Lauvstad, Bjørkedal, Grodås, and Straumshamn.

Some of the mountains in Volda include Hornindalsrokken, Kvitegga, and Jakta.

Government
Volda 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 Møre og Romsdal District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Volda is made up of 33 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 (ordførar) of Volda:

 * 1838–1839: Sjur H. Halkjelsvik
 * 1840–1841: Peder E. Schjelderup
 * 1842–1845: Sjur H. Halkjelsvik
 * 1846–1849: Anders Velle
 * 1850–1857: Mauritz Aarflot (V)
 * 1858–1859: Rasmus R. Aarflot
 * 1860–1885: Mauritz Aarflot (V)
 * 1886–1887: Rasmus R. Aarflot
 * 1888–1889: Rasmus Barstad
 * 1890–1893: Rasmus Mork
 * 1894–1904: Laurits Barstad
 * 1905–1910: Oscar Normann Eng (V)
 * 1911–1913: Anders Vassbotn (V)
 * 1914–1916: Ola S. Rotevatn
 * 1917–1919: Henrik Kårstad (V)
 * 1920–1931: Ola S. Rotevatn (Bp)
 * 1932–1934: Ola Drabløs
 * 1935–1937: Ola R. Heltne
 * 1938–1941: Johan Alvestad (Ap)
 * 1941–1945: Maurits Aarflot (NS)
 * 1945–1945: Johan Alvestad (Ap)
 * 1946–1946: Ola Drabløs
 * 1946–1947: Georg Rønnestad (Ap)
 * 1947–1947: Henrik Driveklepp
 * 1948–1951: Martin Dahl (V)
 * 1952–1955: Johannes Nes (V)
 * 1956–1959: Per Longva (Ap)
 * 1960–1967: Karl Alme (V)
 * 1968–1975: Sigurd H. Halkjelsvik (Sp)
 * 1976–1979: Eilert Bø (KrF)
 * 1980–1987: Rasmus R. Aarflot (Sp)
 * 1988–2003: Knut Bere (H)
 * 2003–2011: Ragnhild Aarflot Kalland (Sp)
 * 2011–2015: Arild Iversen (KrF)
 * 2015–2019: Jørgen Amdam (Ap)
 * 2019–present: Sølvi Dimmen (Sp)

Culture
Volda is primarily known for strong cultural heritage and academic traditions. A private library at Egset, the first rural of its kind in Norway, is said to have inspired the young Ivar Aasen in the 19th century. Martin Ulvestad, Norwegian–American author who published an English-Danish-Norwegian dictionary in 1895, (Engelsk-Dansk-Norsk Ordbog med fuldstændig Udtalebetegnelse) was born in Volda. The Norsk Landboeblad newspaper was based in Volda in the 1800s. Volda landsgymnas (established 1910) was the first Norwegian secondary school outside a major city. Among the most important institutions today is the Volda University College.

Volda University College (HVO) is one of 25 university colleges in Norway. HVO, with an enrollment of about 3,000 students, specializes in education of teachers, animators, and journalists. This has attracted or incubated several animation companies to Volda, whose work is highlighted in the annual Animation Volda Festival, which started at HVO in 2007. HVO is host of the annual Norwegian Documentary Film Festival (a.k.a. DOKFILM), which started in 1997.

The national ski festival X2 is also held in Volda during April every year.

The Volda TI sports club includes an association football team, whose home field is Volda Stadion. The football squad has consistently played in the 2. divisjon to 4. divisjon leagues (tiers three to five of the Norwegian football league system) for a number of decades.

As a logical consequence of the huge influx of students, as well as a county hospital, public services are by far the most dominant sector, representing almost 50% of economic life in Volda. Industry and agriculture are also prevalent. Bjørkedalen is noted for its tradition in building wooden boats.

The Sivert Aarflot Museum is located at Ekset in Volda. Volda and its environs are featured prominently in the film Troll Hunter (2010).

Transportation
The Ørsta–Volda Airport, Hovden, is located in neighbouring municipality of Ørsta, just north of the village of Volda. The European route E39 highway passes north through the municipality on its way to the city of Ålesund. As noted, the municipality is criss-crossed by fjords; therefore, both Lauvstad and Folkestad are linked to the population centre Volda by ferry. In February 2008, the underwater Eiksund Tunnel connected the municipalities of Ulstein, Hareid, Herøy, and Sande to Ørsta and Volda. The tunnel is the deepest undersea tunnel in the world. The Kviven Tunnel was completed in 2012, connecting Fyrde to the village of Grodås to the south on the other side of a large mountain. This tunnel led to the old Hornindal Municipality joining Volda in 2020.

Notable people

 * Martin Ulvestad (1865–1942), a Norwegian-American historian and philologist
 * Peter Olai Thorvik (1873–1965), a blacksmith, fisherman, banker, and politician
 * Inger Hagerup (1905–1985), an author, playwright and poet who lived in Volda
 * Dag Frøland (1945–2010), a comedian, revue artist, singer and impersonator
 * Ottar Grepstad (born 1953), a Norwegian Nynorsk writer who lives in Volda
 * Olav Rune Ekeland Bastrup (born 1956), a Norwegian writer and historian
 * Ragnhild Aarflot Kalland (born 1960), a local politician and mayor of Volda from 2003-2011
 * Frode Grodås (born 1964), a football goalkeeper with over 250 club caps and 50 for Norway
 * Simone Eriksrud (born 1970), a musician, composer, and lead vocalist with D'Sound
 * Asbjørn Blokkum Flø (born 1973), a Norwegian composer, musician, and sound artist
 * Beate S. Lech (born 1974), a jazz vocalist and lead singer of Beady Belle
 * Erlend Slettevoll (born 1981), a Norwegian jazz pianist
 * Jon Georg Dale (born 1984), a Progress Party politician and former government minister
 * Ørjan Håskjold Nyland (born 1990), a football goalkeeper with over 200 club caps and 28 for Norway

title: Volda


text:
Ørsta

is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region of Western Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ørsta. Other villages in the municipality include Hovdebygda, Flåskjer, Liadal, Urke, Barstadvik, Åmdalen, Follestaddalen, Nordre Vartdal, Vartdal, Sæbø, Sætre, Store-Standal, and Ytre Standal.

The 662 km2 municipality is the 171st largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Ørsta is the 106th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 10,929. The municipality's population density is 16.8 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 4.5% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Ørsta was established on 1 August 1883 when it was separated from Volda Municipality. The initial population was 2,070. On 1 January 1893, the Ytrestølen farm (population: 13) was transferred from Ørsta to Volda. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the municipality of Ørsta (population: 6,209) was merged with the neighboring municipalities of Hjørundfjord (population: 1,728) and Vartdal (population: 1,315) to form a new, larger municipality of Ørsta. On 1 January 2020, the Bjørke and Leira areas of Ørsta were transferred to the neighboring Volda Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Ørstafjorden (Œrstr). The meaning of the fjord name is uncertain, but it may come from the word which means "raging" or "mad" (possibly referring to the water in the fjord). Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Ørsten. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Ørsta.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 13 July 1984. The official blazon is "Azure, three fusils in fess argent" (I blått tre sølv spisruter). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a set of three fusils lined up horizontally. 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 three diamonds represent the mountains reflecting in the waters of the fjord. The arms were designed by Gudmund Nesset. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Museums
The Brudavoll Farm, part of the Sunnmøre Museum Foundation, is located about 5 km from the village of Ørsta.

Churches
The Church of Norway has three parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Ørsta. It is part of the Søre Sunnmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Møre.

Geography
Of the total area, 48% (386 km2) of the municipality is at an altitude of 600 m or more above sea level.

Apart from the mountains, Ørsta's dominant geographical feature is fjords: Storfjorden in the north, Vartdalsfjorden, Ørstafjorden in the west, and Hjørundfjorden in the east. Only in the south is it connected by land to neighbouring Volda Municipality. Otherwise, it borders the municipalities of Sula in the north, Hareid and Ulstein (by sea only) in the west, Sykkylven to the northeast, and Stranda to the southeast.

The municipality is also the heartland of the Sunnmørsalpene mountains, a particularly rugged and wild area of mountains in the southern part of Møre og Romsdal county. Prolific peaks include Slogen at 1564 m, Skårasalen at 1542 m, Kolåstinden at 1432 m, Ramoen at 1419 m, Saudehornet at 1303 m, and Romedalstinden at 1295 m.

Economy
Important sectors are mechanical industry and furniture manufacturing, agriculture, commercial fishing, and aquaculture. The first two are predominant in the village of Ørsta while agriculture dominates in adjacent valleys like the Follestaddalen, Åmdalen, and Bondalen valleys. On the other hand, the northern part of the municipality has strong maritime traditions, with Vartdal being the home of one of the largest factory trawler fleets in Norway.

Government
Ørsta 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 Møre og Romsdal District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Ørsta is made up of 33 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 (ordførar) of Ørsta:

 * 1883–1885: Hans A. Velle
 * 1886–1893: Sivert Nossen
 * 1894–1901: Jon I. Skare
 * 1902–1910: Lars A. Rebbestad
 * 1911–1916: Peder A. Moe
 * 1917–1934: Laurits N. Myklebust
 * 1935–1941: Otto N. Øye
 * 1941–1945: Hans Brungot
 * 1945–1945: Otto N. Øye
 * 1946–1951: Peter Kjeldseth Moe (Ap)
 * 1952–1955: Martin B. Moe (V)
 * 1956–1959: Ragnar Unhjem (KrF)
 * 1960–1967: Pål Sandvik (V)
 * 1968–1973: Jakob E. Øye (Sp)
 * 1974–1979: Karsten Standal (Sp)
 * 1980–1983: Oddmund Breiteig (Ap)
 * 1984–1991: Sigbjørn Kvistad (KrF)
 * 1992–2003: Nils Taklo (Sp)
 * 2003–2007: Hans Olav Myklebust (FrP)
 * 2007–2011: Gudny Fagerhol (Ap)
 * 2011–2015: Rune Hovde (H)
 * 2015-2023: Stein Aam (Sp)
 * 2023-present: Per Are Sørheim (H)

Transportation
These include Ørsta–Volda Airport, Hovden (Hovdebygda), which is the regional airport for people living in the municipalities Ørsta, Volda, Vanylven, Sande, Ulstein, Hareid, and Herøy, and European Route E39 which transects the municipality in a north–south direction. Ørsta is linked to Sula and Sykkylven by ferry on its northernmost extreme Festøy. It is also linked to Ulstein Municipality by the Eiksund Tunnel, an undersea tunnel that opened on 23 February 2008 that is, currently, the world's deepest at 287 m below the sea surface.

Notable people

 * Ivar Aasen (1813–1896), a Norwegian philologist, lexicographer, playwright, and poet.
 * Anders Hovden (1860–1943), a Norwegian Lutheran clergyman, hymnwriter, poet, and author
 * Njål Hole MBE (1914–1988), a Norwegian chemical engineer and nuclear physicist
 * Torbjørn Digernes (born 1947), a physicist and professor of marine systems design
 * Kari Sørbø (born 1955), a Norwegian radio personality who was brought up in Ørsta
 * Eldar Sætre (born 1956), a Norwegian businessman and CEO of Equinor
 * Bjarte Engeset (born 1958), a Norwegian classical conductor
 * Yngve Sætre (born 1962), a Norwegian record producer, musician on vocals, and keyboard
 * Marit Velle Kile (born 1978), a Norwegian actress in film and on TV
 * Audun Ellingsen (born 1979), a Norwegian jazz musician who plays upright bass
 * Torgeir Standal (born 1990), a Norwegian jazz guitarist
 * Vassendgutane (formed 1996), a Norwegian country and danseband

title: Ørsta


text:
Ørskog

Ørskog is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It was part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre was the village of Sjøholt. The other main village was Vaksvika, about 7.5 km south of Sjøholt. The European Route E39/E136 highway runs through the municipality, connecting the towns of Ålesund and Molde. Rauma Group is the largest company in Ørskog in terms of turnover.

At the time if its dissolution in 2020, the 132 km2 municipality was the 363rd largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Ørskog is the 309th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,267. The municipality's population density is 17.6 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 7% over the last decade.

General information
Ørskog was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 August 1883, the southwestern district of Ørskog (most of Ørskog on the southwestern side of the Storfjorden except for the Søvik and Ramstaddalen areas) was separated to form the new Søkelven Municipality. This left Ørskog with 1,735 inhabitants. On 1 June 1955, the Søvik and Ramstaddalen areas of Ørskog (south of the Storfjorden) were administratively transferred to Sykkylven Municipality.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, Skodje Municipality (to the west) and Stordal Municipality (to the south) were merged into Ørskog to form a new, larger Ørskog Municipality. This merger was not long-lived. On 1 January 1977, the three municipalities were separated again.

On 1 January 2020, the municipality of Ørskog was merged with Haram Municipality, Skodje Municipality, Sandøy Municipality, and Ålesund Municipality to form one large municipality of Ålesund.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Ørskog farm (Øyraskógr) since the first Ørskog Church was built there. The first element is the plural genitive case of which means "gravel shoal near the mouth of a river". The last element is which means "wood" or "forest".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 11 November 1983. The official blazon is "Ermine, a pale Or" (På hermelin grunn ein gull pæl). This means the arms have a field (background) has a tincture of ermine which means it is commonly colored white with small black spots. The charge is a pale with a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The pale was chosen to symbolize a tree trunk, as a symbol for forestry. In the 17th century, the municipality exported many tall trees to the Dutch Republic, where they were used for shipbuilding. The ermine background was chosen to symbolize fur farming in the area as well. The ermine is also a canting for the many animals in the forests. The arms were designed by Jarle Skuseth. 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 Ørskog. It was part of the Austre Sunnmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Møre.

Geography
The municipality was located on the north shore of the Storfjorden, and it was bordered by Skodje Municipality to the west, Vestnes Municipality to the north and east, and Stordal Municipality to the south. Most of the population lived along the shore or in the small valleys that stretch inland from the fjord. The eastern part of the municipality was mountainous.

At 10:00 p.m. on 8 January 1731, a landslide with a volume of possibly 6,000,000 m3 fell from the mountain Skafjell from a height of 500 m into the Storfjorden opposite Stranda. The slide generated a megatsunami 100 m in height that struck Stranda, and damaging waves of lesser size traveled as far as Ørskog. It was the first natural disaster to be reported and documented in Norway in historic time.

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 fell under the Sunnmøre District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Ørskog is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown for the final municipal council was as follows:

Mayors
The mayors of Ørskog:

 * 1837–1839: Ole Sollied
 * 1840–1844: Schølberg
 * 1844–1845: Ole Sollied
 * 1846–1849: Fredrik Krabbe
 * 1850–1863: Lars Strømme
 * 1864–1867: Fredrik Søholt
 * 1868–1881: Aamund Aure
 * 1882–1883: Lars P. Grebstad
 * 1883–1885: Ole Strømme
 * 1886–1889: P. Skarbø
 * 1890–1913: P. Th. Gjære (V)
 * 1914–1919: Tore P. Gjære
 * 1920–1934: Tore Vaksvik (V)
 * 1935–1945: Ole P. Solnørdal
 * 1945–1945: Olav Sjøholt
 * 1946–1951: Per Gjære
 * 1952–1957: Hans Busæt
 * 1958–1959: Bjarne Hansen
 * 1960–1964: Hans Busæt
 * 1965–1971: Jostein Valde
 * 1972–1975: Otto Berg
 * 1976–1987: Lars Vethe (Sp)
 * 1988–1989: Mons-Olav Walgermo (KrF)
 * 1990–1995: Jostein Vestre (V)
 * 1995–2003: Knut Helge Harstad (V)
 * 2003–2007: Sigmund Stene (V)
 * 2007–2015: Thorbjørn Fylling (FrP)
 * 2015–2017: Karen Simonnes Aanes (Ap)
 * 2017–2019: Knut Helge Harstad (V)

title: Ørskog


text:
Norddal

Norddal is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It merged with Stordal municipality to establish the new Fjord municipality in 2020. It covered the easternmost part of the Sunnmøre region along the border with Oppland county. The municipal center of the municipality was the village of Sylte (also known as Valldal) in the Valldalen valley.

Norddal covered an area with several distinct valleys and villages: Eidsdal and Norddal (Dalsbygda) in the south; Tafjord in the east; and Fjørå/Selboskarbygda and Sylte in the Valldalen valley in the north. Norwegian County Road 63 traverses the municipality from south to north, going through several tunnels in the mountains including the Stordal Tunnel. The Heggur Tunnel connects the isolated village of Tafjord with the rest of the municipality.

At the time if its dissolution in 2020, the 944 km2 municipality is the 116th largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Norddal is the 345th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,670. The municipality's population density is 1.9 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 5.2% over the last decade.

General information
The prestegjeld of Norddal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). Historically, the district of Sunnylven was part of the parish of Norddal, but on 1 January 1838 when Norddal municipality was established, Sunnylven was established as its own municipality, separate from Norddal. The municipal borders have not changed since that time.

On 1 January 2020, the neighboring municipalities of Norddal (population: 1,670) and Stordal (population: 972) were merged into the new Fjord Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Dale farm (Dalr) since the first Dale Church was built there. Historically, the parish was known as simply as Dale. Around the year 1600, the first element,, was added. This prefix means "northern". The last element of the name is which means "valley" or "dale". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Norddalen. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Norddal, removing the definite form ending -en.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 16 February 1990 and they were in use until the municipality was dissolved on 1 January 2020. The official blazon is "Or, a strawberry branch gules" (På gull grunn ein raud jordbærstengel). This means the arms have a field (background) 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 charge is a red strawberry branch with a three-part leaf and three berries. This design was chosen because Norddal has a tradition for producing fruits such as apples, pears, and berries, notably strawberries. Wild strawberries can be found growing all over the municipality. The arms were designed by Astor Furseth. 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 Norddal. It was part of the Austre Sunnmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Møre.

History
Valldal is mentioned in the historical books of Snorri Sturluson. While escaping the Danish army, Olav Haraldsson, later to become St. Olav, went ashore in Valldalen during the winter 1028/1029. Here, he supposedly came across a troublesome "sea serpent" which he tossed onto the mountainside and can today be seen as a lighter rock pattern above the town centre Sylte. On his journey up the valley towards Trollstigen, he received help from the farmers at Grønning to pass a rocky section called Skjærsura. For this help he deemed that the seed crop would never suffer from frost. Also, a natural spring in Valldal is named after St. Olav and is said to have a healing effect.

In 2008, a memorial stone was erected at the farm Døving, about 3 km up the valley from the sea, where the first church and cemetery is believed to have been located.

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 fell under the Sunnmøre District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

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

Mayors
The mayors of Norddal:

 * 1838-1844: Arne Iversen Grønningsæter
 * 1844-1847: Lars Larsen Myren
 * 1848-1879: Elias Arnesson Grønningsæter
 * 1880-1883: Elias O. Uri
 * 1884-1919: Nils E. Grønningsæter
 * 1920-1928: Gerhard Grønningsæter
 * 1929-1934: Nils J. Linge
 * 1935-1941: Gerhard Grønningsæter
 * 1941-1942: Elias Øien (NS)
 * 1942-1945: Ole K. Løvoll (NS)
 * 1945-1945: Gerhard Grønningsæter
 * 1946-1947: Elias Øien
 * 1948-1955: Karl Linge
 * 1956-1959: Nils P. Linge
 * 1960-1963: Elias Lingås
 * 1964-1967: Magnus Berdal
 * 1967-1967: Karl A. Døving
 * 1968-1971: Kåre Nerhagen
 * 1972-1973: Ragnar Lødøen
 * 1974-1975: Per Berge
 * 1976-1987: Karl A. Døving (Sp)
 * 1988-1993: Arne Sandnes (Sp)
 * 1994-1999: Gudmund Relling (V)
 * 1999-2007: Arne Sandnes (Sp)
 * 2007-2015: Bjørn Inge Ruset (Ap)
 * 2015-2019: Arne Sandnes (Sp)

Geography
The municipality was located around the Norddalsfjorden and the Tafjorden which flow west to east. They are the innermost branches off the main Storfjorden. Stranda Municipality lies to the west and south, Skjåk Municipality lies to the southeast, Rauma Municipality lies to the east and north, and Stordal Municipality lies to the northwest.

The main Valldalen valley runs to the northeast from the fjord. The valleys are surrounded by the Tafjordfjella mountain range. The mountains Puttegga, Karitinden, and Tordsnose sit on the eastern border of the municipality. The mountain Høgstolen lies in the northern part of the municipality. Reinheimen National Park is located partially in the municipality of Norddal.

title: Norddal


text:
Stranda

Stranda is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Stranda. Stranda consists of three smaller villages and one larger central village. The smaller villages are Hellesylt, Geiranger, and Liabygda. The central village, Stranda (same name as the municipality), has about 2,600 inhabitants. Stranda Municipality is known for tourist attractions such as Geirangerfjorden, Sunnylvsfjorden, and the ski area at Strandafjellet.

The 866 km2 municipality is the 134th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Stranda is the 194th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 4,421. The municipality's population density is 5.2 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 4.1% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The parish of Stranden was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1892, the northern district of the municipality (population: 850) was separated to form the new Stordal Municipality. This left Stranda with 1,459 residents. The spelling was changed to Stranda in 1918. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, Sunnylven Municipality (population: 1,221) was merged into Stranda, forming a new, larger Stranda Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named Stranda (Strǫnd) after a portion of the beach area along the Storfjorden. The name comes from the word, which means 'beach' or 'strand'. Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Stranden. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Stranda.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 2 May 1986. The official blazon is "Or, two piles azure issuant from dexter and sinister" (På gull grunn to spisse blå flankar). This means the arms have a field (background) 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 charge is two blue piles (triangles) extending from the left and right sides, but not quite meeting in the middle. The colors and design were chosen to symbolize the fjords and mountains hovering over the beach since the fjord is a central feature of the municipality for transportation, production, and tourism. The arms were designed by Jarle Skuseth after a proposal by Tor Torheim. 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 Stranda. It is part of the Austre Sunnmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Møre.

Geography
The West Norwegian Fjords, entailing Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2005 at the 29th Session of the World Heritage Committee in Durban, South Africa. The West Norwegian Fjords is the first natural World Heritage site in Norway, and the third natural site in the Nordic – Baltic region.

The West Norwegian Fjords are characterised as the best geologically developed and preserved example of classic fjord landscape. The geology and ongoing erosional processes have provided a basis for the active development of ecological and biological processes as well as the development of traditional, in part extreme, land use that has not harmed the integrity of the natural site.

Due to its natural environment, this scenic area is one of the most visited in the Nordic countries. The area has examples of landforms shaped and developed by ice and water, a landscape with significant geomorphological features, and a very young landscape in terms of Earth history that is continuously being formed by active erosional processes. The area represents the most extreme and dramatic fjord landscape in the world and has an exceptional aesthetic importance.

The Seven Sisters waterfall is located along the Geirangerfjord. The mountain Dalsnibba and the lake Djupvatnet are located along Norwegian County Road 63 in the southern part of the municipality. The mountains of Kvitegga and Hornindalsrokken lie on the southern municipal border.

Government
Stranda 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 Møre og Romsdal District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Stranda 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 (ordførar) of Stranda:

 * 1838–1840: Nicolay Hansen Engeset
 * 1841–1855: Severin Knutsen Overvoll
 * 1856–1883: Knut Olson Myklebust
 * 1884–1885: Lars Martinussen Kirkebøe
 * 1886–1889: Hans J. Ringstad
 * 1890–1901: Peter C. Ous
 * 1902–1904: Hans J. Ringstad
 * 1905–1913: Peter C. Ous
 * 1914–1931: Karl J. Andeberg
 * 1931–1937: Claus P. Ous
 * 1938–1943: Nils E. Ringset
 * 1945–1945: Nils E. Ringset
 * 1946–1955: Jørgen Marius Ivarsen Langlo (KrF)
 * 1956–1957: Einar Holmgren
 * 1957–1959: Ole S. Helsem (Bp)
 * 1960–1963: Ingvald Langlo
 * 1964–1965: Reidar Skarbø
 * 1966–1967: Ole S. Helsem (Sp)
 * 1968–1971: Rikard Urkedal
 * 1972–1975: Leiv Berge
 * 1976–1979: Oddmund Indreeide
 * 1980–1987: Leiv Berge
 * 1988–1991: Inge Gjærde
 * 1992–1999: Anne Lise Lunde (KrF)
 * 1999–2003: Inge Gjærde (H)
 * 2003–2011: Frank Edvard Sve (FrP)
 * 2011–2023: Jan Ove Tryggestad (Sp)
 * 2023-present: Einar Arve Nordang (H)

Tourism
Tourism has long and strong traditions in Stranda. The villages of Geiranger and Hellesylt have long been well-known destinations. The first cruise ship with tourists from abroad came to Geiranger in 1869. Today, Geiranger is the second largest cruise ship port in Norway, visited by 160 cruise ships every summer. The Coastal Steamer (Hurtigruten) runs daily round trips Ålesund-Geiranger from April to mid-September. Altogether about 700,000 tourists visit Geiranger each summer.

Royal persons, especially Queen Sonja, have contributed to make the fjord famous all over the world. By annual trips, visiting, and even spending the night on these abandoned mountains farms such as Skageflå, and publishing a book about these trips with her own photos that have also been exhibited in New York, among other places. Other historic farms include Knivsflå and Me-Åkernes.

Sports and leisure
In the alpine area at Strandafjellet, there are six ski tows and alpine pistes. Each winter alpine competitions are hosted there. Strandafjellet is one of the few places in the world where one could actually ski from the top of a mountain and go the whole way down, to the fjord. Every year roughly 250 telemark skiers, alpine skiers and snowboarders come together in the race Alperittet, from 1230 m above sea level and down to the fjord. The Geiranger – From Fjord to Summit race runs from Geiranger to Dalsnibba each year.

Culture
In Hellesylt, one may visit Hægstad Gård which contains woodcarvings, scenes from Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen, and in Geiranger the new Norwegian Fjord Centre shows local history and pictures from Geiranger.

Trade and industry
The municipality of Stranda has a great variety as to trade and industry. About 160 farms produce milk and meat products. Many factories have long traditions for making meat products, especially salted and cured meat. The production of furniture and textile products is an important industry that provides work to many area residents. Stranda is the place where P. I. Langlo industrialized the furniture industry in Norway in 1919. (There is almost no unemployment in the area). The Grandiosa factory, Norway's largest pizza factory, is situated in Stranda. There are also much aquafarming and many fish processing factories in the municipality. Tourism is, of course, a very important business in the whole district.

In popular culture

 * Released in March 2016, The Wave is a Norwegian disaster movie based on the premise of a rock slide from the mountain Åkerneset inundating the town of Geiranger.

Notable people

 * Olaf Skavlan (1838–1891), a Norwegian literary historian and playwright
 * Aadel Lampe (1857–1944), a Norwegian women's rights leader, liberal politician, teacher for deaf children, and suffragist
 * Olav Berntsen Oksvik (1887–1958), a politician and County Governor of Møre og Romsdal
 * P.I. Langlo, (Norwegian Wiki) (1892–1940), a pioneer in the industrial manufacture of furniture
 * Eiliv Odde Hauge (1913–1971) a military officer, screenwriter, author, museum director, and Norwegian resistance movement member
 * Asbjørn Gjærde (born 1939), a journalist who worked for NRK for 43 years
 * Peter Opsvik (born 1939), a furniture designer and jazz saxophonist
 * Kjell A. Storeide (born 1952), a Norwegian businessperson and CEO of Stokke Gruppen from 1990–2004
 * Pål Øie, (Norwegian Wiki) (born 1961), a Norwegian film director
 * Arve Henriksen (born 1968), a Norwegian trumpeter
 * Are Kalvø (born 1969), a Norwegian writer and satirist
 * Margreth Olin (born 1970), a Norwegian film director, film producer, and screenwriter
 * Bjarne Solbakken (born 1977), an alpine skier who competed in the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics
 * Øyvind Skarbø (born 1982), a Norwegian drummer and composer

title: Stranda


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Stordal

Stordal is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It merged with Norddal municipality to establish the new Fjord municipality in 2020. It was part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village of Stordal. The historic farm and museum of Ytste Skotet lies along the Storfjorden in the western part of the municipality. Most of the municipality lies on the eastern side of the fjord.

Stordal had relatively good agricultural land, and the main source of income is livestock. Stordal has also been home to furniture production and continues with the industry today.

At the time if its dissolution in 2020, the 247 km2 municipality is the 306th largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Stordal is the 396th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 972. The municipality's population density is 4 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 0.7% over the last decade.

General information
Stordal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1892 when it was separated from the large municipality of Stranda (to the southwest). The initial population of the municipality was 850. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, the three neighboring municipalities of Ørskog, Skodje, and Stordal were merged into one large Ørskog municipality. Prior to the merger, there were 1,052 inhabitants in Stordal. The merger, however, was short-lived, and on 1 January 1977 it was reversed and the three municipalities were once again separated.

On 1 January 2020, the municipalities of Stordal (population: 972) and Norddal (population: 1,670) were merged into the new Fjord Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the local Stordalen valley (Stóladalr). The first element is the plural genitive case of which means "chair" or "throne". The may be because two mountains located around the valley have the name Stolen (meaning "the chair"). The last element is which means "valley" or "dale". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Stordalen. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Stordal, removing the definite form ending -en.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 30 August 1991 and they were in use until the municipality was dissolved on 1 January 2020. The official blazon is "Azure, a pale dovetailed Or" (På blå grunn ein gull stolpe laga med duestjertsnitt). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a pale with dovetailed sides. 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 pale symbolises the forestry and furniture manufacturing in the municipality, which traditionally uses a dovetail system to join two pieces of wood. The same symbol also indicates the strong community feeling in the villages. The arms were designed by Jarle Skuseth. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway had one parish with one church, within the municipality of Stordal. There is also the old church, Rosekyrkja, which is now a museum. It was part of the Austre Sunnmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Møre.

Geography
Stordal municipality was located along the inner Storfjorden in Sunnmøre. The majority of the municipality was located east of the fjord, while a small uninhabited mountainous area on the west side of the fjord was also part of Stordal. Ytste Skotet is a preserved historic farm/museum that is located on the steep mountainsides on the west side of the fjord. Most of the municipality surrounded the Stordalen valley on the east side of the fjord.

The municipalities of Ørskog and Vestnes were located to the north of Stordal, Rauma was located to the east, Norddal and Stranda was located to the south, and Sykkylven was located to the west. The municipality was fairly isolated, with only two road connections to the outside world. Norwegian County Road 650 passed through the municipality from north to south, connecting it to Ørskog Municipality to the north and to Stranda Municipality to the south. Due to the mountainous landscape, the highway goes through the Dyrkorn Tunnel and Stordal Tunnel in the northern part of the municipality. The two tunnels are separated by the small village of Dyrkorn.

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 fell under the Sunnmøre District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Stordal is made up of 15 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown for the final municipal council was as follows:

Mayors
The mayors of Stordal:

(1965–1976: part of Ørskog Municipality)
 * 1892–1910: Lars Martinussen Kirkebøe (V)
 * 1911–1919: Knut Johansen Hove
 * 1920–1941: Ole Iversen Rødset (Bp)
 * 1941–1943: Jens O. Moe (NS)
 * 1943–1944: Ole Nygård (NS)
 * 1944–1945: Peter Th. Moe (NS)
 * 1945–1945: Jakob P. Hove (NS)
 * 1945–1945: Ole Iversen Rødset
 * 1946–1951: Jakob P. Hove
 * 1952–1955: Knut Stavseng
 * 1956–1957: Jacob Hove
 * 1958–1961: Johan Lianes
 * 1962–1964: Severin Flåen
 * 1977–1979: Johan Dyrkorn (Sp)
 * 1980–1987: Ole Johan Vidhammar (Ap)
 * 1988–1993: Ingrid Løset (Sp)
 * 1994–2003: Olav Bratland (H)
 * 2003–2015: Charles Tøsse (H)
 * 2015–2019: Eva Hove (Ap)

Settlers in Iceland
Some people from Stordal settled in Iceland and used Stordal as their last name. The Stordal family is quite known in Iceland but the siblings Sigurður Kristinn Stórdal and Lovísa Stórdal are the most known well-known Stordals currently alive. They are descendants of Egill "Sterki" Stórdal and Ásgerður "Fagra" Stórdal. Egill and his wife became farmers in Stordal which is now known as Skorradalur in Borgarfjörður, Iceland.

title: Stordal


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Sykkylven

Sykkylven is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Aure. Other villages in the municipality include Ikornnes, Straumgjerde, and Tusvik.

The 338 km2 municipality is the 252nd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Sykkylven is the 135th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 7,630. The municipality's population density is 23.2 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 0.6% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Sykkylven was established on 1 August 1883 when it was separated from Ørskog Municipality. The initial population was 2,029. On 1 June 1955, the Søvik-Ramstad area of Ørskog Municipality (population: 348) on the southern side of the Storfjorden was transferred to Sykkylven Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Sykkylvsfjorden (Síkiflir). The first element is sík which means "small lake" or "inlet" (referring to the lake, originally probably an inlet of Fitjavatnet). The last element is iflir which is frequently used in the Sunnmøre area in the names of fjords. It possibly comes from the word viflir which means "low, wet terrain". Historically, the name was spelled Søkelven. In 1889, the spelling was changed to Søkkelven. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Sykkylven.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 30 April 1984 by royal decree. The official blazon is "Argent, a pile embowed issuant from base azure" (I sølv ein blå spiss laga med bogeliner). This means the arms have a field (background) 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 charge is a pile (triangle) with embowed (curved) sides. The design was chosen to symbolize the landscape of the Sykkylvsfjorden and is reminiscent of a large mountain silhouette from the municipality. The arms were designed by Norbert Hovet and Kårstein Blindheim. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has two parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Sykkylven. It is part of the Austre Sunnmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Møre.

Geography
Sykkylven is a part of the Sunnmøre region and is surrounded by the beautiful alpine mountain range Sunnmørsalpene, including the mountain Råna. Most of the people in Sykkylven live along the Sykkylvsfjorden, which is a branch of the Storfjorden. The Sykkylven Bridge crosses the fjord connecting Aure to Ikornnes.

Sykkylven Municipality shares land borders with the municipalities of: Fjord to the east; Stranda to the southeast; Ørsta to the southwest. The Hjørundfjorden forms part of the western municipal border, and the Storfjorden forms the northern border. Across the Storfjorden lies Ålesund Municipality.

Economy
Sykkylven is primarily an industrial community where furniture and furnishings manufacturing is the dominant industry (78% of manufacturing employment in 2004). Some of the largest factories in the industry are located here. Major companies in Sykkylven include Ekornes AS, Scandinor ANS, Hjellegjerde, Brunstad AS, Hjelle, and Cylindra. Drones are also manufactured. Agriculture is important along the fjord and in the valleys. The farms are small, with emphasis on livestock. There is also some fish farming at Hundeidvik and Søvik, along the Storfjorden. The newspaper Sykkylvsbladet is published in Sykkylven.

Ekornes is the largest employer (as of 2020); however, a new round of layoffs was announced in January 2023.

Government
Sykkylven 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 Møre og Romsdal District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Sykkylven 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 (ordførar) of Sykkylven:

 * 1883-1887: Lars P. Grebstad
 * 1888-1898: Ole E. Vik
 * 1899-1904: P.C.N. Aure
 * 1905-1907: Ole E. Vik
 * 1908-1910: P.C.N. Aure
 * 1911-1919: Ole I. Strømme
 * 1919-1924: P.C.N. Aure
 * 1924-1933: Hans Tandstad
 * 1933-1937: Johan Eidem
 * 1938-1941: Ola Tandstad
 * 1945-1946: Ola Tandstad
 * 1946-1951: Johan Eidem
 * 1952-1956: Jens E. Ekornes (KrF)
 * 1956-1959: Fridtjof Fredriksen
 * 1959-1963: Ola Tu
 * 1964-1969: Arnold Weiberg-Aurdal (Sp)
 * 1970-1975: Øystein Eliassen (Ap)
 * 1976-1986: Johan Welle (Sp)
 * 1987-1999: Svein Helgheim (H)
 * 1999-2011: Jan Kåre Aurdal (KrF)
 * 2011-2015: Petter Lyshol (H)
 * 2015-2023: Odd Jostein Drotninghaug (Sp)
 * 2023-present: Olav Harald Ulstein (FrP

Notable people

 * Edvard Drabløs (1883 in Sykkylven – 1976), a Norwegian actor and theatre director
 * Jens E. Ekornes (1908 in Sykkylven – 1976), the founder of the furniture company Ekornes AS, (Norwegian Wiki)
 * Arnold Weiberg-Aurdal (1925–2016), an agronomist, military officer, and mayor of Sykkylven
 * Jan Otto Myrseth (born 1957 in Sykkylven), a Norwegian prelate and Bishop of Tunsberg from 2018

Musicians

 * Kenneth Ekornes (born 1974 in Sykkylven), a jazz musician (percussion) and one of The Brazz Brothers
 * Hilde Louise Asbjørnsen (born 1976 in Sykkylven), a jazz singer, songwriter, cabaret artist, and songwriter

title: Sykkylven


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Skodje

Skodje ( or ) is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It was part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre was the village of Skodje. The other main village in the municipality was Valle.

The European Route E39/E136 highway runs through the municipality, connecting it to the nearby cities of Ålesund and Molde.

At the time if its dissolution in 2020, the 120 km2 municipality is the 365th largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Skodje is the 211th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 4,680. The municipality's population density is 42.3 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 24.8% over the last decade.

General information
The municipality of Skodje was established in 1849 when it was separated from the large Borgund municipality. The initial population of Skodje was 2,170. On 1 January 1902, the northern district of Skodje was separated to form the new Vatne Municipality. This left Skodje with 1,551 residents. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, there was a merger between Stordal Municipality, Ørskog Municipality, and Skodje Municipality, creating a new, large Ørskog Municipality. This was merger was short-lived. On 1 January 1977, the merger was reversed all three municipalities were separated once again. This left the newly reconstituted Skodje Municipality with a population of 2,634.

On 1 January 2020, the municipality of Skodje was merged with Haram Municipality, Ørskog Municipality, Sandøy Municipality, and Ålesund Municipality to form one large municipality of Ålesund.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Skodje farm (Skǫðin) since the first Skodje Church was built there. The first element comes from the word which has an unknown meaning. The last element is which means "meadow" or "pasture". Before 1879, the name was written Skoue.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 19 June 1987 and they were in use until the municipality was dissolved on 1 January 2020. The official blazon is "Vert, an arched embattled bridge Or" (På grøn grunn ei gull kvelvingsbru med tindar). This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is an arched bridge design. 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 design was meant to mimic the local Skodje Bridge, a very old bridge which crosses over the Straumen river, a major architectural feat at its time. The arms were designed by Jarle Skuseth. 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 Skodje. It was part of the Austre Sunnmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Møre.

Geography
The municipality of Skodje shared land borders with Haram Municipality to the north, Vestnes Municipality to the northeast, Ørskog Municipality to the southeast, and Ålesund Municipality to the west. Across the Storfjorden to the south was Sykkylven Municipality. Skodje municipality was located on the mainland and also on part of the island of Oksenøya, plus many small surrounding islands. The Ellingsøyfjorden cut into the municipality from the west.

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 fell under the Sunnmøre District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

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

Mayors
The mayors of Skodje:

(1965-1977: part of Ørskog Municipality)
 * 1901-1901: Ole P. Klokk
 * 1902–1912: Andreas Langnes
 * 1914–1922: Lars J. Valde
 * 1923–1924: Trygve Brusdal
 * 1925–1925: Johan Salkjelsvik
 * 1926–1928: Andreas Langnes
 * 1929–1934: Lars J. Valde
 * 1935–1941: Rasmus Øvstegård
 * 1948–1961: Trygve Brusdal
 * 1961–1965: Jostein Valde
 * 1977–1983: Otto Berg
 * 1983–1987: Torunn Möisæter (H)
 * 1987–1991: Haldor Aasebø (KrF)
 * 1991–1995: Per Stette
 * 1995–2003: Ole Stokke (V)
 * 2003–2007: Terje Vadset (FrP)
 * 2007–2011: Modolf Hareide (Sp)
 * 2011–2015: Terje Vadset (FrP)
 * 2015–2019: Dag Olav Tennfjord (H)

Economy
Skodje's economy was mostly based on agriculture and forestry, but there was also industry, lumber, and furniture-industry located there. By the 21st century, some industries had relocated from the nearby town of Ålesund to Skodje. Skodje had a young population, where 60% of the people were under the age of 40.

title: Skodje


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Sula

Sula may refer to:

Norway

 * Sula (island), an island in Sula municipality, Møre og Romsdal county
 * Sula, Møre og Romsdal, a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county
 * Sula, Solund, an island in Solund municipality, Vestland county
 * Ytre Sula (Solund), an island in Solund municipality, Vestland county
 * Sula, Trøndelag, an island group in Frøya municipality, Trøndelag county
 * Indre Sula and Ytre Sula, two mountains in Surnadal municipality, Møre og Romsdal county

Other locations

 * Sula, Iran, a village in Ardabil Province, Iran
 * Sula, Montana, a census-designated place in the United States
 * Sula Island, an island in the Philippines
 * Sula Islands Regency, Indonesia
 * Sula (Dnieper), a tributary of the Dnieper in Ukraine
 * Sula (Mezen), a tributary of the Mezen in northern Russia
 * Sula (Pechora), a tributary of the Pechora in northern Russia
 * Sula Sgeir, an island group in Scotland
 * San Pedro Sula, a city in Honduras
 * Sula Valley, a valley in Honduras

Given name

 * Sula Benet (1903–1982), Polish anthropologist
 * Sula Bermúdez-Silverman (b. 1993), American multimedia artist
 * Sula Matovu (b. 1992), Ugandan association footballer
 * Sula Miranda (b. 1963), Brazilian singer, television presenter and writer
 * Sula Wolff (1924–2009), British psychiatrist

Surname

 * Dashnor Sula (b. 1969), Albanian politician
 * Din Sula (b. 1998), Belgian association footballer
 * Dmytro Sula (b. 1994), Ukrainian association footballer
 * Erik Šuľa (b. 1995), Slovak association footballer
 * Erion Sula (b. 1986), Albanian association footballer
 * Hannes Sula (1894–1955), Finnish-Canadian revolutionary and journalist
 * Ion Sula (b. 1980), Moldovan politician
 * Jessica Sula (b. 1994), Welsh actress
 * Karel Šula (b. 1959), Slovak shot putter
 * Lambert Suła (d. 1071), Polish bishop
 * Samuel Suľa (b. 2000), Slovak association footballer
 * Sofia Sula (b. 2002), Finnish figure skater

Other uses

 * Sula (bird), a genus of seabirds
 * Sula (novel), a 1973 novel by Toni Morrison
 * Sula (brand), a Honduran fruit juice brand
 * SulA, an SOS response protein
 * Sula, a 1969 children's novel by Lavinia Derwent, with three sequels
 * Sula II, a boat that ran trips to the island bird sanctuaries off North Berwick, Scotland
 * Caroline Sula, a character in Dread Empire's Fall, a space-opera trilogy
 * Sula Vineyards, a winery in the Nashik region of India
 * LV 14 Sula, a preserved lightvessel

title: Sula


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Giske

Giske is an island municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The municipality lies north-northwest of the town of Ålesund in the traditional district of Sunnmøre. The municipal centre is Valderhaugstrand. Other population centres include the villages of Roald (on Vigra island) and Alnes and Leitebakk (both on Godøya island). The municipality is part of the Ålesund Region.

The 41 km2 municipality is the 349th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Giske is the 125th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 8,692. The municipality's population density is 217.7 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 15.3% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
Giske Municipality was established on 1 January 1908 when it was separated from the large municipality of Borgund. The initial population of the new municipality was 1,708 and it included the islands of Valderøya, Godøya, and Giske. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. Then on 1 January 1964, the neighbouring Vigra Municipality (on the island of Vigra) was merged into Giske Municipality. The newly enlarged municipality had a population of 4,644.

Name
The municipality is named after the farm and island of Giske (Gizki), since the first Giske Church was built there. The name comes from the word gizki which means "tablecloth" or "rag" (maybe because the island is small and flat).

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 14 June 1985, but it has old roots. The official blazon is "Azure, a lion rampant guardant Or" (På blå grunn ei opprett leopardiset gull løve). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a lion that is rampant (i.e. in walking position) and guardant (i.e. facing the viewer). The lion 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 arms are based on the old seal of Erling Vidkunsson who was using the lion on his seal in 1355. His family was one of the most wealthy and influential families in the county, and had their origins and estate on Giske. The arms were designed by Jarle Skuseth. 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 Giske. It is part of the Nordre Sunnmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Møre.

Recording Studio
Giske Harbor Hall (Øygardshallen) is an internationally renowned, purpose-built recording studio located on the shore of the Giske island's former harbor. It looks like an old boathouse and also operates as a concert hall. The British band New Model Army recorded its album "From Here" (2019) in this special recording studio.

Government
Giske 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 Møre og Romsdal District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Giske is made up of 23 representatives that are elected to four year terms. Interestingly, in the 2007 municipal elections, Giske recorded the highest vote for the Christian Democratic Party in all of Norway at 43.2 percent. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordførar) of Giske (incomplete list):

 * 1971–1975: Kjell Furnes (KrF)
 * 1996-1999: Karin Kalvø Giske (Sp)
 * 2000-2003: Ruth Roald (H)
 * 2003-2015: Knut Støbakk (KrF)
 * 2015-2023: Harry Valderhaug (KrF)
 * 2023-present: Kenneth Langvatn (H)

Geography
The municipality is composed of four main islands: Giske, which gives its name to the municipality because of its historical importance, Vigra, which is where Ålesund's airport is located, Valderøya, where the municipal administration is located, and Godøya. There are also many smaller islands within its boundaries. The Alnes Lighthouse, Erkna Lighthouse, and Storholmen lighthouse are all located on islands in the municipality.

The main islands are all connected to the mainland of Norway by a network of tunnels and bridges. Godøy Tunnel connects Godøy to Giske island. Giske Bridge connects Giske island and Valderøy. A causeway connects Vigra island and Valderøy island. All islands are connected to Valderøy island which is where the main Valderøy Tunnel connects the whole municipality to Ellingsøya island in Ålesund Municipality. Finally, the Ellingsøy Tunnel connects that island to the town of Ålesund.

Climate
Giske is situated at the coast and has a temperate oceanic climate (Cfb) with very mild winters for the latitude, sometimes with strong winds in winter and late autumn. All-time high is 30 C recorded 28 July 2018, while the all-time low is -11.9 C recorded January 2016. Winter lows rarely go below -8 C. Coldest month on record was February 1966 with mean -1.5 C, warmest month was August 2003 with mean 16.9 C. Ålesund Airport Vigra in Giske has been recording since July 1958.

History
Giske is the site of Mjelthaugen, an ancient burial place dating from the Bronze Age. The site was the location of excavations in 1847, 1867 and 1878. Giske is also the place where, according to Snorre Sturlason, Harald Fairhair had his hair cut after uniting Norway. The historic Giske Church is also located on the island of Giske.

Notable people

 * Tora Torbergsdatter (born 1025 on Giske – ca.1066), a Norwegian royal consort and the mother of two kings of Norway
 * Peggy Hessen Følsvik (born 1960 in Vigra), a Norwegian trade unionist
 * Marianne Synnes (born 1970 in Vigra), a medical laboratory scientist, molecular biologist, and politician

title: Giske