Kinn Municipality Kinn kommune | |
|---|---|
 View of the Kinnaklova mountain | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Vestland within Norway | |
 Kinn within Vestland | |
| Coordinates:61°35′59″N5°01′58″E / 61.5996°N 5.0328°E /61.5996; 5.0328 | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Vestland |
| District | Nordfjord andSunnfjord |
| Established | 1 Jan 2020 |
| • Preceded by | Flora Municipality andVågsøy Municipality |
| Administrative centre | Florø andMåløy |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2023) | Bengt Solheim-Olsen (H) |
| Area | |
• Total | 811.86 km2 (313.46 sq mi) |
| • Land | 763.03 km2 (294.61 sq mi) |
| • Water | 48.83 km2 (18.85 sq mi) 6% |
| • Rank | #142 in Norway |
| Highest elevation | 1,362.08 m (4,468.8 ft) |
| Population (2025) | |
• Total | 17,419 |
| • Rank | #75 in Norway |
| • Density | 21.5/km2 (56/sq mi) |
| • Change(10 years) |  −2.9% |
| Demonym | Kinnhering[2] |
| Official language | |
| • Norwegian form | Nynorsk |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | NO-4602[4] |
| Website | Official website |
Kinn is amunicipality inVestland county,Norway. It was established on 1 January 2020 in thetraditional districts ofNordfjord andSunnfjord. The municipality is the onlynon-contiguous municipality in Norway sinceBremanger Municipality lies in between the north and south parts of Kinn.[5] Theadministrative centre of the municipality is the two towns ofFlorø andMåløy. Some villages in the municipality includeRognaldsvåg,Stavang,Grov,Norddalsfjord,Nyttingnes,Steinhovden,Brandsøy,Deknepollen,Holvika,Kvalheim,Langeneset,Raudeberg,Refvika,Silda,Tennebø,Vedvika, andVågsvåg.
Historically, there was anotherKinn Municipality in Norway that existed from 1838 until 1964. The "old" Kinn Municipality roughly corresponded to the southern part of the "new" Kinn Municipality.
The 812-square-kilometre (314 sq mi) municipality is the 142nd largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Kinn Municipality is the 75th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 17,419. The municipality's population density is 21.5 inhabitants per square kilometre (56/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 2.9% over the previous 10-year period.[6][7]
The 2021 filmDune was partially filmed in Kinn Municipality, serving as House Atreides’ home world ofCaladan.[8]
The municipality was established on 1 January 2020 when the oldFlora Municipality was merged with most ofVågsøy Municipality (the rest of Vågsøy Municipality was merged into the newStad Municipality).[9]
The municipality was created in 2020 and it resurrected the name of the oldKinn Municipality which existed from 1838 to 1964. That municipality (originally theparish) was named after the oldKinn farm (Old Norse:Kinn) on theisland of Kinn since the firstKinn Church was built there. The name is identical to the wordkinn which means "cheek", referring to the steep slope of a mountain on the island. Historically, the island's name was spelledKind.[10]
Thecoat of arms was granted in 2019 for use starting on 1 January 2020 when the municipality was established. The informalblazon is"Per chevron ployé divided per pale azure and argent above and azure below with fourbendlets sinister argent enarched on the sinister half". This means the arms have afield (background) has atincture ofazure in parts and elsewhere it isargent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The arms are an abstract design and the four "bendlets" give the illusion of thebow of a boat, an important symbol for the fishing community. The design can also be seen as a rock, waves, or the head of a spear.[11][12]
TheChurch of Norway has many churches in Kinn Municipality which is part of theDiocese of Bjørgvin. There are four parishes (sokn) in theSunnfjord prosti (deanery) and one parish (sokn) in theNordfjord prosti (deanery).
| Deanery(prosti) | Parish (sokn) | Church name | Location of the church | Year built |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nordfjord prosti | Vågsøy | Nord-Vågsøy Church | Raudeberg | 1960 |
| Sør-Vågsøy Church | Måløy | 1907 | ||
| Sunnfjord prosti | Bru | Askrova Chapel | Askrova | 1957 |
| Stavang Church | Stavang | 1957 | ||
| Eikefjord | Eikefjord Church | Eikefjord | 1812 | |
| Kinn | Batalden Chapel | Fanøya | 1907 | |
| Florø Church | Florø | 1882 | ||
| Kinn Church | Kinn | 12th century | ||
| Nordal | Nordal Church | Norddalsfjord | 1898 |
Kinn Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatienthealth services,senior citizen services,welfare and othersocial services,zoning,economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by amunicipal council ofdirectly elected representatives. The mayor isindirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.[13] The municipality is under the jurisdiction of theSogn og Fjordane District Court and theGulating Court of Appeal.
Themunicipal council(Kommunestyre) of Kinn Municipality is made up of 39 representatives that are elected to four-year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 8 | |
| Progress Party(Framstegspartiet) | 5 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 10 | |
| Industry and Business Party(Industri‑ og Næringspartiet) | 2 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 2 | |
| Red Party(Raudt) | 4 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 39 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 10 | |
| Progress Party(Framstegspartiet) | 2 | |
| Green Party(Miljøpartiet Dei Grøne) | 2 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 6 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Red Party(Raudt) | 4 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 8 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 4 | |
| Total number of members: | 39 | |
Themayor (Nynorsk:ordførar) of Kinn Municipality is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position:
Kinn Municipality is a uniquenon-contiguous municipality, the only of its kind in Norway. It is separated into two parts, withBremanger Municipality in the middle. The northern portion of Kinn Municipality includes theisland of Vågsøy and a small portion of the mainland east of the island on northern and outer shore of theNordfjorden. Other populated islands in this part of the municipality includeSilda,Måløyna, andHusevågøy. The lakeDeknepollvatnet is located between the villages ofDeknepollen andTennebø.Stad Municipality is located to the north and east,Bremanger Municipality is located to the south, and theNorth Sea is located to the west.
The southern portion of Kinn Municipality is located on the coast at the entrances to theNorddalsfjorden andFørdefjorden. It includes many islands, includingReksta,Askrova,Svanøya,Skorpa,Fanøya,Hovden, andKinn. The municipality also includes the large lakes ofEndestadvatnet, Lykkjebøvatnet, and Vassetevatnet. TheNorddalsfjorden is crossed by theNorddalsfjord Bridge. The waterfallBrudesløret is located in the municipality. The highest point in the municipality is the 1,362.08-metre (4,468.8 ft) tall mountain Keipen, located on the border withBremanger Municipality.[1]Bremanger Municipality is located to the north,Gloppen Municipality was located to the east,Sunnfjord Municipality is located to the southeast, andAskvoll Municipality is located to the southwest. TheNorth Sea is located to the west.
Ytterøyane Lighthouse in Kinn has been recording temperature since 1984, showing a temperateoceanic climate (marine west coast, Köppen: Cfb). The all-time high 30 °C (86 °F) was recorded July 2019, and the all-time low −8.7 °C (16.3 °F) was recorded February 2001. On 7 November 2018 Ytterøyane recorded 19.4 °C (66.9 °F)) which was new record high forVestland. In 2015 there were no freezing lows at all.
Since the lighthouse is located far out into the open sea, the winters there are warmer and summers are colder than what is found in the rest of the municipality.
| Climate data for Ytterøyane Lighthouse 1991–2020 (26 m, extremes 1984–2024) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 10.6 (51.1) | 10.6 (51.1) | 11.5 (52.7) | 19.5 (67.1) | 24.6 (76.3) | 28 (82) | 30 (86) | 26.9 (80.4) | 22 (72) | 20.7 (69.3) | 19.4 (66.9) | 13 (55) | 30 (86) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 5.4 (41.7) | 4.7 (40.5) | 5.4 (41.7) | 7.7 (45.9) | 10.3 (50.5) | 12.7 (54.9) | 15.4 (59.7) | 16.4 (61.5) | 14.2 (57.6) | 11 (52) | 8.2 (46.8) | 6.2 (43.2) | 9.8 (49.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.2 (39.6) | 3.4 (38.1) | 3.9 (39.0) | 5.9 (42.6) | 8.4 (47.1) | 11.1 (52.0) | 13.6 (56.5) | 14.6 (58.3) | 12.9 (55.2) | 9.6 (49.3) | 6.9 (44.4) | 4.9 (40.8) | 8.3 (46.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.5 (36.5) | 1.8 (35.2) | 2.4 (36.3) | 4.3 (39.7) | 6.9 (44.4) | 9.6 (49.3) | 12.2 (54.0) | 13.2 (55.8) | 11.3 (52.3) | 8 (46) | 5.2 (41.4) | 3.2 (37.8) | 6.7 (44.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −8 (18) | −8.7 (16.3) | −6 (21) | −4.1 (24.6) | 0 (32) | 4.5 (40.1) | 7 (45) | 7.5 (45.5) | 4 (39) | 0 (32) | −5.2 (22.6) | −3.8 (25.2) | −8.7 (16.3) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 129.1 (5.08) | 122.7 (4.83) | 103.2 (4.06) | 66.3 (2.61) | 61.3 (2.41) | 64.7 (2.55) | 83.9 (3.30) | 102.2 (4.02) | 124.8 (4.91) | 117.4 (4.62) | 143.6 (5.65) | 134.2 (5.28) | 1,253.4 (49.32) |
| Source 1: Norwegian Meteorological Institute/eklima[17] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA-WMO averages 91-2020 Norway[18] | |||||||||||||
Definitions from Wiktionary
Media from Commons
Travel guides from Wikivoyage
Data from WikidataPlaces adjacent to Kinn Municipality – northern part | |
|---|---|
Places adjacent to Kinn Municipality – southern part | |
|---|---|
| |||||||||||||
 | Towns and cities | ||||||||||||
| Municipalities |
| ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| Artists | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
