Sauda Municipality Sauda kommune | |
|---|---|
| Saude herred (historic name) Søvde herred (historic name) | |
 View of the town of Sauda at night | |
 Flag | |
 Rogaland within Norway | |
 Sauda within Rogaland | |
| Coordinates:59°41′15″N06°26′14″E / 59.68750°N 6.43722°E /59.68750; 6.43722 | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Rogaland |
| District | Ryfylke |
| Established | 1842 |
| • Preceded by | Suldal Municipality |
| Administrative centre | Sauda |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2023) | Håvard Handeland (Ap) |
| Area | |
• Total | 546.55 km2 (211.02 sq mi) |
| • Land | 507.50 km2 (195.95 sq mi) |
| • Water | 39.05 km2 (15.08 sq mi) 7.1% |
| • Rank | #197 in Norway |
| Population (2023) | |
• Total | 4,543 |
| • Rank | #190 in Norway |
| • Density | 9/km2 (23/sq mi) |
| • Change(10 years) |  −4.3% |
| Demonym | Saudabu[1] |
| Official language | |
| • Norwegian form | Nynorsk |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | NO-1135[3] |
| Website | Official website |
Sauda(listenⓘ) is amunicipality inRogalandcounty,Norway. Theadministrative centre of the municipality is the city ofSauda, where most of the population lives. Other villages in the municipality includeSaudasjøen andAmdal. Despite being in the northern part of theregion ofRyfylke, Sauda participates in theHaugalandet Council and is under the jurisdiction of theHaugaland og Sunnhordland District Court.[4]
The 547-square-kilometre (211 sq mi) municipality is the 197th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Sauda is the 190th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 4,543. The municipality'spopulation density is 9 inhabitants per square kilometre (23/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 4.3% over the previous 10-year period.[5][6]
The city of Sauda is the fifth largest city in Rogaland county with 4,254 inhabitants (2016), and the city center is home toNorthern Europe's largest smelting plant,Eramet Norway AS. The municipality is situated in the mountain valleys surrounding theSaudafjorden.
The municipality of Sauda was established in 1842 when it was separated from the large municipality ofSuldal. Initially, Sauda had a population of 1,584. The municipal boundaries have never changed.[7] The municipality declared the urban area ofSauda as acity in 1999.[8]
The municipality (originally theparish) is named after the oldSauda farm (Old Norse:Sauðar) since the firstSauda Church was built there. The farm is now part of the village ofSaudasjøen. The name seems to come from the wordsauðr which means "sheep", however, the same word is also the singular past indicative of the verbsjóða which means "to seethe" or "to boil", possibly referring to aspring of water.[9] Historically, the name of the municipality was spelledSøvde orSaude. On 3 November 1917, aroyal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality toSauda.[10]
Thecoat of arms was granted on 14 May 1976. The officialblazon is"Azure, threepalletsdancettyargent" (Norwegian:I blått en vertical sølv trillingstreng med bredtannet snitt). This means the arms have a bluefield (background) and thecharge is a set of three, vertical, jagged lines. The charge has atincture ofargent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The jagged lines symbolically represent ariver as a means forhydroelectricity (they can also be seen as "electrical sparks"). Historically, power was generated bywatermills, providing a possibility for the development of anindustry in the village. Presently, the power is used for melting metalore insmelters in the municipality. The arms were designed by Johan Matland. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[11][12][13]
TheChurch of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Sauda. It is part of theRyfylke prosti (deanery) in theDiocese of Stavanger.
| Parish (sokn) | Church name | Location of the church | Year built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sauda | Sauda Church | Sauda | 1866 |
| Saudasjøen Chapel | Saudasjøen | 1973 | |
| Hellandsbygd Chapel | Hellandsbygd | 1956 | |
| Solbrekk Chapel | Sauda | 1958 |
Archaeological excavation inSaudasjøen shows that people have been living in Sauda since the latestIce Age. In 1349, the Plague/Black Death wiped out about two-thirds of the population in Sauda, causing a decline in both population and economy. Despite this, the population was increasing during themedieval period, and a new type of industry started to grow. Along the fjord, the power from several waterfalls was used to build and run sawmills, and large-scale lumber production was started. People from all over the world, especially from theNetherlands, started to trade with the people of Sauda. This resulted in major ship traffic, giving impetus to further development of the villages and farms in Sauda.
By the end of the 19th century, a new type of adventure would change the lives of the inhabitants forever. The mining industry started in the mountains ofHellandsbygd, making Sauda a small industrial area and trading center for the surrounding region. In 1910, the American companyElectric Furnace Company (EFP) began the construction ofEurope's largest smelting plant in Sauda. This could only be done because of the large number of waterfalls and rivers that made it possible to buildpower plants situated a short distance from the smelter, which uses large amounts of electricity.
Sauda's time as a farming village was now over, and the people of today still live on the foundation of the new city that emerged. By the end ofWorld War II, theGermans had finished building a largeAluminum Melting Plant in Saudasjøen, but the production was moved toÅrdal Municipality in 1946. The remaining buildings were demolished by the municipality in the 1950s, leaving the industrial area in Saudasjøen empty for decades. In the 1980s, a glass production factory was established together with a couple of mechanic production factories. The population of Sauda reached its peak in the mid-1960s, approximately 6,700 inhabitants. In 1998, the urban area of Sauda was declared to be a city (mostly a symbolic name, with no new municipal authority).
Sauda is located in the valleys and mountains surrounding theSaudafjorden. Outside of the main valley, most of the municipality is very mountainous terrain, with mountains likeSkaulen (1,560 metres or 5,120 feet) andKyrkjenuten (1,620 metres or 5,310 feet). The city of Sauda is located about two hours by boat from the city ofStavanger, about four hours by car from the city ofBergen, and about six hours by car from the national capital,Oslo. The mountains surrounding the village ofSaudasjøen contain one of the biggest ski resorts on the west coast of Norway. The city of Sauda is located on flat land, a delta created by the rivers that empty into the fjord just outside the town centre.
Sauda has something in between ahumid continental climate (Dfb) and a temperateoceanic climate (Cfb). The wettest part of the year is late autumn and winter and the driest is spring and early summer, which demonstrates an oceanic precipitation pattern. December precipitation is almost three times larger than in May. Situated at the innermost part of the long and narrow fjord of Sauda, the oceanic influences are less than in Stavanger, but still enough to moderate winters. Atlantic lows coming from the west goes up against the mountains surrounding Sauda and the result is a large amount of precipitation. The weather station in Sauda has been operating since March 1928. The all-time high temperature 34.6 °C (94.3 °F) was recorded July 2019, and the record low −17.2 °C (1.0 °F) was set in January 2010 (extremes available back to 2003).The average date for the first overnight freeze (below 0 °C (32 °F)) in autumn is October 15 (1981-2010 average).[14]
| Climate data for Sauda 1991-2020 (5 m, extremes 2003-2024) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 10.4 (50.7) | 11.4 (52.5) | 17.1 (62.8) | 20.9 (69.6) | 31.3 (88.3) | 30.9 (87.6) | 34.6 (94.3) | 31.6 (88.9) | 30.5 (86.9) | 22.9 (73.2) | 17.4 (63.3) | 13.8 (56.8) | 34.6 (94.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 2.7 (36.9) | 3.1 (37.6) | 6 (43) | 11 (52) | 15.5 (59.9) | 18.6 (65.5) | 20.4 (68.7) | 19.8 (67.6) | 16 (61) | 10.6 (51.1) | 6.1 (43.0) | 3.3 (37.9) | 11.1 (52.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −0.2 (31.6) | −0.2 (31.6) | 2.3 (36.1) | 6.3 (43.3) | 10.3 (50.5) | 13.5 (56.3) | 15.6 (60.1) | 15.1 (59.2) | 12 (54) | 7.2 (45.0) | 3.2 (37.8) | 0.4 (32.7) | 7.1 (44.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −2.4 (27.7) | −2.7 (27.1) | −0.7 (30.7) | 2.6 (36.7) | 6 (43) | 9.6 (49.3) | 12.1 (53.8) | 11.8 (53.2) | 9 (48) | 4.7 (40.5) | 1 (34) | −1.8 (28.8) | 4.1 (39.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −17.2 (1.0) | −14.4 (6.1) | −14.3 (6.3) | −6.4 (20.5) | −0.9 (30.4) | 1.9 (35.4) | 5.5 (41.9) | 5.4 (41.7) | 0.9 (33.6) | −5.3 (22.5) | −10.7 (12.7) | −15.7 (3.7) | −17.2 (1.0) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 283.7 (11.17) | 222.3 (8.75) | 189.5 (7.46) | 120 (4.7) | 104.3 (4.11) | 106.5 (4.19) | 117.3 (4.62) | 173.8 (6.84) | 218.9 (8.62) | 264.7 (10.42) | 269.9 (10.63) | 300.3 (11.82) | 2,371.2 (93.33) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 19 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 196 |
| Source 1: eklima/met.no[15] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA - WMO averages 91-2020 Norway[16] | |||||||||||||
Sauda Municipality is responsible forprimary education (through 10th grade), outpatienthealth services,senior citizen services,welfare and othersocial services,zoning,economic development, and municipalroads and utilities. The municipality is governed by amunicipal council ofdirectly elected representatives. Themayor isindirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.[17] The municipality is under the jurisdiction of theHaugaland og Sunnhordland District Court and theGulating Court of Appeal.
Themunicipal council (Kommunestyre) of Sauda is made up of 19 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by politicalparty.
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 5 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 5 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Red Party(Raudt) | 2 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 5 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 19 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 2 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 11 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 19 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 5 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 9 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 19 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 9 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 1 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 4 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 19 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 10 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 2 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 1 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 19 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 9 | |
| Progress Party(Fremskrittspartiet) | 2 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 19 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 5 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 4 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 27 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 9 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 2 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 6 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 5 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 27 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 5 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 4 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 27 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 12 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 4 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 27 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 15 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 5 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 27 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 12 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 6 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 4 | |
| New People's Party(Nye Folkepartiet) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 27 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 12 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 4 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Joint list of theConservative Party (Høyre),Liberal Party (Venstre), andNew People's Party (Nye Folkepartiet) | 7 | |
| Total number of members: | 27 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 12 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 2 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 4 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 4 | |
| Socialist common list(Venstresosialistiske felleslister) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 27 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 12 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 2 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 4 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 1 | |
| Socialist People's Party(Sosialistisk Folkeparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 4 | |
| Local List(s)(Lokale lister) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 27 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 12 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 2 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 4 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 1 | |
| Socialist People's Party(Sosialistisk Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 6 | |
| Local List(s)(Lokale lister) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 27 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 12 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 1 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 1 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 7 | |
| Local List(s)(Lokale lister) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 27 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 12 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 2 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 2 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 6 | |
| Local List(s)(Lokale lister) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 27 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 8 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 1 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 2 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 4 | |
| Local List(s)(Lokale lister) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 20 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 7 | |
| Conservative Party(Høyre) | 1 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 3 | |
| Local List(s)(Lokale lister) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 20 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 8 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties(Borgerlige Felleslister) | 6 | |
| Total number of members: | 20 | |
| Party name(in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeiderpartiet) | 9 | |
| Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties(Borgerlige Felleslister) | 8 | |
| Local List(s)(Lokale lister) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 20 | |
| Note: Due to theGerman occupation of Norway duringWorld War II, no elections were held for new municipal councils until after the war ended in 1945. | ||
Themayors (Norwegian:ordfører) of Sauda (incomplete list):
The main activity is industry, with large companies represented likeEramet,Saint-Gobain,Statkraft,Sauda Building Center,Statnett,Elkem, andEffektivt Renhold
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Sauda hassister city agreements with the following places:
Rogaland travel guide from Wikivoyage
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