Høyanger (Norwegian:[ˈhœ̂ʏɑŋər]ⓘ) is amunicipality inVestlandcounty,Norway. It is located in thetraditional district ofSogn. Theadministrative center is the village ofHøyanger. Other villages in Høyanger municipality includeAustreim,Bjordal,Kyrkjebø,Lavik,Ortnevik, andVadheim.
Høyanger Municipality Høyanger kommune | |
|---|---|
 View of the Høyanger valley from the mountain Havren | |
 Flag | |
 Vestland within Norway | |
 Høyanger within Vestland | |
| Coordinates:61°11′17″N05°53′44″E / 61.18806°N 5.89556°E /61.18806; 5.89556 | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Vestland |
| District | Sogn |
| Established | 1 Jan 1964 |
| • Preceded by | Kyrkjebø andLavik |
| Administrative centre | Høyanger |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2011) | Petter Sortland (Ap) |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,000.94 km2 (386.47 sq mi) |
| • Land | 927.62 km2 (358.16 sq mi) |
| • Water | 73.30 km2 (28.30 sq mi) 7.3% |
| • Rank | #115 in Norway |
| Population (2023) | |
• Total | 3,949 |
| • Rank | #202 in Norway |
| • Density | 4.3/km2 (11/sq mi) |
| • Change(10 years) |  −6.5% |
| Demonym | Høyangring[1] |
| Official language | |
| • Norwegian form | Nynorsk |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | NO-4638[3] |
| Website | Official website |
Høyanger is known for having one of the first industrial towns inNorway to use its steep mountains surrounding the town giving excellent conditions for producinghydroelectricity needed forelectrolysis. The main product being produced in the village of Høyanger wasaluminium.
The 1,001-square-kilometre (386 sq mi) municipality is the 115th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Høyanger is the 202nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 3,949. The municipality'spopulation density is 4.3 inhabitants per square kilometre (11/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 6.5% over the previous 10-year period.[4][5]
General information
edit
During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of theSchei Committee. The municipality of Høyanger was created on 1 January 1964 when the old municipalities ofKyrkjebø andLavik were merged to form a single municipality.[6]
On 1 January 2020, theNessane area of neighboringBalestrand Municipality was merged into Høyanger (and the rest of Balestrand was merged into a new, largerSogndal Municipality).[7] Also on that date, the municipality became part of the newly createdVestland county afterSogn og Fjordane andHordaland counties were merged.
Name
editThe municipality is namedHøyanger (Old Norse:Høyjangr) after the old name of an arm of theSognefjorden that is now called theHøyangsfjorden. The first element is derived from the wordhey which means "hay". The last element isangr which means "bay" or "inlet". Thus the name is probably referring to the green hillsides along the fjord.[8]
Coat of arms
editThecoat of arms was granted on 15 May 1987. The officialblazon is"Azure, three flamesin bendargent" (Norwegian:På blå grunn tre sølv flammer i skrå rekkje). This means the arms have a bluefield (background) and thecharge is a set of threeflames lined up diagonally. 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 flames were chosen as a symbol for the local aluminium industry.Aluminium is melted and purified in the village ofHøyanger, due to the cheap hydroelectric energy that is locally available. The colors representwaterpower (blue) andaluminium (silver). The arms were designed by Inge Rotevatn. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[9][10][11]
Churches
editTheChurch of Norway has four parishes(sokn) within the municipality of Høyanger. It is part of theSunnfjord prosti (deanery) in theDiocese of Bjørgvin.
| Parish (sokn) | Church name | Location of the church | Year built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bjordal og Ortnevik | Bjordal Church | Bjordal | 1906 |
| Ortnevik Church | Ortnevik | 1925 | |
| Høyanger | Høyanger Church | Høyanger | 1960 |
| Kyrkjebø | Kyrkjebø Church | Kyrkjebø | 1869 |
| Vadheim Chapel | Vadheim | 1916 | |
| Lavik | Lavik Church | Lavik | 1865 |
Government
editHøyanger 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.[12] The municipality is under the jurisdiction of theSogn og Fjordane District Court and theGulating Court of Appeal.
Municipal council
editThemunicipal council(Kommunestyre) of Høyanger 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 politicalparty.
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 8 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 2 | |
| Industry and Business Party(Industri‑ og Næringspartiet) | 2 | |
| Red Party(Raudt) | 3 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 5 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 9 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 2 | |
| Red Party(Raudt) | 3 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 6 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 11 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 2 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Red Party(Raudt) | 2 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 5 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 10 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 4 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Red Party(Raudt) | 2 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 10 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 4 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Red Electoral Alliance(Raud Valallianse) | 2 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 11 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 3 | |
| Coastal Party(Kystpartiet) | 2 | |
| Red Electoral Alliance(Raud Valallianse) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 11 | |
| Progress Party(Framstegspartiet) | 1 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 8 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Red Electoral Alliance(Raud Valallianse) | 2 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 14 | |
| Progress Party(Framstegspartiet) | 1 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 4 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Red Electoral Alliance(Raud Valallianse) | 2 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 5 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 13 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 4 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 2 | |
| Red Electoral Alliance(Raud Valallianse) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 3 | |
| Common list(Samlingslista) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 16 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 4 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 2 | |
| Red Electoral Alliance(Raud Valallianse) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Common list(Samlingslista) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 17 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 5 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 2 | |
| Red Electoral Alliance(Raud Valallianse) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 2 | |
| Common list(Samlingslista) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 35 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 18 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 5 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| New People's Party(Nye Folkepartiet) | 1 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 2 | |
| Common list(Samlingslista) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 35 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 14 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Joint list of theConservative Party (Høgre),Liberal Party (Venstre), andNew People's Party (Nye Folkepartiet) | 5 | |
| Common list in Høyanger(Samlingslista i Høyanger) | 3 | |
| Non-party list in Høyanger(Upolitisk Liste i Høyanger) | 5 | |
| Total number of members: | 35 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 15 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 2 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 3 | |
| Local List(s)(Lokale lister) | 5 | |
| Socialist common list(Venstresosialistiske felleslister) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 35 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 15 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 2 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 1 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 2 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Socialist People's Party(Sosialistisk Folkeparti) | 4 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 5 | |
| Local List(s)(Lokale lister) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 35 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 18 | |
| Communist Party(Kommunistiske Parti) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 2 | |
| Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties(Borgarlege Felleslister) | 9 | |
| Local List(s)(Lokale lister) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 35 | |
Mayors
editGeography
edit
View of the village of Høyanger
Construction of the Ikjefjord bridge
View of the Fuglsetfjorden
View from Ortnevik, looking at the fjord
TheSognefjorden (the largest fjord in Norway) runs through the center of the municipality. Høyanger is bordered to the north by the municipalities ofFjaler andSunnfjord, to the east bySogndal andVik, to the south byModalen andMasfjorden, and to the west byGulen andHyllestad.
Høyanger municipality covers an area of about 910 square kilometres (350 sq mi). Stølsheimen Nature Reserve was created in 1990 in Høyanger. Its 367 square kilometres (142 sq mi) area stretches from high mountaintops through fertilevalleys and sweeps over steepmeadows down to thefjord. Høyanger is perhaps best known for itsmountain farms and lakes. From the village ofOrtnevik there are marked footpaths up to Stølsheimen Park and from the village ofBjordal you may drive up the Stordal road to the summit at 730 metres (2,400 ft) above sea level.
Economy
editHøyanger is a modern industrial community which has grown in pace with the principal employers beingHydro Aluminium and Høyanger Metallverk.Hydroelectricity has played a major role in the development of the area. In addition to manufacturingaluminium, Høyanger supports a varied range of light industry that is backed by retail and service trades. In the rural areas bordering the fjord,farming is the main source of livelihood.[27] There are currently 115 traditional farmsgårds in the municipality. Each traditional farms originally had one owner, but most of them have been divided up and sold off over the years, and so there are more than 115 farms in use today.
Transportation
editThere are good connections withOslo andBergen by bus, as well as air and fast boat services. The nearest airport is inFørde, about 50 kilometres (31 mi) away. The village ofLavik is an important junction for traffic to and from Bergen as it is a ferry port that is part of theEuropean route E39 highway. Høyanger is reached from the neighboring municipality ofBalestrand to the east by theHøyangertunnelen which is 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) in length. It is part of theNorwegian County Road 55. It is one of the longesttunnels inEurope. Good ferry services across theSognefjorden link the northern and southern sides of the municipality.[27]
Attractions
editIn 1986, in Høyanger, Norsk Hydro Aluminium/Høyanger Metallverk opened a museum designed to show what water power has meant both locally and toNorway as a whole. Visitors will get to learn about how the aluminium industry has grown and prospered in the area thanks to the vastenergy produced bywater.
NearVadheim is an 18th-century stone bridge called theYtredal Bridge. It is a popular tourist attraction.
There is also a600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)narrow-gaugefunicular railway in the area, first opened in 1953.[28]
Notable people
edit
- Johan Austbø (1879 in Ikjefjord – 1945), a teacher, dancer, poet, composer, singer, and proponent for theNynorsk language
- Einar Liljedahl (1882 in Kyrkjebø – 1955), a Norwegian military officer
- Torfinn Haukås (1931–1993), a novelist
- Per Håland (1919 in Høyanger – 1999), a journalist, newspaper editor, and proponent for theNynorsk language
- Tell Teigen (1923 in Høyanger - 1958), anacrobat who balanced on stacked chairs atop of masts over 35 metres (115 ft) tall
- Einar Kringlen (born 1931 in Høyanger), a Norwegian physician, psychiatrist, and academic
- Noralv Teigen (1932 in Høyanger – 2017), an actor, theatre instructor, and theatre director[29]
- Einar Førde (1943 in Høyanger – 2004), a journalist, politician, and director-general of theNorwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) from 1989 to 2001
- Marit Tusvik (born 1951 in Høyanger), a Norwegian author, poet, and playwright
- Even Hovland (born 1989 in Vadheim), a professional footballer with almost 300 club caps
- Vegar Gjermundstad (born 1990 in Vadheim), a Norwegian football defender with over 200 club caps
References
edit- ^"Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
- ^"Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
- ^Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (9 January 2024)."Kommunenummer".Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon.
- ^Statistisk sentralbyrå."Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
- ^Statistisk sentralbyrå."09280: Area of land and fresh water (km²) (M)" (in Norwegian).
- ^Jukvam, Dag (1999).Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen(PDF) (in Norwegian).Statistisk sentralbyrå.ISBN 9788253746845.
- ^Kommunal- og moderniseringsdepartementet (10 December 2018)."Vedtak om grensejustering mellom kommunane Balestrand og Høyanger". Retrieved1 December 2019.
- ^Rygh, Oluf (1919).Norske gaardnavne: Nordre Bergenhus amt (in Norwegian) (12 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 180.
- ^"Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen". Heraldry of the World. 7 April 2023. Retrieved15 May 2023.
- ^"Hoyanger, Sogn og Fjordane (Norway)".Flags of the World. Retrieved15 May 2023.
- ^"Godkjenning av våpen og flagg".Lovdata.no (in Norwegian). Norges kommunal- og arbeidsdepartementet. 15 May 1987. Retrieved15 May 2023.
- ^Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (20 September 2022)."kommunestyre".Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian).Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved14 October 2022.
- ^"Kommunestyrevalg 2023 - Vestland".Valgdirektoratet. Retrieved21 January 2024.
- ^"Kommunestyrevalg 2019 – Vestland".Valgdirektoratet. Retrieved29 October 2019.
- ^abcd"Table: 04813: Members of the local councils, by party/electoral list at the Municipal Council election (M)" (in Norwegian). Statistics Norway.
- ^"Kommunestyrevalg 2011 – Sogn og Fjordane".Valgdirektoratet. Retrieved29 October 2019.
- ^"Kommunestyrevalget 1995"(PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1996. Retrieved18 February 2020.
- ^"Kommunestyrevalget 1991"(PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1993. Retrieved18 February 2020.
- ^"Kommunestyrevalget 1987"(PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1988. Retrieved18 February 2020.
- ^"Kommunestyrevalget 1983"(PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1984. Retrieved18 February 2020.
- ^"Kommunestyrevalget 1979"(PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1979. Retrieved18 February 2020.
- ^"Kommunevalgene 1975"(PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1977. Retrieved1 May 2020.
- ^"Kommunevalgene 1972"(PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1973. Retrieved1 May 2020.
- ^"Kommunevalgene 1967"(PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1967. Retrieved1 May 2020.
- ^"Kommunevalgene 1963"(PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1964. Retrieved1 May 2020.
- ^"Ordførarar i Høyanger kommune".NRK Fylkesleksikon (in Norwegian Nynorsk). Retrieved15 May 2023.
- ^abHøyanger Kommune (2008)."Høyanger is a modern industrial community". Retrieved11 June 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^Funiculars.net - Høyanger
- ^Noralv Teigen atIMDb. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
External links
edit- Municipal fact sheet fromStatistics Norway(in Norwegian)
- Official website: Høyanger Kommune(in Norwegian)