Vindafjord Municipality Vindafjord kommune | |
|---|---|
 View of the municipal centre ofØlensjøen | |
 Flag | |
 Rogaland within Norway | |
 Vindafjord within Rogaland | |
| Coordinates:59°32′44″N05°49′05″E / 59.54556°N 5.81806°E /59.54556; 5.81806 | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Rogaland |
| District | Haugaland |
| Established | 1 Jan 1965 |
| • Preceded by | Sandeid,Vats,Imsland,Vikedal, andSkjold municipalities |
| Administrative centre | Ølensjøen |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2011) | Ole Johan Vierdal (Sp) |
| Area | |
• Total | 620.58 km2 (239.61 sq mi) |
| • Land | 598.74 km2 (231.17 sq mi) |
| • Water | 21.85 km2 (8.44 sq mi) 3.5% |
| • Rank | #186 in Norway |
| Population (2023) | |
• Total | 8,844 |
| • Rank | #122 in Norway |
| • Density | 14.8/km2 (38/sq mi) |
| • Change(10 years) |  +2.7% |
| Demonym | Vindafjording[1] |
| Official language | |
| • Norwegian form | Nynorsk |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | NO-1160[3] |
| Website | Official website |
Vindafjord is amunicipality inRogalandcounty,Norway. It is part of thetraditional district ofHaugaland. Since 2005, theadministrative centre of the municipality has been the village ofØlensjøen (prior to that time it was the village ofSandeid). Other villages in the municipality includeBjoa,Imslandsjøen,Ølensvåg,Skjold,Vats,Vikebygd, andVikedal. The municipality is centered on theVindafjorden andSandeidfjorden in the east and it lies north and east of theSkjoldafjorden in the west.
The 621-square-kilometre (240 sq mi) municipality is the 186th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Vindafjord is the 122nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 8,844. The municipality'spopulation density is 14.8 inhabitants per square kilometre (38/sq mi) and its population has increased by 2.7% over the previous 10-year period.[4][5]
During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of theSchei Committee. On 1 January 1965, the new municipality of Vindafjord was created from several areas in northernRogaland county:[6]
Initially, Vindafjord had 4,616 residents. On 1 January 1969, the Sponevik farm (population: 6) was transferred from Vindafjord to the neighboring municipality ofTysvær. Then on 1 January 1978, the Vormestrand area along the southern shore of theVindafjorden (population: 13) was transferred to neighboringSuldal municipality.[6]
On 1 January 2006, Vindafjord merged with the neighboring municipality ofØlen (population: 3,420). Ølen had transferred fromHordaland county toRogaland county 2002. After the merger, the municipal centre of Vindafjord was moved fromSandeid to the village ofØlensjøen, which had been theadministrative centre ofØlen.[7]
The municipality (created in 1965) is named after theVindafjorden (Old Norse:Vindafjǫrðr), afjord that runs through the eastern part of the municipality. The first element is derived from the verbvinda which means "to turn" or "to twist", referring to the sharp turn of the fjord at Dragneset. The last element isfjǫrðr which means "fjord".[8][9]
The originalcoat of arms was granted on 12 December 1986 and it was in use until a new coat of arms was approved on 10 March 2006. The officialblazon is"Gules, fivechevronsargent two over two over one" (Norwegian:På raud grunn fem svevande kvite sparrar, 2-2-1). This means the arms have a redfield (background) and thecharge is a set of fivechevrons. 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 design was meant to give the appearance of a collection ofrorbuer ornauster (these are typical Norwegian boat houses that are often painted red and white). There were five shapes used in order to represent the five predecessor municipalitites that were merged into Vindafjord in 1965:Sandeid,Vikedal,Imsland,Vats, andSkjold. The arms were designed by John Digernes. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[10][11][12]
A newcoat of arms was granted on 10 March 2006, shortly after the merger ofØlen with Vindafjord. The new arms were a mix of the arms of the two municipalities which were merged. The swirling design is taken from the old coat of arms ofØlen and the colours (red and silver/white) are from the old arms of Vindafjord. The officialblazon is"Gyronnyembowedargent andgules" (Norwegian:Åttedelt av kvitt og raudt ved virvelsnitt). This means the arms are a whirl design that divides the shield into 8 curved sections. Thefield (background) alternates colors, with half having atincture of green and the other half have a tincture ofargent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The design was chosen to symbolise the way that several major roads come together in the municipality, making it an important centre of trade. The arms were designed by Vigdis Viland. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[10][11][13]
TheChurch of Norway has eight parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Vindafjord. It is part of theHaugaland prosti (deanery) in theDiocese of Stavanger.
| Parish (sokn) | Church name | Location of the church | Year built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bjoa | Bjoa Church | Bjoa | 1895 |
| Imsland | Imsland Church | Imslandsjøen | 1861 |
| Sandeid | Sandeid Church | Sandeid | 1904 |
| Skjold | Skjold Church | Skjold | 1999 |
| Vats | Vats Church | Vats | 1855 |
| Vikebygd | Vikebygd Church | Vikebygd | 1937 |
| Vikedal | Vikedal Church | Vikedal | 1881 |
| Ølen | Ølen Church | Ølensjøen | 1874 |
Vindafjord 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.[14] The municipality is under the jurisdiction of theHaugaland og Sunnhordland District Court and theGulating Court of Appeal.
Themunicipal council (Kommunestyre) of Vindafjord is made up of 25 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by politicalparty.
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 2 | |
| Progress Party(Framstegspartiet) | 3 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 5 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 8 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Vindafjord List(Vindafjordlista) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 25 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 3 | |
| Progress Party(Framstegspartiet) | 2 | |
| Green Party(Miljøpartiet Dei Grøne) | 1 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 5 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 9 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Bjoa local list(Bjoa bygdeliste) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 25 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 3 | |
| Progress Party(Framstegspartiet) | 2 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 10 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party(Venstre) | 2 | |
| Bjoa local list(Bjoa bygdeliste) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 25 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 4 | |
| Progress Party(Framstegspartiet) | 3 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 5 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 8 | |
| Socialist Left Party(Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Bjoa local list(Bjoa bygdeliste) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 25 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 5 | |
| Progress Party(Framstegspartiet) | 3 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 4 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 9 | |
| Bjoa local list(Bjoa bygdeliste) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 25 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 4 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 2 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 6 | |
| Skold and Vats cross-party list(Skjold og Vats tverrpolitisk liste) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 19 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 4 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 4 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 6 | |
| Vikedal and Imsland local list(Vikedal og Imsland bygdeliste) | 2 | |
| Cross-party list for Skjold/Vats and Sandeid/Ilsvåg(Tverrpolitisk liste for Skjold/Vats og Sandeid/Ilsvåg) | 9 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 3 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 4 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 10 | |
| Vikedal and Imsland local list(Skjold og Vats bygdeliste) | 6 | |
| Sandeid and Ilsvåg local list(Sandeid og Ilsvåg bygdeliste) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 2 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 8 | |
| Skjold and Vats local list(Skjold og Vats bygdeliste) | 8 | |
| Sandeid and Ilsvåg local list(Sandeid og Ilsvåg bygdeliste) | 3 | |
| Local list for Skjold(Bygdeliste for Skjold) | 1 | |
| Left wind(Venstrevind) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 2 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 3 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 2 | |
| Skjold and Vats local list(Skjold og Vats bygdeliste) | 11 | |
| Sandeid and Ilsvåg local list(Sandeid og Ilsvåg bygdeliste) | 4 | |
| Vikedal and Imsland local list(Vikedal og Imsland bygdeliste) | 6 | |
| Left wind(Venstrevind) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 4 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 6 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 5 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 10 | |
| Sandeid and Ilsvåg local list(Sandeid og Ilsvåg bygdeliste) | 3 | |
| Left wind(Venstrevind) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 2 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 7 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 5 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 8 | |
| Vindafjord non-partisan women's list (Vindafjord upolitisk kvinneliste) | 1 | |
| Sandeid and Ilsvåg local list(Sandeid og Ilsvåg bygdeliste) | 3 | |
| Vikedal and Imsland local list(Vikedal og Imsland bygdeliste) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 3 | |
| Conservative Party(Høgre) | 6 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 6 | |
| Centre Party(Senterpartiet) | 11 | |
| Skjold local list(Skjold Bygdeliste) | 1 | |
| Non-partisan list for Skjold and Vats (Upolitisk liste for Skjold og Vats) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 2 | |
| Local List(s)(Lokale lister) | 27 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
| Party name(in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party(Arbeidarpartiet) | 2 | |
| Christian Democratic Party(Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 4 | |
| Local List(s)(Lokale lister) | 23 | |
| Total number of members: | 29 | |
 |
Themayors (Norwegian:ordfører) of Vindafjord (incomplete list):
The municipality of Vindafjord lies south of theHardangerfjorden and north of theSkjoldafjorden andVindafjorden. TheSandeidfjorden flows through the municipality also. The lakeVatsvatnet lies in the central part of the municipality. The municipality sits near the base of theHaugalandet peninsula, connecting the mainland to the city ofHaugesund on the western end of the peninsula. TheEuropean route E134 highway runs through the municipality.
Media related toVindafjord at Wikimedia Commons
The dictionary definition ofVindafjord at Wiktionary
Rogaland travel guide from Wikivoyage
| |||||||||
 | Towns and cities | ||||||||
| Municipalities |
| ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Geographic | |
|---|---|
| Artists | |
