Høyanger
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| Høyanger kommune | |||
| — Municipality — | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | Norway | ||
| County | Sogn og Fjordane | ||
| District | Sogn | ||
| Municipality ID | NO-1416 | ||
| Administrative centre | Høyanger | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor (2003) | Kjartan Longva (Ap) | ||
| Area (Nr. 121 in Norway) | |||
| - Total | 908 km² (350.6 sq mi) | ||
| - Land | 838 km² (323.6 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2004) | |||
| - Total | 4,550 | ||
| - Density | 5/km² (12.9/sq mi) | ||
| - Change (10 years) | -5.4 % | ||
| - Rank in Norway | 213 | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Official language form | Nynorsk | ||
| Demonym | Høyangring[1] | ||
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| Website: www.hoyanger.kommune.no | |||
Høyanger is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center is the village of Høyanger which has 2221 inhabitants (2006). Høyanger was created on 1 January 1964 when the municipalities of Kyrkjebø and Lavik were merged.
Høyanger is known for being one of the first industrial towns in Norway leveraging its steep mountains surrounding the town giving excellent conditions for producing hydroelectricity needed for electrolysis. The main product being produced in Høyanger was aluminum.
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[edit] About the Municipality
[edit] The name 'Høyanger'
The name originally belonged to an arm of Sognefjorden (now called Høyangsfjorden). The first element is høy which means 'hay' and the last element is angr which means 'fjord'. The word høy is probably referring to the green hillsides along the fjord.
[edit] Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times. The arms were granted on 15 May 1987. It shows three flames as a symbol for the local aluminium industry. Aluminium is melted and purified in Høyanger, due to the cheap hydroelectric energy that is locally available. The colors represent waterpower (blue) and aluminium (silver). [2]
[edit] History
Ladevig was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The municipality was created to be identical to the Ladevig parish (prestegjeld).
In 1858 the district of Klævold was separated from Lavik to constitute a municipality of its own. (The name of Klævold was changed to Kirkebø in 1890 and to Kyrkjebø in 1917).
In 1859 Lavik was merged with Brekke municipality, located across the Sognefjord. The municipality was then re-named Lavik og Brekke.
In 1862 the sub-parish (sokn) of Bø in the western part of the municipality was removed from Lavik og Brekke and merged with the Øn and Hyllestad sub-parishes (sokn) from Askvoll to form a new municipality which was named Hyllestad.
On 1 January 1875 a part of Klævold with 90 inhabitants was moved to Lavik og Brekke.
On 1 January 1905 the municipality was split into two separate municipalities: Lavik and Brekke.
On 1 January 1964 Lavik was merged with Kyrkjebø and a part of Vik to form a new municipality named Høyanger. Today's municipality is identical to the Lavik parish (prestegjeld) which is made up of the sub-parishes (sokns) of Høyanger, Kyrkjebø, Lavik, and Bjordal/Ortnevik.[3]
[edit] Local Churches
The Church of Norway has 6 churches in Høyanger:
- Høyanger kyrkje (built in 1960) is located in the village of Høyanger
- Lavik kyrkje (built in 1865) is located in the village of Lavik
- Bjordal kyrkje (built in 1906) is located in the village of Bjordal
- Kyrkjebø kyrkje (built in 1869) is located in the village of Kyrkjebø
- Ortnevik kyrkje (built in 1925) is located in the village of Ortnevik
- Vadheim bedehuskapell (built in 1916) is a chapel located in the village of Vadheim[3]
[edit] Government
All municipalities in Norway, including Høyanger, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads.
There are 21 representatives that are elected to the municipal council every four years. For 2007-2011, the party breakdown is as follows:
- Centre Party (Senterpartiet) - 3 representatives
- Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig folkeparti) - 1 representative
- Conservative Party (Høyre) - 4 representatives
- Labour Party (Det Norske Arbeiderpartiet) - 10 representatives
- Liberal Party (Venstre) - 1 representative
- Red Electoral Alliance (Raud Valallianse) - 2 representatives
The current mayor is Kjartan Longva of the Labour Party (Det Norske Arbeiderpartiet).[4]
[edit] Geography
Høyanger forms part of the southern border of Sogn og Fjordane county. The Sognefjord runs through the center of the municipality. Høyanger is bordered to the north by the municipalities of Fjaler and Gaular, to the east by Balestrand and Vik, to the south by Modalen and Masfjorden (in Hordaland county), and to the west by Gulen and Hyllestad.
Høyanger muncipality covers an area of about 910 km2. Stølsheimen Nature Reserve was created in 1990 in Høyanger. Its 367 km2 area stretches from high mountaintops through fertile valleys and sweeps over steep meadows down to the fjord. Høyanger is perhaps best known for its mountain farms and lakes. From the village of Ortnevik there are marked footpaths up to Stølsheimen Park and from the village of Bjordal you may drive up the Stordal road to the summit (2390 feet above sea level).
[edit] Economy
Høyanger is a modern industrial community which has grown in pace with the principal employers being Hydro Aluminium and Høyanger Metallverk. Hydroelectric power has played a major role in the development of the area. In addition to manufacturing aluminium, 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.[5] There are currently 115 farms in the municipality.[3]
[edit] Transportation
There are good connections with Oslo and Bergen by bus, as well as air and fast boat services. The nearest airport is in Førde, about 50 kilometres away. The village of Lavik is an important junction for traffic to and from Bergen. Høyanger is reached from the neighboring municipality of Balestrand to the east by the Bjordalstunnelen which is 7.5 kilometers in length. It is one of the longest tunnels in Europe. Good ferry services across the Sognefjord link the northern and southern sides of the municipality. [5]
[edit] Attractions
In 1986, in Høyanger, Norsk Hydro Aluminium/Høyanger Metallverk opened a museum designed to show what water power has meant both locally and to Norway as a whole. Visitors will get to learn about how the aluminium industry has grown and prospered in the area thanks to the vast energy produced by water.
Near Vadheim is an 18th-century stone bridge called the Ytredal Bridge. It is a popular tourist attraction.
[edit] External Links
- Official website: Høyanger Kommune (Norwegian)
- NRK: Fylkesleksikon - Høyanger Kommune (Norwegian)
[edit] References
- ^ Personnemningar til stadnamn i Noreg (Norwegian)
- ^ Norske Kommunevåpen (1990). Nye kommunevåbener i Norden. Retrieved on 11 June 2008.
- ^ a b c Oddvar Natvik (9 Feb 2005). Some historical data on the 26 Kommunes. Retrieved on 11 June 2008.
- ^ Høyanger Kommune (9 Nov 2007). Mandatfordeling i kommunestyret. Retrieved on 11 June 2008. (Norwegian)
- ^ a b Høyanger Kommune (2008). Høyanger is a modern industrial community. Retrieved on 11 June 2008.
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