Hvaler
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| Hvaler kommune | |||
| — Municipality — | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | Norway | ||
| County | Østfold | ||
| Municipality ID | NO-0111 | ||
| Administrative centre | Skjærhalden | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor (2007) | Eivind N. Borge (Frp) | ||
| Area (Nr. 393 in Norway) | |||
| - Total | 90 km² (34.7 sq mi) | ||
| - Land | 89 km² (34.4 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2004) | |||
| - Total | 3,694 | ||
| - Density | 41/km² (106.2/sq mi) | ||
| - Change (10 years) | 9.8 % | ||
| - Rank in Norway | 241 | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Official language form | Bokmål | ||
| Demonym | Hvalersokning[1] | ||
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| Website: www.hvaler.kommune.no | |||
Hvaler is a municipality in the county of Østfold, Norway.
Hvaler was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt).
The whole district is an island group southwest in Østfold. The municipal capital, Skjærhalden, is situated on the southern tip of Hvaler's largest island, Kirkeøy. Here Hvaler's administration resides as well as the only police station in the municipality.
South of Skjærhalden lies a chain of a few inhabitable islands as well as several hundreds of smaller islands and rocks. The bigger islands are named, clockwise, Nordre Sandøy, Søndre Sandøy, Hærføl, Søndre Lauer and Nordre Lauer. A smaller island is Tisler. On all of these islands with the exception of Søndre Lauer summer houses fill the landscape. The islands Søndre Sandøy and Hærføl are the two only islands however that have local shops and that have roads which support car traffic. Nordre Sandøy, situated north of this chain of islands in southern Hvaler is one of the largest islands with a distinct flora and fauna diversity. Although equipped with a good stretch of roads car traffic is forbidden there and no commercial activity whatsoever exists, in many ways giving its population, which like the rest of the islands in Hvaler mostly consists of summertime vacationers, a greater feeling of isolation from the average Norwegian's hectic life and acting as a buffer against pollution. Nordre Sandøy is thought to have been one of the bases of Tordenskjold during his time as a privateer. One of the bays on the island is named Tordenskjoldsbukta, which translates into the Bay of Tordenskjold. The remains of two privateers have indeed been found on the island. Legend even has it that he buried some of his treasure on the island. In 1997 a local boy, Simon Rene Magnussen, found three old golden coins while scuba diving in the area.
Hvaler is the most sunny geographical area in Norway. The closest weather station is on the island of North Koster just across the border to Sweden.
Østfold’s long stretch of coastline, blessed with mild winters and ice-free conditions, has given shipping a central role throughout the history of the county - so much so that no fewer than seven official port districts have been designated, of which Halden, Sarpsborg, Fredrikstad and Moss are the most important commercially.
Other mainstays of the economy include farming, forestry and fishing: raw materials and produce from Østfold are highly prized. Appropriately enough, through the research institution Østfoldforskning the county also plays a key role in Norway’s bid to become a world leader in environmental technology and research-based solutions to environmental problems in the private and the public sectors.
Situated in the far southeastern corner of Norway, about 90 km from the capital, Østfold borders Sweden to the east and the Oslofjord to the west. Two European main roads, the E6 from Gothenburg and E18 from Stockholm, run through the county, as does the Oslo-Gothenburg railway line.
E18 also runs through the inner region of Østfold with five little towns and villages along its route. The Halden Canal runs through Ørje. Visit the Canal Museum, the locks and charter a tour with the steamship "Turisten". The biggest inland fortress Høytorp at Mysen offers guided tours with exquisite views of Østfold. Lannem Pottery and outlets south of Mysen is also worth while a visit, as is Østfoldbadet, the most outstanding pool complex in Norway, located in Askim. The region offers a varied menu of accommodations and restaurants.
For the visitor, the busy but picturesque port of Fredrikstad, with its 300-year-old centre known as Gamlebyen (Old Town), is renowned as one of the best preserved fortress towns in Scandinavia. Almost five kilometres of pedestrian routes provide a perfect walking tour through the lively cobbled streets.
Østfold is rich in historic monuments from the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages. Many are concentrated along the stretch of highway known as Oldtidsveien ("Antiquity Road"), between Fredrikstad and Skjeberg: burial mounds, stone rings, fortified hamlets and monumental rock carving sites featuring human figures, animals, ships and wagons, weapons and tools, plus a variety of with symbols. The road runs through an historical landscape rich in natural beauty, with scenic farms, fields and meadows, woodlands and glimpses of the glittering sea. Outstanding sites include Begby, Ravneberget, Hulveien, Hunn, Gunnarstorp, Hornnes and Solberg.
Halden, an ancient settlement facing Sweden across one of eastern Norway’s steepest fjords, is dominated by Fredriksten Fortress, an impregnable 17th-century stronghold – and an impressive reminder of ancient Scandinavian rivalries. There are traces of habitation in the area dating back 8,000 years or more.
The county’s undisputed tourist paradise has to be the summer resort of Hvaler, whose year-round resident population of a fewer than souls scattered across four major islands swells to 30,000 in season. Hvaler’s main attraction is a vast formation of skerries scattered along the coastline from the southern Swedish border, almost 600 islands and islets altogether. In the midst of all this unspoilt natural beauty, the local council has taken the imaginative step of investing heavily in the electronic and communications infrastructure, so that visitors can keep in touch and on line.
For boating enthusiasts, a leisurely sail or cruise through the skerries is as close to paradise as you can get, particularly as so many of the islands and islets are accessible only by boat. More energetic sailors can sign up for the annual "På Gränsen" regatta, from the Swedish port of Strömstad to Halden. Entries range from dinghies and smaller family-crewed yachts to larger sailing machines. The activities in Strømstad the day before the race and the party and prize giving ceremony in Halden on Saturday evening are events in themselves. Despite being on their respective sides of the border, the two towns have always had close relations; in fact, much of this part of the Swedish coast was Norwegian territory until 1904.
Seafood and fishing are natural accompaniments to a holiday in Østfold. Herring, cod, prawns, crab, mussels, monkfish, flounder and, of course, salmon are there for the taking. The Skagerrak, the arm of the North Sea separating Norway and Denmark, is one of the most productive stretches of water in the world: hundreds of thousands of tonnes of fish are caught here annually.
[edit] The name
The name is the plural form of hval m 'whale'. The form and shape of the islands are resembling a flock of whales.
Until 1889 the name was written "Hvaløerne".
[edit] Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1983). It shows an old (Middle Age) type of boat.
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