Eigersund is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

Rogaland Rogaland () is a Counties of Norway, county in Western Norway, bordering the North Sea to the west and the counties of Vestland to the north, Vestfold og Telemark to the east and Agder to the east and southeast. In 2020, it had a population of 47 ...

county,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. It is in the traditional district of

Dalane Dalane is a traditional district in the southwestern part of Norway, consisting of the municipalities of Lund, Sokndal, Eigersund, and Bjerkreim. Dalane is one of the 15 districts in Western Norway. It sits to the southeast of the very flat J� ...

. The

administrative centre An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located. In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...

of the municipality is the town of

Egersund Egersund is a town in Eigersund municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The town is located along the southwestern coast of Norway, about south of the city of Stavanger. The town is situated along a strait which separates the mainland from t ...

. The town was known for its pottery factory (closed in 1979) and it is among Norway's biggest fishing ports. The villages of

Helleland Helleland is a village and parish in Eigersund municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The village is located along the river Hedlandsåna and the European route E39 highway, about northeast of the town of Egersund. The Sørlandet Line run ...

Hellvik Hellvik is a village in Eigersund municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The village is located near the western border of Eigersund, about east of Sirevåg in neighboring Hå municipality and about west of the town of Egersund. The vill ...

, and

Hestnes Hestnes is a small village in Eigersund municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The village is on the southern edge of the town of Egersund Egersund is a town in Eigersund municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The town is located along th ...

are also in Eigersund. The island of

Eigerøya Eigerøya is an island in Eigersund municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The island lies just off the mainland coast in the town of Egersund Egersund is a town in Eigersund municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The town is located alo ...

lies just off shore from Egersund. The island has several well-known businesses and attractions including the Eigerøy war memorial from

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The municipality is the 228th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Eigersund is the 82nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 14,860. The municipality's

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

is and its population has increased by 2.7% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

The rural

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

surrounding the town of

was established as the municipality of ''Egersund landdisstrikt'' (Egersund rural district) on 1 January 1838 (see

formannskapsdistrikt () is the name for Norwegian local self-government districts that were legally enacted on 1 January 1838. This system of municipalities was created in a bill approved by the Parliament of Norway and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January ...

law). In 1839, the northwestern district of Augne (population: 825) was separated to form its own municipality. On 12 December 1868, a small area of Eigersund municipality (population: 41) was transferred to neighboring

Sokndal Sokndal is the southernmost municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Dalane. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hauge. Other villages in Sokndal include Li, Rekefjor ...

. In 1947, an area of Eigersund immediately surrounding the town of

(population: 515) was transferred to the town of Egersund and another area in Sokndal (population: 7) was transferred to Eigersund. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers in Norway due to the work of the

Schei Committee The Schei Committee ( no, Schei-komitéen) was a committee named by the Government of Norway to look into the organization of municipalities in Norway post-World War II. It convened in 1946, and its formal name was (The 1946 Committee on Municip ...

. On 1 January 1965, the town of

(population: 3,787) was merged with the surrounding municipalities of Eigersund (population: 4,664),

(population: 851), and the Gyadalen and Grøsfjel areas of

Heskestad Heskestad is a village in Lund municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The village is located in the western part of Lund, along the European route E39 highway and the Sørlandet Line, about northwest of the village of Moi. Heskestad Stati ...

(population: 114). The new municipality was also called Eigersund. On 1 January 1967, the Tjørn farm (population: 10) was transferred from Eigersund to Sokndal.

Name

The

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...

form of the name was ''Eikundarsund''. The first element is the

genitive case In grammar, the genitive case (abbreviated ) is the grammatical case that marks a word, usually a noun, as modifying another word, also usually a noun—thus indicating an attributive relationship of one noun to the other noun. A genitive can al ...

of the name of the island of ''Eikund'' (now

) and the last element is ''sund'' which means "

strait A strait is an oceanic landform connecting two seas or two other large areas of water. The surface water generally flows at the same elevation on both sides and through the strait in either direction. Most commonly, it is a narrow ocean channe ...

" or "

sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...

". The first element in the name of the island is ''eik'' which means "

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

" and the last element is the

suffix In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns, adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs. Suffixes can carry ...

''-und'' which means "plentiful of" (i.e. "the island covered with oak trees"). ;"Egersund" vs. "Eigersund" The form of the name spelled without the

diphthong A diphthong ( ; , ), also known as a gliding vowel, is a combination of two adjacent vowel sounds within the same syllable. Technically, a diphthong is a vowel with two different targets: that is, the tongue (and/or other parts of the speech o ...

i(''Egersund'') is the

Danish language Danish (; , ) is a North Germanic language spoken by about six million people, principally in and around Denmark. Communities of Danish speakers are also found in Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and the northern German region of Southern Schles ...

form of the name which is still preserved in the name of the town

, but the municipality name is spelled using the Norwegian language form.

Coat of arms

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

was granted on 20 October 1972. The arms show a gold/yellow oak leaf on a green background. The arms are partly a

canting ' (IPA: , VOS Spelling: ''tjanting'', jv, ꦕꦤ꧀ꦛꦶꦁ, Tjanting) is a pen-like tool used to apply liquid hot wax ( jv, ) in the batik-making process in Indonesia, more precisely '' batik tulis'' (lit. "written batik"). Traditional ''T ...

since the name is supposedly derived from ''Eikundarsund'' and ''eik'' means oak. Oaks are also very common in the municipality.

Churches

The

Church of Norway The Church of Norway ( nb, Den norske kirke, nn, Den norske kyrkja, se, Norgga girku, sma, Nöörjen gærhkoe) is an evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. The church b ...

has three parishes () within the municipality of Eigersund. It is part of the

Dalane prosti This list of churches in Rogaland is a list of the Church of Norway churches in Rogaland county, Norway. The churches are all part of the Diocese of Stavanger. The diocese is based at the Stavanger Cathedral in the city of Stavanger. The ...

(

deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residenc ...

) in the

Diocese of Stavanger The Diocese of Stavanger ( no, Stavanger bispedømme) is a diocese in the Church of Norway. It covers all of Rogaland county in western Norway. The cathedral city is Stavanger, where the Stavanger Cathedral is located. The bishop is Anne Li ...

History

The place is mentioned in

Snorri Sturluson Snorri Sturluson ( ; ; 1179 – 22 September 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was elected twice as lawspeaker of the Icelandic parliament, the Althing. He is commonly thought to have authored or compiled portions of the ...

's writings. Later,

Christian IV Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years, 330 days is the longest of Danish monarchs and Scandinavian monar ...

set up a battery there.

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Eigersund, are responsible for

primary education Primary education or elementary education is typically the first stage of formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary school. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first ...

(through 10th grade), outpatient health services,

senior citizen Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British usage ...

services,

unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for Work (human activity), w ...

and other

social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administe ...

zoning Zoning is a method of urban planning in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into areas called zones, each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for a si ...

economic development In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and o ...

, and municipal

road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

s. The municipality is governed by a

municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counci ...

of elected representatives, which in turn elect a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

. The municipality falls under the

Sør-Rogaland District Court Sør-Rogaland District Court ( no, Sør-Rogaland tingrett) is a district court located in Rogaland and Agder counties in Norway. This court is based at three different courthouses which are located in Stavanger, Sandnes, and Egersund. The court s ...

and the

Gulating Court of Appeal The Gulating Court of Appeal ( no, Gulating lagmannsrett) is one of six Court of appeal (Norway), courts of appeal in the Norway, Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the city of Bergen (city), Bergen. The court has jurisdiction over the cou ...

Municipal council

The

() of Eigersund is made up of 31 representatives that are elected to four year terms. Currently, the

party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...

breakdown is as follows:

Geography

Eigersund extends from the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...

coast to the border of

Agder Agder is a county (''fylke'') and traditional region in the southern part of Norway. The county was established on 1 January 2020, when the old Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder counties were merged. Since the early 1900s, the term Sørlandet ("south ...

county. It borders the municipalities of

Hå Hå is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is the southernmost municipality in the traditional district of Jæren. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Varhaug. Other villages in Hå include Brusand, Hæen, ...

and

Bjerkreim Bjerkreim is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Dalane. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vikeså. Other villages in the municipality include Bjerkreim and Øvre ...

to the north and

to the south. The municipality is centered on the town of

, and includes the island of

. The landscape includes many rivers and lakes, as well as woods and several barren rocky and heather-clad

moors The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a distinct or ...

. The lakes

Grøsfjellvatnet Grøsfjellvatnet is a lake in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located in the municipalities of Eigersund, Lund, and Sokndal. The lake list just north of the lake Eiavatnet Eiavatnet is a lake in Rogaland county, Norway. The lake is locate ...

Eiavatnet Eiavatnet is a lake in Rogaland county, Norway. The lake is located on the border of the municipalities of Eigersund and Sokndal, about east of the town of Egersund. The lake is regulated at an elevation of so it can be used as a reservoir fo ...

Nodlandsvatnet Nodlandsvatnet is a lake in the municipality of Eigersund in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located about east of the town of Egersund. The lake is a major reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake beh ...

, and

Teksevatnet Teksevatnet is a lake located on the border of the municipalities of Eigersund and Lund in Rogaland county, Norway. The lake lies just north of the European route E39 highway about northeast of the town of Egersund Egersund is a town in ...

lie in the municipality.

Eigerøya

is an island off the coast of Egersund. The island is connected to the mainland over Eigerøy bridge, which was completed in 1951. The island's coastline is characterized by a number of small bays, as well as Lundarviga. Eigerøya is divided almost in two of the large bay of Lundarviga. The island is surrounded by a number of small islets.

Eigerøy Lighthouse Eigerøy Lighthouse ( no, Eigerøy fyr) is a coastal lighthouse located at the small island of Midbrødøya which is located immediately west of the island of Eigerøya in Eigersund municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It was established in ...

and

Vibberodden Lighthouse Vibberodden Lighthouse ( no, Vibberodden fyr) is a harbour lighthouse located in the municipality of Eigersund in Rogaland county, Norway. It was first lit in 1855, and automated in 1977. The lighthouse is located on the small island of Vibbero ...

are both located along the shores of Eigerøya.

Climate

Transportation

European route E39 European route E39 is the designation of a north–south road in Norway and Denmark from Klett, just south of Trondheim, to Aalborg via Bergen, Stavanger and Kristiansand. In total, there are nine ferries, more than any other single road in Eu ...

runs through the municipality, passing the village of

. The

Sørlandet Line The Sørlandet Line ( no, Sørlandsbanen) is a railway line between Drammen (though this is connected to Oslo by means of the Drammen Line) via Kristiansand to Stavanger. The line is long between Oslo and Stavanger. History The railway was cons ...

runs through the municipality, stopping at

Egersund Station Egersund Station ( no, Egersund stasjon) is a railway station located in the town of Egersund in Eigersund municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The station is located on the Sørlandet Line, about south of the city of Stavanger. It is se ...

and

Hellvik Station Hellvik Station ( no, Hellvik stasjon) is a railway station located in the village of Hellvik in Eigersund municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The station is located along the Sørland Line about south of the city of Stavanger. It is s ...

Notable people

Michael Birkeland Michael Birkeland (16 December 183024 May 1896) was a Norwegian historian, civil servant and politician. He was born at Eigersund in Rogaland, Norway. In 1855, he was awarded his cand. jur. at the University of Christiania (now University of ...

(1830 in Eigersund – 1896) an historian, civil servant and politician *

Peter C. Assersen Peter Christian Assersen (January 5, 1839 – December 6, 1906) was a civil engineer and Rear Admiral in the United States Navy. Background Assersen was born January 5, 1839, the youngest of twelve children, on the Midbrød farm in Egersund paris ...

(1839 in Egersund – 1906) civil engineer and

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

Bernt B. Lomeland Bernt Berntsen Lomeland (1836 – 1900) was a Norwegian school teacher and lay minister who established The Community (Samfundet) in 1890. Biography Born to a farmer in Helleland, outside Egersund, Norway, he was confirmation, confirmed on 29 Se ...

(1836 in Helleland – 1900) a school teacher and lay minister * Elisabeth Fedde (1850-1921) a Lutheran Deaconess, lived in Egersund from 1895 *

Anna Bugge Anna Wicksell Bugge (17 November 1862 – 19 February 1928) was a Norwegian and Swedish feminist, lawyer, diplomat and politician. She helped found the debate society Skuld in high school, and served as president of the Norwegian Associat ...

(1862 in Egersund – 1928) a Norwegian & Swedish feminist, lawyer, diplomat and politician * Jacob Thorkelson (1876 in Egersund – 1945)

US Congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

* Jack Nielsen (1896 in Egersund – 1981) Norwegian tennis player, six-time national champion *

Paulus Svendsen Paulus Svendsen (17 April 1904 – 21 April 1989) was a Norwegian professor and literary historian. He is mainly remembered for his biographies of notable thinkers of Western philosophy. Biography He was born in Egersund, Norway. He was the son ...

(1904 in Egersund – 1989) literary historian, wrote biographies of

Western philosophers This is a list of philosophers from the Western tradition of philosophy. Western philosophers Greek philosophers 600–500 BCE * Thales of Miletus (c. 624 – 546 BCE). Of the Milesian school. Believed that all was made of water. * Pherecydes ...

Thorbjørn Feyling Thorbjørn Feyling (1907–1985) was a Norwegian ceramist and Head of design at the Norwegian earthenware company Stavangerflint AS in the city of Stavanger in south-western Norway. Feyling was Head of design at the Norwegian earthenware producer S ...

(1907 in Egersund – 1985) a ceramist with

Stavangerflint AS Stavangerflint AS was an earthenware factory that was in operation from 1949 until 1979 in Stavanger, Norway. Company history Production of pottery tableware for households and for the professional market started in 1949 under the name of ''Sta ...

* Johnny Stenberg (born 1925 in Eigersund - 1990) politician, Mayor of Meråker, 1966-1973 * John Olav Larssen (1927 in Hellvik – 2009) an evangelical preacher and missionary *

Gunnar Kvassheim Gunnar Kvassheim (born 14 June 1953, in Eigersund) is a Norwegian politician for the Liberal Party (Norway), Liberal Party. He was elected to the Storting, Norwegian Parliament from Rogaland 1997 Norwegian parliamentary election, in 1997, but not ...

(born 1953 in Eigersund) a Norwegian journalist and politician *

Bengt Sæternes Bengt Sæternes (born 1 January 1975) is a Norwegian former professional footballer who played as a centre forward from 1991 until 2011. He began his playing career at local clubs Egersund and Eiger, whilst he had spells at Viking, Odd Grenlan ...

(born 1975 in Egersund) a former footballer with 478 club caps and 7 for

References

External links

Municipal fact sheet
from

Statistics Norway Statistics Norway ( no, Statistisk sentralbyrå, abbreviated to ''SSB'') is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876. Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every yea ...

{{use dmy dates, date=June 2020 Municipalities of Rogaland 1838 establishments in Norway