Giske is an island

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 ...

Møre og Romsdal Møre og Romsdal (; en, Møre and Romsdal) is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Trøndelag, Innlandet, and Vestland. The county administration is located in the town of Molde, while Ålesund is the ...

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

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 ...

. The municipality lies north-northwest of the town of Ålesund in the traditional district of

Sunnmøre Sunnmøre (, en, South- Møre) is the southernmost traditional district of the western Norwegian county of Møre og Romsdal. Its main city is Ålesund. The region comprises the municipalities ( no, kommuner) of Giske, Hareid, Herøy, Norddal ...

. The municipal centre is Valderhaugstrand. Other population centres include the villages of

Roald Roald is a village in Giske Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located on the northern part of the island Vigra. Roald is located about north of the city centre of Ålesund. It is connected to the mainland via two ...

(on

Vigra Vigra is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county on the west coast of Norway. The municipality existed from 1890 until its dissolution in 1964 when it was merged into the present-day Giske Municipality. The former municipality was mad ...

island) and

Alnes Alnes is a small village in Giske Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located on the (isolated) north side of the island of Godøya, about northwest of the village of Leitebakk. The rest of the island's population is located ...

and

Leitebakk Leitebakk or Leitebakken is a small village on the island of Godøya in Giske Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located about southeast of the isolated village of Alnes, where Alnes Lighthouse is located. Leiteb ...

(both on

Godøya Godøya or Godøy is an island in Giske Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island is famous for its beautiful nature, dominated by the tall mountain ''Storhornet'' and the large lake ''Alnesvatnet''. The island had 1,117 resi ...

island). The municipality is part of the

Ålesund Region The Ålesund Region ( no, Ålesundregionen, ) is a metropolitan region in Møre og Romsdal county in western Norway. It consists of a number of municipalities, centered on the city/municipality of Ålesund Ålesund () sometimes spelled Aalesun ...

. The municipality is the 349th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Giske is the 124th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 8,597. 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 17.6% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

Giske Municipality was established on 1 January 1908 when it was separated from the large municipality of Borgund. The initial population of the new municipality was 1,708 and it included the islands of

Valderøya Valderøya or Valderøy is an island off the west coast of Norway. It is part of Giske Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county. The island is connected to the city of Ålesund to the south via the Valderøy Tunnel to the island of Ellingsøy an ...

, and Giske. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across 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 ...

. Then on 1 January 1964, the neighbouring

Municipality (on the island of Vigra) was merged into Giske Municipality. The newly enlarged municipality had a population of 4,644.

Name

The municipality is named after the farm and island of '' Giske'' ( non, Gizki), since the first

Giske Church Giske Church ( no, Giske kyrkje) is a 12th-century marble parish church of the Church of Norway in Giske Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located on the south side of the island of Giske, about northwest of the town of Ål ...

was built there. The name is (probably) identical with the word ''gizki'' which means " tablecloth" or "

rag Rag, rags, RAG or The Rag may refer to: Common uses * Rag, a piece of old cloth * Rags, tattered clothes * Rag (newspaper), a publication engaging in tabloid journalism * Rag paper, or cotton paper Arts and entertainment Film * ''Rags'' (1915 ...

" (maybe because the

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

is small and flat).

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 14 June 1985, but it has old roots. It is a gold lion

rampant In heraldry, the term attitude describes the ''position'' in which a figure (animal or human) is emblazoned as a charge, a supporter, or as a crest. The attitude of an heraldic figure always precedes any reference to the tincture of the figure ...

(i.e. in walking position) guardant (i.e. facing the viewer) on a blue shield. The arms are based on the old seal of

Erling Vidkunsson Erling Vidkunsson (1293–1355) was the Norwegian nobleman and regent of Norway. He received the position of High Justiciar (''drottsete'') of the country. He was Lord of Bjarkoy and Giske and was probably the most important and wealthy Norweg ...

, who already used the

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

on his seal in 1355. His family was one of the most wealthy and influential families in the county, and had their origins and estate on Giske.

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 Giske. It is part of the Nordre Sunnmøre prosti (

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 Møre The Diocese of Møre ( no, Møre bispedømme) is a diocese in the Church of Norway which geographically consists of Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Its bishop is seated at the Molde Cathedral which is located in the county administrative center ...

Recording Studio

Giske Harbor Hall (Øygardshallen) is an internationally renowned, purpose-built recording studio located on the shore of the Giske island's former harbor. It looks like an old boathouse and also operates as a concert hall. The British band New Model Army recorded its album "From Here" (2019) in this special recording studio.

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Giske, 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 Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wiktionary:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physical and menta ...

, senior citizen 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

Møre og Romsdal District Court Møre og Romsdal District Court ( no, Møre og Romsdal tingrett) is a district court located in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. This court is based at four different courthouses which are located in Volda, Ålesund, Molde, and Kristiansund. T ...

and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The

() of Giske is made up of 23 representatives that are elected to four year terms. Interestingly, in the 2007 municipal elections, Giske recorded the highest vote for the Christian Democratic Party in all of Norway at 43.2 percent. 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 of the council is as follows:

Mayor

The mayors of Giske (incomplete list): *2015–present: Harry Valderhaug (

KrF The Christian Democratic Party ( nb, Kristelig Folkeparti, nn, Kristeleg Folkeparti, se, Risttalaš Álbmotbellodat, , KrF) is a Christian-democratic political party in Norway founded in 1933. The party is an observer member of the European Pe ...

) *2003-2015: Knut Støbakk (KrF)

Geography

The municipality is composed of four main islands: Giske, which gives its name to the municipality because of its historical importance,

, which is where Ålesund's airport is located,

, where the municipal administration is located, and

. There are also many smaller islands within its boundaries. The

Alnes Lighthouse Alnes lighthouse was established in 1852 to guide fishing boats safely to the harbor of the small fishing community of Alnes on Godøy island on the west coast of Norway. It is located on the north side of Godøy island in the municipality of Gi ...

Erkna Lighthouse Erkna Lighthouse ( no, Erkna fyr) is a coastal lighthouse located in the municipality of Giske, Møre og Romsdal, Norway. It was established in 1869, and automated in 1988. See also * List of lighthouses in Norway * Lighthouses in Norway Referen ...

, and Storholmen lighthouse are all located on islands in the municipality. The main islands are all connected to the mainland of Norway by a network of tunnels and bridges.

Godøy Tunnel The Godøy Tunnel ( no, Godøytunnelen) is a subsea road tunnel which runs between the islands of Giske and Godøy in Giske Municipality, Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The tunnel is long; it is part of County Road 658 and the Vigra Fixed ...

connects Godøy to Giske island.

Giske Bridge The Giske Bridge ( no, Giskebrua) is a concrete beam bridge between the islands of Valderøya and Giske in Giske Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The bridge is long, the longest span is , and the maximum clearance to the sea is ...

connects Giske island and Valderøy. A

causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet Tra ...

connects Vigra island and Valderøy island. All islands are connected to Valderøy island which is where the main

Valderøy Tunnel The Valderøy Tunnel ( no, Valderøytunnelen) is a subsea road tunnel which runs between the islands of Ellingsøya (in Ålesund Municipality) and Valderøya (in Giske Municipality) in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The long tunnel is part o ...

connects the whole municipality to

Ellingsøya Ellingsøya or Ellingsøy is the northernmost island in Ålesund Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. With an area of , Ellingsøya is the second largest island in the municipality after Uksenøya. The island is located northeast o ...

island in Ålesund Municipality. Finally, the

Ellingsøy Tunnel The Ellingsøy Tunnel ( no, Ellingsøytunnelen) is a subsea road tunnel in Ålesund Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The tunnel runs between the center of the city of Ålesund on the island of Nørvøya and the village of Hoffl ...

connects that island to the town of Ålesund.

Climate

Giske is situated at the coast and has a temperate oceanic climate (Cfb) with very mild winters for the latitude, sometimes with strong winds in winter and late autumn. The average daily high varies from in January and February to in July and August. All-time high is recorded 28 July 2018, while the all-time low is recorded January 2016. Winter lows rarely go below . Coldest month on record was February 1966 with mean , warmest month was August 2003 with mean .

History

Giske is the site o
Mjelthaugen
an ancient burial place dating from the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

. The site was the location of excavations in 1847, 1867 and 1878. Giske is also the place where, according to Snorre Sturlason,

Harald Fairhair Harald Fairhair no, Harald hårfagre Modern Icelandic: ( – ) was a Norwegian king. According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, he reigned from 872 to 930 and was the first King of Nor ...

had his hair cut after uniting Norway. The historic

is also located on the island of Giske.

Notable people

* Tora Torbergsdatter (born 1025 on Giske – ca.1066) a Norwegian royal consort and the mother of two kings of Norway *

Peggy Hessen Følsvik Peggy Hessen Følsvik (born on 12 November 1960) is a Norwegian trade unionist. She was elected first deputy leader of Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions at the LO congress in 2017. In March 2021, she became the president of the union after ...

(born 1960 in Vigra) a Norwegian trade unionist *

Marianne Synnes Marianne Synnes (born 5 June 1970) is a Norwegian medical laboratory scientist, molecular biologist and politician. Political career Synnes was elected representative to the Storting for the period 2017–2021 for the Conservative Party, f ...

(born 1970 in Vigra) a medical laboratory scientist, molecular biologist and politician

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=October 2022 Municipalities of Møre og Romsdal 1908 establishments in Norway