Rauma 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 ...

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 ...

. It is part of the traditional district of

Romsdal Romsdal is a traditional district in the Norwegian county Møre og Romsdal, located between Nordmøre and Sunnmøre. The district of Romsdal comprises Aukra, Fræna, Midsund, Molde, Nesset, Rauma, Sandøy, and Vestnes. It is named after the val ...

. 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 ...

is the town of

Åndalsnes is a town in Rauma Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Åndalsnes is in the administrative center of Rauma Municipality. It is located along the Isfjorden, at the mouth of the river Rauma, at the north end of the Romsdalen valley. ...

. Other settlements in Rauma include the villages of Måndalen,

Innfjorden Innfjorden is a village in Rauma Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is situated about southwest of the town of Åndalsnes and southeast of the village of Måndalen along the European Route E136 highway. The road from Åndalsn ...

, Veblungsnes,

Verma Varmā, Verma, Varman, or Burman are surnames found in India and South-East Asia. Indian traditional usage According to Ayodhya Prasad Sah, the title was also used by some Brahmins in parts of Odisha, although it is recommended historically fo ...

, Isfjorden,

Eidsbygda Eidsbygda is a village in Rauma Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located northwest of the town of Åndalsnes, on an isthmus of land between the Rødvenfjorden and Romsdal Fjord. This village was the administrative center ...

Rødven Rødven is a village in Rauma Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located along the Rødvenfjorden, just south of where the fjord empties into Romsdal Fjord. The village of Eidsbygda lies about south of Rødven. ...

Åfarnes Åfarnes (historically, ''Aafarnes'') is a village in Rauma Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located at the confluence of the three fjords: Romsdal Fjord, Langfjorden, and Rødvenfjorden. The Norwegian County Road ...

, and Mittet. Most settlement in the municipality is located along the fjords and in the Romsdalen valley. The municipality surrounds part of the southern end of

Romsdalsfjorden Romsdalsfjord or Romsdal Fjord ( no, Romsdalsfjorden) is the ninth-longest fjord in Norway. It is long and located in the Romsdal district of Møre og Romsdal county. It flows through the municipalities of Molde, Ålesund, Vestnes, and Rauma. ...

and the Isfjorden and it also includes the

Romsdalen Romsdalen is a valley in the western part of Norway. The long valley runs through Rauma Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county and Lesja Municipality in Innlandet county. It is the valley of the Rauma river, from Old Norse word ''Raumsdalr'' ...

valley and

Romsdalsalpene or the is mountain range surrounding the Romsdalen valley in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. They are primarily located in Rauma Municipality, Molde Municipality, and Fjord Municipality. The southern part of the mountain range is also located ...

mountains. In the lower part of the valleys and around Romsdal Fjord and Rødvenfjorden are driven

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

with emphasis on livestock. The clothing industry has traditionally been a dominant industry in the municipality, especially in Isfjorden. In the summer, Rauma has a fairly large amount of tourist traffic. The top tourist attractions include mountain climbing/hiking,

salmon Salmon () is the common name for several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family (biology), family Salmonidae, which are native to tributary, tributaries of the ...

fishing,

Trollstigen Trollstigen (or trollstigvegen; en, The troll path) is a serpentine mountain road and pass in Rauma Municipality, Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of Norwegian County Road 63 that connects the town of Åndalsnes in Rauma and the ...

, and the historic

Rødven Stave Church Rødven Stave Church ( no, Rødven stavkyrkje) is a former parish church (now a museum) of the Church of Norway in Rauma Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The stave church is located in the village of Rødven. It was a church in th ...

. The municipality is the 61st largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Rauma is the 140th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 7,019. 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 decreased by 5.5% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

The municipality of Rauma was established on 1 January 1964 when the old municipalities of Eid (population: 381), Grytten (population: 3,683),

Hen Hen commonly refers to a female animal: a female chicken, other gallinaceous bird, any type of bird in general, or a lobster. It is also a slang term for a woman. Hen or Hens may also refer to: Places Norway *Hen, Buskerud, a village in Ringer ...

(population: 1,663), Voll (population: 1,163), and the southern part of

Veøy Veøy is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1964. It initially consisted of all of the present-day Vestnes Municipality, as well as the southern part of Molde M ...

(population: 1,400) were all merged to form one large municipality. On 1 January 2021, the

Vågstranda Vågstranda is a village along Romsdal Fjord in Rauma Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located along the European route E136 highway, about north of the village of Voll and east of the village of Vikebukt (in Vestnes Mun ...

area in the northwestern part of Rauma was transferred to the neighboring

Vestnes Municipality Vestnes is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Vestnes is part of the traditional district of Romsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vestnes. Other villages in the municipality include Vikeb ...

Name

The municipality is named after the

Rauma River The Rauma is a river that runs through ''Romsdalen'', a valley in Møre og Romsdal and Innlandet counties in Norway. It runs for from ''Lesjaskogsvatnet'', a lake in the municipality of Lesja, to the town of Åndalsnes in the municipality of R ...

, which flows through the

valley.

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 4 November 1983. The arms are blue and silver/gray representing the sky and mountains. The three mountains on the arms represent the three mountains of Vengetindane, Trolltindane and

Romsdalshornet Romsdalshornet is a mountain in the municipality of Rauma in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The mountain is located southeast of the town of Åndalsnes, along the Rauma River in the Romsdalen valley. The Rauma railway line and the European ...

, all located 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 six parishes () within the municipality of Rauma. It is part of the Indre Romsdal 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 ...

Geography

The municipality surrounds the eastern part of

Romsdal Fjord Romsdalsfjord or Romsdal Fjord ( no, Romsdalsfjorden) is the ninth-longest fjord in Norway. It is long and located in the Romsdal district of Møre og Romsdal county. It flows through the municipalities of Molde, Ålesund, Vestnes, and Rauma. ...

, Isfjorden, and Rødvenfjorden, and it is south of the Langfjorden. It also surrounds the

valley and the

from the mouth to the

Oppland Oppland is a former county in Norway which existed from 1781 until its dissolution on 1 January 2020. The old Oppland county bordered the counties of Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The co ...

county border. The

Kyrkjetaket Kyrkjetaket or Kirketaket is a mountain on the border of the municipalities of Rauma and Nesset in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The tall peak is located in Rauma, about northeast of the village of Isfjorden and from the town of Åndalsn ...

and

Gjuratinden Juratinden or Gjuratinden is a mountain on the border of the municipalities of Molde and Rauma in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located about east of the village of Isfjorden and about east of the town of Åndalsnes. The lake Eikesd ...

mountains lie in the northeastern part of the municipality. The mountains

Store Trolltind Store Trolltind a mountain summit in Rauma Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. At in height, it is the highest point along the Trolltindane ridge. It has the vertical Trollveggen cliff separating the peak from the Romsdalen valley ...

Trollryggen Trollryggen is a peak along the Trolltindene ridge along the Romsdalen valley. It is located in Rauma Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The Rauma River and the European route E136 highway lie just to the east of the ridge at the b ...

Store Venjetinden Store Venjetinden (or sometimes ''Store Vengetinden'') is a mountain in the municipality of Rauma in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located about northeast of the mountain Romsdalshornet, about east of the Rauma river and European Ro ...

, and the

Troll Wall The or is part of the mountain massif Trolltindene (Troll Peaks) in the Romsdalen valley in Rauma Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located to the south of the towns of Åndalsnes and Molde inside the Reinheimen Nationa ...

are all in the central part of the municipality in the

mountain range. The mountains

Karitinden Karitinden is a mountain in the Tafjordfjella mountain range inside Reinheimen National Park on the border of Innlandet and Møre og Romsdal counties in Norway. The top of the mountain is a tripoint border junction for Skjåk Municipality (in In ...

and

Puttegga Puttegga or Pyttegga is the highest mountain in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It lies on the border of Fjord Municipality and Rauma Municipality. It is located just northwest of the mountain Karitinden, inside Reinheimen National Park. The ...

are located in the southwestern part of the municipality. Part of

Reinheimen National Park Reinheimen National Park ( no, Reinheimen nasjonalpark) is a national park in Norway that was established in 2006. The park consists of a continuous protected mountain area. It is located in Møre og Romsdal and Innlandet counties in Norway. The ...

lies within the municipality.

Transportation

European Route E136 European route E 136 is a European highway located entirely in Møre og Romsdal and Innlandet counties in Norway. The highway begins in the town of Ålesund in Møre og Romsdal county on the west coast of Norway, and it goes east up through ...

Norwegian County Road 63 Norwegian County Road 63 ( no, Fylkesvei 63 or ) is a Norwegian county road in Møre og Romsdal county and a very small part in Innlandet county, Norway. It begins at Norwegian National Road 15 along the lake Langvatnet in Skjåk Municipality in ...

, and

Norwegian County Road 64 County Road 64 ( no, Fylkesvei 64) is a two-lane highway which runs between the towns of Kristiansund and Åndalsnes in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It branches from National Road 70 in Kristiansund, runs through the Atlantic Ocean Tunnel, ...

all pass through the municipality. The

road is part of County Road 63 in Rauma, and it is a famous tourist attraction due to the many

hairpin turn A hairpin turn (also hairpin bend or hairpin corner) is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn about 180° to continue on the road. It is named for its resemblance to a bent metal hai ...

s on the steep road. The Rauma railway line also runs through the municipality, over the

Kylling Bridge The Kylling Bridge ( no, Kylling bru) is a railway bridge in Rauma Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The bridge crosses the Rauma River near the village of Verma in the upper part of the Romsdalen valley. The bridge is part of a do ...

, and terminates at

Åndalsnes Station Åndalsnes Station ( no, Åndalsnes stasjon) is a railway station in the town of Åndalsnes, the administrative centre of Rauma Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It has been the terminal station of the Rauma Line since the line w ...

. The nearest airports are

Ålesund Airport, Vigra Ålesund Airport ( nn, Ålesund lufthamn, ), or alternatively Ålesund Vigra Airport, is an international airport serving the town of Ålesund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located on the island of Vigra in Giske Municipality and f ...

which is by road from Åndalsnes and

Molde Airport Molde Airport ( no, Molde lufthavn; ) is an international airport serving the town of Molde, Norway. It is on the shore of the Moldefjord at Årø, east of town center. The airport's catchment area covers the district of Romsdal. The airport f ...

which is by road plus a road ferry.

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Rauma, 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

Romsdal District Court Romsdal District Court ( no, Romsdal tingrett) was a district court in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The court was based in the town of Molde. The court existed until 2021. It had jurisdiction over the central part of the county which inclu ...

and the

Frostating Court of Appeal The Frostating Court of Appeal ( no, Frostating lagmannsrett) is one of six courts of appeal in the Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the city of Trondheim. The court has jurisdiction over the counties of Trøndelag and Møre og Romsdal. ...

Municipal council

The

() of Rauma is made up of 27 representatives that are elected to four year terms. 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: Trollveggen 2002 June

Mayors

The mayors of Rauma (incomplete list): *2019–present: Yvonne Wold ( SV) *2011-2019: Lars Olav Hustad ( H) *1999-2011: Torbjørn Rødstøl ( Sp)

Attractions

Rauma is frequently visited by tourists, especially due to the major sights: *

Trollveggen The or is part of the mountain massif Trolltindene (Troll Peaks) in the Romsdalen valley in Rauma Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located to the south of the towns of Åndalsnes and Molde inside the Reinheimen Nationa ...

valley *

road to

Geiranger Geiranger is a small tourist village in Sunnmøre region of Møre og Romsdal county in the western part of Norway. It is in the municipality of Stranda at the head of the Geirangerfjorden, which is a branch of the large Storfjorden. The nearest ...

(built around the year 1200)

Notable people

Mathias Soggemoen Mathias Soggemoen (5 October 1847 – 1929) was a Norwegian railway worker, mountain climbing pioneer and guide. Mathias Johnsen Soggemoen was born the oldest of seven siblings in Rauma in Møre og Romsdal, Norway. In 1875, he married Ingeb ...

(1847 in Rauma – 1929) a railway worker and mountain climbing pioneer * Kirsten Utheim Toverud (1890 in Veblungsnes – 1949) a Norwegian pediatrician *

Arne Randers Heen Arne Randers Heen (4 April 1905 – 7 February 1991) was a Norwegian mountain climber and member of the Norwegian resistance during World War II. Personal life Heen was born in Hen, Møre og Romsdal, and worked as a tailor in nearby Åndalsne ...

(1905 in Hen, Møre og Romsdal – 1991) a Norwegian mountain climber and member of the

Norwegian resistance The Norwegian resistance (Norwegian: ''Motstandsbevegelsen'') to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms: *Asserting the legitimacy of the exiled government, ...

during WWII * Nils Bølset (1928 in Veøy – 2015) a Norwegian diplomat in Germany, Turkey and Australia * Oddgeir Bruaset (born 1944 in Rauma) a Norwegian journalist and non-fiction writer *

Ida Nilsson Ida Nilsson (born February 8, 1981) is a Swedish long-distance runner who also competes in ski mountaineering. In 2003 – 2006 she won a total of ten gold medals in Swedish championships in track & field and cross country running, plus two NCAA ...

(born 1981 in Rauma) a Swedish long-distance runner, also competes in ski mountaineering * Aksel Berget Skjølsvik (born 1987 in Åndalsnes) a Norwegian former footballer with over 250 club caps

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 1964 establishments in Norway