Sunnfjord 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 ...

Vestland Vestland is a county in Norway established on 1 January 2020. The county is located in Western Norway and it is centred around the city of Bergen, Norway's second largest city. The administrative centre of the county is the city of Bergen, where t ...

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 located in the traditional district of

Sunnfjord Sunnfjord ( en, the southern fjord - in contrast to Nordfjord) is a traditional district in Western Norway located in Vestland county. It includes the municipalities of Askvoll, Fjaler, the southernmost parts of Kinn, Sunnfjord, and the souther ...

. 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 Førde. Other villages in the municipality include

Naustdal Naustdal is a former municipality in the old Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It was located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative centre was the village of Naustdal, which has 1,188 inhabitants (2017). Other village ...

, Sande,

Vassenden Vassenden is a village in Sunnfjord Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located along the river Jølstra on the western shore of the lake Jølstravatnet, and about north of the lake Holsavatnet. The village has a population (2019) ...

, and Skei. The municipality is the 27th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Sunnfjord is the 56th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 22,116. 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 5.7% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

The municipality was established on 1 January 2020 when the old municipalities of

Førde Førde is a former municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It was located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative center was the town of Førde which in 2016 had 10,255 inhabitants. Other villages in Førde ...

Gaular Gaular is a former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It was located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative centre was the village of Sande. Other villages in the municipality included Bygstad, Hestad, an ...

Jølster Jølster is a former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It was located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative centre was the village of Skei. Other villages in the municipality included Helgheim, Ålhus, ...

, and

were merged.

Name

The municipality was named after the traditional district of

, in which it is located. The first part of the name ''sunn-'' means "southern" and the last part of the name is

fjord In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Ice ...

, thus it is the southern fjord region (as opposed to the nearby

Nordfjord Nordfjord ( en, Northern fjord—in contrast to Sunnfjord) is a traditional district of Norway. Geography The region is located in the northern part of Vestland county in Western Norway. It centers on the Nordfjorden and it comprises the muni ...

region (the northern fjord region).

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 approved in 2019 for use starting on 1 January 2020. The green arms show a design of four white rivers joining a larger body of water. The rivers symbolize the four main rivers of Sunnfjord:

Nausta Nausta is a river in Sunnfjord Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It runs through the Naustdal valley to the southwest before emptying into Førde Fjord at the village of Naustdal below Kletten Hill. The long river drains a watershed area ...

, Gaula, Anga, and

Jølstra The Jølstra is a river in Sunnfjord Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The long river flows from the lake of Jølstravatnet (at an elevation of above sea level) down to the Førdefjorden (which is at sea level). The river begins at the ...

. It was meant to symbolize the many waterfalls and rivers in the municipality as well as strength and unity.

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 Sunnfjord. It is part of the

Sunnfjord prosti Sunnfjord ( en, the southern fjord - in contrast to Nordfjord) is a traditional district in Western Norway located in Vestland county. It includes the municipalities of Askvoll, Fjaler, the southernmost parts of Kinn, Sunnfjord, and the southern ...

(

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 Bjørgvin The Diocese of Bjørgvin ( no, Bjørgvin bispedømme) is one of the 11 dioceses that make up the Church of Norway. It includes all of the churches located in the county of Vestland in Western Norway. The cathedral city is Bergen, Norway's second ...

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Sunnfjord, 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 ...

elected Elected may refer to: * "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973 * ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008 *The Elected, an American indie rock band See also *Election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population ...

representatives, which in turn elects 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

Sogn og Fjordane District Court Sogn og Fjordane District Court ( no, Sogn og Fjordane tingrett) is a district court (Norway), district court located in Vestland county, Norway. This court is based at two different courthouses which are located in Førde (town), Førde and Sognd ...

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 Sunnfjord is made up of 45 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:

Notable people

Public Service

* Kolbeinn hrúga, a 12th-century Norse chieftain in

Orkney Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...

, born in Sunnfjord, figures in the Orkneyinga saga *

Audun Hugleiksson {{Use dmy dates, date=October 2013 Audun Hugleiksson (Hestakorn) ({{circa 1240 – 2 December 1302) was a Norwegian nobleman at the end of the 13th century. He was the king's right hand, both under King Magnus Lagabøte and King Eirik Magnusson. ...

(ca.1240–1302) a Norwegian nobleman, grew up in Jølster * Brita Alvern, was put in trial accused of witchcraft at Indredale Skipreide in Sunnfjord in 1729 * John P. Munson (1860 in Jølster – 1928) a Norwegian-American zoologist and academic * Ingolf Elster Christensen (1872 in Førde – 1943) a jurist, military officer and politician * Nikolai Andreas Schei (1901–1985) &

Andreas Olai Schei Andreas Olai Schei (7 October 1902 – 25 December 1989) was a Norwegian jurist and civil servant. He was born in Førde as the son of Per Schei (1872–1960) and Johanne Schei (1874–1963). He was a younger brother of Nikolai Schei. In 1936 he ...

(1902–1989) from Førde, jurists and civil servants *

Leiv Erdal Leiv Erdal (11 August 1915 – 20 November 2009) was a Norwegian military officer, bailiff and politician for the Centre Party. He was born in Naustdal as a son of farmer, bailiff and mayor Bendik Henriksen Erdal (1879–1937) and housewife Olea ...

(1915 in Naustdal – 2009) a military officer, bailiff and politician *

Åsmund Reikvam Åsmund Ragnar Reikvam (born 1944 in Førde) is a Norwegian professor in medicine and former politician. Education He graduated as dr. med. in 1976 and became a specialist in Internal medicine and Heart disease in 1981. He worked at Ullevål uni ...

(born 1944 in Førde) a Norwegian professor in medicine and former politician * Arild Stubhaug (born 1948 in Naustdal) a mathematician, poet and biographer *

Anlaug Amanda Djupvik Anlaug Amanda Djupvik is a Norwegian astronomer. Her main field of research is star formation and the origin of the initial mass function. She used Kaas as a family name (due to marriage), but changed it back to Djupvik in 2004. She was born i ...

(born ca.1965 in Førde) astronomer of

star formation Star formation is the process by which dense regions within molecular clouds in The "medium" is present further soon.-->interstellar space

and

initial mass function In astronomy, the initial mass function (IMF) is an empirical function that describes the initial Frequency distribution, distribution of masses for a population of stars. The IMF is an output of the process of star formation. The IMF is often g ...

* Bård Vegar Solhjell (born 1971) a former politician and minister, grew up in Sunnfjord * Himanshu Gulati (born 1988 in Førde) a Norwegian politician

The Arts

Anders Askevold Anders Askevold (25 December 1834 – 22 October 1900) was a Norwegian painter. His art was characterized by romantic national expression. He was best known for his fjord landscapes from Western Norway. Biography Anders Monsen Askevold was ...

(1834 in Askvoll – 1900) a painter of landscapes and animals * Johannes Haarklou (1847 in Haukedalen – 1925) a composer, organist, conductor and music critic * Hauk Aabel (1869 in Førde – 1961) a comedian and actor in Norwegian and Swedish silent films IMDb Database
retrieved 28 August 2020 *

Hjalmar Christensen Hjalmar Christensen (5 May 1869 – 29 December 1925) was a Norwegian writer and a prominent literary critic. Biography Christensen was born at Sunnfjord in Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. He was raised on a farm in the community of Førde. He wa ...

(1869 in Sunnfjord – 1925) a writer and prominent literary critic *

Ludvig Eikaas Ludvig Eikaas (20 December 1920 – 5 September 2010) was a Norwegian painter, graphic artist and sculptor. Eikaas was among the first artists in Norway to work in a purely non-figurative idiom. Biography Ludvig Eikaas was born in the small haml ...

(1920 in Jølster – 2010) a Norwegian painter, graphic artist and sculptor *

Gunnar S. Gundersen Gunnar S. Gundersen (25 December 1921 – 16 January 1983) or Gunnar S. (as he came to be known) was a Norway, Norwegian modernism, modernist Painting, painter. Biography Gunnar S. Gundersen was born in Førde, in the county of Sogn og Fjorda ...

(1921 in Førde – 1983) or ''Gunnar S'', a

modernist Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, an ...

painter *

Eldrid Lunden Eldrid Lunden (born 5 October 1940) is a Norwegian poet, and 1996 became Norway's first professor in creative writing, at Telemark University College. She was awarded the Dobloug Prize in 1989, and the Brage Prize honorary award in 2000. Lunde ...

(born 1940 in Naustdal) a poet and Norway's first professor in creative writing * Arve Furset (born 1964 in Askvoll) a composer, jazz musician and music producer * Ole Jonny Eikefjord (born 1970 in Førde) a chef, cookbook author and restaurateur * Kristian Eivind Espedal (born 1975 in Sunnfjord) stage name ''

Gaahl Kristian Eivind Espedal (born 7 August 1975), better known by his stage name Gaahl, is a Norwegian vocalist and painter. He is best known as the former frontman of Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. He is also the founder and lead vocalist of ...

'', is a black metal vocalist, musician and painter *

Gunnar Garfors Gunnar Garfors (born 29 May 1975) is a Norwegian traveler, author, media professional, and public speaker. Garfors was the first person to visit every country in the world twice, he holds a range of travel world records and has written several t ...

(born 1975) traveller, author, media professional and public speaker; grew up in Naustdal * Olaug Nilssen (born 1977 in Førde) a novelist, playwright, children's writer and magazine editor * Marianne Clementine Håheim (born 1987 in Jølster) a Norwegian author * Thea Hjelmeland (born 1987 in Førde) a Norwegian musician, singer and songwriter *

Iselin Solheim Iselin Løken Solheim (born 20 June 1990), known simply as Iselin, is a Norwegian singer-songwriter. She is well known for her vocals on Alan Walker's singles " Faded" and " Sing Me to Sleep" and Gryffin's single "Just for a Moment". She start ...

(born 1990 in Naustdal) a Norwegian singer and songwriter

Sport

* Håkon Fimland (1942 in Naustdal – 2016) a Norwegian hurdler and politician * Martinus Grov (born 1974 in Førde) a retired archer, competed at the

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

, 1996 and

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...

* Asgeir Årdal (born 1983 in Jølster) a Norwegian cross-country skier, lives in Skei

Gallery

File:Helgheim church 01.jpg, Helgheim church in Jølster File:An der Daleelva oberhalb von Årdal.JPG, At the Daleelva at Årdal File:Råeimsdalen.JPG, Råeimsdalen from Viksdalen near Vallestadfossen File:Blomreina gravplass.jpg, Blomreina gravplass i Førde

References

{{use dmy dates, date=October 2022 Municipalities of Vestland 2020 establishments in Norway