Ulstein 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 ...

in Møre og Romsdal

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers 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 the ...

. It is part of the Sunnmøre

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

. The commercial and administrative centre of Ulstein is the town of

Ulsteinvik is a town in the municipality of Ulstein, Møre og Romsdal, Norway. The town is the commercial and administrative centre of Ulstein and as such, Ulsteinvik contains 74% of the municipality's population. The town has a population (2018) of 5,78 ...

. The municipality occupies the western half of the island of

Hareidlandet Hareidlandet is an island in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island is divided between Hareid Municipality and Ulstein Municipality. The island has a population of 13,030 (as of 2015). The island is mentioned by Snorri in his reports abou ...

, as well as about 30 smaller islands, four of which are populated. Ulstein is connected to the mainland of Norway by the

Eiksund Bridge The Eiksund Bridge ( no, Eiksundbrua) is a cantilever bridge in Ulstein Municipality in the Sunnmøre region of Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The bridge is connected to the Eiksund Tunnel as part of the ''Eiksund Sambandet'' which joins sev ...

(to the island of Eika) and then the

Eiksund Tunnel The Eiksund tunnel ( no, Eiksundtunnelen) is an undersea tunnel in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway, which runs under the Vartdalsfjorden connecting the municipalities of Ørsta and Ulstein. The tunnel is long and reaches a depth of below sea l ...

to the neighboring municipality of

Ørsta is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region of Western Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ørsta. Other villages in the municipality include Hovdebygda, Flåsk ...

. The Grasøyane Lighthouse is located on a small island in the northwestern part of Ulstein Municipality. The municipality is the 330th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Ulstein is the 125th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 8,557. The municipality's

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

is and its population has increased by 9.3% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

The municipality of Ulstein (originally spelled ) was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). It originally included most of the island of

(except the

Eiksund Eiksund is a village in the municipality of Ulstein, in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located on the southern tip of the island of Hareidlandet. The small island of Eika lies just off the shore from Eiksund. The village is located ab ...

area) and the

Vartdal Vartdal is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1895 until its dissolution in 1965. The area now sits in the northwestern part of the Ørsta municipality, along the Vartdalsfjorden. The admin ...

area southeast of the

Vartdalsfjorden Vartdalsfjorden is a fjord (more technically, a strait) in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It begins at the Storfjorden and Sulafjorden in the northeast and flows through the municipalities of Hareid and Ulstein on the northern shore of the fj ...

on the mainland. On 1 January 1895, the area southeast of the

was separated from Ulstein Municipality to become the new municipality of

sstranden. This left Ulstein with 2,996 residents. Then on 1 January 1917, the eastern half of the island of

was separated from Ulstein to form the new

Hareid Municipality Hareid is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Hareid. The other main population centers are Brandal and Hjørungavåg. The municipality is situ ...

. This left 2,336 residents in Ulstein. 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 ...

. On 1 January 1964, the island of Eika, the village of

, and the surrounding area (population: 222) were transferred from Herøy Municipality to Ulstein Municipality.

Name

The municipality (originally the

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 o ...

) is named after the old ''Ulstein'' farm (), since the first

Ulstein Church Ulstein Church ( no, Ulstein kyrkje) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in the municipality of Ulstein, Møre og Romsdal, Norway. It is located in the town of Ulsteinvik on the western side of the island of Hareidlandet. It is the churc ...

was built there. The first element is ''ulfr'' '

wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...

' and the last element is ''steinn'' '

stone In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...

' (probably referring to a hill behind the farm). Before 1879, the name was written ''Ulfsten'' or ''Ulfsteen'', then between 1879 and 1888 it was spelled ''Ulvsten'', and since 1889 it has been spelled ''Ulstein''.

Coat of arms

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

was granted on 30 May 1986. The arms show a bar described as

tooth A tooth ( : teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, t ...

ed, which makes the bar 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 '' ...

since ''ulv'' means ''wolf'' and the municipality is named after the Ulva river. The blue colour represents the sea and the gold represents

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

Churches

The Church of Norway has one parish () within the municipality of Ulstein. It is part of the Søre Sunnmøre prosti ( deanery) 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 ...

Communities

There are several villages throughout the municipality. The largest is the town of

and others include the villages of Haddal, Flø,

, Ringstad, Sundgot, Hasund, Varleite. The island of Dimnøya is just outside Ulsteinvik, and there are many residents there. There are also several small populated islands surrounding the main island of Hareidlandet: Eika, Vattøya, and Hatløya.

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Ulstein, are responsible for primary education (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 during the refere ...

and other social services,

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 ...

, 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 counc ...

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 ...

. The municipality falls under the

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

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 Ulstein is made up of 25 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 featur ...

breakdown of the council is as follows:

Mayor

The mayors of Ullstein (incomplete list): *2015–present: Knut Erik Engh ( FrP) *2011-2015: Jan Berset ( H) *2003-2011: Hannelore Måseide ( Ap) *1995-2003: Jan Berset (H) *1993-1995: Arne Walderhaug (

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 ...

) *1987-1993: Ottar Kaldhol (Ap) *1979-1987: Asbjørn Flø ( Sp)

Industry

Maritime Cluster

The Headquarters of the

Ulstein Group Ulstein Group is a group of companies that focus on various marine-related industries, but is mainly known for its shipbuilding and ship design activities. The largest unit is ''Ulstein Verft AS''. The company's head office and primary operations ...

Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...

Marine, and Kleven Verft are located in Ulstein. The maritime industry is renowned for its creativity in the ship industry, which currently employs more than 1,000 people in Ulstein. Ulstein is known as a central community in the maritime cluster that has been created within the Sunnmøre region,

. Large shipyards and ship design companies are situated in Ulsteinvik. Technological innovation has played an import role in the recent history of the town. For example, the Ulstein Group has designed a new hull shape with an inverted bow called the

's X-Bow, examples of which are regularly docked in Ulsteinvik, outside the

drydock A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...

s of Ulstein Verft.

Notable people

Ragnar Ulstein Ragnar Leif Ulstein MM (19 April 1920 – 3 December 2019) was a Norwegian journalist, writer and resistance member. He wrote several documentary books from the Second World War, including surveys of the SOE group Norwegian Independent Compan ...

MM (1920–2019) a Norwegian journalist, writer and resistance member * Martin Tore Bjørndal (1944−2015) a Norwegian diplomat in South America *

Øystein Runde Øystein Runde (born December 14, 1979 in Ulsteinvik) is a Norway, Norwegian comics writer and comics artist. Runde, Kristopher Schau and Frode Hanssen published the weekly science/humor podcast 80% from 2019 to 2020, after its end in october 2020 ...

(born 1979) a Norwegian comics writer and

comics artist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary a ...

Sport

* Ole Bjørn Sundgot (born 1972) a former footballer with 270 club caps * Arild Sundgot (born 1978) a former football striker, with 312 caps with

Lillestrøm SK Lillestrøm Sportsklubb is a Norwegian professional football club from the city of Lillestrøm, just outside of the capital Oslo. Lillestrøm SK is a Norwegian football club based in Lillestrøm, playing in Eliteserien. The club was founded in ...

* Magnus Myklebust (born 1985) a Norwegian football striker with 350 club caps *

Karsten Warholm Karsten Warholm (; born 28 February 1996) is a Norwegian sprinter who competes in the 400 metres and 400 m hurdles. He’s the world record holder in the latter event. In July 2021, he broke the 29-year-old world record in 400 metres hurdles. ...

(born 1996) an athlete who competes in the sprints and hurdles

References

External links

Municipal fact sheet
from Statistics Norway
Ulstein GroupUlstein Kommune
{{use dmy dates, date=October 2022 Municipalities of Møre og Romsdal 1838 establishments in Norway