Gjesdal 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 Rogaland 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 the ...

. It is located in the traditional district of

Jæren Jæren is a Districts of Norway, traditional district in Rogaland county, Norway. The other districts in Rogaland are Dalane, Ryfylke, and Haugalandet. Jæren is one of the 15 districts that comprise Western Norway. At about , Jæren is the large ...

. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of

Ålgård Ålgård (historic: ''Aalgaard'') is the administrative centre of Gjesdal municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The village is located along the European route E39 highway, about southeast of the Sandnes (town), city of Sandnes in the Jære ...

. Other villages in Gjesdal include

Dirdal Dirdal is a village in Gjesdal municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The village is located where the Frafjorden joins the main Høgsfjorden. The village lies at the end of the ''Dirdalen'' valley, which stretches to the southeast from Dirda ...

Frafjord Frafjord is a village and farming community in the municipality of Gjesdal in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located in the Frafjorddalen valley, at the innermost end of the Frafjorden, a branch of the larger Høgsfjorden. The village had about 1 ...

Gilja Gilja is a village in Gjesdal municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The village is located about southeast of the village of Dirdal in the Dirdalen valley. The Frafjord Tunnel connects Gilja with the village of Frafjord, located in the nex ...

Gjesdal Gjesdal is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Jæren. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ålgård. Other villages in Gjesdal include Dirdal, Frafjord, Gilja, ...

, and

Oltedal Oltedal is a village in Gjesdal municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The village is located in a narrow river valley about northeast of the municipal centre of Ålgård and about west of the village of Dirdal, just west of the Høgsfjorden ...

. The municipality lies about to the southwest of the city of Stavanger in southwestern Norway. The European route E39 highway runs through the western side of the municipality. On the east side of the municipality, the

Frafjord Tunnel The Frafjord Tunnel ( no, Frafjordtunnelen) is a road tunnel in Gjesdal municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The long tunnel is located along the Norwegian county road 281 connecting the villages of Frafjord and Gilja Gilja is a village i ...

connects the

valley with the rest of the municipality. The municipality is the 187th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Gjesdal is the 95th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 12,131. 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 12.6% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

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 ''Gjesdal'' farm ( non, Gesdalir), since the first

Gjesdal Church Gjesdal Church ( no, Gjesdal kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Gjesdal Municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Gjesdal. It is one of the three churches for the Gjesdal parish which is part of ...

was built there. The first element is probably an old river name and the last element is the plural form of ''dalr'' which means "

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...

" or "dale". Before 1889, the name was written ''Gjæsdal'', which is the

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

spelling. During the period from 1889 to 1917 it was spelled ''Gjesdal'' (

Norwegian language Norwegian ( no, norsk, links=no ) is a North Germanic language spoken mainly in Norway, where it is an official language. Along with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a dialect continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regio ...

version). Then starting in 1918, it was spelled ''Gjestal'' after the pronunciation of the local

dialect The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of linguistic phenomena: One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a ...

(the d in ''dal'' is pronounced t because of the voiceless consonant s in front). In 1964, the spelling was changed back to the

etymological Etymology () The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the form of words a ...

ly correct form of ''Gjesdal''.

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 15 March 1985. The arms show a white

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated ...

's head on a blue background. The sheet was chosen as a symbol because sheep breeding and wool manufacturing have both been important throughout the history of Gjesdal. The wool industry was centered in the village of

where wool, textile, and clothing businesses have thrived.

Churches

The Church of Norway has two parishes () within the municipality of Gjesdal. It is part of the

Jæren 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 list ...

( deanery) 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

of ''Gjæsdal'' was established as a municipality in 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). It originally was much smaller than it is today, centered on the Gjesdalen valley in the western part of the present-day municipality. 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 1965 several areas were merged to form a much larger municipality of Gjesdal: *the original municipality of Gjesdal (population: 3,353) *the Nedre Maudal area in

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 ...

municipality (population: 40) *the Oltesvik area along the

Høgsfjorden Høgsfjorden is a fjord in Rogaland county, Norway. It lies in the municipalities of Stavanger, Sandnes, Strand, and Gjesdal. The innermost part of the fjord is located at the village of Frafjord in the municipality of Gjesdal. It flows west to ...

in Høle municipality (population: 37) *the parts of

Forsand Forsand is a former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1871 until 2020 when it was merged into Sandnes municipality. It was located in the traditional district of Ryfylke. The administrative centre of the m ...

municipality south and east of the

Frafjorden Frafjorden is a fjord in the municipalities of Gjesdal and Sandnes in Rogaland county, Norway. The fjord is the innermost branch of the Høgsfjorden. The Frafjorden has steep sides with no habitation along its shores, except for the village of F ...

including

, Byrkjedal, Øvre Maudal, and Østabødal (population: 621) On 1 January 1970, an unpopulated area of Time Municipality was transferred to Gjesdal. Then on 1 January 1989, another small, unpopulated area of Time was transferred to Gjesdal.

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Gjesdal, 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

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 Gjesdal is made up of 27 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 featur ...

breakdown is as follows:

Geography

Gjesdal municipality is located in the southern part of the

district in Rogaland county. To the north and northwest, Gjesdal borders the municipality of

Sandnes Sandnes () is a city and municipality in Rogaland, Norway. It lies immediately south of Stavanger, the 4th largest city in Norway and together, the Stavanger/Sandnes area is the third-largest urban area in Norway. The urban city of Sandnes lies ...

, to the east is

Sirdal Sirdal is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the northwestern part of the traditional district of Lister. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Tonstad. Other villages in Sirdal include Bjørnest ...

municipality (in

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), to the south is

municipality, and to the west is the municipality of

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...

. Gjesdal sits at the head of the

and along the south and east sides of the

. The Månafossen waterfall, the largest

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in severa ...

in Rogaland county, is located in the

valley. There are several large lakes in the municipality such as

Edlandsvatnet Edlandsvatnet is a lake in the municipality of Gjesdal in Rogaland county, Norway. The lake lies just south of the large village of Ålgård, immediately southwest of the lake Limavatnet. The European route E39 highway runs along the northern ...

, Flassavatnet,

Limavatnet Limavatnet is a lake in the municipality of Gjesdal in Rogaland county, Norway. The lake lies between the villages of Ålgård and Gjesdal. On the western end of the lake, the European route E39 highway crosses the lake on the Vaula Bridge. ...

, and

Oltedalsvatnet Oltedalsvatnet is a lake in the municipality of Gjesdal in Rogaland county, Norway. The lake lies just south of the village of Oltedal. It is a reservoir along the river Oltedalsåna that is used to store water for the Oltedal Hydroelectric Po ...

. The

Figgjoelva Figgjoelva or Figgjo is a river in Rogaland county, Norway. The long river begins at the lake Edlandsvatnet in the village of Ålgård in Gjesdal municipality. It then heads north into the municipality of Sandnes before heading west. For a whi ...

river has its headwaters in Gjesdal also.

Weather

Notable residents

* Liv Godin (1918 in Ålgård – 2012) a Norwegian missionary in DR Congo *

Finn E. Kydland Finn Erling Kydland (born 1 December 1943) is a Norwegian economist known for his contributions to business cycle theory. He is the Henley Professor of Economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He also holds the Richard P. Simmons ...

(born 1943 in Søyland) an economist, winner of Nobel Memorial Prize in 2004 *

Olaug Bollestad Olaug Vervik Bollestad (born 4 November 1961) is a Norwegian nurse and politician for the Christian Democratic Party who is a member of Parliament for Rogaland since 2013 and party leader since 2021, having been deputy leader from 2015 to 2021. Sh ...

(born 1961) a Norwegian nurse and politician, Mayor of Gjesdal, 2007–2013 *

Dagny Mellgren Dagny Mellgren Haugland (; born 19 June 1978) from Ålgård is a former Norwegian footballer. She retired in December 2005 while playing for Klepp. She has also played for Boston Breakers, in the WUSA. She scored the golden goal in the final aga ...

(born 1978 in Ålgård) footballer, scored the gold medal goal for Norway at the

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 ...

Leo Moracchioli Leo Moracchioli is a Norwegian metal musician and producer based in Oltedal. A multi-instrumentalist, he is known for his metal covers of popular songs, which have gained him over 4.5 million followers on YouTube as ''Frog Leap Studios''. C ...

(born 1978 in Ålgård) a multi-instrumentalist heavy metal musician and producer based in

* Håvard Rugland (born 1984 in Ålgård) a Norwegian

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

placekicker, known as ''"Kickalicious"''

References

External links

* * *
Municipal fact sheet
from Statistics Norway {{use dmy dates, date=June 2020 Municipalities of Rogaland 1838 establishments in Norway