Hareid 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 administrative centre is the village of Hareid. The other main population centers are

Brandal Brandal is a village in Hareid Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located on the eastern shores of the island of Hareidlandet, along the Sulafjorden. The village lies about north of the municipal centre of Hareid and about ...

and

Hjørungavåg Hjørungavåg is a village in Hareid Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located on the eastern shore of the island of Hareidlandet, just southeast of the municipal centre of Hareid. The village has a population (201 ...

. The municipality is situated off the mainland coast of Sunnmøre, on an island named

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 ...

, which it shared with

Ulstein Municipality Ulstein is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The commercial and administrative centre of Ulstein is the town of Ulsteinvik. The municipality occupies the western half of the island of Harei ...

, the commercial capital of the area. Hareid is regarded as the cultural capital with its annual ''Hareidsstemne'' and many choirs. It is also an important traffic hub in Sunnmøre and is connected by ferry to the neighboring island of Sula which in turn is connected to the city of

Ålesund Ålesund () sometimes spelled Aalesund in English, is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal County, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre and the centre of the Ålesund Region. The town of Ålesund is the administrativ ...

and the island 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 ...

. The municipality is connected to the mainland via 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 ...

and

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 ...

through Ulstein. The municipality is the 336th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Hareid is the 180th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 5,126. 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 2.5% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

The municipality of Hareid was established on 1 January 1917 when it was separated from

to form a municipality of its own. Originally, the municipality included the eastern part of

island and the southwestern part of the nearby island of Sula. The initial population of the municipality was 2,310. On 1 July 1958, the southwestern part of the island of Sula (population: 68) was transferred from Hareid Municipality to Borgund 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 ''Hareid'' farm ( non, Haðareið), since the first

Hareid Church Hareid Church ( no, Hareid kyrkje) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in the municipality of Hareid, Møre og Romsdal, Norway. It is located in the village of Hareid on the eastern side of the island of Hareidlandet. It is the church f ...

was built there. The first element is the genitive case of the name of 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 ...

(now ''

'') and the last element is which means "

isthmus An isthmus (; ; ) is a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse of water by which they are otherwise separated. A tombolo is an isthmus that consists of a spit or bar, and a strait is the sea counterpart of an isthmus ...

". The meaning of the name of the island is unknown. It is however speculated that it might be connected to the Norse god

Höðr Höðr ( non, Hǫðr ; often anglicized as Hod, Hoder, or Hodur) is a god in Norse mythology. The blind son of Odin and Frigg, he is tricked and guided by Loki into shooting a mistletoe arrow which was to slay the otherwise invulnerable Baldr. ...

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 11 January 1985. The arms show three

arrowhead An arrowhead or point is the usually sharpened and hardened tip of an arrow, which contributes a majority of the projectile mass and is responsible for impacting and penetrating a target, as well as to fulfill some special purposes such as sign ...

s in white on a blue background. The arrowheads were chosen as a symbol for the

Battle of Hjörungavágr The Battle of Hjörungavágr (Norwegian: ''Slaget ved Hjørungavåg'') is a semi-legendary naval battle that took place in the late 10th century between the Jarls of Lade and a Danish invasion fleet led by the fabled Jomsvikings. This battle playe ...

in 986, in which Earl Håkon defeated 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 ...

Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

s. This battle played an important role in the struggle by Håkon to unite the whole of Norway. Since the battle took place in the municipality, the arrowheads were considered an appropriate symbol.

Churches

The Church of Norway has one parish () within the municipality of Hareid. 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 ...

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Hareid, 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 Hareid is made up of 21 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 Hareid (incomplete list): *2019–present: Bernt Brandal ( LL) *2011-2019: Anders Riise ( H) *2007-2011: Hans Gisle Holstad ( Ap) *1999-2007: Gunn Berit Gjerde ( V) *1992-1999: Einar Holm (V) *1990-1991: Olav Fure (

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 ...

) *1988-1990: Johan E. Hareide (H) *1984-1987: Olav Fure (KrF) *1976-1983: Einar Holm (V) *1972-1976: Endre Hareide (KrF) *1968-1971: Ola L. Grønevet (V) *1956-1967: Sverre A. Riise ( Sp) *1952-1955: Håkon A. Riise (Ap)

Economy

Primary industries

Primary industries such as fisheries and

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 t ...

have traditionally been important ways of life in Hareid, and continue to be so for some of the population.

Industry

In recent years Hareid has developed into a modern industrial municipality with a variety of industries, including furniture,

fish farming upright=1.3, Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture) at Loch Ainort, Isle of Skye">mariculture.html" ;"title="Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture">Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture) at Loch Ainort, Isle of Skye, Scotland Fish farming or ...

, offshore and

subsea Subsea technology involves fully submerged ocean equipment, operations, or applications, especially when some distance offshore, in deep ocean waters, or on the seabed. The term ''subsea'' is frequently used in connection with oceanography, marin ...

ship systems, and other manufacturers of ship equipment. Many Hareid companies specialize in manufacturing maritime equipment and components, and are part of the maritime cluster of Sunnmøre. Such clusters are considered by the EU to be ''powerful engines of economic development and drivers for innovation in Europe''.

Industrial companies

*Ekornes (furniture) *Hareid Group (electrical systems) *Jets (vacuum sanitation) *Kvalsvik Produksjon (kitchen furniture) *Libra Plast (ship doors) *

Norway Pelagic Norway Pelagic is a producer and exporter of pelagic fish, such as atlantic herring, atlantic mackerel and capelin, caught in the seas close to Norway. Total raw material processed is on annual basis about 50% of total landings of pelagic fish in ...

(fish processing plant) * Rolls-Royce Marine (maritime equipment) *Spenncon (

precast concrete Precast concrete is a construction product produced by casting concrete in a reusable mold or "form" which is then cured in a controlled environment, transported to the construction site and maneuvered into place; examples include precast bea ...

) *Stromek (maritime equipment) *Vital Base (specialized pillows and cushions)

Education

The municipal centre of Hareid is home to Hareid elementary school and Hareid junior high school, with two more elementary schools in more rural parts of the municipality. *Hareid elementary school, grades 1 through 7 *Bigset elementary school, grades 1 through 7 *Hjørungavåg elementary school, grades 1 through 7 *Hareid junior high school, grades 8 through 10 After finishing junior high school in Hareid, students can complete a

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

education in one of Hareid's neighbouring communities such as

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 ...

Notable people

* Marie Lovise Widnes (born 1930) a poet, author, singer, composer and local politician in Hareid * Kjell Magne Yri (born 1943 in Hareid) a Norwegian priest, linguist and translator *

Åge Hareide Åge Fridtjof Hareide (born 23 September 1953) is a Norwegian football manager and player, currently managing Malmö FF as the interim manager. In his playing career, he played for Hødd and Molde in Norway as well as Manchester City and Norwich ...

(born 1953 in Hareid) a former footballer with 266 club caps and 50 for

and national team manager for

, 2003–2008 &

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

, 2016–2020 * Fredrik Aursnes (born 1995 in Hareid) a footballer with over 240 club caps

References

External links

Official municipality website
* *
Municipal fact sheet
from Statistics Norway {{use dmy dates, date=October 2022 Municipalities of Møre og Romsdal 1917 establishments in Norway