Haugesund () 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 ...

on the North Sea in Rogaland

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 ...

. While the population is greater in the neighboring

Karmøy Karmøy is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is southwest of the town of Haugesund in the traditional district of Haugaland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kopervik. Most of the municipality lies on ...

municipality, the main commercial and economic centre of the

Haugaland Haugaland or Haugalandet is a traditional district situated on the western coast of Norway. Haugaland is one of the 15 traditional districts located within the Vestlandet region. Geographically, Haugaland is a peninsula between Bømlafjorden in ...

region in northern Rogaland and southern

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 ...

is in Haugesund. The majority of the population of Haugesund lives in the Haugesund urban area in the municipality's southwest. The majority of the municipality outside this area is rural or undeveloped. The municipality is the 338th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Haugesund is the 28th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 37,444. 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 6.7% over the previous 10-year period. The Haugesund urban area, which extends into the neighboring municipality of

, makes up about of the municipality. 8,884 people of the urban area live in Karmøy. Only about 1,000 residents of Haugesund municipality that live in the rural portion of the municipality.

Location

The town is situated on a strategically important

sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' b ...

, the

Karmsund Karmsund is a strait located in Rogaland county, Norway. The long strait separates the island of Karmøy on the west and the mainland of Norway and island of Vestre Bokn in the east. The strait runs through the municipalities of Haugesund, ...

et, through which ships could pass without traversing heavy seas. In the early years, the coastal waters off Haugesund were a huge source of herring, and the town grew accordingly. Despite being barely a village back then, King

Harald Fairhair Harald Fairhair no, Harald hårfagre Modern Icelandic: ( – ) was a Norwegian king. According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, he reigned from 872 to 930 and was the first King of Nor ...

lived at Avaldsnes, very close to the modern town of Haugesund. In the last decades, the town, like its neighbours, has been turning towards the petroleum industry, with the herring being long gone. During the last 20 years, the municipality has established its position as the main trading centre for the

region and southern parts of

county. It has several relatively large shopping centres, however, this has led to a decline of the trade and shopping activity in the town centre. The

Haugesund Region The Haugesund/Karmøy/Stord Region ( no, Haugesundregionen) is a metropolitan region in the counties of Rogaland and Hordaland in Western Norway. The region is centered on the cities of Haugesund, Kopervik, and Leirvik Leirvik is a town and th ...

, a statistical metropolitan area, which consists of the municipalities

, Haugesund,

Tysvær Tysvær is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the Haugalandet region. The municipality is located on the Haugalandet peninsula on the northern side of the Boknafjorden, just east of the towns of Kopervik and Haugesund. Th ...

Sveio Sveio is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. Sveio is a border district that is sometimes considered to be located in the traditional district of Haugalandet since it is located on the Haugalandet peninsula, but it is also considered to ...

and Bokn, has a population of approximately 100,000 people (as of 2009).

History

Despite being a fairly young town, the areas surrounding Haugesund were lands of power during the

Viking Age The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Germ ...

was the first king of Norway. He had his home in Avaldsnes, also known as Homeland of the Viking Kings, only 8 km (4.9 mi) from the present town. After his death in c. 940, it is believed Fairhair was buried at

Haraldshaugen Haraldshaugen (Norwegian: ''Riksmonumentet Haraldshaugen'') is a national monument in Haugesund, Norway. The monument was erected during the millennial celebration of Norway's unification into one kingdom under the rule of King Harald Fairhair (N ...

, a burial mound adjacent to the

et strait. This site is the namesake of the town and municipality of Haugesund. The national monument at Haraldshaugen was raised in 1872, to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of the

Battle of Hafrsfjord The Battle of Hafrsfjord ( no, Slaget i Hafrsfjord) was a great naval battle fought in Hafrsfjord sometime between 872 and 900 that resulted in the unification of Norway, later known as the Kingdom of Norway. After the battle, the victorious Vikin ...

in 872. The Battle of Hafrsfjord has traditionally been regarded as when western Norway was unified under a single monarch for the first time. Karmoya-stolav

Haugesund has a strong historical bond to the sea and especially the herring. In the earlier years, the coastal waters of Haugesund were a huge source for fishing herring, and the town grew accordingly. The protective straits of Smedasund and

gave the town potential to grow in both

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

and

shipping Freight transport, also referred as ''Freight Forwarding'', is the physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo. The term shipping originally referred to transport by sea but in American English, it has been ...

. Even to this day, Karmsund is one of Norway's busiest waterways. The town is still growing geographically even though the population has increased only moderately the last decade. Today the herring is long gone, and the town is turning more and more towards the petroleum industry, like its neighbouring town to the south, Stavanger.

Municipal history

The urban village area of Haugesund (population: 1,066) was declared to be a "

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

" and it was separated from the surrounding municipality of

Torvastad Torvastad is a former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until 1965. The administrative centre was the village of Haugesund (from 1838 until 1855), and after that it was the village of Torvastad on the i ...

on 1 February 1855 to become a separate municipality of its own. On 1 January 1911, a small urban area of Skåre (population: 3,847) that directly abutted the town of Haugesund was transferred to Haugesund. On 1 January 1958, the remainder of the municipality of Skåre was merged with the town of Haugesund, creating a larger Haugesund municipality. On 1 January 1965, the island of

Vibrandsøy Vibrandsøy or Vibrandsøya is an island in Haugesund municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The island lies west of the densely built-up island of Hasseløy and northwest of the island of Risøy in the town of Haugesund. The island is now u ...

(population: 70) was transferred from Torvastad municipality to Haugesund.

Etymology

The town is named after the Haugesundet strait. The first element ( Hauge) goes back to the genitive plural of the

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlemen ...

word ''haugr'' meaning hill or mound. The last element is ''sund'' meaning strait.

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 ...

for Haugesund was granted on 5 March 1930. They were designed by Hallvard Trætteberg. The arms are blue with three silver/white seagulls lined up vertically. The seagulls and blue color were chosen to represent the importance of the sea. These arms replaced the old coat of arms that were granted on 29 December 1862. The old arms showed three herring barrels, an

anchor An anchor is a device, normally made of metal , used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ''ancora'', which itself comes from the Greek ἄ� ...

, and three seagulls. The old arms showed the importance of herring fishing and processing in the town. The three barrels also represented the three parts of the municipality: the mainland and the islands of

Hasseløy Hasseløy is an island in Haugesund municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The island lies north of the island Risøy, south of the peninsula Killingøy, and between Vibrandsøy to the west and the mainland to the east. It is part of the tow ...

and

Risøy Risøy or Risøya is an island in Haugesund municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The island lies in the Karmsund strait immediately south of the island of Hasseløy and southeast of the island of Vibrandsøy. Risøy is part of the town of ...

. The new arms from 1930 removed the herring barrels due to the decline in the importance of that industry.

Geography and climate

Haugesund municipality has a coastline with the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the ...

, however, the island of

and the

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Arc ...

of Røvær shelter it from the rough waters of the ocean. The

et strait, located between Karmøy and Haugesund used to be very strategically important, since ships could pass without having to sail through heavy sea. Haugesund's city centre has a distinctive street layout, similar to those found in

Kristiansand Kristiansand is a seaside resort city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporati ...

and

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...

. The municipality includes several islands.

and

are densely built, and connected to the mainland by bridges. Røvær which lies further out and consists of a number of islands, is also populated and connected to the mainland by ferry.

and its neighboring islands are now mainly a recreational area. Røværsholmen Lighthouse sits just off the coast of the main Røvær island. The lakes

Vigdarvatnet Vigdarvatnet is a lake in the municipality of Sveio in Vestland county, Norway. A small arm off the main lake juts to the south and runs along the municipal-county border between Sveio in Vestland county and the town of Haugesund in Rogaland coun ...

and

Stakkastadvatnet Stakkastadvatnet is a lake on the border of Rogaland and Vestland counties in Norway. The lake mostly lies in Rogaland along the municipal borders of Haugesund and Tysvær. A very small portion of the northern part of the lake crosses over into ...

are located in the municipality. Haugesund has an oceanic climate (Cfb, marine west coast) with rainy winters and mild and pleasant summers. The all-time high was recorded July 2019, and the all-time low was set in January 2010 (extremes since 2003). The wettest time of year is autumn and winter, while April–July is the driest season. Haugesund Airport is situated in Karmøy municipality, about from the town of Haugesund, and it has been recording weather data since 1975.

Cityscape

The city hall, designed by

Gudolf Blakstad Gudolf Blakstad (19 May 1893 – 22 November 1985) was a Norwegian architect. He was noted for his work in the transition between neo-classicism and functionalism in Norwegian architecture. Biography Blakstad was born in Gjerpen, Norway. He ...

and

Herman Munthe-Kaas Herman Munthe-Kaas (25 May 1890 – 5 May 1977) was a Norwegian architect. He was primarily known for his functionalist building designs. Biography Munthe-Kaas was born at Christiania (now Oslo), Norway. He was the son of Marius William M ...

Haugesundsgate.JPG, Common street in Haugesund Haugesund2.jpg, Haugesund from the Risøy bridge Risøybrua sett fra Risøy.jpg, Risøybrua seen from Risøy. Photo: Knut Arne Gjertsen Haugesund1.jpg, Haugesund docks, with bridge to Risøy Haugesund City Hall was built in 1931, celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2006. The pink city hall, designed by

and

, is one of the finest neo-classical buildings in Norway, and has been elected the most beautiful building in Haugesund. It is also included in the new Norwegian edition of the game Monopoly after it was successful in a national vote. The building may not be altered in any way without permission from the national preservation agency. It overlooks the town square and a park which was inaugurated on 28 August 1949. During the last 20 years, the municipality has established its position as the main trading centre for the

region and southern parts of

county. It has several relatively large shopping centres, however, this has led to a decline of the trade and shopping activity in the town centre. There are several churches in the town of Haugesund including Vår Frelsers Church,

Udland Church Udland Church ( no, Udland kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Haugesund Municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located in the town of Haugesund. It is one of the two churches for the Skåre parish which is part of the Ha ...

, Rossabø Church, and Skåre Church.

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Haugesund, 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

Haugaland og Sunnhordland District Court Haugaland og Sunnhordland District Court ( no, Haugaland og Sunnhordland tingrett) is a district court located in Vestland and Rogaland counties in Norway. This court is based at two different courthouses which are located in Haugesund and Leir ...

and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The

() of Haugesund is made up of 49 representatives that are elected every four years. The government is located at the Haugesund City Hall. 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:

Transport

Haugesund Airport, located on the island of

to the southwest of Haugesund in

municipality, has year-round flights to

and Gdańsk in addition to some seasonal and charter destinations. The Norwegian airline

Coast Air Coast Air AS was a regional airline based at Haugesund Airport, Karmøy in Norway. It was Norway's fourth largest airline and operated domestic services within Norway, in addition to international services. Routes were concentrated along the W ...

was based at Haugesund airport, but filed for bankruptcy on 23 January 2008. The European Route E39 bypasses Haugesund to the east, passing through Aksdal. The European Route E134 leads eastwards to

Drammen Drammen () is a city and municipality in Viken, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the south-eastern and most populated part of Norway. Drammen municipality also includes smaller towns and villages such as Konne ...

outside

. The

bus station A bus station or a bus interchange is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. While the term bus depot can also be used to refer to a bus station, it generally refers to a bus garage. A bus station is ...

in Haugesund is located at Flotmyr on the east side of the downtown area. Long-distance bus services are available to Stavanger, Bergen, and Oslo. The local bus transport is operated by

Vy Buss Vy Buss, formerly branded as Nettbuss, is the largest bus company in Norway, owned by Vy. It was established on 10 February 2000 as the continuation of the bus operations from former NSB Biltrafikk. In addition to bus services in major parts of ...

, on a contract with Kolumbus. The town is connected to the island of

Utsira Utsira () is the smallest List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Norway. The island municipality is located in northwestern Rogaland Counties of Norway, county, just off the western coast of Norway. Utsira is part of the Districts of ...

by car ferry, and to the islands of Røvær and Feøy by passenger ferry. Until 2008, the Newcastle–Bergen–Stavanger ferry operated here as well.

Healthcare

Haugesund Hospital Haugesund () is a municipality on the North Sea in Rogaland county, Norway. While the population is greater in the neighboring Karmøy municipality, the main commercial and economic centre of the Haugaland region in northern Rogaland and souther ...

provides specialist health services to around 180,000 inhabitants in North Rogaland, Sunnhordland, Hardanger and Ryfylke. The hospital offers services in both medicine and surgery, radiology / X-ray, childbirth / maternity, gynecology and fertility, habilitation and specialized treatment in mental health care. There are also more than 10 public and private health centers in the municipality for either general or specialized care, including the Privatsykehuset Haugesund.

Culture

Haugesund is the main cultural centre for its region, and is home to several festivals, the largest being the

Norwegian International Film Festival The Norwegian International Film Festival ( no, Den norske filmfestivalen) is a film festival held annually in Haugesund, Norway. The festival goes back to 1973. In 1985, the Amanda award was instituted. The Amanda is awarded every year at the fes ...

and

Sildajazz Sildajazz is a jazz festival, which is held annually on the second weekend of August, in Haugesund, Norway. The inaugural festival was in 1987. Both domestic and international artists participate at the festival and each year an award Sildjazzpris ...

, an international jazz festival with approximately 70 bands and close to 200 concerts. Every August, The Norwegian Trad-jazz festival, the ''

'' is held. Both local and international musicians are presented at the Sildajazz. In the summer of 2004, the annual rock festival, ""RockFest"" started. It attracted local, national and international pop and rock bands, such as Elton John,

Madcon Madcon is a Norwegian musical duo formed in 1992 by Yosef Wolde-Mariam and Tshawe Baqwa. They have released eight albums as of 2022. They are best known for the 2007 cover of "Beggin'" by The Four Seasons and the 2015 single " Don't Worry" fe ...

, DumDum Boys and

Kaizers Orchestra Kaizers Orchestra is a Norwegian alternative rock band formed on 1 January 2000. They are notable for being among the first non-black metal Norwegian artists singing in their native language to become popular beyond Scandinavia. In 2012, the gr ...

. The festival started as a part of the celebration of Haugesund's 150 year anniversary. In 2009, the last Rockfest was held, and got replaced by a new concept in 2010; Haugesund Live. Haugesund Live is a series of individual concerts, and has featured bands such as

The Baseballs The Baseballs are a German rock and roll band founded in Berlin in 2007. They became popular with 1950s and 1960s style rock cover versions of modern hits such as "Umbrella" by Rihanna, "Crazy in Love" by Beyoncé, "Hot n Cold" by Katy Perry and ...

Kim Larsen Kim Mellius Flyvholm Larsen (23 October 1945 – 30 September 2018) was a Danish rock and pop musician. He was a major selling Scandinavian act with over 5 million albums sold. Career Kim Larsen was born in Copenhagen. Inspired by The Bea ...

and Mötley Crüe. The

has since 1973 been held in Haugesund, premiering and showing international and Norwegian films. The Amanda Award, Norway's variation of the Oscars, has been held in Haugesund since 1985 in concurrence with the film festival.

Haugesunds Avis ''Haugesunds Avis'' is a daily newspaper published in Haugesund, Norway, but with branches in Bømlo, Kopervik, Odda, Sauda and Stord. Founded in 1895, it is today owned by the investment group Mecom Group, and is as such part of the media group ...

is a daily newspaper published in Haugesund, but with branches in

Bømlo Bømlo is a municipality in the southwestern part of Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnhordland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Svortland. Other villages in Bømlo includ ...

Kopervik Kopervik is the largest town on the island of Karmøy in Rogaland county, Norway. It is also the administrative centre of the municipality of Karmøy. It is part of the traditional district of Haugaland. The town was also an independent municipa ...

, Odda,

Sauda Sauda ''()'' is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sauda, where most of the population lives. Other villages in the municipality include Saudasjøen and Amdal. Despite being i ...

and

Stord Stord is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnhordland. Stord is sometimes called "Norway in miniature" since it has such a variety of landscapes: coastline, fjords, forests, agricultural ...

. Founded in 1895, it is today owned by the investment group

Mecom Group Mecom Group plc was a newspaper publishing company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Initially, it was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index until 22 December 2008, when it became one of three m ...

, and is as such part of the

media group A media conglomerate, media group, or media institution is a company that owns numerous companies involved in mass media enterprises, such as music, television, radio, publishing, motion pictures, theme parks, or the Internet. According to the ...

Edda Media Edda Media was a Norwegian media group that owns a number of Norwegian newspapers, television channels, radio channels and websites. The company is part of the Mecom Group and is the remaining domestic part of Orkla Media. In 2006 the newspapers ...

. In 2006, Haugesunds Avis had a circulation of 33 448. As of 2007, the

executive editor Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dire ...

is Tonny Nundal. The newspaper owns the local radio channel ''Radio 102''.

Churches

The Church of Norway has three parishes () within the municipality of Haugesund. It is part of the

Haugaland 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 ...

Education

The main campus of Stord/Haugesund University College is located in Haugesund. Established in 1994, it is the result of the merger between ''Haugesund Nursing College'', ''Stord Teachers College'', and ''Stord Nursing College''. The

university college In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...

has approximately 2700 students and 260 employees, thus making it one of the smallest university colleges in Norway. The county of Rogaland operates four high schools in Haugesund. The schools Skeisvang and Vardafjell prepare pupils for further for college or university studies. The schools Haugaland and Karmsund are vocational high schools. In addition, the private Haugesund Toppidrettsgymnas has a sports-oriented high school program. The municipality has seven pure elementary schools of grades 1 to 7 (Saltveit, Gard, Austrheim, Solvang, Lillesund, Rossabø, and Brakahaug), two pure middle schools of grades 8 to 10 (Haraldsvang and Håvåsen) and three grade 1 to 10 schools (Hauge, Røvær, and Skåredalen). In addition, the Breidablik school offers elementary and middle school courses to new foreigners and refugees. The two private schools are Steinerskolen offering a

Waldorf education Waldorf education, also known as Steiner education, is based on the educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy. Its educational style is holistic, intended to develop pupils' intellectual, artistic, and practical ski ...

program, and Danielsen, a Christian school offering courses for grades 8 and 9.

Sports

Football (soccer)

The strongest local football team is

FK Haugesund Fotballklubben Haugesund (English: ''Football Club Haugesund''), usually referred to as FK Haugesund or FKH, is a professional Norwegian football club from the city of Haugesund, Rogaland, Norway. The club currently plays in the Norwegian Elites ...

that has stayed in the

Norwegian Premier League Eliteserien () is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion ...

since 2010. The team plays its home matches at

Haugesund Stadion Haugesund Stadion, currently named Haugesund Sparebank Arena for sponsorship purposes, is a soccer-specific stadium in Haugesund, Norway. Haugesund Stadion is the home ground of Eliteserien team FK Haugesund and 2. divisjon team SK Vard Haugesun ...

. Other local football teams are Vard Haugesund, Djerv 1919 and

SK Haugar Sportsklubben Haugar is an association football club from Haugesund, Norway, established in 1939. Its top women's team plays in the Second Division and the top men's team plays in the Fifth Division. The men's team has played two Norwegian Foot ...

Other sports

* Haugesund IL, athletics. * Haugesund Seagulls, ice hockey *

Haugesund Turnforening Haugesund () is a municipalities of Norway, municipality on the North Sea in Rogaland counties of Norway, county, Norway. While the population is greater in the neighboring Karmøy municipality, the main commercial and economic centre of the Haug ...

, gymnastics

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Haugesund has

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

agreements with the following places: * Ekenäs,

Uusimaa Uusimaa (; sv, Nyland, ; both lit. 'new land') is a region of Finland. It borders the regions of Southwest Finland, Tavastia Proper (Kanta-Häme), Päijänne Tavastia (Päijät-Häme), and Kymenlaakso. Finland's capital and largest city, ...

, Finland * Emden,

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...

, Germany *

Søllerød Søllerød is a suburban district of Rudersdal Municipality in the northern outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark. The original village, one of the oldest in the area, is perched on Søllerød Hill on the south side of Søllerød Lake. It merged with ...

Hovedstaden The Capital Region of Denmark ( da, Region Hovedstaden, ) is the easternmost administrative region of Denmark. The Capital Region has 29 municipalities and a regional council consisting of 41 elected members. As of 1 August 2021 the chairperson ...

, Denmark *

Ystad Ystad (; older da, Ysted) is a town and the seat of Ystad Municipality, in Scania County, Sweden. Ystad had 18,350 inhabitants in 2010. The settlement dates from the 11th century and has become a busy ferryport, local administrative centre, a ...

, Skåne, Sweden Each of the sister cities (with exception of Emden) has given its name to a street in Haugesund. The streets are located in the same area near the border to the neighbouring municipality.

Notable people

* Eivind Nielsen (1864–1939) a Norwegian painter and illustrator of children's books *

Egil Eide Egil Næss Eide (24 August 1868 – 13 December 1946) was a Norwegian silent film actor and director. He appeared in eighteen films between 1913 and 1935, and worked at the National Theatre between 1899 and 1939. Career He was born in Hau ...

(1868–1946) a silent film actor and director * Henrik Børseth (1885–1970) a Norwegian actor *

Ellen Sinding Ellen Sinding (born ''Ellen Buttedahl''; April 17, 1899 – April 18, 1980) was a Norwegian actress and dancer. Sinding was born in Haugesund, the daughter of the actor and sculptor Sæbjørn Buttedahl and the actress Clare Petrea Margrethe Ben ...

(1899–1980) a Norwegian actress and dancer * Tollak B. Sirnes (1922–2009) a physician, psychiatrist and pharmacologist * Olle Johan Eriksen (1923–1999) politician, Mayor of Haugesund 1970's * Odd Langholm (born 1928) an economist and historian of economic thought * Jacob Stolt-Nielsen (1931–2015) entrepreneur, founded

Stolt-Nielsen Stolt-Nielsen Limited (SNL) provides transportation and storage for liquids, notably specialty and bulk liquid chemicals. It also has an aquaculture division that grows turbot and other fish and fish products. Founded in 1959, corporate services ...

, a parcel tanker firm *

Hanne Krogh Hanne Krogh (born 24 January 1956) is a Norwegian singer and actress from Haugesund and Oslo. Krogh is among the most selling record artists in Norway ever and is internationally well known for winning the Eurovision Song Contest 1985 with Elisab ...

(born 1956) singer and actress, won the

Eurovision Song Contest 1985 The Eurovision Song Contest 1985 was the 30th edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Gothenburg, Sweden, following the country's victory at the with the song "Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley" by Herreys. Organised by the European ...

Jon Fosse Jon Olav Fosse (born 29 September 1959) is a Norwegian author and dramatist. Biography Jon Fosse was born in Haugesund, Norway. A serious accident at age seven brought him close to death; the experience significantly influenced his adulthood wr ...

(born 1959) is a Norwegian author and dramatist *

Turid Birkeland Turid Birkeland (5 November 1962 – 24 December 2015) was a Norwegian cultural executive and former politician for the Labour Party. She was Minister of Culture in 1996–97. She was an author and also worked in television, including being chi ...

(1962–2015) a cultural executive and former politician * Steffen Kverneland (born 1963) a Norwegian illustrator and comics writer *

Kjetil Steensnæs Kjetil Steensnæs (born 17 April 1976, in Haugesund, Norway) is a Norwegian musician (handling various string instruments, such as guitar, dobro, pedal steel guitar and banjo) known from a number of collaborations with musicians like Rita Eriksen ...

(born 1976) jazz musician, plays guitar, dobro and banjo * Captain Frodo (born 1976) a Guinness World Record breaking contortionist, lives in Australia * Gunhild Stordalen (born 1979) a Norwegian physician and environmental advocate * Susanne Sundfør (born 1986) a singer-songwriter and record producer Marilyn Monroe sculpture, Haugesund

US emigrants

Gunvald Aus Gunvald Aus, also written Aas (May 30, 1851 – May 27, 1950) was a Norwegian-American engineer. He is most associated with the engineering of the Woolworth Building in New York City. Background He was born the son of Gabriel Godfrey Aas and So ...

(1851–1950) an engineer, built the

Woolworth Building The Woolworth Building is an early skyscraper, early American skyscraper designed by architect Cass Gilbert located at 233 Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was the tallest building in ...

NYC New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

* Hannah Kallem (1865-1937) American Army nurse, served in the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...

* Martin Edward Mortensen (1897–1981) the son of an emigrant from the village of Skjold near Haugesund, was listed as father on Monroe's birth certificate. A statue of

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

by Nils Aas stands in the harbour of Haugesund. * Sigmund R. Petersen (born ca.1940) emigrated in 1948 to the United States and became a rear admiral and fourth Director of the

NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, known informally as the NOAA Corps, is one of eight federal uniformed services of the United States, and operates under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis ...

Sport

* Stig Traavik (born 1967) a former judoka at

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...

and diplomat. *

Egil Østenstad Egil Johan Østenstad (; born 2 January 1972) is a Norwegian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He started and ended his career at Viking, before going on to play in the Premier League for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers an ...

(born 1972) former footballer with 334 club caps and 18 for

Trygve Nygaard Trygve Nygaard (born 19 August 1975) is a retired Norwegian footballer. External links100% Fotball(Norwegian Premier League statistics)nifs.no Profile 1975 births Living people People from Haugesund FK Haugesund players Viking FK players ...

(born 1975) a retired footballer with over 300 club caps * Kenneth Høie (born 1979) a former football goalkeeper with 330 club caps *

Svein Oddvar Moen Svein Oddvar Moen (born 22 January 1979) is a Norwegian football referee. He took up refereeing in 1995, and made his debut in the Eliteserien in 2003. He represents SK Haugar. Career He was selected to officiate the final of the 2011 FIFA U-1 ...

(born 1979) a Norwegian football referee * Susanne Wigene (born 1978) a middle and long-distance runner *

Christian Grindheim Christian Grindheim (born 17 July 1983) is a Norwegian retired professional footballer who last played as a midfielder for Eliteserien club FK Haugesund. Grindheim is known as a hardworking midfielder with tough tackling and powerful shots. He ...

(born 1983) a retired footballer with 530 club caps and 54 for

Tor Arne Andreassen Tor Arne Andreassen (born 16 March 1983 in Haugesund) is a Norwegian former footballer who played in defence and midfield for Haugesund. Career statistics External linksGuardian's Stats Centre 1983 births Living people Norwegian foo ...

(born 1983) former footballer, played 334 games with

* Alexander Søderlund (born 1987) a footballer with over 300 club caps and 32 for

* Sven Erik Bystrøm (born 1992) a Norwegian road bicycle racer

References

External links

Municipal fact sheet
from Statistics Norway * *
Tourist information (English, German and Norwegian language)Municipality website (Norwegian language)Haugalandet.net
{{use dmy dates, date=June 2020 Municipalities of Rogaland 1855 establishments in Norway