Osterøy is an

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 isla ...

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 ...

Vestland Vestland is a Counties of Norway, 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 cit ...

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 countries, 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 ...

. It is located in the traditional district of

Nordhordland Nordhordland is a traditional district in the western part of Norway. The district consists of the northern portion of the old Hordaland county (now in Vestland county), north of the city of Bergen. It includes the municipalities Alver, Austr ...

. The municipality encompasses most of the island of Osterøy. The

administrative centre An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located. In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...

of Osterøy is the village of

Lonevåg Lonevåg is the administrative centre of Osterøy municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located on the northern coast of the island of Osterøy, at the end of the long Lonevågen fjord, which branches off the main Osterfjorden ...

in the central part of the island. The largest settlement is the village of Valestrandfossen with 1,219 inhabitants as of 1 January 2016. Osterøy municipality and

Vaksdal Municipality is a municipality in the county of Vestland, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Nordhordland. The administrative centre is the village of Dalekvam. Other villages in Vaksdal include Dalegarden, Flatkvål, Helle, Nesheim, S ...

are both located on the island of Osterøy. Osterøy municipality covers most of the island with the mostly uninhabited northeastern part of the island belonging to Vaksdal municipality. Osterøy is located a short distance northeast of the city of

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, secon ...

. It is surrounded by the

Osterfjorden Osterfjorden is a fjord in Vestland county, Norway. The fjord is one of three fjords surrounding the island of Osterøy. The fjord runs along the municipal border of Alver and Osterøy municipalities. The fjord begins at the Romarheimsfjorde ...

, Sørfjorden, and

Veafjorden Veafjorden (historically, the Vedåfjorden) is a fjord in Vestland county, Norway. The long fjord flows between the mainland and the island of Osterøy in Vaksdal municipality. There is one bridge across the fjord, the Kallestadsundet Bridge n ...

. The 19th-century musician and composer

Ole Bull Ole Bornemann Bull (; 5 February 181017 August 1880) was a Norwegian virtuoso violinist and composer. According to Robert Schumann, he was on a level with Niccolò Paganini for the speed and clarity of his playing. Biography Background Bull ...

had a summer home in Valestrandfossen in Osterøy. The historic Havrå farm is a cluster farm which represents the traditional way of living for farmers. Havrå is located on the southeastern part of the municipality. The municipality is the 284th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Osterøy is the 129th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 8,131. The municipality's

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

is and its population has increased by 8.1% over the previous 10-year period.

Geography

The municipality sits on the island of Osterøy, and it is surrounded by several fjords:

Romarheimsfjorden Romarheimsfjorden is a fjord in Vestland county, Norway. The fjord flows through the municipalities of Modalen, Alver, and Osterøy. The western end of the fjord lies near the island of Hokøy where the fjord flows in to the Osterfjorden on it ...

, Sørfjorden, and

. The highest mountain in the municipality is the tall

Høgafjellet Høgafjellet is a mountain on the island of Osterøy in Vestland county, Norway. Høgafjellet sits on the border between the municipalities of Osterøy and Vaksdal, about east of the village of Fotlandsvåg and about west of the Veafjorden. Th ...

on the municipal border with Vaksdal. The

Lonevågen Lonevågen is a small fjord arm flowing south off of the Osterfjorden in Vestland county, Norway. The long fjord is up to wide. The fjord cuts into the island of Osterøy in Osterøy Municipality. The village of Lonevåg, the administrative ...

fjord cuts in the center of the island, with the village of

sitting at the end of the fjord.

Settlements

Osterøy contains six "urban settlements", as defined by

Statistics Norway Statistics Norway ( no, Statistisk sentralbyrå, abbreviated to ''SSB'') is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876. Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every ye ...

(with populations listed from 1 January 2016): Valestrandfossen (1,218 inhabitants),

(875 inhabitants),

Hausvik Haus or Hausvik is a village in Osterøy municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located on the southwestern coast of the island of Osterøy along the Sørfjorden. The village lies across the Sørfjorden from the villages of Ytr ...

(655 inhabitants), Haugo (617 inhabitants),

Fotlandsvåg Fotlandsvåg is a village in Osterøy municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located on the northern shore of the island of Osterøy, along the Osterfjorden. The village lies in the northeastern part of the municipality, about ...

(320 inhabitants), and

Hamre Hamre may refer to: Places *Hamre Township, Beltrami County, Minnesota, a civil township in Minnesota, United States *Hamre, Osterøy, a village in Osterøy municipality in Vestland county, Norway *Hamre (municipality), a former municipality in Ves ...

(217 inhabitants). Other rural settlements in Osterøy include Austbygdi, Bruvik,

Gjerstad Gjerstad is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional region of Sørlandet, in the southeastern part of the county, along the border with Telemark county. The administrative centre of the municipality is the vill ...

, and Hosanger.

History

The municipality of Osterøy was created on 1 January 1964 as part of a major municipal merger that was proposed by 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 Munici ...

. Osterøy was created from parts of four different municipalities that were all dissolved in the merger. The following areas were merged to form the new municipality of Osterøy: *all of Haus municipality that was located on Osterøy island (population: 2,327) *the Bruvikbygda area of Bruvik municipality that was located on Osterøy island (population: 409) *all of Hosanger municipality that was located on Osterøy island (population: 1,616) *all of

municipality that was located on Osterøy island (population: 1,166)

Name

The municipality was named after the island on which it is located. 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 settlement ...

form of the name was ''"Ostr"''. The last element ''"øy"'' which means "island" in Norwegian was added later. The meaning of the name is unknown. It is possible that it comes from the word ''"óstr"'' which means "east".

Culture

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 Osterøy municipality is a relatively new creation; it was granted on 20 December 1985. It shows three blue

broad axe A broadaxe is a large (broad)-headed axe. There are two categories of cutting edge on broadaxes, both are used for shaping logs by hewing. On one type, one side is flat, and the other side beveled, a basilled edge, also called a side axe, single ...

s pointing downwards on a field of white, with two axes at the top and one beneath. Broad axes are used in the construction of timber houses, which has long traditions in the municipality. The designer was Egil Korsnes who based his design on the idea of Magnus Hardeland.

Churches

The

Church of Norway The Church of Norway ( nb, Den norske kirke, nn, Den norske kyrkja, se, Norgga girku, sma, Nöörjen gærhkoe) is an evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. The church ...

has five parishes () within the municipality of Osterøy. It is part of the

Åsane prosti Åsane is a borough of the city of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. The borough makes up the northern part of the city, north of the city centre. Åsane is connected to downtown Bergen by the E16/ E39 highway. The E16 highway continues on t ...

(

deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or reside ...

) in the

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

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Osterøy, are responsible for

primary education Primary education or elementary education is typically the first stage of formal education, coming after preschool/ kindergarten and before secondary school. Primary education takes place in '' primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or ...

(through 10th grade), outpatient

health services Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profe ...

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 refe ...

and other

social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or adminis ...

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 o ...

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

Hordaland District Court Hordaland District Court ( no, Hordaland tingrett) is a district court (Norway), district court located in Vestland county, Norway. This court is based at two different courthouses which are located in Bergen and Lofthus, Vestland, Lofthus. The co ...

and the

Gulating Court of Appeal The Gulating Court of Appeal ( no, Gulating lagmannsrett) is one of six courts of appeal in the Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the city of Bergen. The court has jurisdiction over the counties of Vestland and Rogaland plus Sirdal Muni ...

Municipal council

The

() of Osterøy is made up of 27 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 featu ...

breakdown of the council is as follows:

Mayor

The mayors of Osterøy (incomplete list): *2019–present: Lars Fjeldstad ( Sp) *2015-2019: Jarle Skeidsvoll ( KrF) *2003-2015: Kari Foseid Aakre ( Ap)

Transport

Osterøy is connected to the mainland by a ferry from Breistein to Valestrand, and by a bridge on the far southern end of the island. The ferry named "Ole Bull" is sailing every half-hour from Breistein and Valestrand from early morning to late in the evening. The Osterøy Bridge, finished in 1997, provides Osterøy with its only permanent road connection to the mainland in Bergen municipality. The bridge has a main span of , the third longest

suspension bridge A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 1800s. Simple suspension bridges, which lack vertical ...

main span in Norway, for a total length of . Since 2015, the bridge has been toll-free. There are no road connections from Osterøy municipality to the

Vaksdal is a municipality in the county of Vestland, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Nordhordland. The administrative centre is the village of Dalekvam. Other villages in Vaksdal include Dalegarden, Flatkvål, Helle, Nesheim, ...

municipality part of Osterøy island. That part of the island has the

Kallestadsundet Bridge The Kallestadsundet Bridge is a bridge over the Veafjorden in Vaksdal municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The bridge links the mainland part of Vaksdal municipality to the part that lies on the island of Osterøy. The bridge lies about no ...

connecting it to the rest of Vaksdal municipality from the east.

People from Osterøy

Jens Frølich Tandberg Jens Frølich Tandberg (May 13, 1852 – March 21, 1922) was the bishop of Oslo from 1912 to 1922. Tandberg was born in Hausvik, Norway. He was the son of Jørgen Tandberg, who served as the bishop of the Diocese of Kristiansand from 188 ...

(1852 in Hausvik – 1922) the

bishop of Oslo Oslo bishopric is the Church of Norway's bishopric for the municipalities of Oslo, Asker and Bærum. It is one of Norway's five traditional bishoprics and was founded around the year 1070. History Oslo was established as a diocese in 1068. It w ...

, 1912 to 1922 * Ola Raknes (1887–1975) a psychologist, philologist and non-fiction writer, grew up in Hamre *

Einar Selvik Einar Selvik (born 18 November 1979), also known by his stage name Kvitrafn ("white raven"), is a Norwegian musician known for being the drummer in the black metal band Gorgoroth from 2000 to 2004, and for fronting the Nordic folk project War ...

(born 1979), a musician primarily known for his work with

Gorgoroth Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. It was formed in 1992 by guitarist Infernus, who is also the only original member remaining, and the band have since released nine studio albums. Gorgoroth are a Satanic band and have ...

and for fronting Wardruna * Sylvelin Vatle (born 1957), a novelist and children's writer * Tore Eikeland, (Norwegian Wiki) (1990-2011), a politician

Sport

Mons Ivar Mjelde Mons Ivar Mjelde (born 17 November 1967) is a Norwegian footballer coach and former player who works as head coach for the Norwegian club Øygarden. He is notable for having led Brann to the Norwegian top division championship in 2007, breaking ...

(born 1967), a former footballer with 287 club caps and coach * Erlend Hanstveit (born 1981), a former footballer with 330 club caps * Sigrid Borge (born 1995 in Hausvik) a Norwegian javelin thrower

References

External links

Municipal fact sheet
from

{{DEFAULTSORT:Osteroy Municipalities of Vestland 1964 establishments in Norway