Sauda

Part of the inner seaport in the town of Sauda

View of the landscapes of rural Sauda

The municipality of Sauda was established in 1842 when it was separated from the large municipality of Suldal. Initially, Sauda had a population of 1,584. The municipal boundaries have never changed.[6] The municipality declared the urban area of Sauda as a town in 1999.[7]

The Workers township, Åbøbyen 2005.

Before The Workers township was built, Åbøbyen 1917.

Archaeological excavation in Saudasjøen shows that people have been living in Sauda since the latest Ice Age. In 1349, the Plague/Black Death wiped out about two-thirds of the population in Sauda, causing a decline in both population and economy. Despite this, the population was increasing during the medieval period, and a new type of industry started to grow. Along the fjord, the power from several waterfalls was used to build and run sawmills, and large-scale lumber production was started. People from all over the world, especially from the Netherlands, started to trade with the people of Sauda. This resulted in major ship traffic, giving impetus to further development of the villages and farms in Sauda.

By the end of the 19th century, a new type of adventure would change the lives of the inhabitants forever. The mining industry started in the mountains of Hellandsbygd, making Sauda a small industrial area and trading center for the surrounding region. In 1910, the American company Electric Furnace Company (EFP) began the construction of Europe's largest smelting plant here in Sauda. This could only be done because of the large number of waterfalls and rivers that made it possible to build power plants situated a short distance from the smelter, which uses large amounts of electricity.

Sauda's time as a farming village was now over, and the people of today still live on the foundation of the new town that emerged. By the end of World War II, the Germans had finished building a large Aluminum Melting Plant in Saudasjøen, but the production was moved to Årdal in 1946. The remaining buildings were demolished by the municipality in the 1950s, leaving the industrial area in Saudasjøen empty for decades. In the 1980s, a glass production factory was established together with a couple of mechanic production factories. The population of Sauda reached its peak in the mid-1960s, approximately 6,700 inhabitants. In 1998, the urban area of Sauda was declared to be a town (mostly a symbolic name, with no new municipal authority).

Sauda is located in the valleys and mountains surrounding the Saudafjorden. Outside of the main valley, most of the municipality is very mountainous terrain, with mountains like Skaulen (1,560 metres or 5,120 feet) and Kyrkjenuten (1,620 metres or 5,310 feet). The town of Sauda is located about two hours by boat from the city of Stavanger, about three hours by car from the city of Bergen, and about five hours by car from the national capital, Oslo. The mountains surrounding the village of Saudasjøen contain one of the biggest ski resorts on the west coast of Norway. The town of Sauda is located on flat land, a delta created by the rivers that empty into the fjord just outside the town centre.

All municipalities in Norway, including Sauda, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor.[10] The municipality falls under the Haugaland District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

The main activity is industry, with large companies represented like Eramet, Saint-Gobain, Statkraft, Sauda Building Center, Statnett, Elkem, and Effektivt Renhold

Sauda has a well-developed nightlife, which is suited for all adult ages. There are young-adult bars, as well as more mature-adult bars accessible. A movie theater, many tourist attractions, and restaurants exist as a way of relaxing after skiing. However, the most highly recommended first stop is the après-ski at Sauda Skisenter. Also notable athletes, alpine racers, and summer-winter athletes call Sauda home.

• Odd Bondevik, Bishop of the Diocese of Møre in the Church of Norway
• Bjørn Eidsvåg, priest and musician
• Kjartan Fløgstad, author
• Hans Frette (1927–1989), Member of the Parliament of Norway
• Hildeborg Juvet Hugdal, sometimes called the World's Strongest Woman
• Svein Mathisen (1952–2011), Football league and national team player
• Torfinn Opheim, former mayor and member of the Parliament of Norway
• Jakob Aano, Member of the Parliament of Norway

Sauda has sister city agreements with the following places:

• San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sauda.

Look up Sauda in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Rogaland travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Municipal fact sheet from Statistics Norway (in Norwegian)