Smøla

Smøla is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Nordmøre region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hopen, other villages include Dyrnes, Råket, and Veiholmen.

This article is about the municipality in Møre og Romsdal, Norway. For the island, see Smøla (island).
Smøla kommune
Municipality
View of Veiholmen
Møre og Romsdal within
Norway
Smøla within Møre og Romsdal
Coordinates: 63°24′07″N 08°01′45″E
CountryNorway
CountyMøre og Romsdal
DistrictNordmøre
Established1 Jan 1960
Administrative centreHopen
Government
 • Mayor (2019)Svein Roksvåg (Sp)
Area
 • Total271.91 km2 (104.99 sq mi)
 • Land261.09 km2 (100.81 sq mi)
 • Water10.82 km2 (4.18 sq mi)  4%
Area rank272 in Norway
Population
 (2020)
 • Total2,150
 • Rank272 in Norway
 • Density8.2/km2 (21/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years)
0.3%
Demonym(s)Smølværing[1]
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-1573
Official language formNeutral[2]
Websitesmola.kommune.no
Data from Statistics Norway

The 272-square-kilometre (105 sq mi) municipality is the 272nd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Smøla is the 272nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,150. The municipality's population density is 8.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (21/sq mi) and its population has increased by 0.3% over the previous 10-year period.[3][4]

General information
The fishing village of Veiholmen
View of the Old Edøy Church

The municipality of Smøla was established on 1 January 1960 after the merger of the municipalities of Edøy (population: 1,135), Brattvær (population: 1,361), and Hopen (population: 1,550). The initial population of Smøla was 4,046. The boundaries have not changed since that time.[5]

Name

The municipality is named after the main island of Smøla (Old Norse: Smyl or Smjöl). The name is probably related to the modern Norwegian words smule and smuldre which means "crumble", referring to the thousands of small islands and islets around the main island.[6] Researchers at the Technical University of Berlin have claimed that Smøla is the island which Pytheas called Thule (Greek: Θούλη, Thoúlē).[7]

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted in 1989. The arms show two white seagulls on a red background. This design was chosen to highlight the fact that this is an island community and that is a common type of bird in the area.[8]

See also: the coat-of-arms of Hasvik

Churches

The Church of Norway has three parishes within the municipality of Smøla. It is part of the Ytre Nordmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Møre.

In 2019, archaeologists from the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research using large-scale high-resolution georadar technology, determined that a 17 meter long Viking ship was buried on the island of Edøya near one of the churches. They estimate its age as over 1,000 years, from the Merovingian or Viking period; the group hopes to conduct additional searches in the area. A similar burial was found previously by the group, in Gjellestad.[9]

Churches in Smøla
Parish (sokn)Church nameLocation of the churchYear built
BrattværBrattvær Church1917Brattvær
EdøyEdøy Church1885Edøy
Old Edøy Churchc. 1190Edøya
HopenHopen Church1892Hopen

Geography
View of a boat in Smøla

The municipality of Smøla is located north of the town of Kristiansund, off the western coast of Norway. The municipality consists of the main island of Smøla and more than 3,000 smaller ones. The 214-square-kilometre (83 sq mi) main island is very flat, the highest peak reaches 63 metres (207 ft) above sea level. Almost all of the land area consists of marshes and cliffs; only 5% is cultivated into agricultural land. Other minor islands in the municipality include Edøya, Kuli, and Veiholmen. The municipality is separated from the rest of Norway by the Edøyfjorden to the south.

Due to the vast number of small islands surrounding Smøla, there are several lighthouses. The three most notable ones are Haugjegla Lighthouse (north of Smøla), Skalmen Lighthouse, (northwest of Smøla), and Tyrhaug Lighthouse (southeast of Smøla in the Edøyfjorden).

Scientists of the Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformationtechnique of the Technical University of Berlin were testing the antique maps of Ptolemy and recognized a pattern of calculation mistakes that occurred when one tried to convert the old coordinates from Ptolemy into modern cartographical maps. The scientists believe that, when one compensates for these mistakes, the mythological location Thule corresponds to the island of Smøla.[10]

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Smøla, 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.[11] The municipality falls under the Nordmøre District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Smøla is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:

Smøla Kommunestyre 2020–2023 [12]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)6
 Conservative Party (Høyre)2
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)7
 Liberal Party (Venstre)1
 Smøla to Trøndelag (Smøla til Trøndelag)1
Total number of members:17
Smøla Kommunestyre 2016–2019 [13]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)12
 Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet)1
 Conservative Party (Høyre)3
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)3
 Liberal Party (Venstre)2
Total number of members:21
Smøla Kommunestyre 2012–2015 [14]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)7
 Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet)1
 Conservative Party (Høyre)6
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)2
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)1
 Liberal Party (Venstre)4
Total number of members:21
Smøla Kommunestyre 2008–2011 [13]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)3
 Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet)2
 Conservative Party (Høyre)6
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)1
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)1
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)1
 Liberal Party (Venstre)7
Total number of members:21
Smøla Kommunestyre 2004–2007 [13]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)4
 Conservative Party (Høyre)3
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)1
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)2
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)3
 Liberal Party (Venstre)8
Total number of members:21
Smøla Kommunestyre 2000–2003 [13]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)4
 Conservative Party (Høyre)4
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)2
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)3
 Liberal Party (Venstre)8
Total number of members:21
Smøla Kommunestyre 1996–1999 [15]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)5
 Conservative Party (Høyre)3
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)1
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)3
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)2
 Liberal Party (Venstre)7
Total number of members:21
Smøla Kommunestyre 1992–1995 [16]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)5
 Conservative Party (Høyre)6
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)1
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)3
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)3
 Liberal Party (Venstre)3
Total number of members:21
Smøla Kommunestyre 1988–1991 [17]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)5
 Conservative Party (Høyre)4
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)1
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)4
 Liberal Party (Venstre)2
 Veidholmen local list (Veidholmen kretslist)2
 North Smøla local list (Nordsmøla Kretsliste)3
Total number of members:21
Smøla Kommunestyre 1984–1987 [18]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)9
 Conservative Party (Høyre)4
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)2
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)5
 Liberal Party (Venstre)2
 Veidholmen local list (Veidholmen kretslist)4
 Local list for South Smøla (Kretsliste for Sørsmøla)1
Total number of members:27
Smøla Kommunestyre 1980–1983 [19]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)8
 Conservative Party (Høyre)4
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)2
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)7
 Liberal Party (Venstre)3
 Non-party list (Upolitisk liste)4
Total number of members:27
Smøla Kommunestyre 1976–1979 [20]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)9
 Conservative Party (Høyre)3
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)4
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)6
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)2
 Liberal Party (Venstre)3
Total number of members:27
Smøla Kommunestyre 1972–1975 [21]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)9
 Conservative Party (Høyre)2
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)3
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)4
 Liberal Party (Venstre)4
 Local List(s) (Lokale lister)5
Total number of members:27
Smøla Kommunestyre 1968–1971 [22]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)12
 Conservative Party (Høyre)3
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)3
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)3
 Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti)2
 Liberal Party (Venstre)4
Total number of members:27
Smøla Kommunestyre 1964–1967 [23]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)13
 Conservative Party (Høyre)3
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)5
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)2
 Liberal Party (Venstre)4
Total number of members:27
Smøla Kommunestyre 1960–1963 [24]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)11
 Conservative Party (Høyre)5
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)5
 Liberal Party (Venstre)5
 Local List(s) (Lokale lister)1
Total number of members:27

Mayor

The mayors of Smøla (incomplete list):

  • 2019-present: Svein Roksvåg (Sp)
  • 2011-2019: Roger Osen (Ap)
  • 1991-2011: Iver G. Nordseth (V)
  • 1988-1991: Joralf Flataukan (H)
  • 1985-1987: Hans Vallestad (H)
  • 1980-1985: Gudmund Restad (Sp)

Media

The newspaper Nordvestnytt has been published in Smøla since 1988.[25]

Energy
View of some wind turbines

On 5 September 2002, Statkraft announced the opening of the Smøla Wind Farm, a 40-megawatt (54,000 hp) wind project comprising twenty 2-MW wind turbines by Norway's King Harald V. This corresponds to phase one of the wind project, which when completed will have a total installed capacity of more than 110 megawatts (150,000 hp). Phase two was opened in September 2005 and included forty-eight 2.3-MW wind turbines. All in all, the wind energy production project consists of 68 windmills, making it among the largest wind projects in Europe. With a total generating capacity of 150 megawatts (200,000 hp), the Smøla wind farm's 68 turbines account for more than half of the installed wind power capacity in Norway. The total generating capacity is equivalent to 450 GWh of electricity per year, which corresponds to the average annual power consumption of 22,500 Norwegian households.[26]

Attractions
View of the Kulisteinen

References
  1. "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
  2. "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
  3. Statistisk sentralbyrå (2020). "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
  4. Statistisk sentralbyrå (2020). "09280: Area of land and fresh water (km²) (M)" (in Norwegian).
  5. Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå.
  6. Store norske leksikon. "Smøla" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2013-04-07.
  7. "Dag og Tid".
  8. "Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  9. "Ancient Viking ship discovered buried next to church using breakthrough georadar technology". The Independent. 27 November 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2019. This will certainly be of great historical significance, archaeologists say
  10. Kleineberg, Andreas; Marx, Christian; Knobloch, Eberhard; Lelgemann, Dieter (2010). "Germania und die Insel Thule. Die Entschlüsselung von Ptolemaios´ "Atlas der Oikumene"". Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  11. Hansen, Tore, ed. (2016-05-12). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 2019-04-06.
  12. "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2019 - Møre og Romsdal" (in Norwegian). Statistics Norway. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
  13. "Table: 04813: Members of the local councils, by party/electoral list at the Municipal Council election (M)" (in Norwegian). Statistics Norway.
  14. "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2011 - Møre og Romsdal" (in Norwegian). Statistics Norway. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
  15. "Kommunestyrevalget 1995" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1996. Retrieved 2020-04-26.
  16. "Kommunestyrevalget 1991" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1993. Retrieved 2020-04-26.
  17. "Kommunestyrevalget 1987" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1988. Retrieved 2020-04-26.
  18. "Kommunestyrevalget 1983" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1984. Retrieved 2020-04-26.
  19. "Kommunestyrevalget 1979" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1979. Retrieved 2020-04-26.
  20. "Kommunevalgene 1975" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1977. Retrieved 2020-04-26.
  21. "Kommunevalgene 1972" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1973. Retrieved 2020-04-26.
  22. "Kommunevalgene 1967" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1967. Retrieved 2020-04-26.
  23. "Kommunevalgene 1963" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1964. Retrieved 2020-04-26.
  24. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 2020-04-26.
  25. Breivik Pettersen, Øyvind, ed. (2016-11-25). "Nordvestnytt". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  26. "Statkraft takes over smola". Statkraft. 25 August 2010. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
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