Askvoll kommune
— Municipality —



Askvoll within Sogn og Fjordane
Coordinates: 61°24′21″N 5°14′32″E / 61.40583°N 5.24222°E / 61.40583; 5.24222
Country Norway
County Sogn og Fjordane
District Sunnfjord
Municipality ID NO-1428
Administrative centre Askvoll
Government
- Mayor (2003) Aud Kari Steinsland (Ap)
Area (Nr. 262 in Norway)
- Total 326 km2 (125.9 sq mi)
- Land 313 km2 (120.8 sq mi)
Population (2004)
- Total 3,260
- Density 10/km2 (25.9/sq mi)
- Change (10 years) -6.3 %
- Rank in Norway 259
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Official language form Nynorsk
Demonym Askvolling
Website www.askvoll.kommune.no
Data from Statistics Norway
Askvoll is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative centre is the village of Askvoll.

Askvoll municipality has about 3,000 inhabitants and covers an area of 326.4 km². The municipality stretches from Bulandet in west and Førde in east. The highest peak is the 1,304 metre high Blegja. Alden Mountain, known as the "Norwegian Horse" is located here. It rises almost vertically out of the sea to a height of 481 metres above sea level and is visible from more than 100 km out at sea. The most important industries in Askvoll today are Helle Knivfabrikk, Bulandet Fiskeindustri, and Sigurd Løkeland Hermetikkfabrikk (a producer of crabs).



General information

The name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the farm Askvoll (Old Norse Askvöllr), since the first church was built there. The first element is askr which means ash tree and the last element is völlr which means meadow.


Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted in 1990. It shows an old stone cross, the Korssundkrossen.


Background
Askvoll was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The original municipality was identical to the Askvoll parish (prestegjeld) with the sub-parishes (sokn) of Askvoll, Vilnes, Øn, and Hyllestad.

In 1862, the sub-parishes of Øn and Hyllestad (population: 2,475) were separated from Askvoll and (along with the Bø sub-parish from Lavik) formed the new municipality of Hyllestad. This left Askvoll with 2 sub-parishes and a population of 3,065.

On 1 January 1888, several farms (population: 317) were transferred from Askvoll to neighboring Utvær.

On 1 January 1964, the parts of Vevring (population: 407) and Bru (population: 92) that were located south of the Førdefjorden were merged into Askvoll. This gave Askvoll a population of 3,585.

On 1 January 1990, Askvoll and Fjaler did a land trade: the Fjaler farms of Vårdal, Holmedal, Rivedal, and part of Hestad (population: 731) were transferred to Askvoll; and the Askvoll farms of Fure, Folkestad, and Våge (population: 482) were transferred to Fjaler.


Local Churches
The Church of Norway has seven churches within the municipality of Askvoll. It is part of the Diocese of Bjørgvin and the Rural Deanery (Prosti) of Sunnfjord.

Churches in Askvoll Parish
(Prestegjeld) Sub-Parish
(Sokn) Church Name Year Built Location
of the Church
Askvoll Parish Askvoll Askvoll kyrkje 1863 Askvoll
Bulandet bedehuskapell 1905 Musøya
Holmedal kyrkje 1868 Holmedal
Kvammen kapell 1977 Kvammen
Stongfjorden bedehuskapell 1908 Stongfjorden
Vilnes kyrkje 1674 Vilnes
Værlandet bedehuskapell 1960 Værøy
*In 2006, the 3 sokns (Askvoll, Holmedal, and Vilnes) were merged into one sokn: Askvoll.


Government
All municipalities in Norway, including Askvoll, 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.


Municipal Council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Askvoll is made up of 23 representatives that are elected to every four years. For 2007–2011, the party breakdown is as follows:




Askvoll Kommunestyre 2007 - 2011 Party Name Name in Norwegian Number of
representatives
Labour Party Det Norske Arbeiderpartiet 6
Progress Party Fremskrittspartiet 1
Conservative Party Høyre 3
Christian Democratic Party Kristelig Folkeparti 2
Centre Party Senterpartiet 5
Socialist Left Party Sosialistisk Venstreparti 1
Liberal Party Venstre 5
Total: 23


Mayor
The mayor (ordførar) of a municipality in Norway is a representative of the majority party of the municipal council who is elected to lead the council. Aud Kari Stensland of the Labour Party (Det Norske Arbeiderpartiet) was re-elected mayor for the 2007-2011 term.


Geography
Askvoll covers an area of 321 km². Of this, 254 km² are on the mainland while the remaining 67 km² are made up of islands and skerries along its 52 km coastline. To the west lies the North Sea, to the north is the municipalities of Flora and Naustdal, to the east is Førde and Gaular, and to the south is Fjaler and Solund.


Attractions

Birdlife
Askvoll can boast of many seabird reserves within the municipality. Otherwise mainland Askvoll provides habitat that is typical for the region. These however have restrictions, especially during the breeding season. One area that is good for birding is the Askvika nature reserve. This wetland area has a rich bird life with 69 recorded species.



Part of the road between Bulandet and Vaerlandet that opened in 2003. The mountain at the left is Alden.
Bulandet
Bulandet is Norway´s western-most fishing community. Bulandet includes 365 islands and has approximately 270 inhabitants. During the summer, Bulandet is a favourite spot for boaters and tourists staying in cottages and fisherman cabins. The name "Bulandet" comes from the numerous wharf-side cabins here, known as "bu".


Værlandet
At the mouth of the fjord, near the majestic Alden Mountain, the Værlandet islands are beautifully linked together by six bridges and 5,240 metres of road. The Nordsjøporten road is not only important for traffic and communication in the area but also allows for a fantastic journey through the islands.

Værlandet has a population of approximately 200 people. Fishing and fish farming are the most important industries, but both tourism and the export of high quality stone (breccia) to Italy are expanding. There is a collection of picturesque small houses on the water’s edge in Værøyhamna harbour.


Alden
Also known as the "Norwegian Horse", Alden Mountain is an old and pronounced landmark for sailors along the coast. It rises almost vertically out of the sea to a height of 481 metres above sea level and is visible from more than 100 km out at sea. There is a marked path to the top, accessible using the scheduled boat service from Askvoll.


Blegja
The 1,304 metre high Blegja mountain in Askvoll is a magnificent view. From the top, hikers can see the Jostedal glacier to the east and as far as Snønipa and the Ålfot glacier in Bremanger.


Stongfjord Industries
Stongfjord Industries is Norway´s oldest aluminium factory. British Aluminium Company started hydropower plant development in 1906, and produced aluminium from 1908 to 1945. Traces of the English industry are still apparent in the form of private houses, tennis courts, and football fields.


Vilnes Church
The Vilnes Church on Atløy Island is a medieval wooden church constructed in 1674.[6]


Ingólfur Arnarson
The Ingólfur Arnarson statue in Rivedal is a monument to the pioneer spirit in the Dalsfjorden prior to the year 1000. Together with his brother, Ingólfur Arnarson he discovered Iceland, and laid the groundwork for the first Norwegian settlement there.