Averøy

Infobox_Kommune
name=Averøy
idnumber=1554
county=Møre og Romsdal
landscape=Nordmøre
capital=Averøy
governor=Jarle Haga (V)
governor_as_of=2003
arearank=349
area=176
arealand=173
areapercent=0.05
population_as_of=2004
populationrank=179
population=5,472
populationpercent=0.12
populationdensity=32
populationincrease=-1.5
demonym=Averøying
language=

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munwebpage=www.averoy.kommune.no

Averøy is a municipality in the county of Møre og Romsdal, Norway.

The municipality was created in 1964. (The former municipalities of Kvernes, Kornstad and (most of) Bremsnes was then merged together.)

The tourist attraction Atlanterhavsveien (Atlantic Road) connects the island and municipality of Averøy to the municipality Eide, which is on the mainland. In 2005, it was awarded the "Building of the Century" prize by the Norwegian Construction Industry. A ferry goes from "Bremsnes" on Averøy to Kristiansund, but is eventually to be replaced by an undersea tunnel known as Atlanterhavstunnelen (Atlantic Tunnel), which is scheduled for completion in 2008/2009.

The name

The municipality is named after the island Averøya or Averøy (Old Norse "Afrøy"). The meaning of the first element is unknown (maybe "afr" 'great, big').

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1986). It shows three arrowheads made of slate from the Stone Age, found in the municipality.

History

Averøy is an island full of historic landmarks, like the Bremsnes cave with Mesolithic findings from the Fosna culture. Langøysund, now a remote fishing community, was once a buzzling port along the main coastal route, and the site of the Compromise of 1040 between King Magnus I and the farmers along the coast. Also, the Medieval Kvernes stave church (built around 1300 - 1350).