Askvoll

Infobox_Kommune
name = Askvoll
idnumber = 1428

---

county = Sogn og Fjordane
landscape = Sunnfjord
capital = Askvoll
demonym = Askvolling
language = Nynorsk


munwebpage = www.askvoll.kommune.no
governor = Aud Kari Steinsland (Ap)
governor_as_of = 2003
arearank = 262
area = 326
arealand = 313
areapercent = 0.10
population_as_of = 2004
populationrank = 259
population = 3,260
populationpercent = 0.07
populationdensity = 10
populationincrease = -6.3
lat_deg=61 | lat_min=24 | lat_sec=21 | lon_deg=5 | lon_min=14 | lon_sec=32
utm_zone=32V | utm_northing=6813786 | utm_easting=0299446 | geo_cat=adm2nd

Audio|Askvoll.ogg|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 a 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. cite web|url=http://www.sf-f.kommune.no/sff/emigration3.nsf/enduser?readform|title=Some historical data on the 26 Kommunes|date=9 Feb 2005|last=Natvik|first=Oddvar]

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.cite web|first=Dag|last=Jukvam|publisher=Statistics Norway|title=Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen|date=1999|url=http://www.ssb.no/emner/00/90/rapp_9913/rapp_9913.pdf no icon]

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.

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: [cite web|publisher=Statistics Norway|url=http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/00/01/20/kommvalgform_en/tab-2008-01-29-15-en.html|title=Members of the local councils|accessdaymonth=6 August|accessyear=2008|date=2007] Infobox_Kommunestyre
name=Askvoll
start=2007
end=2011
Total=23
Arbeiderpartiet=6
Fremskrittspartiet=1
Høyre=3
Kristelig_Folkeparti=2
Senterpartiet=5
Sosialistisk_Venstreparti=1
Venstre=5
Rødt=
Local_Lists=|

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. [cite web|publisher=Scandion.no|title=Ordførar i Askvoll kommune |url=http://www.scandion.no/sognogfjordane/askvoll/politikk/ordforar.html|date=9 July 2007|accessdaymonth=5 August|accessyear=2008 no icon]

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.

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.

tongfjord 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 at Atløy is a medieval wooden church constructed in 1674.

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.cite web|url=http://www.gonorway.com/norway/counties/sogn-and-fjordande/askvoll/763b49bb566e679|title=Askvoll Municipality in Norway|accessdaymonth=9 August|accessyear=2008]

External links

* [http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&om=1&z=10&ll=61.400663,5.170441&spn=0.494345,1.448822&t=h Google map showing Askvoll]

References