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Volda Municipality
Volda kommune | |
---|---|
Volden herred (historic name) | |
![]() View of Volda and the Voldsfjorden | |
![]() Møre og Romsdal within Norway | |
![]() Volda within Møre og Romsdal | |
Coordinates: 62°05′16″N 06°00′51″E / 62.08778°N 6.01417°E | |
Country | Norway |
County | Møre og Romsdal |
District | Sunnmøre |
Established | 1 Jan 1838 |
• Created as | Formannskapsdistrikt |
Administrative centre | Volda |
Government | |
• Mayor (2019) | Sølvi Dimmen (Sp) |
Area | |
• Total | 876.85 km2 (338.55 sq mi) |
• Land | 833.63 km2 (321.87 sq mi) |
• Water | 43.24 km2 (16.70 sq mi) 4.9% |
• Rank | #132 in Norway |
Population (2023) | |
• Total | 10,960 |
• Rank | #105 in Norway |
• Density | 13.1/km2 (34/sq mi) |
• Change (10 years) | ![]() |
Demonym | Volding[1] |
Official language | |
• Norwegian form | Nynorsk |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
ISO 3166 code | NO-1577[3] |
Website | Official website |
Volda is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Volda. Other villages in the municipality include Dravlaus, Fyrde, Straumshamn, Leira, Bjørke, and Grodås. The municipality is located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of the town of Ålesund.
The 877-square-kilometre (339 sq mi) municipality is the 132nd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Volda is the 105th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 10,960. The municipality's population density is 13.1 inhabitants per square kilometre (34/sq mi) and its population has increased by 8.9% over the previous 10-year period.[4][5]
General information
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/Nedre-Ekset_i_Volda_oktober_2009.jpg/250px-Nedre-Ekset_i_Volda_oktober_2009.jpg)
The municipality of Volden was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). The original municipality was the same as the parish (prestegjeld) of Volden, including the sub-parishes of Ørsta and Dalsfjord. On 1 August 1883, the sub-parish of Ørsta (population: 2,070) was separated from Volden to form a new municipality of its own. This left Volden with 3,485 residents. On 1 January 1893, the Ytrestølen farm in the Ørsta municipality (population: 13) was transferred to Volden municipality. In 1918, the name was changed from Volden to Volda.[6]
On 1 July 1924, the sub-parish of Dalsfjord (population: 960) was separated from Volda to become a municipality of its own. This left Volda with 4,715 residents. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the municipalities of Dalsfjord (population: 1,151) and Volda (population: 6,056) were merged back together. The new Volda municipality had 7,207 residents.[6]
On 1 January 2020, another large municipal border adjustment took place. The neighboring municipality of Hornindal (previously in Sogn og Fjordane county) and the Bjørke and Leira areas of Ørsta were merged with Volda to make a much larger Volda Municipality (in Møre og Romsdal county).[7]
Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Voldsfjorden (Vǫld or Valdr). The meaning of the name is uncertain, but it may come from vella which means "gush" or "roar" or from another word meaning "wave". It could be compared with the welle which means "wave".[8] Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Volden. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Volda.[9]
Coat of arms
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Volda_komm.svg/110px-Volda_komm.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Volda_komm_2020.svg/110px-Volda_komm_2020.svg.png)
The original coat of arms was granted on 19 June 1987 and they were in use until 1 January 2020 when the municipality was greatly enlarged. The official blazon was "Azure, a downwards pointing fountain pen nib argent" (Norwegian: På blå grunn ein nedvend sølv pennesplitt). This means the arms had a blue field (background) and the charge was the tip of a fountain pen. The charge had a tincture of argent which means it was commonly colored white, but if it was made out of metal, then silver was used. This design was chosen to symbolize the long history of education in Volda–it was the site of the first secondary school outside of a major city in Norway. The arms were designed by Inge Rotevatn. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[10][11][12]
The current coat of arms was approved in 2019 for use starting on 1 January 2020 when Hornindal Municipality and part of Ørsta Municipality were added to Volda. The official blazon is "Azure, a downwards pointing fountain pen nib flanked by two scythes endorsed argent". This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is the tip of a fountain pen with a scythe on each side. The charge has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The arms from 1987 were modified by adding two scythes on either side of the tip of a fountain pen. The scythes were taken from the old arms of the former municipality of Hornindal. Hornindal historically had large numbers of smiths and their scythe production was well known in the wider region. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[10][13]
Churches
The Church of Norway has six parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Volda. It is part of the Søre Sunnmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Møre.
Parish (sokn) | Church name | Location of the church | Year built |
---|---|---|---|
Austefjord | Austefjord Church | Fyrde | 1773 |
Dalsfjord | Dalsfjord Church | Dravlaus | 1910 |
Hornindal | Hornindal Church | Grodås | 1856 |
Kilsfjord | Kilsfjord Church | Straumshamn | 1974 |
Storfjorden | Bjørke Church | Bjørke | 1919 |
Volda | Volda Church | Volda | 1932 |
Geography
Volda's main geographical feature is the Voldsfjorden which branches off into the Austefjorden, Kilsfjorden, and Dalsfjorden. It is also mountainous, particularly southeast of the fjords, with the Sunnmørsalpene mountains surrounding the region. The 1,482-metre (4,862 ft) tall mountain Eidskyrkja is located in the southeastern part of the municipality.
Volda is bordered by municipalities of: Vanylven Municipality to the south-west/west; Herøy and Ulstein (only by sea) to the west; Ørsta to the north and east; and Stryn and Stad, in Vestland county, to the south.
The dominant centre, both in terms of population and administration, is the village of Volda, in the northernmost part of the municipality. Other population concentrations include Mork, Ekset, Folkestad, Fyrde, Steinsvika, Lauvstad, Bjørkedal, Grodås, and Straumshamn.
Some of the mountains in Volda include Hornindalsrokken, Kvitegga, and Jakta.
Climate
Climate data for Volda | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 0 (32) |
1 (34) |
3 (37) |
5 (41) |
10 (50) |
13 (55) |
14 (57) |
15 (59) |
11 (52) |
8 (46) |
3 (37) |
1 (34) |
7 (45) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −1.5 (29.3) |
−1 (30) |
0 (32) |
2 (36) |
7 (45) |
10 (50) |
11 (52) |
11.5 (52.7) |
8.5 (47.3) |
6 (43) |
1 (34) |
−1 (30) |
4.5 (40.1) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −3 (27) |
−3 (27) |
−3 (27) |
−1 (30) |
4 (39) |
7 (45) |
8 (46) |
8 (46) |
6 (43) |
4 (39) |
−1 (30) |
−3 (27) |
2 (36) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 188 (7.4) |
146 (5.7) |
154 (6.1) |
100 (3.9) |
77 (3.0) |
95 (3.7) |
117 (4.6) |
136 (5.4) |
238 (9.4) |
237 (9.3) |
218 (8.6) |
237 (9.3) |
1,943 (76.4) |
Average precipitation days | 25 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 21 | 22 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 267 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 14 | 39 | 86 | 136 | 200 | 197 | 171 | 151 | 80 | 58 | 28 | 0 | 1,159 |
Source: World Climate Guide[14] |
Government
Volda Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.[15] The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Møre og Romsdal District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.
Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Volda is made up of 33 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.
Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 5 | |
Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) | 4 | |
Green Party (Miljøpartiet Dei Grøne) | 1 | |
Conservative Party (Høgre) | 5 | |
Industry and Business Party (Industri‑ og Næringspartiet) | 2 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 3 | |
Red Party (Raudt) | 1 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 7 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 4 | |
Liberal Party (Venstre) | 1 | |
Total number of members: | 33 |
Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 4 | |
Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) | 2 | |
Green Party (Miljøpartiet Dei Grøne) | 2 | |
Conservative Party (Høgre) | 6 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 3 | |
Red Party (Raudt) | 1 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 7 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 3 | |
Liberal Party (Venstre) | 2 | |
Volda List (Voldalista) | 3 | |
Total number of members: | 33 |
Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 6 | |
Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) | 4 | |
Green Party (Miljøpartiet Dei Grøne) | 1 | |
Conservative Party (Høgre) | 3 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 6 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
Liberal Party (Venstre) | 2 | |
Total number of members: | 27 |
Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 4 | |
Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) | 4 | |
Conservative Party (Høgre) | 4 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 5 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
Liberal Party (Venstre) | 3 | |
Ferry list (Ferjelista) | 2 | |
Total number of members: | 27 |
Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 4 | |
Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) | 5 | |
Conservative Party (Høgre) | 3 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 5 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 5 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 3 | |
Liberal Party (Venstre) | 2 | |
Total number of members: | 27 |
Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 3 | |
Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) | 3 | |
Conservative Party (Høgre) | 5 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 5 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 5 | |
Liberal Party (Venstre) | 2 | |
Total number of members: | 27 |
Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 4 | |
Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) | 1 | |
Conservative Party (Høgre) | 10 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 7 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 6 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 4 | |
Liberal Party (Venstre) | 3 | |
Total number of members: | 35 |
Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 4 | |
Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) | 1 | |
Conservative Party (Høgre) | 8 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 7 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 7 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 3 | |
Liberal Party (Venstre) | 4 | |
Centrum List (Sentrumslista) | 1 | |
Total number of members: | 35 |
Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 5 | |
Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) | 1 | |
Conservative Party (Høgre) | 7 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 7 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 7 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 4 | |
Liberal Party (Venstre) | 3 | |
Cross-party list for the west side of the Voldsfjorden (Tverrpolitisk liste for vestsida av Voldsfjorden) | 1 | |
Total number of members: | 35 |
Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 6 | |
Conservative Party (Høgre) | 8 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 6 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
Liberal Party (Venstre) | 6 | |
Kindergarten List (Barnehagelista) | 1 | |
Non-party election list for the west side of the Voldsfjorden (Upolitisk valliste for Vestsida av Voldsfjorden) | 2 | |
Total number of members: | 35 |
Party name (in Nynorsk) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) | 6 | |
Conservative Party (Høgre) | 5 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) | 8 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 6 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
Liberal Party (Venstre) | 5 | |
Non-party election list for the west side of the Voldafjord (Upolitisk valliste for Vestsida av Voldafjorden) | 3 | |
Total number of members: | 35 |