Askvoll Municipality
is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative centre is the village of Askvoll. Other villages in the municipality include Holmedal, Kvammen, and Stongfjorden. The most important industries in Askvoll today are Helle Knivfabrikk, Bulandet Fiskeindustri, and Sigurd Løkeland Hermetikkfabrikk.
The municipality is the 255th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Askvoll Municipality is the 232nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of. The municipality's population density is and its population has decreased by 0.8% over the previous 10-year period.
The municipality stretches from the Bulandet islands in the west and Sunnfjord Municipality in east. The highest peak is the high mountain Blegja. Alden Mountain is located on the island of Alden in Askvoll Municipality. It rises almost vertically out of the sea to a height of above sea level and is visible from more than out at sea.
In 2016, the chief of police for Vestlandet formally suggested a reconfiguration of police districts and stations. He proposed that the police station in Askvoll be closed.
General information
Askvoll was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. The original municipality was identical to the Askvoll parish with the sub-parishes of Askvoll, Vilnes, Øn, and Hyllestad.In 1862, the two southernmost sub-parishes of Øn and Hyllestad were separated from Askvoll Municipality and formed the new Hyllestad Municipality. This left Askvoll Municipality with 2 sub-parishes and a population of 3,065.
On 1 January 1888, several farms in the Hersvikbygda area on the northern part of the island of Sula and the smaller surrounding islands were transferred from Askvoll Municipality to the neighboring Utvær Municipality.
During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the parts of Vevring Municipality and Bru Municipality that were located south of the Førdefjorden were merged into Askvoll Municipality. This gave Askvoll Municipality a population of 3,585.
On 1 January 1990, Askvoll Municipality and Fjaler Municipality did a land trade: the farms of Vårdal, Holmedal, Rivedal, and part of Hestad were transferred from Fjaler Municipality to Askvoll Municipality; and the farms of Fure, Folkestad, and Våge were transferred from Askvoll Municipality to Fjaler Municipality.
Historically, this municipality was part of the old Sogn og Fjordane county. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became a part of the newly-formed Vestland county.
Name
The municipality is named after the old Askvoll farm since the first Askvoll Church was built there. The first element is which means "ash tree". The last element is which means "meadow" or "field". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Askvold. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Askvoll.Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 5 January 1990. The official blazon is "Vert, a pierced Latin cross pattée argent". This means the arms have a green field and the charge is a latin cross with a cross pattée design and a circular hole in the centre. The cross 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 design was chosen to symbolize the Korssundkrossen, an old medieval stone cross found in the municipality. The old cross is connected to several stories of St. Olav. The arms were designed by Kåre Ness. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.Local Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish within Askvoll Municipality. It is part of the Sunnfjord prosti in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.| Parish | Church name | Location of the church | Year built |
| Askvoll | Askvoll Church | Askvoll | 1863 |
| Askvoll | Bulandet Chapel | Musøya in Bulandet | 1905 |
| Askvoll | Holmedal Church | Holmedal | 1868 |
| Askvoll | Kvammen Chapel | Kvammen | 1977 |
| Askvoll | Stongfjorden Chapel | Stongfjorden | 1908 |
| Askvoll | Vilnes Church | Vilnes on Atløyna | 1674 |
| Askvoll | Værlandet Chapel | Værlandet | 1960 |
Government
Askvoll Municipality is responsible for primary education, 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. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Sogn og Fjordane District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.Municipal Council
The municipal council of Askvoll Municipality is made up of 21 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.Mayors
The mayor of Askvoll Municipality is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position:- 1838–1839: Georg Prahl Harbitz
- 1839–1840: Mads M. Askevold
- 1842–1857: Carl Johan Christie
- 1858–1862: Mons Andersen Askevold
- 1863–1867: Mads Mathiassen Askevold
- 1868–1871: Mathias Villumsen Rødsæth
- 1872–1873: Jens Olsen Askevold
- 1874–1879: Kolbein Sørensen Fismen
- 1880–1907: Ole Sjursen Nordeide
- 1908–1934: Mathias Kristiansen Stubseid
- 1934–1942: Olai Einen
- 1942–1945: Harald Slåttelid
- 1945–1945: Olai Einen
- 1946–1955: Sverre Ringstad
- 1956–1963: Mads Flokenes
- 1964–1971: Magne Loftheim
- 1972–1988: Kåre Ness
- 1988–1993: Jorunn Ringstad
- 1993–2003: Kjellaug Veivåg Høyvik
- 2003–2011: Aud Kari Steinsland
- 2011–2017: Frida Melvær
- 2017–present: Ole André Klausen
Geography
To the west, lies the North Sea, to the north is Kinn Municipality, to the northeast and east is Sunnfjord Municipality, and to the south are Fjaler Municipality and Solund Municipality. The majority of the municipality is on the mainland between the Førdefjorden and the Dalsfjorden. The Bulandet archipelago lies in the westernmost part of the municipality. There are many other islands between Bulandet and the mainland, notably Værlandet, Alden, and Atløyna. Geita Lighthouse lies on a very small island off the coast of Askvoll Municipality.
Attractions
Birdlife
Askvoll has 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
is Norway´s westernmost 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". Bulandet are linked together to the neighbour community Værlandet by six bridges and 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
At the mouth of the fjord, near Alden Mountain, is Værlandet island. 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 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 above sea level and is visible from more than out at sea. There is a marked path to the top, accessible using the scheduled boat service from Askvoll.Blegja
The high Blegja mountain in Askvoll has views from the top, and hikers can see the Jostedal Glacier to the east and as far as Snønipa and the Ålfotbreen glacier in Bremanger Municipality.Stongfjord Industries
Stongfjord Industries is Norway's oldest aluminium factory, and it is located in the village of Stongfjorden. 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 the island of Atløyna 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.Notable people
- Anders Askevold, a painter of landscapes and animal paintings
- Nikolaus Gjelsvik, a Norwegian jurist and law professor
- Arve Furset, a composer, jazz musician, and music producer
- Alexander Breidvik, a TV3 talent contest winner and retired Norwegian footballer