Eikefjord Municipality
Eikefjord is a former municipality in the old Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1923 until its dissolution in 1964. The area is now part of Kinn Municipality in the traditional district of Sunnfjord in Vestland county. The administrative centre was the village of Eikefjord where Eikefjord Church is located.
Prior to its dissolution in 1964, the municipality was the 413th largest by area out of the 689 municipalities in Norway. Eikefjord Municipality was the 620th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of about. The municipality's population density was and its population had decreased by 8.3% over the previous 10-year period.
General information
The parish of Eikefjord was established as a municipality on 1 January 1923, when the old Kinn Municipality was split into three separate municipalities as follows:- the new Eikefjord Municipality, which included the eastern district around the eastern end of the Eikefjorden and around the village of Eikefjord
- the new Bru Municipality, which included the southern islands of Svanøya and Askrova, a small mainland area south of the Førdefjorden, the area around the village of Stavang, and the large valley east of the village of Norddalsfjord
- a much smaller Kinn Municipality, which included the western islands and the mainland areas surrounding, but not including, the port town of Florø
- the ladested of Florø
- all of Eikefjord Municipality
- all of Kinn Municipality
- the parts of Bru Municipality that were located north of the Førdefjorden
- the villages of Husefest and Breivik in Bremanger Municipality
- the Steindal valley area in Vevring Municipality
Name
The municipality is named after the old Eikefjord farm since the first Eikefjord Church was built there. The farm was named after the local fjord. The first element comes form the word which means "oak". The last element is which means "fjord" or "firth".Churches
The Church of Norway had one parish within Eikefjord Municipality. At the time of the municipal dissolution, it was part of the Kinn prestegjeld and the Sunnfjord prosti in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.| Parish | Church name | Location of the church | Year built |
| Eikefjord | Eikefjord Church | Eikefjord | 1812 |
Geography
The municipality of Eikefjord was located at the end of the Eikefjorden, about east of the town of Florø. The lake Endestadvatnet was part of the municipality. The municipality encompassed the immediate area around the village of Eikefjord and to the east and south of the village. The highest point in the municipality was the tall mountain Blånipa, located on the border with Bru Municipality. Bru Municipality was located to the north, west, and southwest; Vevring Municipality was located to the south, Askvoll Municipality was located to the south, Naustdal Municipality was located to the southeast, and Gloppen Municipality was located to the east.Government
While it existed, Eikefjord Municipality was 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 was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Gulating Court of Appeal.Municipal council
The municipal council of Eikefjord Municipality was made up of 13 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.Mayors
The mayor of Eikefjord Municipality was the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. The following people have held this position:- 1923–1925: Henrik Svarthumle
- 1926–1928: Kristoffer Langedal
- 1929–1934: Abraham Storøy
- 1935–1940: Ludvig Langedal
- 1941–1945: Leiv Vasset
- 1945–1945: Ludvig Langedal
- 1946–1959: Alf Svarthumle
- 1960–1961: Erik Dreyer Hovland
- 1962–1963: Alf Svarthumle