Sunnfjord Municipality
Sunnfjord is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Førde. Other villages in the municipality include Naustdal, Sande, Vassenden, and Skei.
The municipality is the 27th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Sunnfjord Municipality is the 56th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of. The municipality's population density is and its population has increased by 4.6% over the previous 10-year period.
General information
The municipality was established on 1 January 2020 when a large municipal merger took place combining Førde Municipality, Gaular Municipality, Jølster Municipality, and Naustdal Municipality.Name
The municipality was named after the traditional district of Sunnfjord, in which it is located. The first element is which means "southern". The last element is which means "fjord", thus it is the southern fjord region.Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted in 2019 for use starting on 1 January 2020 when the municipality was established. The arms have a dark green field and the charge is four small vertical stripes meeting in the centre with one large vertical stripe. 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 symbolize four rivers joining a larger body of water. The rivers symbolize the four main rivers of Sunnfjord: Nausta, Gaula, Anga, and Jølstra all flowing in to a large fjord. It was also meant to symbolize the many waterfalls and rivers in the municipality as well as strength and unity.Churches
The Church of Norway has six parishes within Sunnfjord Municipality. It is part of the Sunnfjord prosti in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.| Parish | Church name | Location of the church | Year built |
| Førde | Førde Church | Førde | 1885 |
| Gaular | Bygstad Church | Bygstad | 1845 |
| Gaular | Sande Church | Sande | 1864 |
| Gaular | Hestad Chapel | Hestad | 1805 |
| Gaular | Viksdalen Church | Vik | 1848 |
| Helgheim | Helgheim Church | Helgheim | 1877 |
| Holsen og Haukedalen | Haukedalen Church | Haukedalen | 1885 |
| Holsen og Haukedalen | Holsen Church | Holsen | 1861 |
| Naustdal | Naustdal Church | Naustdal | 1891 |
| Naustdal | Vevring Church | Vevring | 1846 |
| Ålhus | Vassenden Church | Vassenden | 2002 |
| Ålhus | Ålhus Church | Ålhus | 1795 |
Government
Sunnfjord 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 Sunnfjord Municipality is made up of 37 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 Sunnfjord 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:- 2020–2021: Olve Grotle
- 2021–present: Jenny Ellaug Følling
Geography
The municipality makes up a large part of the traditional district of Sunnfjord. It surrounds the inner parts of the Førdefjorden and Dalsfjorden, plus the areas surrounding the Jølstravatnet all the way to the Jostedal Glacier.The highest point in the municipality is the tall mountain Snønipa, located on the northeastern border with Gloppen Municipality.
Kinn Municipality lies to the northwest, Gloppen Municipality lies to the north, Stryn Municipality lies to the northeast, Luster Municipality lies to the east, Sogndal Municipality lies to the southeast, Høyanger Municipality lies to the south, Fjaler Municipality lies to the southwest, and Askvoll Municipality lies to the west.
Climate
Situated slightly inland and along the innermost part of a narrow fjord, Sunnfjord's climate is somewhat colder in winter than places along the outer coast, but also with slightly warmer summer days. Førde is one of Norway's wettest towns. The wettest season is autumn and winter with December as wettest month. The driest season is late spring and summer with May as the driest month. The climate data for Førde is consistent with an oceanic climate with the original Köppen climate threshold of . The all-time high is recorded 16 July 2003. The all-time low is.Notable people
Public service
- Kolbeinn hrúga, a 12th-century Norse chieftain in Orkney who was born in Sunnfjord and is part of the Orkneyinga saga
- Audun Hugleiksson, a Norwegian nobleman who grew up in Jølster
- Brita Alvern, a woman who was accused of witchcraft and put on trial at the Indredale Skipreide in Sunnfjord in 1729
- John P. Munson, a Norwegian-American zoologist and academic
- Ingolf Elster Christensen, a jurist, military officer, and politician
- Nikolai Andreas Schei & Andreas Olai Schei, jurists and civil servants from Førde
- Leiv Erdal, a military officer, bailiff, and politician
- Åsmund Reikvam, a professor in medicine and former politician
- Arild Stubhaug, a mathematician, poet, and biographer
- Anlaug Amanda Djupvik, an astronomer of star formation and initial mass function
- Bård Vegar Solhjell, a former politician and minister who grew up in Sunnfjord
- Sigbjørn Gjelsvik, a member of the Cabinet of Norway
- Himanshu Gulati, a Norwegian politician
The arts
- Anders Askevold, a painter of landscapes and animals
- Johannes Haarklou, a composer, organist, conductor, and music critic
- Hauk Aabel, a comedian and actor in Norwegian and Swedish silent films
- Hjalmar Christensen, a writer and prominent literary critic
- Helene Bergsholm, an actress
- Ludvig Eikaas, a painter, graphic artist, and sculptor
- Gunnar S. Gundersen, a modernist painter known as Gunnar S
- Eldrid Lunden, a poet and Norway's first professor of creative writing
- Arve Furset, a composer, jazz musician, and music producer
- Ole Jonny Eikefjord, a chef, cookbook author, and restaurateur
- Kristian Eivind Espedal, a black metal vocalist, musician, and painter whose stage name is Gaahl
- Gunnar Garfors, a traveler, author, media professional, and public speaker who grew up in Naustdal
- Olaug Nilssen, a novelist, playwright, children's writer, and magazine editor
- Marianne Clementine Håheim, an author
- Thea Hjelmeland, a musician, singer, and songwriter
- Iselin Solheim, a singer and songwriter
- Peter Førde, an actor
Sport
- Håkon Fimland, a hurdler and Norwegian politician
- Martinus Grov, a retired archer who competed at the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics
- Asgeir Årdal, a cross-country skier who lives in Skei