Finnøy
Encyclopedia
Finnøy is a municipality
in Rogaland
county
, Norway
. It is an island community located in Boknafjorden, 13 nautical miles (24 km) north of Stavanger
.
The parish of Finnø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
). Sjernarøy
was merged with Finnøy on 1 January 1965.
Finnøy is an agricultural community dominated by dairy
, meat
, poultry
, and fish farming
products, with strong horticultural traditions, mainly greenhouse
production of tomato
es, and some tourism
.
: Finnøy). The meaning of the first element is unknown and the last element is øy which means "island
". Before 1918, the name was written "Finnø".
is from modern times. They were granted on 23 September 1983. Despite its recent adoption, it has old roots. The arms show a wing, derived from the arms of the Hestbø family (which included Ogmund Finnsson), one of the mightiest families in the area in the 14th century. They had their stronghold on their Hesby estate in the present municipality.
Finnøy was at the top of its power in the middle of the fourteenth century when the King's representative Ogmund Finnsson had his seat at Hesby on the west side of the island of Finnøy. A medieval stone church, dating from the thirteenth century, still stands at Hesby.
It is often claimed that the Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel
(1802–1829) was born on Finnøy, since his father Søren Georg acted as rector
there. Recent studies indicates, however, that he was born in Nedstrand
, a nearby parish
. However, he was raised on Finnøy.
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
in Rogaland
Rogaland
is a county in Western Norway, bordering Hordaland, Telemark, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder. It is the center of the Norwegian petroleum industry, and as a result of this, Rogaland has the lowest unemployment rate of any county in Norway, 1.1%...
county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is an island community located in Boknafjorden, 13 nautical miles (24 km) north of Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
.
The parish of Finnø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. This system of municipality was created in a bill approved by the Storting and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January 1837...
). Sjernarøy
Sjernarøy
Sjernarøy is a former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway.Sjernarøy was separated from Nedstrand January 1, 1868. At that point Sjernarøy had 922 inhabitants....
was merged with Finnøy on 1 January 1965.
Finnøy is an agricultural community dominated by dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
, meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
, poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
, and fish farming
Fish farming
Fish farming is the principal form of aquaculture, while other methods may fall under mariculture. Fish farming involves raising fish commercially in tanks or enclosures, usually for food. A facility that releases young fish into the wild for recreational fishing or to supplement a species'...
products, with strong horticultural traditions, mainly greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
production of tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
es, and some tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
.
Name
The municipality is named after the island of Finnøy (Old NorseOld Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
: Finnøy). The meaning of the first element is unknown and the last element is øy which means "island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
". Before 1918, the name was written "Finnø".
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is from modern times. They were granted on 23 September 1983. Despite its recent adoption, it has old roots. The arms show a wing, derived from the arms of the Hestbø family (which included Ogmund Finnsson), one of the mightiest families in the area in the 14th century. They had their stronghold on their Hesby estate in the present municipality.
History
It is often claimed that the Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel
Niels Henrik Abel
Niels Henrik Abel was a Norwegian mathematician who proved the impossibility of solving the quintic equation in radicals.-Early life:...
(1802–1829) was born on Finnøy, since his father Søren Georg acted as rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
there. Recent studies indicates, however, that he was born in Nedstrand
Nedstrand
Nedstrand is a village and a former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway.The village is located on the south-eastern coast of Nedstrandhalvøya, and its population is 241 ....
, a nearby parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
. However, he was raised on Finnøy.
External links
- Municipal fact sheet from Statistics NorwayStatistics NorwayStatistics Norway is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every year on its web site. All releases are published both in Norwegian and English...