Flora, Norway
Encyclopedia
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...
of Sogn og Fjordane
Sogn og Fjordane
is a county in Norway, bordering Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland. The county administration is in the town of Hermansverk in Leikanger municipality while the largest town is Førde....
, 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 located in the traditional district
Districts of Norway
The country Norway is historically divided into a number of districts. Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties and municipalities. The districts are defined by geographical features, often valleys, mountain ranges, fjords,...
of Sunnfjord
Sunnfjord
Sunnfjord is a traditional district in Western Norway located in Sogn og Fjordane county. It includes the municipalities of Askvoll, Fjaler, Flora, Førde, Gaular, Jølster, Naustdal, and the southernmost parts of Bremanger...
. The administrative centre is the village of Florø
Florø
is a town and the administrative centre of Flora municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is also a former municipality that existed for just over 100 years. The town was founded on the Florelandet island between the Botnafjorden and Solheimsfjorden by royal decree in 1860. In...
, which was founded in 1860, has 8,448 inhabitants (2009). The Eikefjord
Eikefjord
Eikefjord is a village and a former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is part of the present-day municipality of Flora in the traditional district of Sunnfjord...
area, which is the second largest place in Flora, has about 1000 inhabitants. Other village areas include Rognaldsvåg
Rognaldsvåg
Rognaldsvåg is a fishing village in the municipality of Flora in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located on the western end of the island of Reksta, about east of the island of Kinn. The town of Florø is to the east and the island of Askrova is to the southeast....
, Grov
Grov, Sogn og Fjordane
Grov is a small village in the municipality of Flora in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. Grov lies at the road junction of Norwegian national roads Rv614 and Rv5, just a couple kilometres south of the Norddalsfjord Bridge. Grov is about east of Brandsøy and east of Florø along Rv.5, and about ...
, Nyttingnes
Nyttingnes
Nyttingnes is a small village area with 28 inhabitants and 9 houses in the municipality of Flora in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. Nyttingnes is located northwest of Steinhovden and about across the fjord from Brandsøy. In recent history, there has been a negative demographic trend in this...
, Steinhovden
Steinhovden
Steinhovden is a village with 119 inhabitants in the municipality of Flora in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The village is located about southeast of Nyttingnes and about west of Eikefjord. The village area is divided into 6 farm areas: Seljeset, Høyvik, Holmesund, Steinhovden, Steinvik and...
, and Brandsøy
Brandsøy
Brandsøy is a village in the municipality of Flora in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located on both sides of small strait that separates the east end of the island of Bransøya and the mainland. The village is located about east of the town of Florø and about west of the village of...
.
The municipality stretches from inner fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
s where the mountains ascend to the glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
Ålfotbreen, to the outermost coast. The town is today both a charming little community, and at the same time a town with busy industries that are developing continuously. Trade and industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
in Flora is mainly fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
industry, shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
s, and supply for the oil and gas industry
Petroleum industry
The petroleum industry includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transporting , and marketing petroleum products. The largest volume products of the industry are fuel oil and gasoline...
in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
.
Name
The municipality is named after the farm Flora (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....
Flóra) since the town of Florø
Florø
is a town and the administrative centre of Flora municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is also a former municipality that existed for just over 100 years. The town was founded on the Florelandet island between the Botnafjorden and Solheimsfjorden by royal decree in 1860. In...
was built on its ground in 1860. The name is probably derived from flóð which means '(strong) stream'. The name of the town Florø
Florø
is a town and the administrative centre of Flora municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is also a former municipality that existed for just over 100 years. The town was founded on the Florelandet island between the Botnafjorden and Solheimsfjorden by royal decree in 1860. In...
is the same name, but it has the Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
word ø (island) added to the end.
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...
, originally made for the town of Florø
Florø
is a town and the administrative centre of Flora municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is also a former municipality that existed for just over 100 years. The town was founded on the Florelandet island between the Botnafjorden and Solheimsfjorden by royal decree in 1860. In...
, were granted on 19 February 1960. It's red with three herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
s on it. The three herrings are a symbol for the great importance of herring fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
for the local development and economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
.
Background
Kinn was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 as a formannskapsdistriktFormannskapsdistrikt
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...
. The original municipality was identical to the Kinn parish
Church of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
(prestegjeld
Prestegjeld
A Prestegjeld is a geographic and administrative area of the Church of Norway roughly equivalent to a parish. A prestegjeld can consist of one or many congregations...
) with the sub-parishes (sokn) of Svanøy
Bru, Sogn og Fjordane
Bru is a former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is part of the present-day municipality of Flora in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative center of Bru was the village of Stavang...
, Kinn
Kinn
Kinn is a small island west of the town of Florø in the municipality of Flora, Norway. The island lies about west of the neighboring island of Reksta and the village of Rognaldsvåg, which is the main population center for the area...
, and Bremanger
Bremanger
Bremanger is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. Bremanger is the only municipality in Sogn og Fjordane, which is located in two districts. The north-eastern parts comprising Oldeide, Berle, Rugsund, Davik, Isane and Ålfoten is located in Nordfjord, while Bremanger, Kalvåg,...
.
On 3 January 1861, Florø
Florø
is a town and the administrative centre of Flora municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is also a former municipality that existed for just over 100 years. The town was founded on the Florelandet island between the Botnafjorden and Solheimsfjorden by royal decree in 1860. In...
(population: 846) was incorporated as a town by royal decree, which removed it from the rural municipality of Kinn. This left Kinn with 6,531 residents. In 1864, the sub-parish of Bremanger
Bremanger
Bremanger is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. Bremanger is the only municipality in Sogn og Fjordane, which is located in two districts. The north-eastern parts comprising Oldeide, Berle, Rugsund, Davik, Isane and Ålfoten is located in Nordfjord, while Bremanger, Kalvåg,...
was separated from the Kinn 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...
and became a parish of its own. Then, on 1 January 1866, Bremanger (population: 1,852) became a separate municipality. After the split, Kinn was left with 4,679 inhabitants. On 1 January 1923, the municipality of Kinn was divided into three separate municipalities: Kinn
Kinn
Kinn is a small island west of the town of Florø in the municipality of Flora, Norway. The island lies about west of the neighboring island of Reksta and the village of Rognaldsvåg, which is the main population center for the area...
(population: 2,508); Bru
Bru, Sogn og Fjordane
Bru is a former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is part of the present-day municipality of Flora in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative center of Bru was the village of Stavang...
(population: 1,560); and Eikefjord
Eikefjord
Eikefjord is a village and a former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is part of the present-day municipality of Flora in the traditional district of Sunnfjord...
(population: 929).
On 1 January 1964, the new municipality of Flora was created upon the merger of the following areas:
- the town of FlorøFlorøis a town and the administrative centre of Flora municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is also a former municipality that existed for just over 100 years. The town was founded on the Florelandet island between the Botnafjorden and Solheimsfjorden by royal decree in 1860. In...
(population: 2,040) - the parts of the municipality of BruBru, Sogn og FjordaneBru is a former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is part of the present-day municipality of Flora in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative center of Bru was the village of Stavang...
that were north of the FørdefjordenFørdefjordenFørde Fjord is a fjord in Sogn og Fjordane county in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. It passes through the municipalities of Førde, Naustdal, Askvoll, and Flora. The fjord begins at the town of Førde, at the estuary of Jølstra river, which comes from the lake Jølstravatn...
(population: 1,155) - the municipality of EikefjordEikefjordEikefjord is a village and a former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is part of the present-day municipality of Flora in the traditional district of Sunnfjord...
(population: 919) - the Steindal area of the municipality of VevringVevringVevring is a village and former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The village of Vevring is presently located in western Naustdal municipality with a population of 143 residents...
(population: 25) - the Husefest and Breivik farms in BremangerBremangerBremanger is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. Bremanger is the only municipality in Sogn og Fjordane, which is located in two districts. The north-eastern parts comprising Oldeide, Berle, Rugsund, Davik, Isane and Ålfoten is located in Nordfjord, while Bremanger, Kalvåg,...
(population: 9) - the municipality of KinnKinnKinn is a small island west of the town of Florø in the municipality of Flora, Norway. The island lies about west of the neighboring island of Reksta and the village of Rognaldsvåg, which is the main population center for the area...
(population: 3,567)
After the merger, the new municipality of Flora had a total of 7,715 residents. The parish name was not changed and is still Kinn, and it has the sub-parishes of Kinn, Bru, Eikefjord, and Nordal.
Churches
The Church of NorwayChurch of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
has seven churches within the municipality of Flora. It is part of the Diocese of Bjørgvin
Diocese of Bjørgvin
Bjørgvin Diocese is a diocese in the Church of Norway. It covers churches located in the counties of Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane. The cathedral city is Bergen. Bergen Cathedral, formerly the Church of Saint Olaf, serves as the seat of the presiding Bishop...
and the Rural Deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
(Prosti) of Sunnfjord
Sunnfjord
Sunnfjord is a traditional district in Western Norway located in Sogn og Fjordane county. It includes the municipalities of Askvoll, Fjaler, Flora, Førde, Gaular, Jølster, Naustdal, and the southernmost parts of Bremanger...
.
| Parish (Prestegjeld) | Sub-Parish (Sokn) | Church Name | Year Built | Location of the Church |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kinn Parish | Bru | Askrova bedehuskapell | 1957 | Espeset |
| Stavang kyrkje | 1957 | Stavang | ||
| Eikefjord | Eikefjord kyrkje | 1812 | Eikefjord Eikefjord Eikefjord is a village and a former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is part of the present-day municipality of Flora in the traditional district of Sunnfjord... |
|
| Kinn | Batalden bedehuskapell | 1907 | Fanøya | |
| Florø kyrkje | 1882 | Florø Florø is a town and the administrative centre of Flora municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is also a former municipality that existed for just over 100 years. The town was founded on the Florelandet island between the Botnafjorden and Solheimsfjorden by royal decree in 1860. In... |
||
| Kinnakyrkje | 12th century | Kinn Kinn Kinn is a small island west of the town of Florø in the municipality of Flora, Norway. The island lies about west of the neighboring island of Reksta and the village of Rognaldsvåg, which is the main population center for the area... |
||
| Nordal | Nordal kyrkje | 1898 | Nordalen |
Government
All municipalities in Norway, including Flora, are responsible for primary educationPrimary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
(through 10th grade), outpatient health services
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
, senior citizen
Old age
Old age consists of ages nearing or surpassing the average life span of human beings, and thus the end of the human life cycle...
services, unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
and other social services
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
, zoning
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
, economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
, and municipal road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
s. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
.
Local politics
The municipal council of Flora is made up of 35 representatives that are elected to every four years. For 2007–2011, the partyPolitical party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
breakdown is as follows:
The mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of a municipality in Norway is a representative of the majority party of the municipal council who is elected to lead the council. Bente Frøyen Steindal of the Labour Party
Norwegian Labour Party
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
was re-elected mayor for the 2007-2011 term.
Geography
Sogn og Fjordane
is a county in Norway, bordering Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland. The county administration is in the town of Hermansverk in Leikanger municipality while the largest town is Førde....
county. To the west, it is bordered by the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
, to the north it is bordered by Bremanger
Bremanger
Bremanger is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. Bremanger is the only municipality in Sogn og Fjordane, which is located in two districts. The north-eastern parts comprising Oldeide, Berle, Rugsund, Davik, Isane and Ålfoten is located in Nordfjord, while Bremanger, Kalvåg,...
, to the east by Gloppen
Gloppen
Gloppen is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Nordfjord. Gloppen is generally subdivided into three areas: Hyen in the west, Gloppen in the center, and Breim in the east. Each of the areas have their own main service centres. ...
, and to the south by Naustdal
Naustdal
Naustdal is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative centre is the village of Naustdal, which has 1,072 inhabitants . Other villages in Naustdal include Vevring and Helle.Tourists come from all over the...
and Askvoll
Askvoll
is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative centre is the village of Askvoll....
. Flora includes many islands, including Reska, Askrova
Askrova
Askrova is an island in the municipality of Flora in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located in the mouth of the Førdefjorden about southwest of the town of Florø and about the same distance southeast of the island of Reksta. The population of the island was 143, with most residents...
, and Kinn. The municipality also includes the lakes of Endestadvatnet
Endestadvatnet
Endestadvatnet is a lake in the municipality of Flora in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The lake is located about east of the village of Eikefjord and west of the lake Emhjellevatnet in neighboring Gloppen municipality....
, Lykkjebøvatnet, and Vassetevatnet.
Kinn
Right out in the sea lies the green, grass-covered island of KinnKinn
Kinn is a small island west of the town of Florø in the municipality of Flora, Norway. The island lies about west of the neighboring island of Reksta and the village of Rognaldsvåg, which is the main population center for the area...
. The area around Kinn was the central herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
area in 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...
for the most part of the 19th century. At the height, there lived approximately 15,000 people on Kinn and the surrounding islands in the herring season. Today there are 15 inhabitants on Kinn.
On the island of Kinn, on the very edge of the ocean lies the Kinna kyrkje (church) from the 12th century. The church, built in Roman style, is the oldest in Sunnfjord
Sunnfjord
Sunnfjord is a traditional district in Western Norway located in Sogn og Fjordane county. It includes the municipalities of Askvoll, Fjaler, Flora, Førde, Gaular, Jølster, Naustdal, and the southernmost parts of Bremanger...
. The church has long been associated with the legend of St. Sunniva
Sunniva
Saint Sunniva is the patron saint of the Norwegian Diocese of Bjørgvin, as well as all of Western Norway.According to legend, Sunniva was the heir of an Irish kingdom, but had to flee when a heathen king, who wanted to marry her, invaded. At the Norwegian island of Selja, in the present-day...
. The church choir is the oldest part of the church, and the lectern
Lectern
A lectern is a reading desk with a slanted top, usually placed on a stand or affixed to some other form of support, on which documents or books are placed as support for reading aloud, as in a scripture reading, lecture, or sermon...
is the only preserved example of its kind in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
.
Every year during the third weekend in June, the Kinna Pageant is an historical play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
about love, hate, fidelity and loyalty to the church and humankind. About 150 actors take part and audiences of several thousand tourists visit the island to watch this beautiful play.
Svanøy
Svanøy is the southernmost and greenest island in the district of Flora. The island was the district's most important trade centre last century, and exportExport
The term export is derived from the conceptual meaning as to ship the goods and services out of the port of a country. The seller of such goods and services is referred to as an "exporter" who is based in the country of export whereas the overseas based buyer is referred to as an "importer"...
s and shipping were major activities. A stone cross memorial commemorating King Olav the Holy
Olaf II of Norway
Olaf II Haraldsson was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. He was posthumously given the title Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae and canonised in Nidaros by Bishop Grimkell, one year after his death in the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030. Enshrined in Nidaros Cathedral...
and a sacrificial site from the viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
era can be found here.
The Svanøy Estate is an old seat of nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
from 1685. It includes 62 acres (250,905.3 m²) of cultivated land and 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of woodland. It has an impressive main building and an old garden full of beautiful trees.
Eirikstad Farm
The SagaSaga
Sagas, are stories in Old Norse about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, etc.Saga may also refer to:Business*Saga DAB radio, a British radio station*Saga Airlines, a Turkish airline*Saga Falabella, a department store chain in Peru...
says that the Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
King Eirik Blodøks
Eric Bloodaxe
Eric Haraldsson , nicknamed ‘Bloodaxe’ , was a 10th-century Scandinavian ruler. He is thought to have had short-lived terms as the second king of Norway and possibly as the last independent ruler of the kingdom of Northumbria Eric Haraldsson (Eric, anglicised form of ; died 954), nicknamed...
grew up here, hence the name. Contains a museum with old farming tools. The famous Fjord horse
Fjord horse
The Fjord horse or Norwegian Fjord Horse is a relatively small but very strong horse breed from the mountainous regions of Western Antarctica. It is an agile breed of light draft horse build. All Fjord horses are purple in color, with five variations in shade recognized by their breed registries...
s are bred and trained here.
Batalden Boathouse
Norway's westernmost art gallery is housed in a restored fishing building. Regular painting and drawing courses are held.Troll Cave
Trollhola, a prehistoricPrehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
, is located on the island of Askrova
Askrova
Askrova is an island in the municipality of Flora in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located in the mouth of the Førdefjorden about southwest of the town of Florø and about the same distance southeast of the island of Reksta. The population of the island was 143, with most residents...
. The main cavern is the size of a cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
, has several passages leading from it and it is a fascinating natural phenomenon. The highest point of the island, 233 metres above sea level, provides a sweeping view of the archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
.
Rock Carvings
In Ausevika, a 30 minute drive from FlorøFlorø
is a town and the administrative centre of Flora municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is also a former municipality that existed for just over 100 years. The town was founded on the Florelandet island between the Botnafjorden and Solheimsfjorden by royal decree in 1860. In...
, lies one of the largest rock carving
Petroglyph
Petroglyphs are pictogram and logogram images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, and abrading. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions of the technique to refer to such images...
sites in Norway. There are 3000-year old carvings here. The site boasts over 300 carvings depicting both animal and human figures.
Coastal Museum
The Coastal Museum in Sogn og FjordaneSogn og Fjordane
is a county in Norway, bordering Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland. The county administration is in the town of Hermansverk in Leikanger municipality while the largest town is Førde....
county was established in 1980. The aim was to concentrate on coastal nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
and culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
both past and present. Old boat houses and domestic dwellings were moved from various places in the district and re-erected in Florø
Florø
is a town and the administrative centre of Flora municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is also a former municipality that existed for just over 100 years. The town was founded on the Florelandet island between the Botnafjorden and Solheimsfjorden by royal decree in 1860. In...
near the museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
. It includes many beautiful boats. The 250-year old Holmedalsjekta (coastal freighter
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
) is Norway's oldest non-Viking ship. A large exhibition on North Sea oil
North Sea oil
North Sea oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons, comprising liquid oil and natural gas, produced from oil reservoirs beneath the North Sea.In the oil industry, the term "North Sea" often includes areas such as the Norwegian Sea and the area known as "West of Shetland", "the Atlantic Frontier" or "the...
, Snorreankeret, based on the Snorre platform
Snorre oil field
Snorre is an oil and gas field in the Tampen area in the southern part of the Norwegian Sea. The sea depth in the area is . Snorre is operational since August 1992. It was the first field developed by Saga Petroleum.-Production:...
is located in the museum.
Lighthouses
The waters around FlorøFlorø
is a town and the administrative centre of Flora municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is also a former municipality that existed for just over 100 years. The town was founded on the Florelandet island between the Botnafjorden and Solheimsfjorden by royal decree in 1860. In...
are dangerous and exposed. Three lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
s were built in the fairways to the town at an early date. Two of them, Stabben and Kvanhovden are now automated and unmanned. The third and largest, Ytterøyane, is still manned. There is a lot of shallow areas in the waters west of Florø, which makes the coast around Florø ideal for diving most of the year. An abundance of shipwreck
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
s are located beneath these waters, which attract divers from all over.
Notable residents
- Ivar Lykke Falch LindIvar Lykke Falch LindIvar Lykke Falch Lind was a Norwegian jurist and politician for the Conservative Party.He was elected to the Parliament of Norway in 1903, and served one term. From 1920 to 1912 he served as a deputy representative...
- Jurist and politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Kinn and VevringVevringVevring is a village and former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The village of Vevring is presently located in western Naustdal municipality with a population of 143 residents...
.