Førde - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Førde is a municipality in the 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...

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 center is the town of Førde which in 2010 had 12,035 inhabitants. The historic village of Bruland

Bruland

Bruland is a farming village located about east of the town of Førde in the municipality of Førde in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The population of Bruland was 212. It is located just south of the river Jølstra, along the highway . The lake Holsavatnet is east of Bruland. The name of the...

is located just east of the town of Førde. European Route E39

European route E39

E 39 is the designation of a 1330 km long north-south road in Norway and Denmark, running from Klett just south of Trondheim to Aalborg, via Orkanger, Vinjeøra, Halsa ... Straumsnes, Krifast, Batnfjordsøra, Molde ... Vestnes, Skodje, Ålesund ... Volda ... Nordfjordeid ... Sandane, Førde,...

goes through the municipality, and it passes by the lake Holsavatnet

Holsavatnet

Holsavatnet is a lake which lies in the municipality of Førde in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The lake is located about east of the municipal center of Førde and about east of the village of Bruland. The highway passes west of the lake. The lake eventually flows into the Jølstra river....

.

Førde Airport, Bringeland

Førde Airport, Bringeland

Førde Airport, Bringeland is located in the municipality of Gaular in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The airport is at Bringelandsåsen, about east of the end of the Dalsfjorden at an elevation of above sea level....

is the regional airport that is about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) from the town centre and it has flights that connect Oslo

Oslo

Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...

and Bergen

Bergen

Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....

with Førde. The largest hospital in Sogn og Fjordane

Sogn og Fjordane

county and the regional offices of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation are located in the town. The International Førde Folk Music Festival is held each summer. The local newspaper is called Firda.

General information

Førde 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...

). The original municipality was identical to the Førde 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 Førde, Holsen, and 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...

.

On 1 January 1896, the sub-parish of Naustdal

Naustdal

(population: 2,543) was separated from Førde and it became a municipality of its own. This left Førde with 2,903 residents. On 1 January 1964, the areas of Naustdal

Naustdal

south of the Førdefjorden

Førdefjorden

Førde 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: 265) were transferred to Førde.

Name

The municipality (originally the 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...

) is named after the Førde farm (Old Norse

Old 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....

Fjörðr nominative

Nominative case

The nominative case is one of the grammatical cases of a noun or other part of speech, which generally marks the subject of a verb or the predicate noun or predicate adjective, as opposed to its object or other verb arguments...

and Firði dative

Dative case

The dative case is a grammatical case generally used to indicate the noun to whom something is given, as in "George gave Jamie a drink"....

) since the first church was built there. The name is identical with the word fjörðr which means 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...

(referring to the fjord now called Førdefjorden

Førdefjorden

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms

Coat 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 (1990). It shows three plowshare

Plowshare

In agriculture, a plowshare is a component of a plow . It is the cutting or leading edge of a moldboard which closely follows the coulter when plowing....

Churches

The Church of Norway

Church of Norway

has three churches within the municipality of Førde. 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

style="font-size:medium"|***Churches in Førde***
Parish (Prestegjeld)	Sub-Parish (Sokn)	Church Name	Year Built	Location of the Church
*Førde Parish*	Førde	Førde kyrkje	1885	Førde
	Holsen og Haukedalen	Haukedalen kyrkje	1885	Gjerland
	Holsen og Haukedalen	Holsen kyrkje	1861	Holsen

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Førde, are responsible for primary education

Primary 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....

Municipal council

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Førde is made up of 27 representatives that are elected to every four years. For 2007–2011, the party

Political 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:

Mayor

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....

(ordførar) of a municipality in Norway is a representative of the majority party of the municipal council who is elected to lead the council. Nils Asbjørn Gjerland of the Centre Party

Centre Party (Norway)

The Centre Party is a centrist and agrarian political party in Norway, founded in 1920. The Centre Party's policy is not based on any of the major ideologies of the 19th and 20th century, but has a focus on maintaining decentralised economic development and political decision-making.From its...

(Senterpartiet) was re-elected mayor for the 2007-2011 term.

Waterfalls

Huldefossen: Located approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the town of Førde, it is a 90 metres (295.3 ft) tall waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...

into the peaceful valley below.
Halbrendsfossen: located a short walk from the Førde town center. It is a very powerful waterfall in the spring.

The Salmon

The Salmon is a 65 metres (213.3 ft) long stone sculpture

Sculpture

Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...

which is Norway's longest individual sculpture. It was created by Jørn Rønnau. It blends naturally in with the green surroundings on the banks of the river Jølstra, close to the Førdehouse.

Førdehuset

Førdehuset (literal meaning: the Førde house) is a regional cultural centre, a cornerstone for cultural life in Western Norway. The centre is centrally located in the town of Førde, surrounded by a sports complex, amphitheatre

Amphitheatre

An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...

, and is next door to the County Gallery. A multitude of cultural activities are gathered together under one roof - small and large attractions/events the whole year round.

National Tourist Road

Riksvei 13 (Rv13) is one of 18 national tourist roads in Norway because of the nearby waterfalls. From Førde, drivers start on a sightseeing journey with cultural attractions that date from the 19th century to the present day’s city environment. The districts of Holsen and Haukedalen are typical of Western Norwegian farming communities that have created a picturesque cultivated landscape.

Rørvik Mountain, the trail with the fascinating stone wall

Stone wall

Stone walls are a kind of masonry construction which have been made for thousands of years. First they were constructed by farmers and primitive people by piling loose field stones in what is called a dry stone wall, then later with the use of mortar and plaster especially in the construction of...

s and a marvellous view over Haukedalen. Along Råheimsdalen and Eldalen to the Gaularfjell mountains, you will see a marvellous waterfall landscape that has been landscaped with paths for visitors. From the top of Gaularfjell mountains, hairpin bends wind down to the Vetlefjorden, an arm of the Sognefjord

Sognefjord

The Sognefjord is the largest fjord in Norway, and the second longest in the world. Located in Sogn og Fjordane county, it stretches inland to the small village of Skjolden...

. The breathtaking contrasts of steep mountainsides, winding roads, and waterfalls are characteristic of Western Norway’s exceptional scenery.

Sunnfjord Museum

The Sunnfjord Museum is one of four district 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...

s in Sogn og Fjordane

Sogn og Fjordane

County. The main courtyard of the outdoor museum is a cluster of 25 restored antiquarian buildings sited in a cultural landscape representative of the same period. These buildings provide an insight into life and lifestyles in the Sunnfjord

Sunnfjord

districts around the middle of the 19th century. The land tenant’s home is on its original site with the interior as it was at the end of the 19th century. In June, July and August, there are daily guided tours through the old buildings.

Sister cities

La Crosse, Wisconsin

La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Kent, Washington

Kent, Washington

Kent is a city located in King County, Washington, United States, and is the third largest city in King County and the sixth largest in the state. An outlying suburb of Seattle, Kent is also the corporate home for companies such as REI and Oberto Sausage...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Each year two students ages 14–17 are exchanged between the two cities to be youth ambassadors of their country.

External links

NRK Municipality encyclopedia
Førde Folk Music Festival also in English, Deutsch and francais
Firda (local newspaper)

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.