Kvitsøy
Encyclopedia
Kvitsøy is a municipality
in Rogaland
county
, Norway
. It is the smallest municipality in Norway (in area). Kvitsøy was separated from Mosterøy
on 1 January 1923.
The municipality is an archipelago
situated 2 nmi (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) northwest of the coast of the Stavanger
peninsula. The largest island is connected with only a few of the other islands in the archipelago.
: form of the name was Hvítingsøy(jar) which means "the white island(s)", probably because there is white quartz
in the rocks on the islands.
is from modern times. They were granted in 1989. The arms show three silver lighthouses on a field of blue.
later to be known as St. Olav (Hellige Olav) and Erling Sjalgsson, under the stone cross. Later it seems that the islands was owned by the Church until the reformation in 1536 (from Roman Catholic to Lutheranism), when it became Crown property. In 1591 the population had become large enough to fund the raising of a church, which is still standing and the first new church in the county after the reformation. From the mid 18th century Kvitsøy was the location of one of the first navigation beacons in western Norway, and this was later converted to a lighthouse service. To it is the home of the region's naval navigation service.
and hence have a typically wet Nordic coastal climate. The sea between the islands and the mainland are never frozen.
(kobbe) and small dolphin
s (nise). The islands have a rich marine bird life. Many different plants are found on the islands. Some are natural to Norwegian flora, while others have been transported by ships emptying their hulls of ballast
before entering Stavanger
.
transmitters of the broadcasting company of Norway
. The aerial tower of the mediumwave transmitter is the Kvitsøy Tower.
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 the smallest municipality in Norway (in area). Kvitsøy was separated from Mosterøy
Mosterøy
Mosterøy is an island and former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The administrative centre was Askje.It was created by a split from Rennesøy municipality on 1 July 1884. The new municipality had a population of 1,309. On 1 January 1923 a group of outlying islands were separated from...
on 1 January 1923.
The municipality is an 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...
situated 2 nmi (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) northwest of the coast of the 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...
peninsula. The largest island is connected with only a few of the other islands in the archipelago.
Name
The 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....
: form of the name was Hvítingsøy(jar) which means "the white island(s)", probably because there is white quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
in the rocks on the islands.
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 in 1989. The arms show three silver lighthouses on a field of blue.
History
Kvitsøy is first mentioned in the Snorre Saga, where Snorre records a truce being made between King Olaf II of NorwayOlaf 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...
later to be known as St. Olav (Hellige Olav) and Erling Sjalgsson, under the stone cross. Later it seems that the islands was owned by the Church until the reformation in 1536 (from Roman Catholic to Lutheranism), when it became Crown property. In 1591 the population had become large enough to fund the raising of a church, which is still standing and the first new church in the county after the reformation. From the mid 18th century Kvitsøy was the location of one of the first navigation beacons in western Norway, and this was later converted to a lighthouse service. To it is the home of the region's naval navigation service.
Climate
The islands are completely engulfed by the Gulf StreamGulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
and hence have a typically wet Nordic coastal climate. The sea between the islands and the mainland are never frozen.
Fauna and flora
There are no larger mammals except sealPinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
(kobbe) and small dolphin
Dolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
s (nise). The islands have a rich marine bird life. Many different plants are found on the islands. Some are natural to Norwegian flora, while others have been transported by ships emptying their hulls of ballast
Sailing ballast
Ballast is used in sailboats to provide moment to resist the lateral forces on the sail. Insufficiently ballasted boats will tend to tip, or heel, excessively in high winds. Too much heel may result in the boat capsizing. If a sailing vessel should need to voyage without cargo then ballast of...
before entering 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...
.
Transmitter
Kvitsøy is the site of high power transmitters for short wave and medium wave broadcastingBroadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
transmitters of the broadcasting company of Norway
Norsk Rikskringkasting
The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation , which is usually known as NRK, is the Norwegian government-owned radio and television public broadcasting company, and the largest media organisation in Norway...
. The aerial tower of the mediumwave transmitter is the Kvitsøy Tower.
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...