Utsira
Encyclopedia
Utsira is a municipality
in Rogaland
county
, Norway
. It is part of the traditional district
of Haugaland
. Utsira was separated from Torvastad
on 1 July 1924.
The municipality consists of an island located in the North Sea
, 18 km west of Haugesund
. Utsira is the smallest municipality of Norway in population and the second smallest in area (after Kvitsøy
).
forms of the name was just Síri (nominative) and Síra (genitive). The first element ut (meaning "out" or "offshore": compare the "Out Skerries" in Shetland) was added in the 16th Century. (Sira
is also the name of the border river between Rogaland and Vest-Agder
.) The inhabitants still call the island just Sira and an inhabitant is called a sirabu. The meaning of the name Sira is unknown (maybe "strong stream").
Before 1875 the name was written "Udsire", in the period 1875-1924 "Utsire", from 1925 on "Utsira".
is from modern times. They were granted on 23 July 1982. The arms show the light beam
s emerging from the local lighthouse
. The lighthouse was founded in 1844 and is one of the main landmarks on the municipality.
on the island.
The highest Lighthouse light in Norway, at 78.2 metres (256.6 ft) AMSL
, resides at Utsira.
In 2004, Norsk Hydro
installed a combined wind-hydrogen utility
on Utsira. It is a full scale pilot project for energy self-sufficiency for a remote community. In periods when there is surplus wind energy, the excess power will be used for generating hydrogen
by electrolysis
. The hydrogen is stored, and is available for power generation in periods where there is little wind. Additional to this an energy storing flywheel
exists to help out when for a short time more power is needed.
.
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 part of 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 Haugaland
Haugaland
Haugaland is a traditional district situated on the western coast of Norway. Haugaland is one of the 15 traditional district located within the Region of Vestlandet.-Location:...
. Utsira was separated from Torvastad
Torvastad
-History:The parish of Torvestad was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . On 1 February 1855 the district Haugesund was separated from Torvastad to form a municipality of its own. The split left Torvastad with 3,242 inhabitants. Further division took place when Skåre broke out on 1...
on 1 July 1924.
The municipality consists of an island located 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...
, 18 km west of Haugesund
Haugesund
is a town and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.-Location:Haugesund was separated from Torvastad as a town and municipality of its own in 1855. The rural municipality of Skåre was merged with Haugesund on January 1, 1958. Haugesund is a small municipality, only 73 km²...
. Utsira is the smallest municipality of Norway in population and the second smallest in area (after Kvitsøy
Kvitsøy
Kvitsøy is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is the smallest municipality in Norway . Kvitsøy was separated from Mosterøy on 1 January 1923.The municipality is an archipelago situated northwest of the coast of the Stavanger peninsula...
).
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....
forms of the name was just Síri (nominative) and Síra (genitive). The first element ut (meaning "out" or "offshore": compare the "Out Skerries" in Shetland) was added in the 16th Century. (Sira
Sira, Norway
Sira is a village located within the municipality of Flekkefjord in south-western Norway. The village is located at the border of the counties Vest-Agder and Rogaland, along European route E39 and the railway Sørlandsbanen. The village is served by Sira Station.Sira takes its name from the Sira...
is also the name of the border river between Rogaland and Vest-Agder
Vest-Agder
In the 16th century, Dutch merchant vessels began to visit ports in southern Norway to purchase salmon and other goods. Soon thereafter the export of timber began, as oak from southern Norway was exceptionally well suited for shipbuilding...
.) The inhabitants still call the island just Sira and an inhabitant is called a sirabu. The meaning of the name Sira is unknown (maybe "strong stream").
Before 1875 the name was written "Udsire", in the period 1875-1924 "Utsire", from 1925 on "Utsira".
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 July 1982. The arms show the light beam
Light beam
A light beam or beam of light is a narrow projection of light energy radiating from a source into a beam. Sunlight is a natural example of a light beam when filtered through various mediums...
s emerging from the local 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....
. The lighthouse was founded in 1844 and is one of the main landmarks on the municipality.
History
The Utsira church is from 1785. There is also a finding from the Stone AgeStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
on the island.
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
, resides at Utsira.
In 2004, Norsk Hydro
Norsk Hydro
Norsk Hydro ASA is a Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company, headquartered in Oslo. Hydro is the fourth largest integrated aluminium company worldwide. It has operations in some 40 countries around the world and is active on all continents. The Norwegian state holds a 43.8 percent...
installed a combined wind-hydrogen utility
Wind hybrid power systems
Wind hybrid power systems combines wind turbines with other storage and/or generation sources. One of the key issues with wind energy is its intermittent nature. This has led to numerous methods of storing energy.-Wind-hydro system:...
on Utsira. It is a full scale pilot project for energy self-sufficiency for a remote community. In periods when there is surplus wind energy, the excess power will be used for generating hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
by electrolysis
Electrolysis
In chemistry and manufacturing, electrolysis is a method of using a direct electric current to drive an otherwise non-spontaneous chemical reaction...
. The hydrogen is stored, and is available for power generation in periods where there is little wind. Additional to this an energy storing flywheel
Flywheel
A flywheel is a rotating mechanical device that is used to store rotational energy. Flywheels have a significant moment of inertia, and thus resist changes in rotational speed. The amount of energy stored in a flywheel is proportional to the square of its rotational speed...
exists to help out when for a short time more power is needed.
Birding
Utsira is known as the best birding site in Norway. There have been 317 different species recorded on Utsira, of which 23 are new to Norway.Shipping Forecast
Utsira (under the spelling Utsire) gives its name to North Utsire and South Utsire, two of the sea areas of the British Shipping ForecastShipping Forecast
The Shipping Forecast is a four-times-daily BBC Radio broadcast of weather reports and forecasts for the seas around the coasts of the British Isles. It is produced by the Met Office and broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The forecasts sent over the Navtex...
.
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...
- Municipality web site
- Map
- Hydrogen pilot project
- Birding on Utsira