Ørsta
Encyclopedia
is a village and municipality in Møre og Romsdal
county
, Norway
. It is part of the Sunnmøre
region
of Western Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ørsta. Other villages in the municipality include Hovdebygda, Flåskjer
, Leira
, Urke, Bjørke, Sæbø
, Sætre
, and Store-Standal
.
The village of Ørsta is located at the end of the Ørstafjorden, just south of the mountain Saudehornet
. The 5.63 square kilometres (2.2 sq mi) village has a population (2009) of 6,495.
. The initial population was 2,070. On 1 January 1893, the Ytrestølen farm (population: 13) was transferred from Ørsta to Volda. On 1 January 1964, the municipalities of Hjørundfjord
and Vartdal
were also merged together with Ørsta. The new, larger municipality of Ørsta had a population of 9,252.
: Œrstr). The meaning of the name is unknown. Before 1918, the name was written Ørsten.
is from modern times. They were granted on 13 July 1984. The arms consist of three silver diamonds
on a blue background. The three diamonds represent the mountain
s reflecting in the waters of the fjord
.
has four parishes within the municipality of Ørsta. It is part of the Diocese of Møre
and the Rural Deanery
(Prosti) of Søre Sunnmøre.
Apart from the mountains, Ørsta's dominant geographical feature is fjords: Storfjorden
in the north, Vartdalsfjorden, Ørstafjorden in the west, and Hjørundfjorden
in the east. Only in the south is it connected by land to neighbouring Volda
. Otherwise, it borders to Sula
in the north, Hareid
and Ulstein
(by sea only) in the west, Sykkylven
to the northeast, Stranda
to the southeast and Sogn og Fjordane
county to the south-southeast.
Population centres include Sætre
, Barstadvik, Hovdebygda, Sæbø
, Åmdal, and the administrative centre Ørsta, from which the municipality is named.
The municipality is also the heartland of the Sunnmørsalpene
mountains, a particularly rugged and wild area of mountains in the southern part of Møre og Romsdal
. Prolific peaks include Slogen
at 1564 metres (5,131.2 ft), Skårasalen
at 1542 metres (5,059.1 ft), Kolåstinden
at 1432 metres (4,698.2 ft), Ramoen at 1419 metres (4,655.5 ft), Saudehornet
at 1303 metres (4,274.9 ft), and Romedalstinden at 1295 metres (4,248.7 ft). Other mountains include Hornindalsrokken
, Kvitegga
, and Jakta
.
, commercial fishing, and aquaculture
. The first two are predominant in the village Ørsta while agriculture dominates in adjacent valleys like Follestaddalen, Åmdalen and the Bondalen
valley. On the other hand, the northern part of the municipality has strong naval traditions, with Vartdal being the home of one of the largest factory trawler fleets in Norway.
at Hovdebygda which is the regional airport for people living in the municipalities Ørsta, Volda, Vanylven, Sande, Ulstein, Hareid and Herøy, and European Route E39
which transects the municipality in a north–south direction. Ørsta is linked to Sula
and Sykkylven by ferry
on its northernmost extreme Festøy. It is also linked to Ulstein
by the Eiksund Tunnel
, an undersea tunnel
that opened on 23 February 2008 that is, currently, the world's deepest at 287 meter below the sea surface.
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
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 Sunnmøre
Sunnmøre
Sunnmøre is the southernmost traditional district of the western Norwegian county of Møre og Romsdal. Its main city is Ålesund. The region comprises the municipalities of Giske, Hareid, Herøy, Norddal, Sande, Skodje, Haram, Stordal, Stranda, Sula, Sykkylven, Ulstein, Vanylven, Volda, Ørskog,...
region
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 Western Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ørsta. Other villages in the municipality include Hovdebygda, Flåskjer
Flåskjer
Flåskjer is a small village in the municipality of Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located along the highway about southwest of Sætre in the Vartdal district of Ørsta. It lies by the foot of Flåskjer valley, along the shore of the Vartdalsfjorden.Fishing in one of the activities...
, Leira
Leira, Ørsta
Leira is a small village in the Hjørundfjord area of the municipality of Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It lies between Bjørke and Viddal, at the end of Hjørundfjorden...
, Urke, Bjørke, Sæbø
Sæbø, Møre og Romsdal
Sæbø is a village in the municipality of Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located along the Hjørundfjorden in the Bondalen valley. It is about north of the mountain Skårasalen...
, Sætre
Sætre, Møre og Romsdal
Sætre is a village along the shore of the Vartdalsfjorden in the municipality of Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the Årset valley along the highway about northeast of Flåskjer in the Vartdal district of Ørsta. The mountain Saudehornet is located about south of the...
, and Store-Standal
Store Standal
Store-Standal is a small village in the Hjørundfjord area of the municipality of Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village has a population of approximately 20 people. Store-Standal is located on the Hjørundfjorden midway between the villages of Sæbø and Festøy...
.
The village of Ørsta is located at the end of the Ørstafjorden, just south of the mountain Saudehornet
Saudehornet
Saudehornet is a mountain that is located north of the village of Ørsta in the municipality of Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The is a very popular, though steep, destination for skiing in the Sunnmørsalpene range. It is located just north of the highway, about north of the...
. The 5.63 square kilometres (2.2 sq mi) village has a population (2009) of 6,495.
General information
The municipality was established on 1 August 1883 when it was separated from the municipality of VoldaVolda
Volda is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Volda. The municipality is located about south of the city of Ålesund.-General information:...
. The initial population was 2,070. On 1 January 1893, the Ytrestølen farm (population: 13) was transferred from Ørsta to Volda. On 1 January 1964, the municipalities of Hjørundfjord
Hjørundfjord
Hjørundfjord is a former municipality in the municipality of Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The administrative centre was the village of Sæbø, located on the shores of the Hjørundfjorden. The municipality encircled both sides of the Hjørundfjorden as well as the Bondalen valley...
and Vartdal
Vartdal
Vartdal is a former municipality in the current municipality of Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The administrative centre was the village Sætre, which is also called Vartdal. The former municipality encompassed the northwestern part of present-day Ørsta, along the Vartdalsfjorden,...
were also merged together with Ørsta. The new, larger municipality of Ørsta had a population of 9,252.
Name
The municipality is named after the Ørstafjorden (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....
: Œrstr). The meaning of the name is unknown. Before 1918, the name was written Ørsten.
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 13 July 1984. The arms consist of three silver diamonds
Lozenge
A lozenge , often referred to as a diamond, is a form of rhombus. The definition of lozenge is not strictly fixed, and it is sometimes used simply as a synonym for rhombus. Most often, though, lozenge refers to a thin rhombus—a rhombus with acute angles of 45°...
on a blue background. The three diamonds represent the mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s reflecting in the waters of the 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...
.
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 four parishes within the municipality of Ørsta. It is part of the Diocese of Møre
Diocese of Møre
The Diocese of Møre is a diocese in the Church of Norway which geographically consists of Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Its bishop and cathedral are located in the county administrative center of Molde...
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 Søre Sunnmøre.
| Parish (Sokn) | Church Name | Year Built | Location of the Church |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ørsta | Ørsta kyrkje | 1864 | Ørsta |
| Vartdal Vartdal Vartdal is a former municipality in the current municipality of Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The administrative centre was the village Sætre, which is also called Vartdal. The former municipality encompassed the northwestern part of present-day Ørsta, along the Vartdalsfjorden,... |
Vartdal kyrkje | 1876 | Nordre Vartdal |
| Hjørundfjord Hjørundfjord Hjørundfjord is a former municipality in the municipality of Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The administrative centre was the village of Sæbø, located on the shores of the Hjørundfjorden. The municipality encircled both sides of the Hjørundfjorden as well as the Bondalen valley... |
Hjørundfjord kyrkje | 1880 | Sæbø Sæbø, Møre og Romsdal Sæbø is a village in the municipality of Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located along the Hjørundfjorden in the Bondalen valley. It is about north of the mountain Skårasalen... |
| Storfjorden | Bjørke kyrkje | 1919 | Bjørke |
Geography
Of the total area, 48% (or 386 square kilometres (149 sq mi)) is at an altitude of 600 metres (1,968.5 ft) or more above sea level.Apart from the mountains, Ørsta's dominant geographical feature is fjords: Storfjorden
Storfjord (fjord)
The Storfjord is a fjord in the Sunnmøre region, stretching from Hareid in the west to Tafjord and Geiranger east in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The Storfjord system includes the famous Geirangerfjord and Tafjorden, at small village of Stranda it branches off into...
in the north, Vartdalsfjorden, Ørstafjorden in the west, and Hjørundfjorden
Hjørundfjorden
Hjørundfjorden is a fjord in the traditional district of Sunnmøre in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The long fjord is an arm of the larger Storfjord that stretches south from Ålesund...
in the east. Only in the south is it connected by land to neighbouring Volda
Volda
Volda is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Volda. The municipality is located about south of the city of Ålesund.-General information:...
. Otherwise, it borders to Sula
Sula, Norway
is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Langevåg. Other villages include Solevåg, Fiskarstrand, Veibust, Leirvågen, and Mauseidvågen. Sula is one of the most densely populated municipalities of Møre og...
in the north, Hareid
Hareid
Hareid is a village and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Hareid...
and Ulstein
Ulstein
Ulstein is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The commercial and administrative centre of Ulstein is Ulsteinvik, population 5,251 . The municipality occupies the western half of the island of Hareidlandet, as well as about 30 or more smaller...
(by sea only) in the west, Sykkylven
Sykkylven
Sykkylven is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Aure. Other villages include Ikornnes, Straumgjerde, and Tusvik.-General information:...
to the northeast, Stranda
Stranda
Stranda is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Stranda....
to the southeast and 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....
county to the south-southeast.
Population centres include Sætre
Sætre, Møre og Romsdal
Sætre is a village along the shore of the Vartdalsfjorden in the municipality of Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the Årset valley along the highway about northeast of Flåskjer in the Vartdal district of Ørsta. The mountain Saudehornet is located about south of the...
, Barstadvik, Hovdebygda, Sæbø
Sæbø, Møre og Romsdal
Sæbø is a village in the municipality of Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located along the Hjørundfjorden in the Bondalen valley. It is about north of the mountain Skårasalen...
, Åmdal, and the administrative centre Ørsta, from which the municipality is named.
The municipality is also the heartland of the Sunnmørsalpene
Sunnmørsalpene
Sunnmørsalpene is a collective term for the mountains range in Sunnmøre, Norway. The mountain range encircles the Hjørundfjorden in the municipalities of Volda, Ørsta, Stranda, and Sykkylven. These mountains have peaks reaching straight up from the fjord....
mountains, a particularly rugged and wild area of mountains in the southern part of Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
. Prolific peaks include Slogen
Slogen
Slogen is a mountain rising up from Hjørundfjorden in the municipality of Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The mountain is located just west of the municipal boundary with Stranda and just north of the nearby mountain Jakta...
at 1564 metres (5,131.2 ft), Skårasalen
Skårasalen
Skårasalen is a mountain in the municipality of Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The tall mountain has the seventh largest prominence of all mountains in Norway. The mountain is located about south of the village of Sæbø and the Bondalen valley in the Hjørundfjord area of Ørsta...
at 1542 metres (5,059.1 ft), Kolåstinden
Kolåstinden
Kolåstinden is a mountain in the municipality of Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located where the Romedalen and Standaldalen valleys converge, about west of the village of Store Standal and the Hjørundfjorden....
at 1432 metres (4,698.2 ft), Ramoen at 1419 metres (4,655.5 ft), Saudehornet
Saudehornet
Saudehornet is a mountain that is located north of the village of Ørsta in the municipality of Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The is a very popular, though steep, destination for skiing in the Sunnmørsalpene range. It is located just north of the highway, about north of the...
at 1303 metres (4,274.9 ft), and Romedalstinden at 1295 metres (4,248.7 ft). Other mountains include Hornindalsrokken
Hornindalsrokken
Hornindalsrokken is a tall mountain that is located on the border of the three municipalities of Stranda , Hornindal , and Ørsta...
, Kvitegga
Kvitegga
Kvitegga is a mountain in the municipalities of Stranda and Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located about southeast of the village of Leira and about west of Hellesylt . The tall Kvitegga is located about northeast of the nearby mountain Hornindalsrokken.Kvitegga is the...
, and Jakta
Jakta
Jakta is a tall mountain in the Sunnmørsalpene mountain range. It is located in the municipality of Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Jakta lies south of the nearby mountain Slogen and just across the Hjørundfjorden from the mountain Skårasalen. The village of Leira lies south of...
.
Economy
Important sectors are mechanical industry and furniture maufacturing, agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, commercial fishing, and aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
. The first two are predominant in the village Ørsta while agriculture dominates in adjacent valleys like Follestaddalen, Åmdalen and the Bondalen
Bondalen
Bondalen is a valley in the Hjørundfjord area of the municipality of Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The sparsely populated valley runs to the west from the Hjørundfjorden and the village of Sæbø towards the village of Volda....
valley. On the other hand, the northern part of the municipality has strong naval traditions, with Vartdal being the home of one of the largest factory trawler fleets in Norway.
Transportation
These include Ørsta-Volda Airport, HovdenØrsta-Volda Airport, Hovden
Ørsta-Volda Airport, Hovden is a regional airport serving the municipalities of Ørsta and Volda, as well as the rest of southern Sunnmøre in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The airport served 91,827 passengers in 2009. It is operated by Avinor.-Service:...
at Hovdebygda which is the regional airport for people living in the municipalities Ørsta, Volda, Vanylven, Sande, Ulstein, Hareid and Herøy, and 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,...
which transects the municipality in a north–south direction. Ørsta is linked to Sula
Sula, Norway
is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Langevåg. Other villages include Solevåg, Fiskarstrand, Veibust, Leirvågen, and Mauseidvågen. Sula is one of the most densely populated municipalities of Møre og...
and Sykkylven by ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
on its northernmost extreme Festøy. It is also linked to Ulstein
Ulstein
Ulstein is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The commercial and administrative centre of Ulstein is Ulsteinvik, population 5,251 . The municipality occupies the western half of the island of Hareidlandet, as well as about 30 or more smaller...
by the Eiksund Tunnel
Eiksund Tunnel
The Eiksund tunnel is an undersea tunnel between the municipalities of Ørsta and Ulstein in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The Eiksund Bridge joins Hareidlandet island and the village of Eiksund with the nearby island Eika. The Eiksund Tunnel begins at the south end of the bridge and connects...
, an undersea tunnel
Undersea tunnel
An undersea tunnel is a tunnel which is partly or wholly constructed under a body of water. They are often used where building a bridge or operating a ferry link is impossible, or to provide competition for existing bridges or ferry links...
that opened on 23 February 2008 that is, currently, the world's deepest at 287 meter below the sea surface.
Famous residents
- Ivar AasenIvar AasenIvar Andreas Aasen was a Norwegian philologist, lexicographer, playwright and poet.-Background:...
, Norwegian philologist and lexicographer, creator of the Nynorsk language - Helge BarstadHelge BarstadHelge Barstad is a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party. He was born in the Vartdal area of the municipality of Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway....
, politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making... - Anders HovdenAnders HovdenAnders Hovden was a Norwegian hymnwriter, priest, author and popular speaker.-Education and career:...
, Norwegian priest an poet, creator of psalms like Fagert er landet.