Førde is a former municipality in the

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

Sogn og Fjordane Sogn og Fjordane (; English: "Sogn and Fjordane") was, up to 1 January 2020, a county in western Norway, when it was merged to become part of Vestland county. Bordering previous counties Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland, the cou ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

. It was located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The

administrative center An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located. In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...

was the town of

Førde Førde is a former municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It was located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative center was the town of Førde which in 2016 had 10,255 inhabitants. Other villages in Førd ...

which in 2016 had 10,255 inhabitants. Other villages in Førde municipality included

Bruland Bruland is a farming village located about east of the town of Førde in the municipality of Sunnfjord in Vestland county, Norway. The population (2001) of Bruland was 212. It is located just south of the river Jølstra, along the European rou ...

, Holsen,

Moskog Moskog is a small forested area in the municipality of Sunnfjord in Vestland county, Norway. It's located along the river Jølstra, just northwest of the lake Holsavatnet Holsavatnet is a lake which lies in the municipality of Sunnfjord in Vestl ...

, and

Haukedalen Haukedalen is a village in Sunnfjord Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located in the Haukedalen valley at the northwestern end of the lake Haukedalsvatnet. The village lies in a fairly remote valley surrounded by the Gaular ...

. The Øyrane area in the town of Førde was a large industrial/commercial area for the region. The European Route E39 highway passed through the municipality, and it passed by the lake

Holsavatnet Holsavatnet is a lake which lies in the municipality of Sunnfjord in Vestland county, Norway. The lake is located about east of the town of Førde and about east of the village of Bruland. The village of Holsen lies at the eastern end of t ...

. Førde Airport, Bringeland was the regional airport, located about from the town centre with flights that connect

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...

and

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula o ...

with Førde. The airport was actually located in neighboring

Gaular Gaular is a former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It was located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative centre was the village of Sande. Other villages in the municipality included Bygstad, Hestad, an ...

municipality, just south of the border. The largest hospital in

county, Førde Central Hospital, 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''. At the time of its dissolution in 2020, the municipality is the 189th largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Førde is the 93rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 13,092. The municipality's

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

is and its population has increased by 10.6% over the last decade.

General information

Førde was established as a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). The original municipality was identical to the Førde

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

''(

prestegjeld A ''prestegjeld'' was a geographic and administrative area within the Church of Norway (''Den Norske Kirke'') roughly equivalent to a parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a di ...

)'' with the sub-parishes () of Førde, Holsen, and Naustdal. On 1 January 1896, the northern sub-parish of Naustdal (population: 2,543) was separated from Førde and it became a municipality of its own. This left Førde with 2,903 residents. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the

Schei Committee The Schei Committee ( no, Schei-komitéen) was a committee named by the Government of Norway to look into the organization of municipalities in Norway post-World War II. It convened in 1946, and its formal name was (The 1946 Committee on Municip ...

. On 1 January 1964, the areas of Naustdal south of the Førdefjorden (population: 265) were transferred to Førde municipality. On 1 January 2020, the neighboring municipalities of Førde, Naustdal,

, and

Jølster Jølster is a former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It was located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative centre was the village of Skei. Other villages in the municipality included Helgheim, Ålhus, ...

were merged to form the new

Sunnfjord Municipality Sunnfjord is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Førde. Other villages in the municipality include Naustdal, Sande, V ...

Name

The municipality (originally the

) is named after the ''Førde'' farm ( non, Fjǫrðr nominative and dative) since the first

Førde Church Førde Church ( no, Førde kyrkje) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Sunnfjord Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the town of Førde. It is the church for the Førde parish which is part of the Sunnfjord prost ...

was built there. The name is identical with the word ''fjǫrðr'' which means

fjord In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Förden and East Jutland Fjorde, Germany, ...

(referring to the fjord now called Førdefjorden).

Coat of arms

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

was granted on 27 April 1990. It shows three silver

plowshare In agriculture, a plowshare ( US) or ploughshare ( UK; ) is a component of a plow (or plough). It is the cutting or leading edge of a moldboard which closely follows the coulter (one or more ground-breaking spikes) when plowing. The plowsh ...

s on a red background. They symbolize the three pillars of the local economy:

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

horticulture Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

, and development.

Churches

The Church of Norway had two parishes () within the municipality of Førde. It was part of the

Sunnfjord prosti Sunnfjord ( en, the southern fjord - in contrast to Nordfjord) is a traditional district in Western Norway located in Vestland county. It includes the municipalities of Askvoll, Fjaler, the southernmost parts of Kinn, Sunnfjord, and the southern ...

( deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.

Geography

The municipality of Førde encompasses the valleys that lead away from the inner end of the Førdefjorden. The municipality of Naustdal borders Førde to the north, the municipalities of

Sogndal Sogndal is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located on the northern shore of the Sognefjorden in the traditional district of Sogn. The village of Hermansverk is the administrative center of Sogndal municipality. Other villages ...

, and Balestrand are to the east,

municipality is to the south, and the municipality of

Askvoll is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative centre is the village of Askvoll. Other villages in the municipality include Holmedal, Kvammen, and Stongfjorden. The ...

lies to the west. The two largest lakes are

and Haukedalsvatnet. The rivers

Jølstra The Jølstra is a river in Sunnfjord Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The long river flows from the lake of Jølstravatnet (at an elevation of above sea level) down to the Førdefjorden (which is at sea level). The river begins at the ...

and Gaula are both partially located in Førde municipality. The Gaularfjellet mountains are located in the east and south of the municipality. The

glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such as ...

Grovabreen The Grovabreen glacier is located in Vestland county, Norway. It covers an area of about in Sunnfjord Municipality in the Sunnfjord region. The highest point on the glacier sits at an elevation of above sea level. The glacier is part of Joste ...

and

Jostefonn The Jostefonn glacier is located in Vestland county, Norway. It covers an area of around in the municipalities of Sunnfjord and Sogndal. Jostefonn was formerly a part of the large Jostedalsbreen glacier, but it is no longer connected to the main ...

are located in the eastern mountainous part of Førde. The westernmost edges of the

Jostedalsbreen National Park Jostedalsbreen National Park ( no, Jostedalsbreen nasjonalpark) is a national park in Norway that encompasses the largest glacier on the European mainland, Jostedalsbreen. The park was established by royal decree on 25 October 1991, and then in ...

are located in the

valley in Førde.

Government

The

municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

of Førde was made up of 27 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The

party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often featur ...

breakdown of the final municipal council was as follows:

Attractions

Waterfalls

*''Huldefossen'': Located approximately from the town of

, it is a tall

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in severa ...

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 long stone

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...

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

, close to the Førdehuset cultural centre.

Førdehuset

Førdehuset (literal meaning: the Førde house) is a regional cultural centre, a cornerstone for cultural life in

Western Norway Western Norway ( nb, Vestlandet, Vest-Norge; nn, Vest-Noreg) is the region along the Atlantic coast of southern Norway. It consists of the counties Rogaland, Vestland, and Møre og Romsdal. The region has no official or political-administrativ ...

. The centre is centrally located in the town of Førde, surrounded by a sports complex,

amphitheatre An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...

, 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

Norwegian County Road 13 County Road 13 ( no, Fylkesvei 13) did run between the village of Dragsvik in Sogndal Municipality and the village of Moskog in Sunnfjord Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. Until 2010, the long road was part of National Road 13 but admi ...

(Fv13) 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

are typical of Western Norwegian farming communities that have created a picturesque cultivated landscape. Rørvik Mountain, the trail with the fascinating

stone wall Stone walls are a kind of masonry construction that has been used for thousands of years. The first stone walls were constructed by farmers and primitive people by piling loose field stones into a dry stone wall. Later, mortar and plaster ...

s and a marvellous view over Haukedalen. Along Råheimsdalen and Eldalen to the Gaularfjellet 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 Sognefjorden. The breathtaking contrasts of steep mountainsides, winding roads, and waterfalls are characteristic of

’s exceptional scenery.

Sunnfjord Museum

The Sunnfjord Museum is one of four district

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

s in

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 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.

Notable people

Twin towns — sister cities

Førde is twinned with: * La Crosse, Wisconsin,

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. * Kent, Washington,

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

References

External links

Municipal fact sheet
from Statistics Norway
NRK Municipality encyclopedia

Førde Folk Music Festival
also in English, Deutsch and francais
Firda (local newspaper)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forde Sunnfjord Former municipalities of Norway 1838 establishments in Norway 2020 disestablishments in Norway