Vanylven is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
in
Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal (; ) is a Counties of Norway, county in the northernmost part of Western Norway, Western Norway. It borders the counties of Trøndelag, Innlandet, and Vestland. The county administration is located in the Molde (town), town of M ...
county
A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
. It is part of the
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 Fjord, Giske, Hareid, Herøy, Sande, Haram, Stranda Mu ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
. The
administrative centre
An administrative centre 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 the administrative language, such as Belgi ...
is the village of
Fiskå. Other villages in the municipality include
Ã…heim
Åheim is a village in Vanylven Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located along the shore of the inner part of the Vanylvsfjorden. The Åheimselva river runs through the village from the lake Gusdalsvatnet to the f ...
,
Ã…ram
Åram is a village in Vanylven Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located on the mainland, about straight north of the municipal centre of Fiskåbygd. The village has a ferry quay with regular connections to the near ...
,
Rovdane
Rovdane is a village in Vanylven Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located along the Rovdefjorden, about north of the village of Syvde, northeast of the municipal center of Fiskå, and (by road, not counting the ferry's ...
,
Eidså,
Slagnes
Slagnes is a village in Vanylven Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located along the Vanylvsfjorden, about north of the village of Åheim
Åheim is a village in Vanylven Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, ...
, and
Syvde.
The municipality is the 240th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Vanylven Municipality is the 228th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 3,026. The municipality's
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...
is and its population has decreased by 8.4% over the previous 10-year period.
General information

The
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
of ''Vanelven'' was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see
formannskapsdistrikt
() was the name of a Norwegian self-governing municipality. The name was used from the establishment these municipalities in 1838 until the name fell out of use in 1863.
The municipalities had their legal basis from two laws enacted on 14 Jan ...
law). The spelling was later changed to Vanylven. On 1 February 1918, the area around the
Syvdsfjorden
Syvdefjorden is a fjord in Vanylven Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The long fjord flows from the village of Syvde to the north until it empties into the Rovdefjorden. The sides of the fjord are mountainous, particularly the ea ...
(population: 1,260) was separated to become the new
Syvde Municipality
Syvde is a List of former municipalities of Norway, former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1918 until its dissolution in 1964. The area is now part of Vanylven Municipality in the Traditional distri ...
. This left Vanylven Municipality with 1,848 residents.
During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the
Schei Committee
The Schei Committee () was a committee named by the Government of Norway to look into the organization of municipalities in Norway post-World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a ...
. On 1 January 1964,
Syvde Municipality
Syvde is a List of former municipalities of Norway, former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1918 until its dissolution in 1964. The area is now part of Vanylven Municipality in the Traditional distri ...
(population: 1,458) and the
Rovdestranda
Rovdane is a village in Vanylven Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located along the Rovdefjorden, about north of the village of Syvde, northeast of the municipal center of Fiskå, and (by road, not counting the ferry's ...
area (population: 436) of
Rovde Municipality
Rovde is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1905 until its dissolution in 1964. The area is now divided between Sande Municipality and Vanylven Municipality in the traditional district of S ...
were both merged into Vanylven Municipality, giving Vanylven a new population of 3,897.
On 1 January 2002, the mainland
Ã…ram
Åram is a village in Vanylven Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located on the mainland, about straight north of the municipal centre of Fiskåbygd. The village has a ferry quay with regular connections to the near ...
area north of
Fiskåbygd
Fiskåbygd or Fiskå is a coastal village that is also the administrative centre of Vanylven Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located about southwest of the city of Ålesund, about east of the village of Syvde, a ...
(population: 380) was transferred from
Sande Municipality to Vanylven Municipality.
Name
The municipality (originally the
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
) is named after the
Vanylvsfjorden
Vanylvsfjorden is a fjord in western Norway, on the border of Vestland and Møre og Romsdal counties. The long fjord runs between the mainland of Vanylven Municipality and the Stad peninsula of Stad Municipality, with the islands of Sande Muni ...
(). The meaning of the first element is uncertain, but it may come from the word which means "fishing line" or which mean "dark" or "colorless", referring to the occurrence of
olivine
The mineral olivine () is a magnesium iron Silicate minerals, silicate with the chemical formula . It is a type of Nesosilicates, nesosilicate or orthosilicate. The primary component of the Earth's upper mantle (Earth), upper mantle, it is a com ...
in the area. The last element is which is frequently used in the
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 Fjord, Giske, Hareid, Herøy, Sande, Haram, Stranda Mu ...
area in the names of
fjord
In physical geography, a fjord (also spelled fiord in New Zealand English; ) is a long, narrow sea inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Antarctica, the Arctic, and surrounding landmasses of the n ...
s. It possibly comes from the word which means "low, wet terrain". Historically, the name was written ''Vanelven''. In 1889, the spelling was changed to ''Vannelven''. On 3 November 1917, a
royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to ''Vanylven''.
Coat of arms
The
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
was granted on 11 December 1987. The official
blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...
is ''"
Vert
Vert or Verts may refer to:
* Vert (heraldry), the colour green in heraldry
* Vert (music producer) (born 1972), pseudonym of Adam Butler, an English music producer
* Vert (river), in southern France
* Vert (sport), a competition in extreme versio ...
, a
pile embowed
Embowed () is a term in heraldry and architecture which means:
*''curved like a bow'' (when applied to fish, animals or heraldic charges)
*''bent'' (when applied to the human arm or leg), or
*''having an arch or arches'' but, in the Anglophone h ...
argent
In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...
"'' (). This means the arms have a green
field
Field may refer to:
Expanses of open ground
* Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes
* Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport
* Battlefield
* Lawn, an area of mowed grass
* Meadow, a grass ...
(background) and the
charge
Charge or charged may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary
Music
* ''Charge'' (David Ford album)
* ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album)
* '' Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...
is a
pile embowed
Embowed () is a term in heraldry and architecture which means:
*''curved like a bow'' (when applied to fish, animals or heraldic charges)
*''bent'' (when applied to the human arm or leg), or
*''having an arch or arches'' but, in the Anglophone h ...
(a triangle with curved sides). The charge has a
tincture
A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...
of
argent
In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...
which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The arms are meant to show how the
Vanylvsfjorden
Vanylvsfjorden is a fjord in western Norway, on the border of Vestland and Møre og Romsdal counties. The long fjord runs between the mainland of Vanylven Municipality and the Stad peninsula of Stad Municipality, with the islands of Sande Muni ...
meets the sea, surrounded by the fertile green lands of Vanylven. The fertile lands and the sea which is full of
herring
Herring are various species of forage fish, belonging to the Order (biology), order Clupeiformes.
Herring often move in large Shoaling and schooling, schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate wate ...
are both important industries to the municipality which is why the colors green (land) and silver (sea) were chosen for the arms. The arms were designed by Jostein O. Mo. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.
Churches
The
Church of Norway
The Church of Norway (, , , ) is an Lutheranism, evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. Christianity became the state religion of Norway around 1020, and was established a ...
has four parishes () within Vanylven Municipality. It is part of the
Søre Sunnmøre prosti (
deanery
A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of ...
) in the
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 is seated at the Molde Cathedral which is located in the county administrative center of Molde. , the Bisho ...
.
Geography

Vanylven borders
Sande Municipality and
Herøy Municipality in the north (across the
Rovdefjorden
Rovdefjorden is a fjord (more precisely, a strait) in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The fjord runs through the municipalities of Sande Municipality (Møre og Romsdal), Sande, Herøy Municipality (Møre og Romsdal), Herøy, Vanylven Municipalit ...
).
Volda Municipality
Volda is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Møre og Romsdal Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre Districts of Norway, region. The administrative centre is the Volda (village), village of Volda. Other v ...
lies to the east; and
Stad Municipality
Stad is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Nordfjord. The municipality includes much of the northern shore of the Nordfjorden as well as the Stad peninsula. The administrative centre of the ...
(in
Vestland
Vestland is a Counties of Norway, county in Norway. The county is located in Western Norway, and its administrative centre is Bergen, where the executive and political leadership is based. The County governor (Norway), County Governor is based in ...
county) is located to the south.
Vanylven Municipality is located on the mainland of Norway and it is surrounded by several fjords. The
Vanylvsfjorden
Vanylvsfjorden is a fjord in western Norway, on the border of Vestland and Møre og Romsdal counties. The long fjord runs between the mainland of Vanylven Municipality and the Stad peninsula of Stad Municipality, with the islands of Sande Muni ...
lies to the west and the
Rovdefjorden
Rovdefjorden is a fjord (more precisely, a strait) in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The fjord runs through the municipalities of Sande Municipality (Møre og Romsdal), Sande, Herøy Municipality (Møre og Romsdal), Herøy, Vanylven Municipalit ...
to the north. The
Syvdsfjorden
Syvdefjorden is a fjord in Vanylven Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The long fjord flows from the village of Syvde to the north until it empties into the Rovdefjorden. The sides of the fjord are mountainous, particularly the ea ...
cuts into the municipality from the north and it empties into the Rovdefjorden. The
Syltefjorden branches off the main Vanylvsfjorden, just past the village of
Fiskåbygd
Fiskåbygd or Fiskå is a coastal village that is also the administrative centre of Vanylven Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located about southwest of the city of Ålesund, about east of the village of Syvde, a ...
. The highest point in the municipality is the tall mountain Storeblæja, just north of the border with
Volda Municipality
Volda is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Møre og Romsdal Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre Districts of Norway, region. The administrative centre is the Volda (village), village of Volda. Other v ...
.
Government
Vanylven Municipality is responsible for
primary education
Primary education is the first stage of Education, formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary education. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first schools and middle s ...
(through 10th grade), outpatient
health services
Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...
,
senior citizen
Old age is the range of ages for people nearing and surpassing life expectancy. People who are of old age are also referred to as: old people, elderly, elders, senior citizens, seniors or older adults. Old age is not a definite biological sta ...
services,
welfare
Welfare may refer to:
Philosophy
*Well-being (happiness, prosperity, or flourishing) of a person or group
* Utility in utilitarianism
* Value in value theory
Economics
* Utility, a general term for individual well-being in economics and decision ...
and other
social services
Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. Also available amachine-converted HTML They may be provided by individuals, private and i ...
,
zoning
In urban planning, zoning is a method in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into land-use "zones", each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for ...
,
economic development
In economics, economic development (or economic and social development) is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and object ...
, and municipal
road
A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved.
Th ...
s and utilities. The municipality is governed by a
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, borough cou ...
of
directly elected representatives. The
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
is
indirectly elected
An indirect election or ''hierarchical voting,'' is an election in which voters do not choose directly among candidates or parties for an office ( direct voting system), but elect people who in turn choose candidates or parties. It is one of the o ...
by a vote of the municipal council.
The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the
Sunnmøre District Court
Sunnmøre District Court () is a district court in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The court is based at two different courthouses in Ålesund and Volda. The court existed for hundreds of years until 2021, but it was re-established in 2025. Case ...
and the
Frostating Court of Appeal
The Frostating Court of Appeal () is one of six courts of appeal in the Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the city of Trondheim. The court has jurisdiction over the counties of Trøndelag and Møre og Romsdal. These areas constitute the ...
.
Municipal council
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, borough cou ...
() of Vanylven Municipality is made up of 21 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political
party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a Hospitality, 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 oft ...
.
Mayors
The
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
() of Vanylven Municipality is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position:
* 1838–1839: Jon J. Sundal
* 1840–1843: Nicolai Christian Synnestvedt
* 1844–1855: Jon J. Sundal
* 1856–1859: Hans A. Thunem
* 1860–1863: Bern Krøvel
* 1864–1869: Samson Qviebakke
* 1870–1871: Bern Krøvel
* 1872–1875: Samson Qviebakke
* 1876–1877: Matias O. Thunem
* 1878–1879: Bernt S. Breiteig
* 1880–1895: Matias O. Thunem
* 1896–1901: Gerhard K. Fiskå
* 1902–1913: Kristian R. Sandnes
* 1914–1919: Ola Hellebust
* 1920–1925: Andreas M. Osnes
* 1926–1931: Petter I. Lien
* 1932–1934: John A. Aasen
* 1935–1937: Andreas M. Osnes
* 1938–1945: John A. Aasen
* 1945–1945: Sverre Nybø (H)
* 1946–1949: Knut Rønnestad
* 1950–1951: Knut A. Thunem
* 1952–1955: Anfinn M. Skorge
* 1956–1959: Einar Orten
* 1960–1961: Sverre Nybø (
H)
* 1962–1963: Olav A. Aarø
* 1964–1965: Osnes
* 1966–1973: Ola Øvregård
* 1974–1975: Svein Thunem
* 1976–1983: Ragnar Vik
* 1984–1987: Jon Arne Lillebø (
KrF)
* 1988–2003: Jon Aasen (
Ap)
* 2003–2015: Jan Helgøy (
KrF)
* 2015–2023: Lena M. Landsverk Sande (
V)
* 2023–present: Paul Sindre Vedeld (
Sp)

Notable people
*
Jacob Vidnes (1875 in Vanylven – 1940), a trade unionist, newspaper editor, and politician
*
Marie Lovise Widnes
Marie Lovise Widnes (1 November 1930 – 19 November 2021) was a Norwegian poet, author, singer, composer, and politician.
Political career
Widnes was born in Vanylven Municipality. She was elected to the Stortinget, Norwegian Parliament from Mø ...
(born 1930 in Vanylven), a poet, author, singer, composer, and politician
*
Helge Simonnes (born 1955 in Vanylven), an editor and current editor-in-chief of ''
VÃ¥rt Land''
*
Else Mundal
Else Olaug Mundal (born 8 November 1944) is a Norwegian philologist.
She was born in Vanylven Municipality and graduated with the cand.philol. degree in 1971. She was appointed as a docent in Norse philology at the University of Oslo in 1977. Be ...
(born 1944 in Vanylven), a philologist and academic
*
Maria Parr
Maria Parr (born 18 January 1981 in Vanylven Municipality) is a Norwegian children's writer.
She studied Nordic Languages and Literature at the University of Bergen. She currently teaches part-time at the high school in Vanylven.
Her children ...
(born 1981 in Vanylven), a children's writer
References
External links
Municipal fact sheetfrom
Statistics Norway
Statistics Norway (, abbreviated to ''SSB'') 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 rele ...
*
{{authority control
Sunnmøre
Municipalities of Møre og Romsdal
1838 establishments in Norway
Populated places established in 1838