Gaular
| Gaular kommune | |||
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| — Municipality — | |||
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| Coordinates: 61°20′2″N 5°47′20″E / 61.33389°N 5.78889°ECoordinates: 61°20′2″N 5°47′20″E / 61.33389°N 5.78889°E | |||
| Country | Norway | ||
| County | Sogn og Fjordane | ||
| District | Sunnfjord | ||
| Administrative centre | Sande | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor (2003) | Jenny Følling (Sp) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 581.94 km2 (224.7 sq mi) | ||
| • Land | 539.03 km2 (208.1 sq mi) | ||
| • Water | 42.91 km2 (16.6 sq mi) | ||
| Area rank | 187 in Norway | ||
| Population (2010) | |||
| • Total | 2,778 | ||
| • Rank | 286 in Norway | ||
| • Density | 5.15/km2 (13.3/sq mi) | ||
| • Change (10 years) | -3.7 % | ||
| Demonym | Gaulværing[1] | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| ISO 3166 code | NO-1430 | ||
| Official language form | Nynorsk | ||
| Website | www.gaular.kommune.no | ||
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Gaular is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative centre is the village of Sande. The Viksdalen valley is located in Gaular.
Gaular is sometimes referred to as Fosselandet (the land of the waterfalls) because it is home to 28 large and small waterfalls.
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[edit] General information
Indre Holmedal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The original municipality was identical to the Indre Holmedal parish (prestegjeld) with the sub-parishes (sokn) of Bygstad, Sande, and Vik (Viksdalen). In 1912, the name of the municipality was changed to Gaular.[2] On 1 January 1990, parts of the Hestad area were transferred from Fjaler to Gaular.[3]
[edit] Name
The name (Old Norse Gaular) is derived from the name of the river Gaula. The old name was revived in 1912, until then the name of the municipality was Indre Holmedal.[4]
[edit] Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1992). The silver line represents the Gaula River.
[edit] Churches
The Church of Norway has four churches within the municipality of Gaular. It is part of the Diocese of Bjørgvin and the Rural Deanery (Prosti) of Sunnfjord.[2]
| Parish (Prestegjeld) |
Sub-Parish (Sokn) |
Church Name | Year Built | Location of the Church |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaular Parish | Bygstad | Bygstad kyrkje | 1845 | Bygstad |
| Sande | Sande kyrkje | 1864 | Sande | |
| Hestad gamle kapell | 1805 | Hestad | ||
| Viksdalen | Viksdalen kyrkje | 1848 | Vik |
[edit] Government
All municipalities in Norway, including Gaular, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor.
[edit] Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Gaular is made up of 21 representatives that are elected to every four years. For 2007–2011, the party breakdown is as follows:[5]
| Party Name | Name in Norwegian | Number of representatives |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party | Det Norske Arbeiderpartiet | 2 |
| Conservative Party | Høyre | 3 |
| Christian Democratic Party | Kristelig Folkeparti | 2 |
| Local Lists | Lokale lister | 3 |
| Centre Party | Senterpartiet | 10 |
| Socialist Left Party | Sosialistisk Venstreparti | 1 |
| Total: | 21 |
[edit] Mayor
The mayor (ordførar) of a municipality in Norway is a representative of the majority party of the municipal council who is elected to lead the council. Jenny Følling of the Centre Party (Senterpartiet) was elected mayor for the 2007-2011 term.[6]
[edit] Geography
Gaular is located in the central part of Sogn og Fjordane county. It is bordered to the north by the municipalities of Askvoll and Førde, to the east by Balestrand, to the south by Høyanger, and to the west by Fjaler.
The Gaula River flows west through the municipality and empties into the Dalsfjorden near Bygstad.
[edit] Transportation
The E39 highway runs through the centre of Sande south to Bergen, a distance of 150 kilometres (93 mi) (with a ferry from Lavik to Oppedal). Førde Airport, Bringeland (ENBL) is located at Bringelandsåsen in the municipality.
[edit] Attractions
[edit] The Salmon Stairs
William T. Potts from Coreen Castle in Ireland initiated the building of the stairs, which were completed in 1871, in return for an agreement made with the farmers that had 25 years of free fishing. The salmon stairs at Osen in Bygstad are the oldest in the world. The stairs consist of 17 pools/stages and has height of around 11 metres (36 ft). It is very effective as the salmon are forced to make their way up the stair construction, due to the current below the falls.[7]
[edit] National Tourist Road
Riksvei 13 (Rv13) 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 Haukedalen are typical of Western Norwegian farming communities that have created a picturesque cultivated landscape.
Rørvik Mountain, the trail with the fascinating stone walls and a marvellous view over Haukedalen. Along Råheimsdalen and Eldalen to the Gaularfjell 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 Sognefjord. The breathtaking contrasts of steep mountainsides, winding roads, and waterfalls are characteristic of Western Norway’s exceptional scenery. [7]
[edit] References
- ^ "Personnemningar til stadnamn i Noreg" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet. http://www.sprakrad.no/nb-no/Sprakhjelp/Rettskrivning_Ordboeker/Innbyggjarnamn/.
- ^ a b Natvik, Oddvar (9 February 2005). "Some historical data on the 26 Kommunes". http://www.sf-f.kommune.no/sff/emigration3.nsf/enduser?readform.
- ^ Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (in Norwegian) (PDF). Statistics Norway. http://www.ssb.no/emner/00/90/rapp_9913/rapp_9913.pdf.
- ^ Rygh, Oluf (1919) (in Norwegian). Norske gaardnavne: Nordre Bergenhus amt (12 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. pp. 287. http://www.dokpro.uio.no/perl/navnegransking/rygh_ng/rygh_bla.prl?enhid=193991&avid=43256.
- ^ "Members of the local councils". Statistics Norway. 2007. http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/00/01/20/kommvalgform_en/tab-2008-01-29-15-en.html. Retrieved 6 August 2008.
- ^ Fossheim, Eldgrim (17 June 2007). "Gaular" (in Norwegian). NRK.no. http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/nrk_sogn_og_fjordane/val_2007_sogn_og_fjordane/1.2727311. Retrieved 6 August 2008.
- ^ a b "Førde Municipality in Norway". GoNorway.no. http://www.gonorway.com/norway/counties/sogn%20and%20fjordane/førde/7637a9c257ef420/index.html. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
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