Karmøy

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Template:Short description Template:About Template:Infobox kommune

Karmøy is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway, located in the traditional district of Haugaland. It borders Haugesund to the northwest, Tysvær to the northeast, Bokn to the east across the sea, Kvitsøy to the south, and Utsira to the west. As of the second quarter of 2025, the municipality has 43,870 inhabitants, making it Rogaland’s largest municipality after Stavanger and Sandnes, measured by population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Karmøy encompasses several islands and a smaller mainland area. The largest island, also named Karmøy, has an area of Template:Convert, making it the largest island in Rogaland and the 23rd largest in Norway.<ref name=":0">Template:Citation</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The island is connected to the mainland by the Karmsund Bridge and the Karmøy Tunnel. Approximately 33,000 of the municipality’s inhabitants live on the island, making it the most populous island in South Norway and the fourth most populous in the country,<ref name=":0" /> while around 10,000 reside on the mainland, among them in the settlements of Norheim and Vormedal. The municipality is also noted for its industries and fishing, as well as for its heather moors and white sand surfing beaches.

The total area of the municipality is Template:Convert, ranking it as the 294th largest of Norway’s 356 municipalities. Karmøy is the 26th most populous municipality in the country, with a population density of Template:Convert and steady growth over the previous 10-year period.<ref name="ssb pop">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="ssb area">Template:Cite web</ref>

Karmøy municipality was established in 1965 through the merger of seven former municipalities. It has three towns: Kopervik, which is the administrative centre, Åkrehamn on the west coast, and Skudeneshavn at the southern tip of the island.

General information

Map of Karmøy with the urban areas marked

The municipality of Karmøy is a recent creation. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, Karmøy municipality was created upon the merger of two towns and parts of five municipalities into one large municipality with 23,217 residents. The areas that were merged were:<ref name="Dag">Template:Cite book</ref>

  • the town of Kopervik (population: 1,737)
  • the town of Skudeneshavn (population: 1,275)
  • the whole municipality of Skudenes (population: 3,583)
  • the whole municipality of Stangaland (population: 2,678)
  • the whole municipality of Åkra (population: 6,008)
  • the part of the municipality of Avaldsnes located west of the Førresfjorden (population: 4,153)
  • most of the municipality of Torvastad (population: 3,783), except for the island of Vibrandsøy which went to Haugesund Municipality

Name

The municipality is named after the island of Karmøy (Template:Langx), since the majority of the municipality is located on this island. The first element is derived from the word Template:Lang which means "bargeboard", likely in the sense of a "sheltering island". The last element, Template:Wikt-lang which means "island", was added later.<ref name="snl">Template:Cite web</ref>

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 18 April 1975. The official blazon is "Gules, a fret argent" (Template:Langx). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the ordinary is a fret (a diamond interwoven with a cross). The ordinary has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The design is canting, as the central diamond shape stands for Template:Wikt-lang (which is Norwegian for a "frame"). The island forms a border (or frame) against the sea and protects the inland areas from its forces. The cross in the design symbolizes the local Avaldsnes Church that was the royal chapel here during the Middle Ages. The island is said to be a central location and medieval kings would often choose to stay there to be able to "get everywhere in haste" if needed. The arms were designed by Magnus Hardeland. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Churches

The Church of Norway has eight parishes (Template:Lang) within the municipality of Karmøy. It is part of the Karmøy prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger.

Churches in Karmøy
Parish (Template:Lang) Church name Location of the church Year built
Avaldsnes Avaldsnes Church Avaldsnes 1250
Falnes Falnes Church Skudeneshavn 1851
Ferkingstad Ferkingstad Church Ferkingstad 1854
Kopervik Kopervik Church Kopervik c. 2017
Norheim Norheim Church Norheim 1978
Torvastad Torvastad Church Torvastad 1880
Veavågen Veavågen Church Veavågen 2009
Åkra Åkra Church Åkrahamn 1985
Old Åkra Church Åkrahamn 1821

History

View of the historic Avaldsnes Church
Island pastures and St. Olav's church

There are several finds from the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. Large burial mounds, stone monuments, and many other ancient monuments are found on the island. Karmøy is the site of the Storhaug, Grønhaug, and Flagghaugen burial mounds.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Karmøy was known for sailing in the old times. The eddic poem Grímnismál says that Thor, the weather god, wades the Karmsundet strait every morning on his way to Yggdrasil, the tree of life. The ocean outside Karmøy is dangerous, filled with underwater currents and rocks. Thus the ships were forced into the narrow Karmsundet. Chieftains and kings controlled the ships passing up and down the coast and demanded taxes.

The Karmsundet strait was also the source of the name of the kingdom, at the time when the first king of the unified Norway, Harald Fairhair, lived on Karmøy. (See History of Norway.)

Avaldsnes is located on the northeastern coast of the island. King Augvald who has given his name to this ancient site is mentioned in the Old Norse sagas as having his home here. Later the residence of Harald Fairhair and other kings are mentioned. There is also a medieval church, St. Olav's church of Avaldsnes, located on this coast.

Visnes, a village in the northwest of Karmøy was once the site of an important copper mine. This mine was source of the copper used for the Statue of Liberty in New York City.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In the 18th century, two girls from Uyea in Shetland rowed to Haaf Gruney to milk some of the cows grazing there. Unfortunately, their return was marred by a strong storm, and eventually they found their tiny boat blown to Karmøy. The Uyea girls ended up marrying Karmøy men, and their descendants still live there. The Dyrland family of Karmoy are believed to be the family that the two girls married into after they arrived on Karmøy. Sivert Dyrland was a member of the Norwegian government in the early 20th century.<ref name="Smith">Template:Cite book</ref>

Geography

View of the Låvesundet
Farm on Karmøy

The majority of the municipality is located on the large island of Karmøy, but it also includes the mainland peninsula between the Karmsundet strait and Førresfjorden, plus the island of Feøy and several other small islands.

The natural and cultural landscape is highly heterogeneous, encompassing chalk-white sands, moorland, and several piers around the island. The landscape in the north is mainly agricultural, while large parts of the inland south are heather moors. The island has many white, sandy beaches facing the North Sea, attracting surfers as one of the top spots for windsurfing in Norway.

Towns and villages are mostly located along the coast. The three towns in Karmøy are all on the island, the administrative center Kopervik is on the east side, Åkrehamn is on the west side, while Skudeneshavn is on the southern tip. On the mainland part of Karmøy, the village of Norheim is contiguous with the neighboring town of Haugesund. To the south of Norheim is the village of Vormedal while the village of Kolnes is in the northeastern part of mainland Karmøy. Other villages in Karmøy include Avaldsnes, Eike, Ferkingstad, Sævelandsvik, Sandve, Veavågen, and Visnes.

Haugesund Airport is also located on the island rather than in the town of Haugesund proper. The Geitungen Lighthouse lies at the southern end of the municipality, marking the entrance to the Boknafjorden.

Climate

Karmøy has an oceanic climate (Cfb), also known as marine west coast climate, with rainy winters and warm or mild summers, and a long frost-free season for the latitude. The all-time high Template:Convert was recorded July 2019, and the all-time low Template:Convert was set in January 2010 (extremes since 2003). The wettest time of year is autumn and winter, while April–July is the driest season. Haugesund Airport is situated in Karmøy municipality and has been recording since 1975.

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Districts

The municipality is divided into 79 circuits, grouped into 10 areas:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Government

Karmøy Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.<ref name="ks">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Haugaland og Sunnhordland District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council (Template:Lang) of Karmøy is made up of 45 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party. Template:Div col Template:Kommunestyre table Template:Kommunestyre table Template:Kommunestyre table Template:Kommunestyre table Template:Kommunestyre table Template:Kommunestyre table Template:Kommunestyre table Template:Kommunestyre table Template:Kommunestyre table Template:Kommunestyre table Template:Kommunestyre table Template:Kommunestyre table Template:Kommunestyre table Template:Kommunestyre table Template:Kommunestyre table Template:Div col end

Mayors

The mayors (Template:Langx) of Karmøy:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Div col

  • 1965–1968: Thomas Stange (V)
  • 1969–1969: Bjarne Espeseth (KrF)
  • 1970–1971: Kaare Wegner Stange (Sp)
  • 1972–1973: Jakob Eng (KrF)
  • 1974–1975: Kaare Wegner Stange (Sp)
  • 1976–1981: Jakob Eng (KrF)
  • 1982–1982: Godtfred Kristensen (H)
  • 1983–1984: Jakob Eng (KrF)
  • 1985–1989: Hans Sund (H)
  • 1990–1991: Jostein Espeset (KrF)
  • 1992–1993: Gunnar Mosbron (Ap)
  • 1994–1995: Leif Malvin Knutsen (KrF)
  • 1996–2011: Kjell Arvid Svendsen (KrF)
  • 2011–2015: Aase Simonsen (H)
  • 2015–2023: Jarle Nilsen (Ap)
  • 2023–present: Leiv Arne Marhaug (H)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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Area attractions

Salhus village
  • Skude Festival (Skudefestivalen) is an annual festival held during the first week of July in Skudeneshavn. It is the largest gathering of coastal culture in Western Norway with boats of all categories: vintage boats of all categories – old wooden boats, vintage boats, modern boats, sailing boats, tall ships. Craftsmen demonstrate handcrafts from olden days connected to sea and shipping. International and national artists entertain in the evenings. In 2004, Skudeneshavn was voted Norway's summer city by national TV viewers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Viking Farm (Vikinggarden) is part of the Nordvegen History Centre, located close to Avaldsnes. The building and use of the farm is an ongoing experimental archaeological research and interpretation programme. The farm includes reconstructed houses.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Karmøy Museum of Fishing (Karmøy Fiskerimuseum), which opened in 1999 in Veavågen, presents the history of fishing in the region of Karmøy from the 1950s up to the present day. In addition to the main exhibitions there are salt-water aquariums showing the most common types of fish in the area. The Karmøy Fishery Museum is housed in a new building with unique architecture.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Mælandsgården Museum (Museet i Mælandsgården) is situated in the middle of the old, well preserved part of Skudeneshavn. A town model shows what old Skudeneshavn looked like in 1918.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref>
  • Rogaland Fish Museum (Rogaland Fiskerimuseum), located in an old herring salting factory in Åkrehamn, is fully restored to its former glory and housing new exhibitions about the history of this vibrant coastal community. This museum also richly depicts the contact enjoyed between Karmøy and North America.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Visnes Mining Museum (Visnes Gruvemuseum) provides the history of the rather special mining community that in the 1800s had 3,000 inhabitants. Visnes supplied the copper for the Statue of Liberty in New York City.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref>
  • Ferkingstad, an area known for its archaeological finds, from the early Viking period to the late medieval era.
Powerlines crossing Karmsund

Industry

Norsk Hydro is a large aluminium smelter operator located on the island of Karmøy. The power supply of this facility is done by three overhead power lines, which cross the Karmsundet strait on Template:Convert tall pylons. These pylons are the tallest electricity pylons in Norway.

Bauer-Nilsen design and produce high-pressure hydraulics located at Karmøy.

International relations

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Twin towns – Sister cities

Karmøy has sister city agreements with the following places:

Notable people

Christen Schaaning, 1663
Leif Johan Sevland, 2007

See also

References

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