Eikefjord Municipality
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Eikefjord Municipality
Eikefjord herad | |
|---|---|
 View of the Eikefjorden | |
 Sogn og Fjordane within Norway | |
 Eikefjord within Sogn og Fjordane | |
| Coordinates: 61°35′04″N 05°27′29″E / 61.58444°N 5.45806°E | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Sogn og Fjordane |
| District | Sunnfjord |
| Established | 1 Jan 1923 |
| • Preceded by | Kinn_Municipality_ |
| Disestablished | 1 Jan 1964 |
| • Succeeded by | Flora Municipality |
| Administrative centre | Eikefjord |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (1962–1963) | Alf Svarthumle |
| Area (upon dissolution) | |
• Total | 168.2 km2 (64.9 sq mi) |
| • Rank | #413 in Norway |
| Highest elevation | 1,021 m (3,350 ft) |
| Population (1963) | |
• Total | 946 |
| • Rank | #620 in Norway |
| • Density | 5.6/km2 (15/sq mi) |
| • Change (10 years) |  −8.3% |
| Official language | |
| • Norwegian form | Nynorsk[3] |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | NO-1435[4] |
Eikefjord is a former municipality in the old Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The 168.2-square-kilometre (64.9 sq mi) municipality existed from 1923 until its dissolution in 1964. The area is now part of Kinn Municipality in the traditional district of Sunnfjord in Vestland county. The administrative centre was the village of Eikefjord where Eikefjord Church is located.[5]
Prior to its dissolution in 1964, the 168.2-square-kilometre (64.9 sq mi) municipality was the 413th largest by area out of the 689 municipalities in Norway. Eikefjord Municipality was the 620th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of about 946. The municipality's population density was 5.6 inhabitants per square kilometre (15/sq mi) and its population had decreased by 8.3% over the previous 10-year period.[6][7]
Name
The parish of Eikefjord was established as a municipality on 1 January 1923, when the old Kinn Municipality was split into three separate municipalities as follows:[8]
- the new Eikefjord Municipality (population: 929), which included the eastern district around the eastern end of the Eikefjorden and around the village of Eikefjord
- the new Bru Municipality (population: 1,560), which included the southern islands of Svanøya and Askrova, a small mainland area south of the Førdefjorden, the area around the village of Stavang, and the large valley east of the village of Norddalsfjord
- a much smaller Kinn Municipality (population: 2,508), which included the western islands and the mainland areas surrounding, but not including, the port town of Florø
During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the new Flora Municipality was created by merging the following areas:[8]
- the ladested of Florø (population: 2,040)
- all of Eikefjord Municipality (population: 919)
- all of Kinn Municipality (population: 3,567)
- the parts of Bru Municipality that were located north of the Førdefjorden (population: 1,155)
- the villages of Husefest and Breivik in Bremanger Municipality (population: 9)
- the Steindal valley area in Vevring Municipality (population: 25)
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Eikefjord farm (Old Norse: Eikifjǫrðr) since the first Eikefjord Church was built there. The farm was named after the local fjord. The first element comes form the word eik which means "oak". The last element is fjǫrðr which means "fjord" or "firth".[9]
Churches
The Church of Norway had one parish (sokn) within Eikefjord Municipality. At the time of the municipal dissolution, it was part of the Kinn prestegjeld and the Sunnfjord prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.[7]
| Parish (sokn) | Church name | Location of the church | Year built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eikefjord | Eikefjord Church | Eikefjord | 1812 |
Geography
The municipality of Eikefjord was located at the end of the Eikefjorden, about 30 kilometres (19 mi) east of the town of Florø. The lake Endestadvatnet was part of the municipality. The municipality encompassed the immediate area around the village of Eikefjord and to the east and south of the village.[5] The highest point in the municipality was the 1,021-metre (3,350 ft) tall mountain Blånipa, located on the border with Bru Municipality.[1] Bru Municipality was located to the north, west, and southwest; Vevring Municipality was located to the south, Askvoll Municipality was located to the south, Naustdal Municipality was located to the southeast, and Gloppen Municipality was located to the east.
