Constitution |
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Norwayportal |
Municipalities in Norway are the basic unit of local government. Norway is divided into 15 administrative regions, called counties. These counties are subdivided into 357 municipalities (as of 2024). The capital city Oslo is both a county and a municipality.
Municipalities are 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. [1] Law enforcement and church services are provided at a national level in Norway.
Municipalities are undergoing continuous change by dividing, consolidating, and adjusting boundaries. In 1930, there were 747 municipalities in Norway. As of 2024, there are 357 municipalities. See the list of former municipalities of Norway for further details about municipal mergers.
The consolidation effort has been underway since the work of the Schei Committee in the 1960s. This work has been complicated by a number of factors. Since block grants are made by the national government to the municipalities based on an assessment of need, there is little incentive for the municipalities to lose local autonomy. The national policy is that municipalities should only merge voluntarily, and studies are underway to identify potential gains.
There are two different writing standards in Norway: Bokmål and Nynorsk. Norwegian municipalities are named kommuner (Bokmål) or kommunar (Nynorsk) (plural) or kommune (the singular form is the same in both Bokmål and Nynorsk). The Norwegian word kommune is loaned from the French word commune, which ultimately derives from Latin word communia, communis ("common"). [2] The Kven equivalent is kommuuni. [3] Historically, the word herred (Bokmål) or herad (Nynorsk) was used in Norway as the name for municipalities. That word derived from the old hundred that was used all over northern Europe. Since the 1960s, that name has fallen out of use across Norway, although a small group of municipalities in the Hardanger region of Western Norway still use the name herad such as Voss herad, Ulvik herad, and Kvam herad. Ullensvang Municipality used the name herad until 2020. [4]
Norway also has some municipalities that are bilingual or trilingual due to the presence of many native Sami people living there. In Northern Sámi, there are two words for a municipality: suohkan and gielda. [5] Both are loan words from Scandinavian languages, the first of which is related to the Norwegian words sokn and sogn (a parish). [6] The second term is related to the Norwegian word gjeld (prestegjeld). [7] Lule Sámi likewise has two words for municipalities: suohkan and giellda. [8] The Southern Sámi word is tjïelte. [9]
Each municipality has its own governmental leaders: the mayor (ordfører (Bokmål) or ordførar (Nynorsk)) and the municipal council (kommunestyre). The mayor is the executive leader. The municipal council is the deliberative and legislative body of the municipality and it is the highest governing body in the municipality. The members of the municipal council are elected for a four-year term. A subdivision of the full council is the executive council (formannskap), composed of five members. Historically, the council has been known as a herredstrye, using the old name for a municipality. [1]
Alta is the most populated municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Alta. Some of the main villages in the municipality include Kåfjord, Komagfjord, Kvenvik, Langfjordbotn, Leirbotn, Rafsbotn, Talvik, and Tverrelvdalen.
Porsanger is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lakselv. Other villages in the municipality include Børselv, Brenna, Indre Billefjord, Kistrand, Olderfjord, and Skoganvarre.
(Norwegian) or Kárášjohka is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Karasjok. Other villages include Dorvonjárga, Šuoššjávri, and Váljohka.
Deatnu (Northern Sami) or Tana (Norwegian) is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Tana bru. Among the other villages in the municipality are Austertana, Bonakas, Polmak, Rustefjelbma, and Skiippagurra.
Sør-Varanger is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kirkenes. Other settlements in the municipality include the villages of Bjørnevatn, Bugøynes, Elvenes, Grense Jakobselv, Hesseng, Jakobsnes, Neiden, and Sandnes. Located west of the Norway–Russia border, Sør-Varanger is the only Norwegian municipality that shares a land border with Russia, with the only legal border crossing at Storskog.
Gratangen (Norwegian) or Rivtták (Northern Sami) is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Central Hålogaland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Årstein.
Lavangen (Norwegian) or Loabák (Northern Sami) is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Tennevoll. Other villages in Lavangen include Fossbakken and Spansdalen and Kjeiprød, Røkenes, Låternes, Tennevoll, Hesjevika, Soløy, and Å.
Bardu is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Setermoen, the largest urban area in the municipality.
Dyrøy is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Brøstadbotn. Other villages include Dyrøyhamn, Espenes, Holm, and Hundstrand.
Balsfjord is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Storsteinnes. Other notable villages include Mestervik, Mortenhals, and Nordkjosbotn.
Lyngen is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lyngseidet. Other notable villages include Furuflaten, Lattervika, Nord-Lenangen, and Svensby.
Storfjord (Norwegian), Omasvuotna, or Omasvuono (Kven) is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hatteng. Other villages in Storfjord include Elvevoll, Oteren, and Skibotn.
Kåfjord (Norwegian), Gáivuotna[ˈkaːjːvuo̯tna] (Northern Sami), or Kaivuono (Kven) is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Olderdalen. Other notable villages include Løkvollen, Manndalen, Birtavarre, Trollvik, Samuelsberg, Nordmannvik, and Djupvik.
Skjervøy Municipality is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Skjervøy on the island of Skjervøya, where most of the inhabitants live. The main industries are fishing and shipbuilding. Other villages in the municipality include Akkarvik and Arnøyhamn.
Nordreisa (Norwegian), Ráisa, or Raisi (Kven) is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Storslett. Other villages include Oksfjordhamn, Sørkjosen, and Rotsund.
Kvænangen is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Burfjord. Other notable villages in the municipality include Alteidet, Badderen, Kjækan, and Sekkemo. The European route E6 highway goes through the municipality and over the Sørstraumen Bridge, and many people stop at the Kvænangsfjellet pass to view the scenery of the Kvænangen fjord.
Kven is a Finnic language or a group of Finnish dialects spoken in the northernmost parts of Norway by the Kven people. For political and historical reasons, it received the status of a minority language in 2005 within the framework of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. However, it is seen by some as a mutually intelligible dialect of the Finnish language, and grouped together with the Peräpohjola dialects such as Meänkieli, spoken in Torne Valley in Sweden. While it is often considered a dialect in Finland, it is officially recognized as a minority language in Norway and many Kven consider it a separate language.
Gransherad is a former municipality in Telemark county, Norway. The 417-square-kilometre (161 sq mi) municipality existed from 1860 until its dissolution in 1964. The area is now part of Notodden Municipality and Kongsberg Municipality. The administrative centre was the village of Gransherad where Gransherad Church is located.
Many languages are spoken, written and signed in Norway.
Hustadvika is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the traditional districts of Nordmøre and Romsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Elnesvågen. Other villages in the municipality include Hustad, Bud, Tornes, Sylte, Malme, Aureosen, Eide, Lyngstad, Vevang, and Visnes.
kommune | suohkan, giellda