Stord (island)

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Stord
Fitjar.JPG
View of the village of Fitjar
Norway - Stord.PNG
Location in Hordaland county
Geography
Location Hordaland, Norway
Coordinates 59°53′N5°25′E / 59.883°N 5.417°E / 59.883; 5.417 Coordinates: 59°53′N5°25′E / 59.883°N 5.417°E / 59.883; 5.417
Area241 km2 (93 sq mi)
Highest elevation749 m (2,457 ft)
Highest point Mehammarsåto
Administration
Norway
County Hordaland
Municipalities Stord, Fitjar
Demographics
Population19,400
Pop. density80.49 /km2 (208.47 /sq mi)

Stord is an island in Hordaland county, Norway. Located in the traditional district of Sunnhordland, the island is part of the municipalities of Stord (southern part) and Fitjar (northern part). The largest settlements on the island are the town of Leirvik (granted town status in 1997) and the villages of Sagvåg and Fitjar. [1]

Hordaland County (fylke) of Norway

Hordaland is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark, and Rogaland counties. Hordaland is the third largest county after Akershus and Oslo by population. The county government is the Hordaland County Municipality which is located in Bergen. Before 1972, the city of Bergen was its own separate county apart from Hordaland.

Norway Country in Northern Europe

Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northwestern Europe whose territory comprises of the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula; the remote island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard are also part of the Kingdom of Norway. The Antarctic Peter I Island and the sub-Antarctic Bouvet Island are dependent territories and thus not considered part of the kingdom. Norway also lays claim to a section of Antarctica known as Queen Maud Land.

Sunnhordland District in Hordaland, Norway

Sunnhordland is a traditional district in the western region of Norway. The district consists of the southern coastal regions of Hordaland county. In includes the areas that surround the mouth of the Hardangerfjorden and the surrounding islands. The municipalities of Sveio, Etne, Stord, Bømlo, Fitjar, Kvinnherad, and Tysnes make up the district of Sunnhordaland. The regional centre of this district is the town of Leirvik in Stord.

Contents

Geography

Relief map of the island Stord.jpg
Relief map of the island

Stord has an area of 241.2 square kilometres (93.1 sq mi) and the highest point is the 749-metre (2,457 ft) tall mountain Mehammarsåto. The island lies on the northern side of the mouth of the great Hardangerfjorden. The Selbjørnsfjorden lies on the north end of the island. On the east side of the island, the Langenuen strait separates Stord from the neighboring island of Tysnesøya. On the west side of the island, the Stokksundet strait separates Stord from the neighboring island of Bømlo. There are over 350 small islands and skerries lying off the northeastern coast. Most of the central part of the island is mountainous, leaving the islands population living mostly along the coasts. The vast majority of the population lives on the southern coastal area near the Hardangerfjorden. [1]

Selbjørnsfjorden

Selbjørnsfjorden is a fjord in Hordaland county, Norway. The 20-kilometre (12 mi) long fjord flows east-west between the municipalities of Austevoll, Fitjar, and Bømlo. It is a wide fjord that starts at the Slåtterøy Lighthouse at the North Sea in the west and flows to the strait of Langenuen in the east. The central part of the fjord reaches about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) wide. The fjord is named after the nearby island of Selbjørn.

Langenuen

Langenuen is a strait in Hordaland county, Norway. The 40-kilometre (25 mi) strait runs between the islands of Stord and Huftarøy on the west, and Tysnesøy and Reksteren on the east. The strait ranges from 1 to 4 kilometres wide, and it forms the municipal boundaries between the municipalities of Austevoll, Tysnes, Fitjar, and Stord.

Stokksundet (Hordaland)

Stokksundet is a sound between the islands of Stord and Bømlo in Hordaland county, Norway. It is about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) long and it runs from the village of Koløyhamn in the north to the islands of Føyno, Nautøya, and Spyssøya in the south. The Digernessundet is a small strait on the south end that connects the Stokksundet to the vast Hardangerfjorden. On the southern end of the strait, the Stord Bridge and Bømla Bridge cross the sound, connecting the islands of Stord and Bømlo to the Bømlafjord Tunnel as part of the Triangle Link which connects both islands to the mainland.

The mountains on Stord contain a lot of pyrite. There was a pyrite mine at Litlabø until 1968. At Vikanes, there are marble quarries. Huglo has limestone quarries that have been an important source of extra income since the 1500s. Beyond the lowlands, along a line from Sagvåg in the southwest to Jektevik in the northeast, rises a mountainous ridge with peaks of over 700 metres (2,300 ft). The highest of which is the 749-metre (2,457 ft) tall mountain Mehammarsåto furthest to the north. In this mountainous area, the rock varies from basalt lava, gabbro, and granite. [2]

Pyrite sulfide mineral

The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula FeS2 (iron(II) disulfide). Pyrite is considered the most common of the sulfide minerals.

Litlabø Village in Western Norway, Norway

Litlabø is a village and former mining community in the municipality of Stord in Hordaland county, Norway. It is located at the northern side of the lake of Storavatnet, just northeast of the village of Sagvåg. The village had about 450 inhabitants as of 2001. Litlabø was the location for the pyrite mines of Stordø Kisgruber, which operated from 1907 to 1968.

Sagvåg Village in Western Norway, Norway

Sagvåg is a village in Stord municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. The village is located on the southwest coast of the island of Stord, about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) west of the town of Leirvik. The Stord Airport, Sørstokken lies about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) northwest of Sagvåg. Nysæter Church was built here in 1991 to serve the population of the village. The small mining village of Litlabø lies just northeast of Sagvåg.

History

The area around Fitjar has been settled since the Stone Age. At that time, the sea was 10–15 metres (33–49 ft) higher than today, which means that it went into the present lake Storavatnet and far up Fitjar river. The mild climate of the last ice age meant that much of the area was covered by forest, most probably oak, ash, and lime/linden. The area was rich with wildlife, deer, and wild boar. Archaeologists say there have been people in Fitjar for the last 10,000 years. They have made many discoveries of stone tools around Fitjar. Near the Rimbareid farm, a dwelling under a cairn was discovered by archaeologist E. de Lange in 1906. This residence is probably from the late stone age, but could also be from the early Bronze Age, since residue showed a square house, while the round house was more common in the stone age. The Rimsvarden site dates back tor the Bronze Age. [3]

Fitjar (village) Village in Western Norway, Norway

Fitjar  is the administrative centre of Fitjar municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. The village is located on the northwestern shore of the island of Stord. It sits at the southern end of the Fitjarvika bay, a small arm off the main Selbjørnsfjorden. A large group of small islands lie just off the coast to the west. The 1.33-square-kilometre (330-acre) village has a population (2013) of 1,472 which gives it a population density of 1,107 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,870/sq mi). Fitjar Church is located in this central part of this village. The historic Battle of Fitjar took place in this area in the year 961.

Stone Age Hominin events for the last 10 million years

The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make implements with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted roughly 3.4 million years and ended between 8700 BCE and 2000 BCE with the advent of metalworking.

<i>Tilia</i> genus of plants

Tilia is a genus of about 30 species of trees or bushes, native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. In the British Isles, they are commonly called lime trees, or lime bushes, although they are not closely related to the tree that produces the lime fruit. Other names include linden for the European species, and basswood for North American species. The genus occurs in Europe and eastern North America, but the greatest species diversity is found in Asia. Under the Cronquist classification system, this genus was placed in the family Tiliaceae, but genetic research summarised by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group has resulted in the incorporation of this genus, and of most of the previous family, into the Malvaceae.

Fitjar mentioned in many of the historical sagas. Harald I had a royal residence at Fitjar, and it was there Håkon the Good was mortally wounded in the Battle of Fitjar against the sons of Eirik (961). The current coat of arms of Fitjar shows a battle helmet reminiscent of the Battle of Fitjar. [3]

The Battle of Fitjar took place in Fitjar at Stord in the county of Hordaland, Norway.

Coat of arms unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon

A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon, surcoat, or tabard. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement which in its whole consists of shield, supporters, crest, and motto. A coat of arms is traditionally unique to an individual person, family, state, organization or corporation.

During World War II, Stord Island was the location of a British-led commando raid known as "Operation Cartoon".

Operation Cartoon

Operation Cartoon was a British Commando raid on the island of Stord near Leirvik in Hordaland, Norway on the night of 23/24 January 1943. The operation was carried out by 53 men of No. 12 Commando supported by ten men from the Norwegian 10 (IA) Commando. RAF Coastal Command co-operated with the Commandos, with aircraft from 18 Group.

Industry and business

The main industries found on the northern part of the island (other than the municipal government) include engineering and agriculture (including cattle and sheep farming). Fitjar ranks second after Austevoll in Sunnhordland in terms of landed volume of fish, so fishing is a major part of the economy too. [3]

In Stord municipality, industry began developing from 1920 until the 1970s. Manufacturing was the main industry with Kværner and Apply Leirvik as the large enterprises. Both concentrates on offshore oil installations and onshore facilities for oil recovery. Aker Solutions (Aker Stord) built supertankers of up to 370,000 tonnes dv. (until 1975). When the crash of tanker market came, the company went on to build the large production platforms in the North Sea. The year 2000, manufacturing included 63% of the economically active employees within the trade and service industries, while only 1% were related to primary industries. [2]

Culture

There are two historic churches on the island: Fitjar Church, built in 1867, and Stord Church, built in 1857. Nysæter Church was built in 1992. In Hystadmarkjo, one can see 12 burial mounds, some of them have given rich finds from the Bronze Age. The Sunnhordland Museum in Leirvik has collections in their ten buildings from different places in Sunnhordland. There is also a rich collection of models made by sculptor Torleiv Agdestein from Stord. The Stord Maritime Museum in Leirvik has a rich collection also. Litlabø is the site of a mining museum that shows many interesting remains of the last 100 years of mining. Leirvik also has a great recreational center with a 25-metre (82 ft) long swimming pool. [2]

Related Research Articles

Sveio Municipality in Hordaland, Norway

Sveio is a municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. Sveio is a border district that is sometimes considered to be located in the traditional district of Haugalandet since it is located on the Haugalandet peninsula, but it is also considered to be in the traditional district of Sunnhordland since it is located in southern Hordaland county. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Sveio. Other villages in the municipality include Auklandshamn, Førde, Våga, and Valevåg.

Bømlo Municipality in Hordaland, Norway

Bømlo is a municipality in the southern part of Hordaland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnhordland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Svortland. Other villages in Bømlo include Mosterhamn, Rubbestadneset, Lykling, and Langevåg. Most of the municipal residents live on the island of Bømlo, which makes up the majority of the municipality.

Stord Municipality in Hordaland, Norway

Stord is a municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnhordland. Stord is sometimes called "Norway in miniature" since it has such a variety of landscapes: coastline, fjords, forests, agricultural land, and mountain areas. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Leirvik, which is also the largest town in the municipality and the whole region of Sunnhordland. Leirvik was declared a town in 1997. Other population centres in the municipality include the large village of Sagvåg and the smaller villages of Litlabø and Grov.

Leirvik Town in Western Norway, Norway

Leirvik is a town and the administrative centre of Stord municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. The town lies along the southern coast of the large island of Stord, along the Hardangerfjorden. The town gained "town status" in 1997. The town includes the Eldøyane peninsula where the large Kværner Stord industrial area is located.

Huglo island in Stord, Norway

Huglo is an island in Stord municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. The 13.5-square-kilometre (5.2 sq mi) island lies in the Hardangerfjorden, just east of the large island of Stord and just south of Tysnesøy. The small island of Skorpo lies immediately northeast of this island. The highest point on the rugged island is the 218-metre (715 ft) tall Høgafjellet.

Nordhordland District in Hordaland, Norway

Nordhordland is a traditional district in the western part of Norway. The district consists of the northern portion of Hordaland county, north of the city of Bergen. It includes the municipalities Austrheim, Fedje, Lindås, Masfjorden, Meland, Modalen, Osterøy, Radøy and Vaksdal. The district roughly corresponds to the Nordhordland prosti, a Church of Norway deanery and to the municipalities in the Nordhordland District Court. Historically, the municipality of Gulen in Sogn og Fjordane county to the north was included in the district.

Stord Airport, Sørstokken airport in Sørstokken, Stord, Norway

Stord Airport, Sørstokken is a municipal regional airport located at Sørstokken in Stord, a municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. Located 13 kilometres (8 mi) from Leirvik and on the island of Stord, it is the only airport with scheduled services in Sunnhordland. The airport consists of a single asphalt 1,460-by-30-metre runway designated 14/32. It is classified as an airport of entry. Danish Air Transport operates up to two daily flights to Oslo Airport, Gardermoen. Previously the airport has been served by Coast Aero Center, Fonnafly, Air Stord, Teddy Air, Widerøe and Sun Air of Scandinavia.

Storebø Village in Western Norway, Norway

Storebø is the administrative centre and largest village in Austevoll municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. The village is located on the northern part of the island of Huftarøy, just south of the village of Birkeland and northwest of the village of Haukanes. The 1.61-square-kilometre (400-acre) village has a population (2016) of 1,377; giving the village a population density of 855 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,210/sq mi).

Tysnesøy island

Tysnesøya or Tysnesøy is an island in Tysnes municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. The 198-square-kilometre (76 sq mi) island makes up the vast majority of the island municipality of Tysnes. The tallest point on the island is the 753-metre (2,470 ft) tall mountain Tysnessåto.

Mehammarsåta mountain in Norway

Mehammarsåta or Midhamarsåta is the highest mountain on the island of Stord in the municipality of Stord in Hordaland county, Norway. The 749-metre (2,457 ft) tall mountain lies in the northeastern part of the municipality, just south of the municipal border with Fitjar.

Sørstokken is a peninsula on the island of Stord in the municipality of Stord in Hordaland county, Norway. The peninsula is 3.4 kilometres (2.1 mi) long and about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) wide. It is connected to the main part of the island by a 500-metre (1,600 ft) wide isthmus. Other than a small residential area on the isthmus, Stord Airport, Sørstokken is the only major thing located on the peninsula. The peninsula is located about 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) northwest of the town of Leirvik.

Stordø Kisgruber

Stordø Kisgruber was a Norwegian mining company which operated the pyrite mines in Litlabø at Stord in Hordaland, Norway.

Fitjar Church Church in Hordaland, Norway

Fitjar Church is a parish church in Fitjar municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Fitjar. The church is part of the Fitjar parish in the Sunnhordland deanery in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The white, wooden church was built in 1867 and it seats about 425 people.

Stord Church Church in Hordaland, Norway

Stord Church is a parish church in Stord municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. It is located in the town of Leirvik on the southern side of the island of Stord. The church is part of the Stord parish in the Sunnhordland deanery in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The white, stone church was built in 1857 and it seats about 530 people.

Sunnhordland is a local Norwegian newspaper published five times a week in the municipality of Stord in Hordaland county.

References

  1. 1 2 Store norske leksikon. "Stord – øy" (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 2015-02-20. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  2. 1 2 3 Store norske leksikon. "Stord - kommune" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  3. 1 2 3 Store norske leksikon. "Fitjar" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2015-01-27.