Most of the municipality lies on the island of Karmøy. The island is connected to the mainland by the Karmøy Tunnel and the Karmsund Bridge. It is known for its industries, as well as for fishing. Karmøy is also well known in Norway for its beautiful heather moors and the white sand surfing beaches.
The 230-square-kilometre (89 sq mi) municipality is the 294th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Karmøy is the 25th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 42,903, making it one of the largest in the region. The municipality's population density is 195.4 inhabitants per square kilometre (506/sq mi) and its population has increased by 4.3% over the previous 10-year period.[4][5] The island itself is the 4th most populated island in all of Norway.
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:[6]
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 (Old Norse: Kǫrmt), since the majority of the municipality is located on this island. The first element is derived from the word karmr which means "bargeboard", likely in the sense of a "sheltering island". The last element, øy which means "island", was added later.[7]
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 18 April 1975. The official blazon is "Gules, a fretargent" (Norwegian: I rødt et sølv gitterkryss). 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 karm (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.[8][9][10]
View of the historic Avaldsnes ChurchIsland 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.[11]
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.
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 Norsesagas 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.
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.[13]
Geography
Karmsundbridge links Karmøy island to the mainlandFarm 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 31.2 °C (88.2 °F) was recorded July 2019, and the all-time low −16.6 °C (2.1 °F) 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.
Climate data for Haugesund Airport Karmøy 1991–2020 (24 m, precipitation Haugesund-Rossabø, extremes 2003–2020)
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) 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.
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.[33]
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.[34]
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.[35]
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.[36]
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.[37]
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.[38]
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 143.5-metre (471 ft) tall pylons. These pylons are the tallest electricity pylons in Norway.
