Fjell
Encyclopedia
Fjell is a municipality in the county of Hordaland
, Norway
. The parish of Fjæld was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
). It consists of several islands west of Bergen, the major ones being Litlesotra
, Store Sotra (the northern part), Bildøy
, Bjorøy
, Misje
and Turøy
.
Due to the opening the Sotra Bridge
to the mainland in 1971 and its proximity to Bergen, the population has grown from less than 7,000 to over 20,000, and it has as of 2008 one of the highest growth rates in Norway. The result is major traffic jams over the bridge every day. A highway that leads to Bergen
has reduced the traveling time to only fifteen minutes from the community centre at Straume
on Litle-Sotra.
Fjall), where the first church was built. The name is identical with the modern Norwegian word fjell or "mountain". The oldest form of the name was Undir Fjalli which means "under/below the mountain". Before 1918, the name was written Fjeld.
were granted on 27 April 1957. The arms show the geography in the municipality, specifically the sea and the steep mountains. The seagull
is a typical bird in the area.
Hordaland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark and Rogaland. Hordaland is the third largest county after Akershus and Oslo by population. The county administration is located in Bergen...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The parish of Fjæld was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. This system of municipality was created in a bill approved by the Storting and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January 1837...
). It consists of several islands west of Bergen, the major ones being Litlesotra
Litlesotra
Litlesotra, or sometimes Lille Sotra, is an island in Fjell, Norway. Part of the Sotra archipelago, it has about 10,000 residents, with the main settlement being Straume. Other settlments include Knarrevik. The island is connected to the mainland via the Sotra Bridge....
, Store Sotra (the northern part), Bildøy
Bildøy
Bildøy is an island between Litlesotra and Store Sotra , in the municipality of Fjell in Hordaland, Norway. An upper secondary school and a lower secondary school are located on the island....
, Bjorøy
Bjorøy
Bjorøy is an island in Fjell municipality, Hordaland, Norway. Located south of Litlesotra, Bjorøy is connected to Bergen by a subsea road tunnel, Bjorøytunnelen. It is also connected to the small island of Tyssøy in Sund municipality by a bridge...
, Misje
Misje
Misje is an island and village in Fjell, Norway. As of 2009, it had a population of 257.Traditionally, the island was part of Herdla. When it merged to create Øygarden in 1964, Misje was made part of Fjell. The island was connected to Sotra by Solviksundet Bridge in 1982....
and Turøy
Turøy
Turøy is an island in Fjell, Norway. It is connected to the rest of Sotra via Turøy Bridge which connects to Toftøy. Until 1964, the island was part of Herdla. The island is a good spot for birdwatching and there is an ornithological station on the island. Before 1964, it was part of Herdla....
.
Due to the opening the Sotra Bridge
Sotra Bridge
The Sotra Bridge is a suspension bridge which crosses Knarreviksundet between Knarrevik in Fjell and Drotningsvik on the mainland of Bergen in Hordaland, Norway. It carries two road lanes and two narrow pedestrian paths of National Road 555, providing a fixed link for the archipelago of Sotra. The...
to the mainland in 1971 and its proximity to Bergen, the population has grown from less than 7,000 to over 20,000, and it has as of 2008 one of the highest growth rates in Norway. The result is major traffic jams over the bridge every day. A highway that leads to Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
has reduced the traveling time to only fifteen minutes from the community centre at Straume
Straume, Fjell
Straume is a village in and the administrative center of Fjell, Norway. It is located on the island of Litlesotra and features among other things Sartor Senter, a shopping center. Straume and Knarrevik had a combined population 9,409 in 2009....
on Litle-Sotra.
Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the farm Fjell (Old NorseOld Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
Fjall), where the first church was built. The name is identical with the modern Norwegian word fjell or "mountain". The oldest form of the name was Undir Fjalli which means "under/below the mountain". Before 1918, the name was written Fjeld.
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
were granted on 27 April 1957. The arms show the geography in the municipality, specifically the sea and the steep mountains. The seagull
Gull
Gulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders...
is a typical bird in the area.