Flåvær
Encyclopedia
Flåvær is group of islet
s and skerries
in the Herøyfjord
in the municipality of Herøy
in Møre og Romsdal
county, Norway
. The islands are located north of the island Gurskøy
and southwest of Fosnavåg
. It includes the islets Flåvær, Husholmen, Torvholmen, and Vardholmen (the Norwegian
term holme translates as islet, signifying that these are small).
. Flåvær was both a fishing station and a store where the fishing fleet could get supplies close to the fishing fields. It provided useful harbor
and mooring facilities. In the days of the rich herring
fisheries, the harbor was often crowded with fishing vessels, and as many as 1,500 people gathered there. From 1873 to 1976 there was a post office
. Also, from 1929 to 1961 and again from 1981 until 1984, a school
was located here. The Flåvær fyrstasjon
, which was erected on Vardholmen in 1870, is still located there.
By 1981, Flåvær had only 14 remaining inhabitants on the four islets. Today Flåvær is depopulated, but it is possible to spend a vacation in the cottages there and to arrange for conferences on Flåvær and Torvholmen.
Islet
An islet is a very small island.- Types :As suggested by its origin as islette, an Old French diminutive of "isle", use of the term implies small size, but little attention is given to drawing an upper limit on its applicability....
s and skerries
Skerries
Skerries is the plural of skerry, meaning a small rocky island.Skerries may refer to a number of geographical locations:-Ireland:*Skerries, Dublin, a seaside town in Ireland*The Skerries, Northern Ireland...
in the Herøyfjord
Herøyfjord
The Herøyfjord is a fjord which bisects the municipality of Herøy in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The fjord is about long and about wide, between the islands of Bergsøya and Gurskøya. The fjord has a maximum depth of ....
in the municipality of Herøy
Herøy, Møre og Romsdal
Herøy is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the town of Fosnavåg on the island of Bergsøya. The industrial area of Eggesbønes is located south of Fosnavåg on the same island...
in Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
county, 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 islands are located north of the island Gurskøy
Gurskøy
Gurskøy is an island in the municipalities of Sande and Herøy in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island has an area of . The villages of Gursken, Larsnes, and Moldtustranda are located on the island...
and southwest of Fosnavåg
Fosnavåg
is a city in the municipality of Herøy in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is the administrative center of the municipality of Herøy. The city is located on the island of Bergsøya which is connected to Kvalsund on the island of Nerlandsøya via the Nerlandsøy Bridge to the west...
. It includes the islets Flåvær, Husholmen, Torvholmen, and Vardholmen (the Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
term holme translates as islet, signifying that these are small).
History
In earlier times, there was extensive activity at Flåvær due to its central position in the HerøyfjordHerøyfjord
The Herøyfjord is a fjord which bisects the municipality of Herøy in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The fjord is about long and about wide, between the islands of Bergsøya and Gurskøya. The fjord has a maximum depth of ....
. Flåvær was both a fishing station and a store where the fishing fleet could get supplies close to the fishing fields. It provided useful harbor
Harbor
A harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships, boats, and barges can seek shelter from stormy weather, or else are stored for future use. Harbors can be natural or artificial...
and mooring facilities. In the days of the rich herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
fisheries, the harbor was often crowded with fishing vessels, and as many as 1,500 people gathered there. From 1873 to 1976 there was a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
. Also, from 1929 to 1961 and again from 1981 until 1984, a school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
was located here. The Flåvær fyrstasjon
Flåvær fyrstasjon
Flåvær fyr is a coastal lighthouse on the island of Vardholmen in the Flåvær islands in the Herøyfjord in the municipality of Herøy on west coast of Norway. The lighthouse is located southwest of Fosnavåg and Eggesbønes and north of the island of Gurskøya....
, which was erected on Vardholmen in 1870, is still located there.
By 1981, Flåvær had only 14 remaining inhabitants on the four islets. Today Flåvær is depopulated, but it is possible to spend a vacation in the cottages there and to arrange for conferences on Flåvær and Torvholmen.