Sandnes
Encyclopedia
is a city and municipality
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...

 in Rogaland
Rogaland
is a county in Western Norway, bordering Hordaland, Telemark, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder. It is the center of the Norwegian petroleum industry, and as a result of this, Rogaland has the lowest unemployment rate of any county in Norway, 1.1%...

 county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...

, 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...

. It is part of the region of Jæren
Jæren
Jæren is a traditional district in the county of Rogaland. The others are Dalane, Ryfylke and Haugalandet.Jæren is the largest flat lowland area in Norway, stretching from the municipality of Randaberg in the north to Hå in the south. The coast is flat compared to the rest of the Norwegian coast,...

.

History

Sandnes was separated from Høyland
Høyland
Høyland is a former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway.The parish of Høiland was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . According to the 1835 census the municipality had a population of 2,286. On 6 April 1861 the city Sandnes was separated from Høyland to contstitute a municipality of...

 as a municipality of its own in 1860, and gained city status the same year. On 1 January 1965, the rural municipalities of Høyland and Høle
Høle
Høle is a borough and former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway.The municipality was separated from Strand as Høgsfjord formannskapsdistrikt in 1842. On 1 January 1871 the district Forsand was divided from Høgsfjord to form a municipality of its own...

, as well as parts of Hetland
Hetland
Hetland is a former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway.It was created as Hetland formannskapsdistrikt in 1837. On 1 July 1922, Randaberg was separated from Hetland to create a municipality of its own. The split left Hetland with a population of 10,167...

, were merged with Sandnes.

Name

The city is named after an old farm ("Sandnæs" 1723), since the city was built on its ground. The first element is sand which means "sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...

" or "sandy beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...

", the last element is nes which means "headland
Headland
A headland is a point of land, usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends out into a body of water.Headland can also refer to:*Headlands and bays*headLand, an Australian television series...

".

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms
Coat 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...

 was granted on 21 April 1972. The arms show a piece of pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...

, as pottery was one of the main industries in the late 18th century. The symbol is a leirgauk, which in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 would be a ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...

 cuckoo
Cuckoo
The cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos . Some zoologists and taxonomists have also included the unique Hoatzin in the Cuculiformes, but its taxonomy remains in dispute...

-bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...

 (leir(e)= clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...

/ceramic and gauk/gjøk = cuckoo-bird). The ceramic Sandnes-cuckoo is an ocarina
Ocarina
The ocarina is an ancient flute-like wind instrument. Variations do exist, but a typical ocarina is an enclosed space with four to twelve finger holes and a mouthpiece that projects from the body...

 or simple flute which was made by the potteries in Sandnes and used to advertise their products. Later it also became a nickname for people from Sandnes.

Geography

The city of Sandnes is located about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...

, and these two cities have expanded so as to form a conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...

. The municipality of Sola
Sola
Sola is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the region of Jæren. The old municipality of Håland was divided into Sola and Madla in 1930....

 is located to the west, Klepp
Klepp
Klepp is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The parish of Klep was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 ....

 and Time
Time, Norway
Time is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the region of Jæren. The administrative centre of Time is the town of Bryne.-Name:...

 to the south, and Gjesdal
Gjesdal
Gjesdal is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. In the northwest the municipality borders Sandnes, to the north Forsand, to the east Sirdal, to the south Bjerkreim, and to the west Time....

 and Forsand
Forsand
Forsand is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. Forsand was separated from Høle on 1 January 1871. In 1999, evidence of a population here dating back to around 7500 BC was located....

 to the east. The fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...

 Gandsfjord
Gandsfjord
Gandsfjord is a fjord in Rogaland, Norway. Gandsfjord is an arm of Boknafjorden which is adjacent to the cities Stavanger and Sandnes. The entire west side of Gandsfjord is highly developed. The east side of the fjord has many mountains and peaks. In the outer parts of the fjord there are several...

en is situated north-south and ends in the centre of Sandnes. The international airport of Stavanger is situated in Sola.

Sandnes's districts are Austrått, Figgjo, Ganddal, Hana (includes Aspervika and Dale), Høle, Lura, Malmheim, Riska, Sandved, Soma, Stangeland, Sviland, and Trones.

The landscape of the Sandnes and Stavanger region is quite flat. On the long west coast there are several beaches and further inland the land is raised to form low plains with some small peaks rising up to 400 to 500 m (1,312.3 to 1,640.4 ) above sea level. From Stavanger and Sandnes it is approximately one hour by car to alpine and skiing resorts. In Sandnes there are some easily accessible small mountain peaks, such as Dalsnuten and Lifjell, with a view over the Sandnes/Stavanger area. The renowned Lysefjord
Lysefjord
Lysefjord is a fjord located in Forsand in Ryfylke in south-western Norway...

 is also easily accessible by car or boat.

Distance to some cities

  • Stavanger
    Stavanger
    Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...

     12 kilometres (7.5 mi)
  • Kristiansand
    Kristiansand
    -History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...

     155 kilometres (96.3 mi)
  • 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 , ....

     170 kilometres (105.6 mi)
  • Oslo
    Oslo
    Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...

     305 kilometres (189.5 mi)
  • Ålesund
    Ålesund
    is a town and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre, and the center of the Ålesund Region. It is a sea port, and is noted for its unique concentration of Art Nouveau architecture....

     400 kilometres (248.5 mi)
  • Trondheim
    Trondheim
    Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...

     570 kilometres (354.2 mi)
  • Tromsø
    Tromsø
    Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...

     1360 kilometres (845.1 mi)
  • Vigrestad
    Vigrestad
    Vigrestad is a village in the municipality of Hå, Norway. Its population was 1850 in 2009. It is situated approximately 32 metres above sea level and 7, 5 km from Varhaug, which is the municipality's administrative centre....

     40 kilometres (24.9 mi)

Economy

Sandnes hosts a large array of retail shops of most kinds and is used by the neighbouring municipalities appreciating the service and wide range of selections. Sandnes is known as Norway's bicycle city, mainly due to the fact that the bicycle manufacturer Øglænd DBS was situated here for decades. The city offers a variety of routes for everyday riders and tourists. Since 1996 a public bicycle rental programme has been in operation in the city.

The city has a vibrant industrial base, mainly in the Ganddal area in the south and the Lura and Forus area in the north towards the Stavanger boundary. There is significant activity related to oil exploration in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...

 and also some IT related companies. In this suburban region between Sandnes and Stavanger, malls and department stores have also been established. Among these malls is one of Norway's biggest malls, Kvadrat
Kvadrat Storsenter
Kvadrat is one of the largest shopping centres in Norway both by revenue and number of shops. The shopping centre is situated near Stavanger, Norway. Kvadrat Storsenter was opened in 1984 and contains 160 stores in several connected buildings totalling 84 912 m².- External links :*...

 meaning "square" (although it is not square shaped anymore as it has expanded several times since it opened in 1984).

Around 30% of the population is employed in Stavanger (Q4 2004).

Sandnes was formerly known as the pottery town of Norway - due to the important ceramics industry based on the extensive occurrence of clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...

 in the surroundings.

Culture and sports

The primary football team (Sandnes Ulf
Sandnes Ulf
Sandnes Ulf is a Norwegian football club from Sandnes, Rogaland. They currently play in the Adeccoligaen, the second highest division in the Norwegian football league system. Sandnes Ulf is the biggest football club in Sandnes, but has traditionally been in the shadow of regional greats Viking FK...

) is currently competing in the second highest division of Norwegian professional football, Adeccoligaen
Adeccoligaen
The Norwegian First Division is the second highest division of the Norwegian football league system. Since 2005, the official name of the league has been Adeccoligaen....

.

Sandnes is the only city in Norway which is a member of the World Health Organisation’s network of Healthy Cities.

Sandnes and its neighbor city Stavanger was chosen along with Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, to be a European Capital of Culture for 2008.

Higher education facilities include Forus Upper Secondary School and Lundehaugen Upper Secondary School.

People from Sandnes

Sandnes is the home of professional poker player Annette Obrestad
Annette Obrestad
Annette Obrestad is a Norwegian poker player. Obrestad is the youngest person to ever win a World Series of Poker Europe bracelet...

, who was born in Stavanger, just 9.3 miles away. Annette became the youngest ever winner of a WSOP bracelet when winning the Betfair
Betfair
Betfair is the world's largest Internet betting exchange. The company is based in Hammersmith in West London, England. Since Betfair was launched in June 2000 it has become the largest online betting company in the UK and the largest betting exchange in the world. Betfair claim to have over 3...

 World Series of Poker Europe
World Series of Poker Europe
The World Series of Poker Europe is the first expansion effort of World Series of Poker-branded poker tournaments outside the United States. Since 1970, participants had to travel to Las Vegas if they wanted to compete in the World Series of Poker...

 title in September 2007 at the age of 18.

Thomas Dybdahl
Thomas Dybdahl
Thomas Dybdahl is a Norwegian musician in the singer/songwriter tradition.- Biography :Thomas Dybdahl went out to become somewhat of a shooting-star in Norway. As a solo artist, the former guitarist of the band Quadraphonics released his first single EP Bird in 2000...

, famous Norwegian singer/songwriter, is from Sandnes.

The winner of Norwegian Idol 2004 was Kjartan Salvesen
Kjartan Salvesen
Kjartan Salvesen is the winner of the second season of Norwegian version of Idol by 840.000 votes, the highest number for any participant on the show. His single "Standing Tall" sold five times platinum, making it the second most sold single of all time in Norway. He later released a self-titled...

 from Sandnes, whose first album sold 40.000 copies in Norway (double platinum).

Professional boxer and former competitive strongman Arild Haugen
Arild Haugen
Arild "Hulk" Haugen is a strongman and professional boxer from Sirdal, Norway. He currently lives in Sandnes, Rogaland.Haugen stands tall and weighs approximately . He is capable of squatting , a deadlift of , and a bench press of...

, originally from Sirdal
Sirdal
Sirdal is a municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. Sirdal was separated from Bakke in 1849. Sirdal was divided into Tonstad and Øvre Sirdal on 1 January 1905, but these were again merged to recreate Sirdal on 1 January 1960....

, Vest-Agder
Vest-Agder
In the 16th century, Dutch merchant vessels began to visit ports in southern Norway to purchase salmon and other goods. Soon thereafter the export of timber began, as oak from southern Norway was exceptionally well suited for shipbuilding...

, lives in Sandnes.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK