Smøla
Encyclopedia
Smøla is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal
county
, Norway
. It is part of the Nordmøre
region
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hopen
, other villages include Dyrnes
, Råket
, and Veiholmen
.
, Brattvær
, and Hopen
. The initial population was 4,046.
of Smøla (Old Norse
: Smyl or Smjöl). The name is probably derived from smuler which means "crumbs", referring to the thousands of small islands and islets around the main island.
is from modern times. They were granted in 1989. The arms show two seagulls, which are representative of an island community.
has three parishes within the municipality of Smøla. It is part of the Diocese of Møre
and the Rural Deanery
(Prosti) of Ytre Nordmøre.
Smøla is located north of Kristiansund
and Tustna
, it consists of one main island and more than 3,000 smaller ones. The 214 square kilometres (82.6 sq mi) main island is very flat, the highest peak reaches 63 metres (206.7 ft) above sea level. Almost all of the land area consists of marsh
es and cliff
s; only 5% is cultivated into agricultural land.
Scientists of the Institut of Geodesy and Geoinformationtechnique of the Technical University of Berlin were testing the antique maps of Ptolemy
and recognized a pattern of calculation mistakes that occurred when one tried to convert the old coordinates from Ptolemy into modern cartographical maps. The scientists believe that, when one compensates for these mistakes, the mythological location Thule
corresponds to Smøla.
announced the opening of the Smøla Wind Farm
, a 40 MW wind project comprising twenty 2 MW wind turbine
s by Norway
's King Harald V. This corresponds to phase one of the wind
project, which when completed will have a total installed capacity of more than 110 MW. Phase two was opened in September 2005 and included forty-eight 2.3 MW wind turbines. All in all, the wind energy
production project consists of 68 windmills, making it among the largest wind projects in Europe
. With a total generating capacity of 150 MW, the Smøla wind farm's 68 turbines account for more than half of the installed wind power capacity in Norway. The total generating capacity is equivalent to 450 GWh of electricity
per year, which corresponds to the average annual power consumption of 22,500 Norwegian households.
You can expect to catch a large selection of deep sea fish in this area: herring
, cod
, redfish
, perch
, monkfish
, Atlantic halibut
, plaice
, carp
, char
, mackerel
, and others.
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
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 Nordmøre
Nordmøre
Nordmøre is a traditional district in the Norwegian county of Møre og Romsdal. The area comprises the northern third of the county including the municipalities of Kristiansund, Averøy, Tingvoll, Surnadal, Rindal, Aure, Halsa, Eide, Sunndal, Gjemnes, and Smøla...
region
Districts of Norway
The country Norway is historically divided into a number of districts. Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties and municipalities. The districts are defined by geographical features, often valleys, mountain ranges, fjords,...
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hopen
Hopen, Møre og Romsdal
Hopen is a village and a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the northern part of the present-day municipality of Smøla...
, other villages include Dyrnes
Dyrnes
Dyrnes is a village in the municipality of Smøla in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located on the northwestern part of the island, just east of Råket, and southwest of Veiholmen. The Smøla Wind Farm is located southeast of the village....
, Råket
Råket
Råket is a village in the municipality of Smøla in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located on the northwestern part of the island, just west of Dyrnes....
, and Veiholmen
Veiholmen
Veiholmen is a fishing village located on a group of tiny islands in the northern part of the municipality of Smøla in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway...
.
General information
The municipality of Smøla was established on 1 January 1960 after the merger of the municipalities of EdøyEdøy
Edøy is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the southern part of the present-day municipality of Smøla.-History:...
, Brattvær
Brattvær
Brattvær is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It was located on the western part of the island of Smøla in the present-day municipality of Smøla. It included the area near Råket and Dyrnes...
, and Hopen
Hopen, Møre og Romsdal
Hopen is a village and a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the northern part of the present-day municipality of Smøla...
. The initial population was 4,046.
Name
The municipality is named after the main islandIsland
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
of Smøla (Old Norse
Old 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....
: Smyl or Smjöl). The name is probably derived from smuler which means "crumbs", referring to the thousands of small islands and islets around the main island.
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...
is from modern times. They were granted in 1989. The arms show two seagulls, which are representative of an island community.
- See also: Coat-of-Arms of HasvikHasvikHasvik is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Breivikbotn. Hasvik was separated from the municipality of Loppa on 1 January 1858....
Churches
The Church of NorwayChurch of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
has three parishes within the municipality of Smøla. It is part of the Diocese of Møre
Diocese of Møre
The Diocese of Møre is a diocese in the Church of Norway which geographically consists of Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Its bishop and cathedral are located in the county administrative center of Molde...
and the Rural Deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
(Prosti) of Ytre Nordmøre.
| Parish (Sokn) | Church Name | Year Built | Location of the Church |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brattvær | Brattvær kirke | 1917 | Brattvær Brattvær Brattvær is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It was located on the western part of the island of Smøla in the present-day municipality of Smøla. It included the area near Råket and Dyrnes... |
| Edøy | Edøy kirke | 1885 | Edøy Edøy Edøy is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the southern part of the present-day municipality of Smøla.-History:... |
| Edøy gamle kirke | c. 1190 | Edøya | |
| Hopen | Hopen kirke | 1892 | Hopen Hopen, Møre og Romsdal Hopen is a village and a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the northern part of the present-day municipality of Smøla... |
Geography
Kristiansund
Kristiansund is a city and municipality on the western coast of Norway, in the Nordmøre district of Møre og Romsdal county. It was officially awarded township status in 1742, and it is still the major town for the region. The administrative center of the municipality is the city of Kristiansund...
and Tustna
Tustna
Tustna is an island and a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The administrative centre was Gullstein. The island is located in the present-day municipality of Aure. The island lies between the islands of Golma and Stabblandet and Solskjel .-History:Tustna was originally a...
, it consists of one main island and more than 3,000 smaller ones. The 214 square kilometres (82.6 sq mi) main island is very flat, the highest peak reaches 63 metres (206.7 ft) above sea level. Almost all of the land area consists of marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es and cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
s; only 5% is cultivated into agricultural land.
Scientists of the Institut of Geodesy and Geoinformationtechnique of the Technical University of Berlin were testing the antique maps of Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
and recognized a pattern of calculation mistakes that occurred when one tried to convert the old coordinates from Ptolemy into modern cartographical maps. The scientists believe that, when one compensates for these mistakes, the mythological location Thule
Thule
Thule Greek: Θούλη, Thoulē), also spelled Thula, Thila, or Thyïlea, is, in classical European literature and maps, a region in the far north. Though often considered to be an island in antiquity, modern interpretations of what was meant by Thule often identify it as Norway. Other interpretations...
corresponds to Smøla.
Energy
On 5 September 2002, StatkraftStatkraft
Statkraft is a Norwegian state owned electricity company. With a total energy production of 44.9 TWh in 2007, the Statkraft Group is the third largest energy producer in the Nordic region, as well as the largest energy producer based on renewable energy sources in Europe,consisting of 40% of the...
announced the opening of the Smøla Wind Farm
Smøla Wind Farm
Smøla Wind Farm is a 68 turbine wind farm located in the municipality of Smøla in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway and operated by Statkraft. The farm is located southeast of Dyrnes on the island of Smøla. The farm covers an area of ....
, a 40 MW wind project comprising twenty 2 MW wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s by 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...
's King Harald V. This corresponds to phase one of the wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
project, which when completed will have a total installed capacity of more than 110 MW. Phase two was opened in September 2005 and included forty-eight 2.3 MW wind turbines. All in all, the wind energy
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
production project consists of 68 windmills, making it among the largest wind projects in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. With a total generating capacity of 150 MW, the Smøla wind farm's 68 turbines account for more than half of the installed wind power capacity in Norway. The total generating capacity is equivalent to 450 GWh of electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
per year, which corresponds to the average annual power consumption of 22,500 Norwegian households.
Attractions
- VeiholmenVeiholmenVeiholmen is a fishing village located on a group of tiny islands in the northern part of the municipality of Smøla in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway...
is a large fishing village, north of the main island. - KulisteinenKulisteinenThe Kulisteinen, also known as the Kuli stone and listed as N 449 in the Rundata catalog, is a stone with a runic inscription that was originally located at Kuløy in Smøla municipality, Norway.-Description:...
(the Kuli stone), probably one of the best remains which tells about early ChristianityChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
in Norway. On one side it has a large crossCrossA cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run obliquely, the design is technically termed a saltire, although the arms of a saltire need not meet...
, which was well known for a long time. Less well known was a runic inscription on the rim of the stone. - Deep Sea Fishing is of course a part of the natural environment of Smøla - though you have to enter the deep, dark-blue surroundings of the island. If you are interested in deep sea fishing, Smøla provide excellent facilities, guided fishing trips and possibilities for renting fisherman’s boats and needed equipment.
You can expect to catch a large selection of deep sea fish in this area: 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...
, cod
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
, redfish
Redfish
Redfish is a common name for several species of fish. It is most commonly applied to members of the deep-sea genus Sebastes, or the reef dwelling snappers, Lutjanus. It is also applied to the slimeheads or roughies , and the alfonsinos ....
, perch
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...
, monkfish
Monkfish
Monkfish is the English name of a number of types of fish in the northwest Atlantic, most notably the species of the anglerfish genus Lophius and the angelshark genus Squatina...
, Atlantic halibut
Atlantic halibut
The Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus, is a flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. They are demersal fish, that live on or near sand, gravel or clay bottoms at depths of between . The halibut is among the largest teleost fish in the world. Halibut are strong swimmers and are able to...
, plaice
Plaice
Plaice is the common name of four species of flatfishes.Plaice or PLAICE may also refer to:* USS Plaice , a Balao-class submarine* PLAICE, an open source hardware FLASH programmer, memory emulator, and logic analyzer...
, carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
, char
Char
Char is the solid material that remains after light gases and tar coal tar have been driven out or released from a carbonaceous material during the initial stage of combustion, which is known as carbonization, charring, devolatilization or pyrolysis.Further stages of efficient combustion are...
, mackerel
Mackerel
Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of fish, mostly, but not exclusively, from the family Scombridae. They may be found in all tropical and temperate seas. Most live offshore in the oceanic environment but a few, like the Spanish mackerel , enter bays and can be...
, and others.
External links
- Statkraft
- Veiholmen.com
- Municipal fact sheet from Statistics NorwayStatistics NorwayStatistics Norway is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every year on its web site. All releases are published both in Norwegian and English...