Stranda
Encyclopedia
Stranda is a municipality 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
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 Sunnmøre
Sunnmøre
Sunnmøre is the southernmost traditional district of the western Norwegian county of Møre og Romsdal. Its main city is Ålesund. The region comprises the municipalities of Giske, Hareid, Herøy, Norddal, Sande, Skodje, Haram, Stordal, Stranda, Sula, Sykkylven, Ulstein, Vanylven, Volda, Ørskog,...

 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 Stranda.

Stranda consists of three smaller villages and one larger central village. The smaller villages are Hellesylt
Hellesylt
Hellesylt is a small village in the municipality of Stranda in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village lies at the head of the Sunnylvsfjord, which is a branch of the Storfjord, and which the more famous Geirangerfjord in turn branches off nearby...

, Geiranger
Geiranger
Geiranger is a small tourist village in Sunnmøre in the municipality of Stranda in Møre og Romsdal county, in the western part of Norway. It lies at the head of the Geirangerfjord, which is a branch of the Storfjord. The nearest city is Ålesund...

, and Liabygda. The central town, bearing the name of the municipality, has about 2,500 inhabitants. There is also the small village of Helsem
Helsem
Helsem is a small village in the municipality of Stranda in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located just a couple kilometres south of the municipal centre of Stranda, along the Storfjord, just north of where the Norddalsfjorden and Sunnylvsfjorden split off. The village has a...

 which isa located just south of the village of Stranda. Stranda is also known for tourist attractions like the Geirangerfjord
Geirangerfjord
The Geiranger Fjord is a fjord in the Sunnmøre region of Møre og Romsdal county in Norway. It is in the municipality of Stranda. It is a long branch of the Storfjord...

en and Sunnylvsfjorden
Sunnylvsfjorden
The Sunnylvsfjord is a branch of the Storfjord in the municipality of Stranda in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The Geirangerfjord branches off to the west from the Sunnylvsfjord. The long Sunnylvsfjord splits from the Norddalsfjorden just south of the village of Helsem. The village of...

.

General information

Stranden 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...

). On 1 January 1892, the district of Stordal
Stordal
Stordal is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Stordal. The historic farm of Ytste Skotet lies along the Storfjord in the western part of the municipality.-General information:Stordal...

 was separated from Stranden to form a new municipality of its own. This left Stranda with 1,459 residents. The spelling was changed to Stranda in 1918. On 1 January 1965, the municipality of Sunnylven
Sunnylven
Sunnylven is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Stranda. It encompassed the areas around the Sunnylvsfjorden and Geirangerfjorden. The villages of Hellesylt and Geiranger were part of Sunnylven.-History:The municipality of...

 (population: 1,221) was merged into Stranda.

Name

The 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....

 form of the name was Strǫnd. The name is identical with the word strǫnd f which means "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...

" or "strand". Before 1918, the name was written Stranden.

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...

 is from modern times. They were granted on 2 May 1986 and were designed by Jarle Skuseth. The arms show a figure which symbolizes 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...

s and mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...

s hovering over the beach.

Churches

The Church of Norway
Church 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 four parishes, with four churches, within the municipality of Stranda. 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 Austre Sunnmøre.
style="font-size:medium"|Churches in Stranda
Parish
(Sokn)
Church NameYear BuiltLocation
of the Church
Stranda Stranda kyrkje 1838 Stranda
Liabygda Liabygda kyrkje 1917 Liabygda
Sunnylven Sunnylven kyrkje 1859 Hellesylt
Hellesylt
Hellesylt is a small village in the municipality of Stranda in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village lies at the head of the Sunnylvsfjord, which is a branch of the Storfjord, and which the more famous Geirangerfjord in turn branches off nearby...

Geiranger Geiranger kyrkje 1842 Geiranger
Geiranger
Geiranger is a small tourist village in Sunnmøre in the municipality of Stranda in Møre og Romsdal county, in the western part of Norway. It lies at the head of the Geirangerfjord, which is a branch of the Storfjord. The nearest city is Ålesund...


Nature

The West Norwegian Fjords, entailing Geirangerfjord
Geirangerfjord
The Geiranger Fjord is a fjord in the Sunnmøre region of Møre og Romsdal county in Norway. It is in the municipality of Stranda. It is a long branch of the Storfjord...

 and Nærøyfjord
Nærøyfjord
The Nærøyfjord is a fjord in the municipality of Aurland in Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. The narrow fjord is a branch of the large Sognefjord, and it is featured on the "Norway in a Nutshell" daytrips for tourists...

 was inscribed on UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

's World Heritage List in 2005 at the 29th Session of the World Heritage Committee
World Heritage Committee
The World Heritage Committee establishes the sites to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties...

 in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...

, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

. The West Norwegian Fjords is the first natural World Heritage site in Norway, and the third natural site in the Nordic
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...

 - Baltic region
Baltic region
The terms Baltic region, Baltic Rim countries, and Baltic Rim refer to slightly different combinations of countries in the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea.- Etymology :...

.

The West Norwegian Fjords are characterised as the best geologically developed and preserved example of classic fjord landscape. The geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...

 and ongoing erosional processes have provided a basis for the active development of ecological and biological processes as well as the development of traditional, in part extreme, land use that has not harmed the integrity of the natural site.

Due to its beauty, the site represents some of the most visited sceneries in the Nordic countries
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...

. The area offers exceptional examples of landforms shaped and developed by ice and water, a unique landscape with significant geomorphological features, and a very young landscape in terms of Earth history that is continuously being formed by active erosional processes. The area represents the most extreme, dramatic and magnificent fjord landscape in the world and has an exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance.

The Seven Sisters waterfall
Seven Sisters Waterfall, Norway
The Seven Sisters is the 39th tallest waterfall in Norway. The waterfall consists of seven separate streams, and it is located along the Geirangerfjord in the municipality of Stranda in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The waterfall is located just south of the historic Knivsflå farm, across the...

 is located along the Geirangerfjord. The mountain Dalsnibba
Dalsnibba
Dalsnibba is a mountain in the municipality of Stranda in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located at the end of the Geiranger valley, about south of the village of Geiranger and the Geirangerfjord. The lake Djupvatnet lies directly to the southeast of the mountain.Dalsnibba offers a very...

 and the lake Djupvatnet
Djupvatnet
Djupvatnet is a lake in the southern part of the municipality of Stranda in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The lake lies at above sea level. The lake is part of the headwaters of the Otta river system which flows southeast into the lake Breiddalsvatnet and on into Oppland county.The Norwegian...

 are located along Norwegian national road 63
Norwegian national road 63
Norwegian County Road 63 is a Norwegian county road in Møre og Romsdal and a very small part in Oppland county, Norway. It begins at Langvatnet at Norwegian National Road 15 in the municipality of Skjåk in Oppland county and it heads north where it ends at the junction with the E136 near...

 in the southern part of the municipality. The mountains of Kvitegga
Kvitegga
Kvitegga is a mountain in the municipalities of Stranda and Ørsta in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located about southeast of the village of Leira and about west of Hellesylt . The tall Kvitegga is located about northeast of the nearby mountain Hornindalsrokken.Kvitegga is the...

 and Hornindalsrokken
Hornindalsrokken
Hornindalsrokken is a tall mountain that is located on the border of the three municipalities of Stranda , Hornindal , and Ørsta...

 lie on the southern municipal border.

Tourism

Tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...

 has long and strong traditions in Stranda. Geiranger
Geiranger
Geiranger is a small tourist village in Sunnmøre in the municipality of Stranda in Møre og Romsdal county, in the western part of Norway. It lies at the head of the Geirangerfjord, which is a branch of the Storfjord. The nearest city is Ålesund...

 and Hellesylt
Hellesylt
Hellesylt is a small village in the municipality of Stranda in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village lies at the head of the Sunnylvsfjord, which is a branch of the Storfjord, and which the more famous Geirangerfjord in turn branches off nearby...

 have long been well-known destinations. The first cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...

 with tourists from abroad came to Geiranger
Geiranger
Geiranger is a small tourist village in Sunnmøre in the municipality of Stranda in Møre og Romsdal county, in the western part of Norway. It lies at the head of the Geirangerfjord, which is a branch of the Storfjord. The nearest city is Ålesund...

 in 1869. Today, Geiranger is the second largest cruise ship port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....

 in Norway, visited by 160 cruise ships every summer. The Coastal Steamer (Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten or Hurtigruta is a Norwegian passenger and freight line with daily sailings along Norway's western and northern coast. Sometimes referred to in English as Norwegian Coastal Express, Hurtigruten ships sail almost the entire length of the country, completing the roundtrip journey in 11...

) runs daily round trips 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....

-Geiranger from April to mid-September. Altogether about 700,000 tourists visit Geiranger each summer.

Royal persons, especially Queen Sonja, have contributed to make the fjord famous all over the world. By annual trips, visiting, and even spending the night on these abandoned mountains farms such as Skageflå
Skageflå
Skageflå is one of a handful of farms on the slopes of the Geirangerfjord in Stranda, Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Skageflå lies approximately above the fjord. The farm is a 2 to 4 hour walk from Geiranger, and can also be reached with help of a local sightseeing boat...

, and publishing a book about these trips with her own photos that have also been exhibited in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, among other places. Other historic farms include Knivsflå
Knivsflå
Knivsflå is one of a handful of farms along the sides of Geirangerfjord in Stranda, Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Actually it was two farms sharing the location, and they have been inhabited since at least the 1600s. There is also a mountain pasture situated some above the fjord. It is...

 and Me-Åkernes
Me-Åkernes
Me-Åkernes or Midtre Åkernes is a deserted fjord farm along the Sunnylvsfjord in the municipality of Stranda in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located northeast of Hellesylt...

.

Sports and leisure

In the alpine
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....

 area at Strandafjellet, there are six Ski tow
Ski tow
thumb|right|A rope tow or ski tow.A ski tow, also called rope tow or handle tow, is a mechanised system for pulling skiers and snowboarders uphill....

s and alpine piste
Piste
A piste is a marked ski run or path down a mountain for snow skiing, snowboarding, or other mountain sports. The term is European, from the French for trail or track, synonymous with trail, slope, or groomed run in North America....

s. Each winter alpine competitions are hosted there. Strandafjellet is one of the few places in the world where one could actually ski from the top of a mountain and go the whole way down, to the fjord. Every year roughly 250 telemark skiers
Telemark skiing
Telemark skiing is a form of skiing using the Telemark turn. Unlike alpine skiing equipment, the skis used for telemarking either have a binding that only connects the boot to the ski at the toes, just as in cross-country skiing, or may be released to only connect there.Telemark turns are led with...

 come together in the race Alperittet
Alperittet
Alperittet is a competition in the sport telemark skiing that is being held each year at the end of February. The race is arranged in a small Norwegian town called Stranda and attracts about 250 competitors each year...

, from 1230 metres (4,035.4 ft) above sea level and down to 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...

. The Geiranger – From Fjord to Summit race runs from Geiranger to Dalsnibba
Dalsnibba
Dalsnibba is a mountain in the municipality of Stranda in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located at the end of the Geiranger valley, about south of the village of Geiranger and the Geirangerfjord. The lake Djupvatnet lies directly to the southeast of the mountain.Dalsnibba offers a very...

 each year.

Culture

In Hellesylt
Hellesylt
Hellesylt is a small village in the municipality of Stranda in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village lies at the head of the Sunnylvsfjord, which is a branch of the Storfjord, and which the more famous Geirangerfjord in turn branches off nearby...

, one may visit Hægstad Gård which contains woodcarvings, scenes from Peer Gynt
Peer Gynt
Peer Gynt is a five-act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen, loosely based on the fairy tale Per Gynt. It is the most widely performed Norwegian play. According to Klaus Van Den Berg, the "cinematic script blends poetry with social satire and realistic scenes with surreal ones"...

 by Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...

, and in Geiranger the new Norwegian Fjord Centre shows local history and pictures from Geiranger.

Trade and industry

The municipality of Stranda has a great variety as to trade and industry. About 160 farms produce milk and meat products. Many factories have long traditions for making meat products, especially salted and cured meat. Also the making of furniture and textile products is an important industry that gives good work to many persons. Stranda is the place where P.I. Langlo industralized the furniture industry in Norway in 1929. (There is almost no unemployment in the area). The Grandiosa
Grandiosa
Pizza Grandiosa refers to the most popular brand of frozen pizza in Norway. Grandiosa can also refer to the series of different Grandiosa variants...

 factory, Norway's biggest pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...

-producing factory is situated in Stranda. There are also much aquafarming and many fish processing factories in the municipality. Tourism is, of course, a very important business in the whole district.

Famous residents

  • Arve Henriksen
    Arve Henriksen
    Arve Henriksen is a Norwegian trumpet player, renowned for his distinctive, flute-like sound on the trumpet, inspired by the sound of the Japanese shakuhachi flute. He also sings; his unique wordless vocalising was central to Chiaroscuro, where he often sings in a soprano's range...

     (born 1968), musician
  • Are Kalvø
    Are Kalvø
    Are Kalvø is a Norwegian writer and satirist.He was born in Stranda. His debut work as writer was Absolutt Oslo, released in 1994...

     (born 1969), writer
    Writer
    A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....

     and comedian
    Comedian
    A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...

  • Kristian Langlo
    Kristian Langlo
    Kristian Langlo was a Norwegian politician for the Liberal Party.He was born in Stranda.He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from the Market towns of Møre og Romsdal in 1950, and was later re-elected on one occasion .Langlo held various positions in Ålesund city council from 1931 to 1934 and...

     (1894–1976), Norwegian politician
  • P.I. Langlo (1892–1940), pioneered the industrial manufacturing of furniture in Norway
  • Olav Berntsen Oksvik
    Olav Berntsen Oksvik
    Olav Berntsen Oksvik was a Norwegian politician for the Labour and Social Democratic Labour parties. He was the Minister of Agriculture from 1947 to 1948....

     (1887–1958), social democratic politician
    Politician
    A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

  • Margreth Olin
    Margreth Olin
    Margreth Olin is a Norwegian film director and producer. She has won several prizes for her documentary films.-Awards:*Dei mjuke hendene won the 1999 Amanda award for Best Documentary...

    , film director
    Film director
    A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...

  • Peter Opsvik
    Peter Opsvik
    Peter Opsvik is a Norwegian industrial designer best known for his innovative and ergonomic chairs. Opsvik’s furniture can be found under the brand names: Rybo , Håg , Varier , Stokke Naturellement , Cylindra and Moment .His book Rethinking Sittingcame out in 2009 giving...

     (born 1939), famous furniture designer and Jazz
    Jazz
    Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

     saxophonist
    Saxophone
    The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...

  • Bjarne Solbakken
    Bjarne Solbakken
    Bjarne Solbakken is a retired Norwegian alpine skier from Stranda who has competed at the Olympics, World Championships and the World Cup.-Olympics:...

    , alpine skier
    Alpine skiing
    Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...

  • Pål Øie, film director

External links

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