Hareid is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Hareid. The other main population centers are Brandal and Hjørungavåg.
The municipality is situated off the mainland coast of Sunnmøre, on an island named Hareidlandet, which it shared with Ulstein Municipality, the commercial capital of the area. Hareid is regarded as the cultural capital with its annual Hareidsstemne and many choirs. It is also an important traffic hub in Sunnmøre and is connected by ferry to the neighboring island of Sula which in turn is connected to the city of Ålesund and the island of Valderøya. The municipality is connected to the mainland via the Eiksund Bridge and Eiksund Tunnel through Ulstein.
The municipality is the 336th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Hareid is the 180th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 5,126. The municipality's population density is and its population has increased by 2.5% over the previous 10-year period.
General information
The municipality of Hareid was established on 1 January 1917 when it was separated from Ulstein Municipality to form a municipality of its own. Originally, the municipality included the eastern part of Hareidlandet island and the southwestern part of the nearby island of Sula. The initial population of the municipality was 2,310. On 1 July 1958, the southwestern part of the island of Sula (population: 68) was transferred from Hareid Municipality to Borgund Municipality.
Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Hareid farm (), since the first Hareid Church was built there. The first element is the genitive case of the name of the island (now Hareidlandet). The meaning of the old island name is uncertain, but it is speculated that it might be connected to the Norse god, Höðr. The last element is which means "isthmus".
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 11 January 1985. The official blazon is "Azure, three arrowheads argent points to chief" (). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is three arrowhead symbols that are pointing upwards. The charge has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The arrowheads were chosen as a symbol for the Battle of Hjörungavágr in 986, in which Earl Håkon defeated the Danish Vikings. This battle played an important role in the struggle by Håkon to unite the whole of Norway. Since the battle took place in the municipality, the arrowheads were considered an appropriate symbol. The arms were designed by Jarle Skuseth. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.
Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish () within the municipality of Hareid. It is part of the Søre Sunnmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Møre.
Government
All municipalities in Norway are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality falls under the Møre og Romsdal District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.
Municipal council
The municipal council () of Hareid is made up of 21 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:
Mayors
The mayors of Hareid:
1917-1925: Arne I. Grimstad
1926-1941: Randulf R. Rise
1941-1942: Hans Dybhavn (NS) 1942-1945: Asbjørn Riise (NS) 1945-1945: Bernhard Harkjerr 1946-1947: Martin Karlsen 1948-1951: Joakim P. Måseide 1952-1955: Håkon A. Riise (Ap) 1956-1967: Sverre A. Riise (Sp) 1968-1971: Ola L. Grønevet (V) 1972-1976: Endre Hareide (KrF) 1976-1983: Einar Holm (V) 1984-1987: Olav Fure (KrF) 1988-1990: Johan E. Hareide (H) 1990-1991: Olav Fure (KrF) 1992-1999: Einar Holm (V) 1999-2007: Gunn Berit Gjerde (V) 2007-2011: Hans Gisle Holstad (Ap) 2011-2019: Anders Riise (H) 2019–present: Bernt Brandal (LL)
Economy
Primary industries
Primary industries such as fisheries and agriculture have traditionally been important ways of life in Hareid, and continue to be so for some of the population.