Averøy is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the region of Nordmøre. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bruhagen. Other villages in the municipality include Bremsnes, Kornstad, Kvernes, Kårvåg, Langøy, Sveggen, and Vebenstad.
The municipality includes the main island of Averøya and the many small islands surrounding it. The Kornstadfjorden, Kvernesfjorden, and Bremsnesfjorden surround the municipality on three sides and the open ocean on the fourth side. The Hestskjær Lighthouse and Stavnes Lighthouse are located in the northern part of the municipality.
The municipality is the 312th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Averøy is the 164th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 5,828. The municipality's population density is and its population has increased by 4.2% over the previous 10-year period.
General information
The municipality of Averøy was established on 1 January 1964 when the former municipality of Kvernes and most of the municipalities of Kornstad and Bremsnes were merged into one large municipality. On 1 January 1983, the small island of Eldhusøya (and the small surrounding islands) was transferred from Eide Municipality to Averøy Municipality.
Name
The municipality is named after the island of Averøya (or Averøy) () since it is the main island in the municipality. The first element is unknown, but it could possibly come from which means "great" or "big". The last element comes from the word which means "island".
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 4 April 1986. The official blazon is "Gules, three downwards-pointing arrowheads Or" (). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is three downwards-pointing arrowheads. The CHARGE has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The arrowheads refer to actual Stone Age arrowheads, made of slate, which have been found in the municipality. The arrowheads thus symbolize the long time that the area has been inhabited. The arms were designed by Jarle Skuseth after an idea by Kristoffer Gjøten. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.
Churches
The Church of Norway has three parishes () within the municipality of Averøy. It is part of the Ytre Nordmøre deanery in the Diocese of Møre.
History
The municipality of Averøy has many historic landmarks, like the Bremsnes cave with Mesolithic findings from the Fosna culture. Langøysund, now a remote fishing community, was once a bustling port along the main coastal route, and the site of the Compromise of 1040 between King Magnus I and the farmers along the coast. Also, the Medieval Kvernes Stave Church (built around 1300–1350).
Government
All municipalities in Norway, including Averøy, 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 Averøy is made up of 23 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:
Mayors
The mayors of Averøy:
1964–1967: Magnar Kjønnøy (KrF) 1968–1970: Bjarne Strand (V) 1970–1971: Arne Avset (Sp) 1972–1973: Jon T. Søbstad (DNF) 1974–1978: Ole Kaarvaag (Sp) 1978–1979: Torger Hafskjær (KrF) 1980–1983: Jarle Haga (V) 1984–1985: Eilif Aae (Sp) 1986–1997: Leif Helge Kongshaug (V) 1997–2003: John Harry Kvalshaug (Sp) 2003–2007: Kjell Magne Sandø (Ap) 2007–2011: Jarle Haga (V) 2011–2015: Ann-Kristin Sørvik (Sp) 2015–present: Ingrid Ovidie Rangønes (Ap)
Transportation
The tourist attraction Atlanterhavsveien (Atlantic Ocean Road) connects the island and municipality of Averøy to the neighboring Hustadvika Municipality, which is on the mainland to the west. The Storseisundet Bridge crosses the municipal boundary. In 2005, it was awarded the "Building of the Century" prize by the Norwegian Construction Industry. On the other side of the island near the village of Sveggen, Averøy is connected to Kristiansund Municipality via the undersea tunnel. This tunnel, known as Atlanterhavstunnelen (Atlantic Tunnel), was completed in December 2009, replacing the ferry from Bremsnes on Averøya to the city of Kristiansund.