Sømna is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative center of Sømna is the village of Vik i Helgeland. Other villages in the municipality include Dalbotn, Sund, Vennesund, and Berg.
Sømna kommune | |
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Municipality | |
![]() View of the village of Berg | |
![]() Flag ![]() Coat of arms ![]() Nordland within Norway | |
![]() Sømna within Nordland | |
Coordinates: 65°19′25″N 12°10′38″E | |
Country | Norway |
County | Nordland |
District | Helgeland |
Established | 1 Jan 1901 |
• Preceded by | Brønnøy Municipality |
Disestablished | 1 Jan 1964 |
• Succeeded by | Brønnøy Municipality |
Re-established | 1 Jan 1977 |
• Preceded by | Brønnøy Municipality |
Administrative centre | Vik i Helgeland |
Government | |
• Mayor (2019) | Hans Gunnar Holand (Sp) |
Area | |
• Total | 195.19 km2 (75.36 sq mi) |
• Land | 191.60 km2 (73.98 sq mi) |
• Water | 3.59 km2 (1.39 sq mi) 1.8% |
• Rank | #301 in Norway |
Population (2022) | |
• Total | 1,981 |
• Rank | #280 in Norway |
• Density | 10.3/km2 (27/sq mi) |
• Change (10 years) | ![]() |
Demonym | Sømnværing[1] |
Official language | |
• Norwegian form | Bokmål |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
ISO 3166 code | NO-1812 |
Website | Official website |
The oldest boat remains ever found in Norway (Haugvikbåten - 2,500 years old) was discovered in a bog in Sømna.
Sømna has some of the best agriculture in the region. Dairy and beef cows as well as grains are produced in Sømna. There is also a dairy in Berg that produces milk and cheese.[3]
The 195-square-kilometre (75 sq mi) municipality is the 301st largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Sømna is the 280th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,981. The municipality's population density is 10.3 inhabitants per square kilometre (27/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 2.8% over the previous 10-year period.[4][5]
The municipality of Vik was established on 1 January 1901 when it was separated from the large municipality of Brønnøy. The initial population of Vik was 2,731. In 1941 the municipality was renamed Sømna. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, a major municipal merger took place. The following areas were merged to form a new, larger Brønnøy municipality.
This merger was short-lived because on 1 January 1977, all of the old Sømna municipality (except the Hongsetbygda area) was removed from Brønnøy to become a separate municipality once again. There were 2,107 residents in the newly recreated Sømna municipality.[6]
The Old Norse form of the name was probably Søfn. The meaning of the name is unknown, but it is possibly derived from sveifa which means "wind" or "wave" or it could be derived from svefja meaning a "quiet sleep".[3]
The coat of arms was granted on 14 June 1991. The arms show three combined silver leaves of clover (trefoils) on a red background. The arms symbolize agriculture, culture, and prosperity combined.[7]
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Sømna. It is part of the Sør-Helgeland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.
Parish (sokn) | Church Name | Location of the Church | Year Built |
---|---|---|---|
Sømna | Sømna Church | Vik i Helgeland | 1876 |
The municipality of Sømna is mostly made up of the southern part of a peninsula off the mainland of Norway and the surrounding islands. It borders Brønnøy to the north by land and Bindal to the south and east by sea, across the Bindalsfjorden. Sømna consists mainly of a wide Strandflaten lowland (coastal brim), and is one of few municipalities in Northern Norway where the farmers still grow some grain.
Sømna has an oceanic climate with few temperature extremes, similar to Brønnøysund. However, Sømna has one national heat record: The warmest night ever recorded in Norway was July 29, 2019 at Sømna-Kvaløyfjellet (302 m) in Sømna with overnight low 26.1 °C (79.0 °F).[8]
All municipalities in Norway, including Sømna, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor.[9] The municipality falls under the Brønnøy District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Sømna is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 3 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 1 | |
Red Party (Rødt) | 1 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 9 | |
Cross-party list Sømna (Tverrpolitisk liste Sømna) | 3 | |
Total number of members: | 17 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 5 | |
Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 1 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 7 | |
Cross-party list Sømna (Tverrpolitisk liste Sømna) | 4 | |
Total number of members: | 17 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 3 | |
Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 1 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 6 | |
Cross-party list Sømna (Tverrpolitisk liste Sømna) | 5 | |
Sømna Local List (Sømna Bygdeliste) | 1 | |
Total number of members: | 17 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 6 | |
Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 1 | |
Joint list of the Centre Party (Senterpartiet) and the Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 9 | |
Sømna local list (Sømna bygdeliste) | 1 | |
Total number of members: | 17 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 3 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 1 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 10 | |
Sømna Local List (Sømna Bygdeliste) | 2 | |
Total number of members: | 17 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 5 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 2 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 5 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 3 | |
Local list (Bygdeliste) | 1 | |
Total number of members: | 17 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 3 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 1 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
Joint list of the Centre Party (Senterpartiet) and the Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 9 | |
Sømna Local list (Sømna Bygdeliste) | 3 | |
Total number of members: | 17 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 4 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 1 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
Joint list of the Centre Party (Senterpartiet) and the Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 8 | |
Sømna local list (Sømna bygdeliste) | 2 | |
Total number of members: | 17 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 7 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 2 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 5 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
Total number of members: | 17 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 6 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 2 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 6 | |
Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
Total number of members: | 17 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 7 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 2 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 7 | |
Total number of members: | 17 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 10 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 1 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 2 | |
Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
Total number of members: | 17 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 9 | |
Conservative Party (Høyre) | 1 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 2 | |
Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) | 4 | |
Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 1 | |
Total number of members: | 17 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 9 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 2 | |
Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) | 4 | |
Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 1 | |
Total number of members: | 16 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 9 | |
Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 2 | |
Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) | 4 | |
Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 1 | |
Total number of members: | 16 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 12 | |
Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 4 | |
Total number of members: | 16 |
Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 9 | |
Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 7 | |
Total number of members: | 16 | |
Note: Due to the German occupation of Norway during World War II, no elections were held for new municipal councils until after the war ended in 1945. |
The mayors of Sømna (incomplete list):
Nordland county, Norway | |||||||
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