Sømna

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
Municipality
View of the village of Berg
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	1901–1964
Re-established	1 Jan 1977
Administrative centre	Vik i Helgeland
Government
• Mayor (2019)	Hans Gunnar Holand (Sp)
Area
• Total	195.20 km^2 (75.37 sq mi)
• Land	191.61 km^2 (73.98 sq mi)
• Water	3.59 km^2 (1.39 sq mi)  1.8%
Area rank	301 in Norway
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,975
• Rank	283 in Norway
• Density	10.3/km^2 (27/sq mi)
• Change (10 years)	−3.2%
Demonym(s)	sømnværing[1]
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 code	NO-1812
Official language form	Bokmål[2]
Website	somna.kommune.no
Data from Statistics Norway

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 283rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,975. The municipality's population density is 10.3 inhabitants per square kilometre (27/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 3.2% over the previous 10-year period.[4][5]

General information

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.

• the town of Brønnøysund (population: 2,064)
• the municipality of Sømna (population: 2,347)
• the municipality of Brønnøy (population: 2,635)
• the municipality of Velfjord (population: 1,380)
• the part of Bindal municipality located Lande-Tosbotn area around the inner Bindalsfjorden (population: 296)

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]

Name

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]

Coat of arms

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]

Churches

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.

Churches in Sømna

Parish (sokn)	Church Name	Location of the Church	Year Built
Sømna	Sømna Church	Vik i Helgeland	1876

Geography

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.

Government

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.[8] The municipality falls under the Brønnøy District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

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:

Sømna Kommunestyre 2020–2023 [9]  

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

Sømna Kommunestyre 2016–2019 [10]  

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

Sømna Kommunestyre 2012–2015 [11]  

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

Sømna Kommunestyre 2008–2011 [10]  

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

Sømna Kommunestyre 2004–2007 [10]  

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

Sømna Kommunestyre 2000–2003 [10]  

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

Sømna Kommunestyre 1996–1999 [12]  

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

Sømna Kommunestyre 1992–1995 [13]  

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

Sømna Kommunestyre 1988–1991 [14]  

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

Sømna Kommunestyre 1984–1987 [15]  

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

Sømna Kommunestyre 1980–1983 [16]  

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

Sømna Herredsstyre 1960–1963 [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

Sømna Herredsstyre 1956–1959 [18]  

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

Sømna Herredsstyre 1952–1955 [19]  

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

Sømna Herredsstyre 1948–1951 [20]  

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

Sømna Herredsstyre 1945–1947 [21]  

Party Name (in Norwegian)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)	12
	Local List(s) (Lokale lister)	4
Total number of members:		16

Vik Herredsstyre 1938–1941* [22]  

Party Name (in Norwegian)		Number of representatives
	Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)	9
	Local List(s) (Lokale lister)	7
Total number of members:		16

Mayor

The mayors of Sømna (incomplete list):

• 2019-present: Hans Gunnar Holand (Sp)
• 2015-2019: Andrine Solli Oppegaard (Ap)
• 2015: Hans Gunnar Holand (Sp)
• 2005-2015: Edmund Dahle (Sp)

Notable people

• August Nielsen (1877 in Vik at Sømna – 1956) a Norwegian architect
• Ludvig Enge (1878 in Vik i Helgeland – 1953) a Norwegian civil servant and politician
• Dag Skogheim (1928 in Sømna – 2015) a teacher, poet, novelist, short story writer, biographer and non-fiction writer

References

1. "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
2. "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
3. Store norske leksikon. "Sømna" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2011-11-02.
4. Statistisk sentralbyrå (2020). "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
5. Statistisk sentralbyrå (2020). "09280: Area of land and fresh water (km²) (M)" (in Norwegian).
6. Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå.
7. "Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
8. Hansen, Tore, ed. (2016-05-12). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
9. "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2019 - Nordland". Valg Direktoratet. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
10. "Table: 04813: Members of the local councils, by party/electoral list at the Municipal Council election (M)" (in Norwegian). Statistics Norway.
11. "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2011 - Nordland". Valg Direktoratet. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
12. "Kommunestyrevalget 1995" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1996. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
13. "Kommunestyrevalget 1991" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1993. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
14. "Kommunestyrevalget 1987" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1988. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
15. "Kommunestyrevalget 1983" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1984. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
16. "Kommunestyrevalget 1979" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1979. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
17. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
18. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
19. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
20. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
21. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
22. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 2020-04-02.

External links

• Nordland travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Municipal fact sheet from Statistics Norway (in Norwegian)
• Sømna kommune (in Norwegian)