Sula, Møre og Romsdal


is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre district. The administrative centre is the village of Langevåg. Other villages include Solevåg, Fiskarstrand, Veibust, Leirvågen, and Mauseidvågen. Sula is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Møre og Romsdal county, and it is part of the Ålesund Region since it is just south of the city of Ålesund. The municipality encompasses the island of Sula and the many small surrounding islets.
The municipality is the 346th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Sula is the 119th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 9,310. The municipality's population density is and its population has increased by 17.4% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

Originally, most of the island of Sula was part of the old Borgund Municipality and the small southwestern part of the island was part of Ulstein Municipality. On 1 July 1958, the southwestern part of Sula island was transferred to Borgund Municipality. In 1968, Borgund Municipality was merged with the town of Ålesund to form the large Ålesund Municipality. On 1 January 1977, the entire island of Sula and the many small islets around it were separated from Ålesund Municipality to become a separate municipality. The initial population of the new Sula Municipality was 6,302.

Name

The municipality is named after the island of Sula. The name is probably identical with the word sula which means "cleft", probably referring to the cleft between the twin peaks of Rundehornet and Vardane.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 16 December 1983. The arms show a silver and blue figure which represents the cleft of the island.

Churches

The Church of Norway has one parish within the municipality of Sula. It is part of the Nordre Sunnmøre prosti in the Diocese of Møre.
Parish Church nameLocation of the churchYear built
SulaLangevåg ChurchLangevåg1948
SulaIndre Sula ChurchMauseidvåg1984

Geography

Sula Municipality includes one main island and many small surrounding islets. It is bordered by the Sulafjorden strait to the west, the Storfjorden to the south, the Hessafjorden and Borgundfjorden to the north, and the narrow Vegsundet strait to the east. The only road access to the island is the European route E39 highway bridge over the Vegsundet.
The natural environment is typically coastal with a sparse forest. The landscape is mostly rocky with heather covering the ground. The highest elevation is the tall mountain Vardane. Its neighbouring municipalities are all separated from it by sea; Hareid Municipality to the west, Ørsta Municipality to the south, Giske Municipality to the northwest, and Ålesund Municipality to the north and east.

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Sula, are responsible for primary education, 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. The municipality falls under the Sunnmøre District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council of Sula is made up of 29 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:

Mayor

The mayors of Sula :
Sula is noted for strong traditions in the field of music. Nils Petter Molvær grew up in Langevåg. Also, the community harbours a strong maritime heritage. The influence of neighbouring city of Ålesund is strong; many live in Sula while working in Ålesund, which is a short ferry ride or a longer car ride away.

Economy

Manufacturing and production is the most important economical sector. Shipyards, fish processing, textile manufacturing, and furniture production are especially vital. The most famous clothing brand from Sula is Devold of Norway, with high quality woolen sweaters and underwear.

Transportation

Transportation in the municipality includes the European route E39 highway and several minor highways. The E39 highway enters Sula from the north and it crosses the bridge at Vegsundet and continues west and then south to the Solevågen ferry quay where there are regular ferry routes to Festøya in Ørsta Municipality, across the Storfjorden. Also, there is a ferry connection in southwestern Sula Municipality. This ferry has regular routes across the Sulafjorden from Sulasund to the village of Hareid on the island of Hareidlandet in Hareid Municipality.