Førde (town) explained

Official Name:Førde
Settlement Type:Town
Pushpin Map:Vestland#Norway
Pushpin Label Position:top
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of the town
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Norway
Subdivision Name1:Western Norway
Subdivision Name2:Vestland
Subdivision Type3:District
Subdivision Name3:Sunnfjord
Subdivision Type4:Municipality
Subdivision Name4:Sunnfjord Municipality
Utc Offset1:+01:00
Utc Offset1 Dst:+02:00
Established Title:Established as
Established Date: 
Established Title1:Town (Norwegian: By)
Established Date1:1997
Area Total Km2:5.49
Population As Of:2019
Population Total:10339
Population Density Km2:1883
Population Demonyms:Førdianar
Førdianer
Førdsfjordinge
Postal Code Type:Post Code
Postal Code:6800 Førde
Coordinates:61.4522°N 5.8572°W
Elevation M:27
Elevation Footnotes:[1]

Førde is the administrative centre of Sunnfjord Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The town is located at the eastern end of the Førdefjorden, at the mouth of the river Jølstra. The 5.49km2 town has a population (2019) of 10,339 and a population density of .[2]

The town of Førde is an important commercial, industrial, and government center for the area. The Øyrane area in the center of the town, along the harbor is the regional center for industry. The town also has the local primary and secondary schools, as well as a folk high school. Furthermore, one of the two campuses of Sogn og Fjordane University College is located in Førde. The Department of Engineering and Health Sciences for the college are located here (the other campus is in Sogndalsfjøra). There is a branch of the county library in Førde as well as the Førde Central Hospital, owned by the Førde Health Trust. The regional newspaper, Firda, is based out of the town Førde. Førde Church is the main church for the town.[3]

The town sits at the intersection of the highways Rv.5 and E39. The Rv. 5 highway connects Førde to the nearby town of Florø (via the Naustdal Tunnel) and the E39 highway connects Førde with the cities of Ålesund to the north and Bergen to the south. The old Førde Airport, Øyrane was located in the center of the town at Øyrane, but that airport was only used from 1971 until 1986. The site was not optimal for an airport, and so a new Førde Airport was built about south of the town in Bringeland in neighboring Sunnfjord municipality.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Førde (Sogn og Fjordane). yr.no. 2019-11-11.
  2. Web site: Urban settlements. Population and area, by municipality . 1 January 2019. Statistics Norway. Statistisk sentralbyrå.
  3. Web site: Førde tettsted. Store norske leksikon. Store norske leksikon. no. 2013-11-21.