Orust Municipality Explained

Orust Municipality
Native Name:Orusts kommun
Native Name Lang:sv
Settlement Type:Municipality
Coordinates:58.2333°N 52°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Sweden
Subdivision Type1:County
Subdivision Name1:Västra Götaland County
Seat Type:Seat
Seat:Henån
Unit Pref:Metric
Area Note:Area as of .
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Blank Name Sec1:Province
Blank Info Sec1:Bohuslän
Blank1 Name Sec1:Municipal code
Blank1 Info Sec1:1421
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Iso Code:SE
Website:www.orust.se

Orust Municipality (Orusts kommun) is a municipality in Västra Götaland County in western Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Henån, with an approximate population of 1,800.

The municipality includes Sweden's third largest island Orust and some other small adjacent islets. The year-round population of around 15,000 increases significantly in the summer due to an influx of summer vacationers.

The former municipal entities on the island Orust and adjacent minor islands were grouped into larger units in 1952 and united into a single municipality in connection with the nationwide municipal reform of 1971.

Geography

The island Orust has a land area of, Sweden's fourth largest island.

The villages in the municipality are Ellös, Henån, Hälleviksstrand, Mollösund, Svanvik and Varekil.

Demographics

This is a demographic table based on Orust Municipality's electoral districts in the 2022 Swedish general election sourced from SVT's election platform, in turn taken from SCB official statistics.[1]

In total there were 15,322 residents, including 12,490 Swedish citizens of voting age.[1] 44.3% voted for the left coalition and 54.5% for the right coalition. Indicators are in percentage points except population totals and income.

Location
data-sort-type="number" data-sort-type="number" data-sort-type="number" %data-sort-type="number" %data-sort-type="number" data-sort-type="number" data-sort-type="number" data-sort-type="number" data-sort-type="number"
Långelanda C1,4291,13039.060.186901027,39431
Långelanda1,8061,40646.352.182851524,68241
Morlanda V1,02998344.255.17794624,19542
Morlanda Ö1,7231,45845.553.280901023,86428
Myckleby1,3171,06048.050.68391925,99137
Röra V1,06886547.351.583901023,89535
Röra Ö1,9001,45543.554.978851523,64931
Stala2,1571,74242.056.784891125,72930
Tegneby1,2871,08042.256.58694626,75635
Torp1,6061,31147.451.58491926,55737
Source: SVT

History

Historically, the area has been inhabited for thousands of years, as evident by ancient remains such as tombs, grave fields and rock carvings. Dating from the Viking Age, runestones are plentiful throughout Orust.

In the Nordisk familjebok the island of Orust is mentioned as a Geatish territory. Ramshult (the modern Swedish form), a hill fort, is mentioned in Beowulf as Hrefnesholt, the Geatish hill fort which became the prison of Onela, Ohthere and their mother until their rescue by Ongenþeow.

Economy

Industry wise, the area has always been dominated by fishing and boat production. Shipyard Hallberg-Rassy is the largest employer nowadays. Its shipyard is located in Ellös, on the north-west part of the island, and it has a significant export of sailing boats. The second largest employer is Najad-varvet, also a shipyard.

Points of interest

The geography offers several sights, with a couple of picturesque small villages. A nature reserve called Morlanda features a lookout point that offers a good overview of the area.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Valresultat 2022 för Orust i riksdagsvalet. SVT. sv. 11 September 2022. 8 January 2024.