Svendborg municipality

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Map of the future municipality

Svendborg municipality is a municipality (Danish, kommune) in Funen County on the southeast coast of the island of Funen, as well as on the islands of Drejø, Hjortø, Skarø, Thurø, and Tåsinge off Funen's southeastern shores in south-central Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 173 km², and has a total population of 43,155 ((2005). Its mayor is Jørgen Henningsen, a member of the Social Democrats (Socialdemokraterne) political party.

The main town and the site of its municipal council is the city of Svendborg.

Because of Svendborg's location on the southeast shores of Funen and on various other islands, it has only two neighboring municipalities with land connection: Gudme to the northeast and Egebjerg to the northwest. Neighboring municipalities to the southeast, Tranekær and Rudkøbing on the island of Langeland, are separated from the municipality by the Great Belt to the north and by the Little Belt to the south.

South of the municipality separating that part located on Funen from the other islands is Svendborg Strait (Svendborg Sund).

The 1.220 meter long Svendborgsund Bridge (Svendborgsundbroen) connects the municipal at the city of Svendborg over the islands of Tåsinge and Siø, where the 774 meter long Langeland's Bridge (Langelandsbroen) continues to the city of Rudkøbing on the island of Langeland. The Svendborgsund Bridge was opened in 1966. The Langeland's Bridge was opened in 1962, and is Denmark's 10th longest bridge.

Ferry service connects the municipality at the town of Svendborg to the municipality's islands of Skarø, Drejø, and Hjortø, and to the town of Ærøskøbing on the island of Ærø.

By January 1, 2007 Svendborg municipality will cease to exist as the result of Kommunalreformen ("The Municipality Reform" of 2007). It will be merged with Gudme and Egebjerg municipalities to form the new Svendborg municipality. This will create a municipality with an area of 418 km² and a total population of 58,354 (2005). The new municipality will belong to the new Region Syddanmark ("South Denmark Region").