Bokn

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Bokn kommune
Locator map showing Bokn within Rogaland
County Rogaland
District Haugaland
Municipality NO-1145
Administrative centre Føresvik
Mayor (2003) Svein Ove Alvestad (H)
Official language form Nynorsk
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Percentage
Ranked 421
47 km²
45 km²
0.01 %
Population
 - Total (2004)
 - Percentage
 - Change (10 years)
 - Density
Ranked 420
767
0.02 %
-1.0 %
17/km²
Coordinates 59°12′N 5°25′E
www.bokn.kommune.no

Data from Statistics Norway

Coordinates: 59°12′N 5°25′E

Bokn is a municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.

Bokn is one of the smaller municipalities of Rogaland, consisting of 3 islands: Ognøy, Austre (eastern) Bokn and Vestre (western) Bokn. The three islands are now linked via bridges to Tysvær on the mainland, and the main coastal highway between Stavanger and Bergen now pass over Bokn, connecting southwards by ferries to Rennesøy. There are specific plans of building an undersea tunnel directly to the mainland north of Stavanger.

Apart from a factory producing various tanks made of glassfiber-reinforced plastic (Bokn Plast), there is no industry on the islands. There are some fish-farms, however. People have traditionally lived off fishing and farming. Nowadays some work in the North Sea oil industry. Tourism is likely to play a bigger part in the future.

Geographically, the islands are rugged with lots of small hills with small lakes in the valleys. The hills are largely covered with heather, but bushes and trees are increasingly competing, especially birch. The highest point is on Vestre Bokn, the 297 m high Boknafjell.


[edit] The name

The municipality is named after the islands of Austre and Vestre Bokn (Norse Bókn). The name is probably very old, and the meaning is unknown.

Until 1889 the name was written "Bukken".


Municipalities of Rogaland Rogaland coat of arms

Bjerkreim | Bokn | Eigersund | Finnøy | Forsand | Gjesdal | Haugesund | Hjelmeland |  | Karmøy | Klepp | Kvitsøy | Lund | Randaberg | Rennesøy | Sandnes | Sauda | Sokndal | Sola | Stavanger | Strand | Suldal | Time | Tysvær | Utsira | Vindafjord