Eigersund

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Eigersund kommune
Locator map showing Eigersund within Rogaland
County Rogaland
District Dalane
Municipality NO-1101
Administrative centre Egersund
Mayor (2003) John Skaara (H)
Official language form Bokmål
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Percentage
Ranked 228
432 km²
387 km²
0.13 %
Population
 - Total (2004)
 - Percentage
 - Change (10 years)
 - Density
Ranked 78
13,388
0.29 %
5.2 %
35/km²
Coordinates 58°28′N, 6°3′E
www.eigersund.kommune.no

Data from Statistics Norway

Coordinates: 58°28′N, 6°3′E

Eigersund is a municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway. It extends from the North Sea coast to the border of Vest-Agder. It borders in the north, Sokndal in the south.

The municipality is centered on the town Egersund, and includes the island Eigerøya. The landscape includes a lot of rivers and seas, as well as woods. The town itself is mostly industrial. The lakes Eiavatnet and Teksevatnet lie in the municipality.

[edit] The name

The Norse form of the name was Eikundarsund. The first element is the genitive case of the name of the island Eikund (now Eigerøya), the last element is sund n 'strait, sound'. The first element in the name of the island is eik f 'oak', the last element is the suffix -und, with the meaning 'plentyful of' (i.e. 'the island covered with oak-trees').

The form without the diphtong [ei] (Egersund) is the Danish form of the name, still preserved in the name of the town Egersund.

[edit] Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1972). It shows a leaf of oak.

[edit] History

The place is mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's writings. Later, Christian IV set up a battery there.


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