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Giske Municipality

Giske kommune
Municipality
Utsyn over Giske.jpg
Coat of arms of Giske kommune
Coat of arms
Official logo of Giske kommune
Møre og Romsdal within
Norway
Giske within Møre og Romsdal
Giske within Møre og Romsdal
Coordinates: 62°33′45″N 06°06′07″E / 62.56250°N 6.10194°E / 62.56250; 6.10194Coordinates: 62°33′45″N 06°06′07″E / 62.56250°N 6.10194°E / 62.56250; 6.10194
Country Norway
County Møre og Romsdal
District Sunnmøre
Administrative centre Valderhaug
Government
 • Mayor (2003) Knut Støbakk (KrF)
Area
 • Total 40.19 km2 (15.52 sq mi)
 • Land 39.53 km2 (15.26 sq mi)
 • Water 0.66 km2 (0.25 sq mi)
Area rank 422 in Norway
Population (2013)
 • Total 7,541
 • Rank 150 in Norway
 • Density 190.8/km2 (494/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years) 16.1 %
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
ISO 3166 code NO-1532
Official language form Nynorsk
Website www.giske.kommune.no
Data from Statistics Norway

Giske is an island municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The municipality lies north-northwest of the town of Ålesund in the traditional district of Sunnmøre. The municipal center is Valderhaugstrand. Other population centers include the villages of Roald (on Vigra island) and Alnes and Leitebakk (both on Godøy island). The municipality is part of the Ålesund Region.

Giske Municipality was established on 1 January 1908 when it was separated from the large municipality of Borgund. The initial population of the new municipality was 1,708 and it included the islands of Valderøya, Godøya, and Giske. Then on 1 January 1964, the neighboring Vigra Municipality (on the island of Vigra was merged into Giske Municipality. The newly enlarged municipality had a population of 4,644.

The municipality is named after the farm and island Giske (Old Norse: Gizki), since the first church (Giske Church) was built there. The name is (probably) identical with the word gizki which means "tablecloth" or "rag" (maybe because the island is small and flat).

The coat-of-arms is from modern times. It was granted on 14 June 1985, but it has old roots. It is a gold lion rampant (i.e., in walking position) guardant (i.e., facing the viewer) on a blue shield. The arms are based on the old seal of Erling Vidkunsson, who already used the lion on his seal in 1355. His family was one of the most wealthy and influential families in the county, and had their origins and estate on Giske.


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