Talgje

Talgje

View of the 1000-year old church on the island.
Location in Rogaland county
Geography
Location	Rogaland, Norway
Coordinates	59°13′33″N 5°48′42″E / 59.2257°N 5.8116°E / 59.2257; 5.8116Coordinates: 59°13′33″N 5°48′42″E / 59.2257°N 5.8116°E / 59.2257; 5.8116
Area	4.1 km2 (1.6 sq mi)
Length	4 km (2.5 mi)
Width	1.8 km (1.12 mi)
Administration
Norway
County	Rogaland
Municipality	Finnøy
Demographics
Population	231 (2014)

Talgje (or Sør-Talgje) is a populated island in southwestern Finnøy municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The 4.1-square-kilometre (1.6 sq mi) island is located in the Talgjefjorden and Brimsefjorden, both arms off of the main Boknafjorden in a large archipelago of islands northeast of the city of Stavanger. It is surrounded by islands: Brimse to the south, Rennesøy to the west, Finnøy to the north, and Fogn to the northeast. The island has a lot of agricultural uses, especially in growing tomatoes.

The island has a long history. The farm that today is known as Gard was once the seat of major clans that controlled the western part of Norway. Gaute Erlingson was a nobleman from the 1200s who lived here. Talgje Church dating from around the year 1100 is located here.

The Talgjefjord Tunnel connects the island to the larger island of Rennesøy which in turn is connected to the mainland through a series of tunnels and bridges. There are also ferries that run from eastern Talgje to the island of Fogn and to the village of Tau on the mainland.

There are actually two islands in Finnøy municipality by the name Talgje. The other Talgje is part of the Sjernarøyane island group to the north. To disambiguate from this island from the other island by the same name, this island is sometimes referred to as Sør-Talgje (South Talgje) whereas the other one is called Nord-Talgje (North Talgje).