Haugesund
Encyclopedia
is a town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

 and municipality
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...

 in the county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...

 of Rogaland
Rogaland
is a county in Western Norway, bordering Hordaland, Telemark, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder. It is the center of the Norwegian petroleum industry, and as a result of this, Rogaland has the lowest unemployment rate of any county in Norway, 1.1%...

, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

.

Location

Haugesund was separated from Torvastad
Torvastad
-History:The parish of Torvestad was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . On 1 February 1855 the district Haugesund was separated from Torvastad to form a municipality of its own. The split left Torvastad with 3,242 inhabitants. Further division took place when Skåre broke out on 1...

 as a town and municipality of its own in 1855. The rural municipality of Skåre
Skåre, Norway
Skåre is a former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway.It was created by a split from Torvastad on 1 November 1881. The new municipality had a population of 1,665. On 1 January 1911 a part of Skåre with 3,847 inhabitants was moved to the neighboring municipality Haugesund. On 1 January 1958 the...

 was merged with Haugesund on January 1, 1958. Haugesund is a small municipality
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...

, only 73 km². The population is 33,022, giving the municipality a population density of 459 people per km².

The town is situated on a strategically important sound
Sound (geography)
In geography a sound or seaway is a large sea or ocean inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight and wider than a fjord; or it may be defined as a narrow sea or ocean channel between two bodies of land ....

 through which ships could pass without traversing heavy seas. In the early years the coastal waters off Haugesund were a huge source of herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...

, and the town grew accordingly. Despite being barely a village back then, King Harald Fairhair lived at Avaldsnes
Church of Avaldsnes
St. Olav's Church at Avaldsnes is a medieval church in Avaldsnes on the island of Karmøy in Rogaland on the west coast of Norway.-History:Before this church was constructed, there was a wooden church on the same site...

, very close to the modern town of Haugesund. In the last decades, the town, like its neighbours, has been turning towards the petroleum industry, the herring being long gone.

Haugesund is the main cultural centre for its region, and is home to several festivals, the largest being the Norwegian International Film Festival
Norwegian International Film Festival
The Norwegian International Film Festival is a film festival held annually in Haugesund, Norway. The festival goes back to 1973.In 1985, the Amanda award was instituted. The Amanda is awarded every year at the festival in different movie categories...

 and Sildajazz
Sildajazz
Sildajazz is a jazz festival, which is held annually on the second weekend of August, in Haugesund, Norway. The inaugural festival was in 1987.Both domestic and international artists participate at the festival....

, an international jazz festival with approximately 70 bands and close to 200 concerts.

As of 2009, Haugesund's urban agglomeration
Agglomeration
In the study of human settlements, an urban agglomeration is an extended city or town area comprising the built-up area of a central place and any suburbs linked by continuous urban area. In France, INSEE the French Statistical Institute, translate it as "Unité urbaine" which means continuous...

 has a population of approximately 100,000, of which 34,000 live in Haugesund and 40,000 live on Karmøy
Karmøy
Karmøy is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located southwest of the city of Haugesund in the traditional district of Haugaland....

. The Haugesund Region, a statistical metropolitan area
Metropolitan regions of Norway
There are 16 statistical metropolitan areas in Norway, of which six count as "Greater City Regions" and ten as "City Regions" . The classification comes from Storbymeldingen from the Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development...

, consisting of the municipalities Karmøy, Haugesund, Tysvær
Tysvær
Tysvær is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the region of Haugaland. The municipality is located at the northern side of Boknafjord, east of Karmøy. Tysvær has a population of 9,349 and an area of 419 km². Aksdalsvatnet is a lake in this municipality.Local...

, Sveio
Sveio
Sveio is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Sveio is located in the traditional district of Haugaland-Location:Geographically, Sveio is situated on the Haugaland peninsula. The administrative centre is the village of Sveio. Sveio was separated from Finnås in 1861. Vikebygd was...

 and Bokn
Bokn
Bokn is a municipality in the Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Haugaland. Bokn was separated from Skudenes in 1849....

, has a population of approx. 100,000 as of 2009.

History

Haugesund was founded in 1855 when it was divided from Torvastad
Torvastad
-History:The parish of Torvestad was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . On 1 February 1855 the district Haugesund was separated from Torvastad to form a municipality of its own. The split left Torvastad with 3,242 inhabitants. Further division took place when Skåre broke out on 1...

, a former neighbouring municipality
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...

, consequently celebrating its 150-year anniversary in 2004. At the time of division, Haugesund had a population of 1,066. The town is named after the strait Haugesundet. The first element is the genitive case of Hauge
Hauge
Hauge is a common Norwegian surname, commonly associated with farms. The name Hauge derives from the old Norse word haugr meaning hill, knoll, or mound. Derivatives also include Haugan and Haugen...

 from the Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....

 word haugr meaning hill or mound. The last element is sund meaning strait or sound.

In the early years, the coastal waters of Haugesund were a huge source of herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...

, and the town grew accordingly. Despite being a fairly young town, the areas around Haugesund were lands of power during the Viking Age
Viking Age
Viking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...

. Harald Fairhair, the first king of Norway, had his home at Avaldsnes
Church of Avaldsnes
St. Olav's Church at Avaldsnes is a medieval church in Avaldsnes on the island of Karmøy in Rogaland on the west coast of Norway.-History:Before this church was constructed, there was a wooden church on the same site...

, very close to the city. Fairhair was buried at Haraldshaugen
Haraldshaugen
Haraldshaugen is a national monument in Haugesund, Norway. The monument was erected during the millennial celebration of Norway's unification into one kingdom under the rule of King Harald I of Norway .Haraldshaugen was unveiled on July 18, 1872 by Crown Prince Oscar in...

, a burial mound adjacent to Karmsund
Karmsund
Karmsund is a strait dividing Karmøy and Haugesund municipalities in western Norway. The Karmsund Bridge linking Karmøy to the mainland was completed in 1955....

. This site is the namesake of the town and municipality of Haugesund. The national monument at Haraldshaugen was raised in 1872, to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of the Battle of Hafrsfjord
Battle of Hafrsfjord
The Battle of Hafrsfjord has traditionally been regarded as the battle in which western Norway for the first time was unified under one monarch.The national monument of Haraldshaugen was raised in 1872, to commemorate the Battle of Hafrsfjord...

 in 872. The Battle of Hafrsfjord has traditionally been regarded as when western Norway was unified under a single monarch for the first time.

The protective sounds of Smedasund and Karmsund
Karmsund
Karmsund is a strait dividing Karmøy and Haugesund municipalities in western Norway. The Karmsund Bridge linking Karmøy to the mainland was completed in 1955....

 gave the town potential to grow in both fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

 and shipping
Shipping
Shipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship.Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck...

. Even to this day, Karmsund is one of Norway's busiest waterways. The town is still growing geographically even though the population has increased only moderately the last decade. Today the herring is long gone, and the town is turning more and more towards the petroleum industry, like its neighbour Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...

.

The coat-of-arms is from 1929, and shows three seagulls. It replaced the old coat-of-arms which showed a herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...

 barrel, an anchor
Anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...

, and three seagulls. The current coat-of-arms was drawn by Hallvard Trætteberg.

Geography

Haugesund has a coastline with the North Sea, however, the island of Karmøy
Karmøy
Karmøy is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located southwest of the city of Haugesund in the traditional district of Haugaland....

 and the archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...

 Røvær
Røvær
Røvær is a small island in the county of Rogaland, Norway, and belongs to Haugesund municipality. It has about one hundred permanent residents, as well as seasonal residents and visitors who rent vacation homes, stay at the hostel or the new hotel...

 shelter most of the city from the rough waters of the ocean. The sound of Karmsund
Karmsund
Karmsund is a strait dividing Karmøy and Haugesund municipalities in western Norway. The Karmsund Bridge linking Karmøy to the mainland was completed in 1955....

, located between Karmøy and Haugesund used to be very strategically important, since ships could pass without having to sail through heavy sea. Haugesund's city centre has a distinctive street layout, similar to those found in Kristiansand
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...

 and Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...

. Haugesund has a typical maritime climate with mild winters, cool but pleasant springs, and mild summers lasting until the end of September. Monthly 24-hr average range from 1.1 °C in February to 14 °C in August. Mean annual precipitation is 1520 mm, with September - December as the wettest period.

The population is 48,987, and with an area of only 73 km², this gives a population density of 489 people per km². As of 2007, Haugesund's agglomeration
Agglomeration
In the study of human settlements, an urban agglomeration is an extended city or town area comprising the built-up area of a central place and any suburbs linked by continuous urban area. In France, INSEE the French Statistical Institute, translate it as "Unité urbaine" which means continuous...

 has a population of 44,183, of which 34,140 live in Haugesund and 10,043 live in Karmøy
Karmøy
Karmøy is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located southwest of the city of Haugesund in the traditional district of Haugaland....

. The Haugesund Region, a statistical metropolitan area
Metropolitan regions of Norway
There are 16 statistical metropolitan areas in Norway, of which six count as "Greater City Regions" and ten as "City Regions" . The classification comes from Storbymeldingen from the Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development...

, consisting of the municipalities Karmøy, Haugesund, Tysvær
Tysvær
Tysvær is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the region of Haugaland. The municipality is located at the northern side of Boknafjord, east of Karmøy. Tysvær has a population of 9,349 and an area of 419 km². Aksdalsvatnet is a lake in this municipality.Local...

, Sveio
Sveio
Sveio is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Sveio is located in the traditional district of Haugaland-Location:Geographically, Sveio is situated on the Haugaland peninsula. The administrative centre is the village of Sveio. Sveio was separated from Finnås in 1861. Vikebygd was...

 and Bokn
Bokn
Bokn is a municipality in the Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Haugaland. Bokn was separated from Skudenes in 1849....

, has a population of approximately 100.000 as of 2009.

The municipality includes several islands. Risøy and Hasseløy are densely built, and connected to the mainland by bridges. Røvær
Røvær
Røvær is a small island in the county of Rogaland, Norway, and belongs to Haugesund municipality. It has about one hundred permanent residents, as well as seasonal residents and visitors who rent vacation homes, stay at the hostel or the new hotel...

 which lies further out and consists of a number of islands, is also populated and connected to the mainland by ferry. Vibrandsøy
Vibrandsøy
Vibrandsøy is an island which is part of the Haugesund municipality in Rogaland, Norway. The island lies west of the densely built-up Hasseløy. The island is now used as a recreational area. The island was part of the Torvastad municipality until 1965, and is the only part of the former...

 and its neighboring islands is now mainly a recreational area.

Cityscape

Haugesund's town hall was built in 1931, celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2006. The pink city hall, designed by Gudolf Blakstad
Gudolf Blakstad
Gudolf Blakstad was a Norwegian architect.Born in Gjerpen, Blakstad was educated at the Norwegian Institute of Technology, worked with Arnstein Arneberg and Herman Munthe-Kaas...

 and Herman Munthe-Kaas
Herman Munthe-Kaas
Herman Munthe-Kaas was a Norwegian architect. Herman Munthe-Kaas was primarily known for his Functionalist building designs.-Biography:...

, is one of the finest neo-classical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...

 buildings in Norway, and has been elected the most beautiful building in Haugesund. It is also included in the new Norwegian edition of monopoly after it was successful in a national vote. The building may not be altered in any way without permission from the national preservation agency. It overlooks the town square and a park which was inaugurated on 28 August 1949.

The town has during the last 20 years established its position as the main trading centre for Haugaland and southern parts of Hordaland
Hordaland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark and Rogaland. Hordaland is the third largest county after Akershus and Oslo by population. The county administration is located in Bergen...

. It has several relatively large shopping centres, considering the size of the town. However, this has led to a decline of the trade and shopping activity in the town centre.

Transport

Haugesund Airport
Haugesund Airport, Karmøy
Haugesund Airport, Karmøy is the airport serving the city of Haugesund in Norway. It is located on the west side of the island and municipality of Karmøy, southwest of Haugesund. The airport was opened in 1975 and is operated by Avinor....

, located on the island of Karmøy
Karmøy
Karmøy is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located southwest of the city of Haugesund in the traditional district of Haugaland....

 to the southwest of Haugesund, is connected to Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...

, Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....

, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

 and Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...

 amongst other destinations. The Norwegian airline Coast Air
Coast Air
Coast Air AS was a regional airline based at Haugesund Airport, Karmøy in Norway. It was Norway's fourth-largest airline and operated domestic services within Norway, in addition to international services. Routes were concentrated along the West Coast, as well as some public service obligation...

 was based at Haugesund airport, but filed for bankruptcy on 23 January 2008.

Haugesund is connected to Stavanger and Bergen by catamaran
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...

 and bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...

 services, and to Oslo by bus. Local bus transport is provided by Kolumbus
Kolumbus
Rogaland Kollektivtrafikk FKF branded Kolumbus is the public transportation administration in Rogaland, Norway and organised as a county agency. The agency is responsible for planning, marketing and organising the public transport in Rogaland, including buses and passenger ferries, but does not...

. The town is connected to Utsira
Utsira
Utsira is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Haugaland. Utsira was separated from Torvastad on 1 July 1924.The municipality consists of an island located in the North Sea, 18 km west of Haugesund...

, Røvær
Røvær
Røvær is a small island in the county of Rogaland, Norway, and belongs to Haugesund municipality. It has about one hundred permanent residents, as well as seasonal residents and visitors who rent vacation homes, stay at the hostel or the new hotel...

, Feøy
Feøy
Feøy is a small island in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Feøy, Norway is off the west coast, closest to Haugesund and part of Karmøy kommune. It has 33 permanent residents, as well as seasonal residents and visitors who rent vacation homes. The permanent residents who are not retired support...

 and Randaberg
Randaberg
Randaberg is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway, located just to the north of Stavanger. Randaberg was separated from Hetland on 1 July 1922. The northernmost conurbation of Stavanger/Sandnes can be found here.-Name:...

 by ferry. The European Route E39
European route E39
E 39 is the designation of a 1330 km long north-south road in Norway and Denmark, running from Klett just south of Trondheim to Aalborg, via Orkanger, Vinjeøra, Halsa ... Straumsnes, Krifast, Batnfjordsøra, Molde ... Vestnes, Skodje, Ålesund ... Volda ... Nordfjordeid ... Sandane, Førde,...

 also crosses through Haugesund, and The European Route E134
European route E134
European highway E 134 goes through Norway, eastwards from Haugesund, over the Hardangervidda mountain plateau. With the highest point at 1085 meters above sea level, the road is sensitive to snow conditions and foul weather during the winter season, during which the mountainous sections may...

 leads eastwords to Drammen
Drammen
Drammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...

 outside Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...

.

Culture

Haugesund has a strong historical bond to the sea and especially the herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...

. Every August, The Norwegian Trad-jazz festival, the Sildajazz
Sildajazz
Sildajazz is a jazz festival, which is held annually on the second weekend of August, in Haugesund, Norway. The inaugural festival was in 1987.Both domestic and international artists participate at the festival....

is held. Both local and international musicians are presented at the Sildajazz.

In the summer of 2004, the annual rock festival, ""RockFest"" started. It attracted local, national and international pop and rock bands, such as Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...

, Madcon
Madcon
Madcon is a Norwegian Hip Hop duo formed in 1992 by Yosef Wolde-Mariam and Tshawe Baqwa.They are well known from the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 Interval Act, in which they performed their hit song "Glow"...

, DumDum Boys
DumDum Boys
DumDum Boys is a Norwegian rock band from Trondheim. They started up in the late 1970s as a punk band under the name "Wannskrækk", and released a few singles under that name before they reinvented themselves with a new name and a somewhat new sound in 1985....

 and Kaizers Orchestra
Kaizers Orchestra
Kaizers Orchestra is a Norwegian alternative rock group formed on January 1, 2000. The two leading members, vocalist Janove Ottesen and guitarist Geir Zahl, had known each other for years, and first played together in a band called Blod, Snått & Juling in 1989.Kaizers Orchestra are notable for...

. The festival started as a part of the celebration of Haugesund's 150 year anniversary. In 2009, the last Rockfest was held, and got replaced by an new concept in 2010; Haugesund Live. Haugesund Live is a series of individual concerts, and has featured bands such as The Baseballs
The Baseballs
The Baseballs are a German rock and roll band founded in Berlin in 2007. They became popular with rock cover versions of modern hits such as "Umbrella" by Rihanna and "Hot n Cold" by Katy Perry. The band members are only credited by their first names...

, Kim Larsen
Kim Larsen
thumb|250px|Kim Larsen, Nibe Festival 2009.Kim Melius Flyvholm Larsen is a Danish rock musician.Inspired by The Beatles and rock and roll, Larsen began as a songwriter and guitarist...

 and Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...

.

The Norwegian International Film Festival
Norwegian International Film Festival
The Norwegian International Film Festival is a film festival held annually in Haugesund, Norway. The festival goes back to 1973.In 1985, the Amanda award was instituted. The Amanda is awarded every year at the festival in different movie categories...

 has since 1973 been held in Haugesund, premiering and showing international and Norwegian films. The Amanda Award
Amanda (award)
The Amanda Award is an award given annually at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, Norway, to promote and improve Norwegian film. The award originated in 1985, and has since 2005 been exclusively a film award...

, Norway's variation of the Oscars, has been held in Haugesund since 1985 in concurrence with the film festival.

Haugesunds Avis
Haugesunds Avis
Haugesunds Avis is a daily newspaper published in Haugesund, Norway, but with branches in Bømlo, Kopervik, Odda, Sauda and Stord.Founded in 1895, it is today owned by the investment group Mecom Group, and is as such part of the media group Edda Media. In 2006, Haugesunds Avis had a circulation of...

 is a daily newspaper published in Haugesund, but with branches in Bømlo
Bømlo
Bømlo is a municipality in Sunnhordland, in the southern part of the county of Hordaland, Norway. It is also the name of the main island of this archipelago, consisting of about 900 islets, located west of Stord....

, Kopervik
Kopervik
Kopervik is the largest city on the island of Karmøy in the county of Rogaland, Norway and is the administrative centre of the municipality of Karmøy, and Kopervik have 8,192 inhabitants. It is part of the traditional district of Haugaland. -Population:...

, Odda
Odda
is a municipality and town in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Odda was separated from Ullensvang on 1 July 1913 and on 1 January 1964 Røldal was merged with Odda. The town of Odda is the centre of the landscape of Hardanger, located at the end of the Hardangerfjord.In 1927, Erling Johnson,...

, Sauda
Sauda
is a municipality and industrial town in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the region of Ryfylke. Sauda was separated from Suldal in 1842...

 and Stord
Stord
Stord is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Stord is sometimes called "Norway in miniature" - as it has such a variety of landscapes: coastline, fjords, forests, agricultural land, and mountain areas....

. Founded in 1895, it is today owned by the investment group Mecom Group
Mecom Group
Mecom Group plc is a newspaper publishing company headquartered in London, United Kingdom.It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index until 22 December 2008, when it became one of three media companies to fall out of the index.-History:The company was...

, and is as such part of the media group
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...

 Edda Media
Edda Media
Edda Media is a Norwegian media group that owns a number of Norwegian newspapers, television channels, radio channels and websites. The company is part of the Mecom Group and is the remaining domestic part of Orkla Media. In 2006 the newspapers in the Edda Group had 1,250,000 daily readers, a...

. In 2006, Haugesunds Avis had a circulation of 33 448. As of 2007, the executive editor is Tonny Nundal. The newspaper owns the local radio channel Radio 102.

Education

The main campus of Stord/Haugesund University College
Stord/Haugesund University College
Stord/Haugesund University College , Norwegian: Høgskolen Stord/Haugesund) is a medium sized state university college in Norway, with around 2700 students and 260 employees...

 is located in Haugesund. Established as recently as 1994, it is the result of the merger between Haugesund Nursing College, Stord Teachers College and Stord Nursing College. The university college  has approximately 2700 students and 260 employees, thus making it one of the smallest university colleges in Norway.

Twin towns — sister cities

Haugesund is twinned
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...

 with: Søllerød
Søllerød
Until January 1, 2007, Søllerød was a municipality in Copenhagen County on the east coast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covered an area of 39.77 km², and had a total population of 31,920...

, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

 Ystad
Ystad
Ystad is a "locality", or town, and the seat of Ystad Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden, with 17,286 inhabitants .Settlement dates back to the 11th century and the town has become a busy ferryport, local administrative centre and tourist attraction...

, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 Ekenäs
Ekenäs
Ekenäs is a former town and municipality of Finland comprising the former municipalities Snappertuna and Tenala together with the town of Ekenäs. It was merged with Pohja and Karis to form the new municipality of Raseborg on January 1, 2009....

, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

 Emden
Emden
Emden is a city and seaport in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia; in 2006, the city had a total population of 51,692.-History:...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...



Each of the sister cities have given name to a street in Haugesund. The streets are located in the same area in the city centre.

External links

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