Sula, Møre og Romsdal

Sula is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre district. The administrative centre is the village of Langevåg. Other villages include Solevåg, Fiskarstrand, Veibust, Leirvågen, and Mauseidvåg. Sula is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Møre og Romsdal county, and it is part of the Ålesund Region since it is just south of the city of Ålesund. The municipality encompasses the island of Sula and the many small surrounding islets.

The 59 km2 municipality is the 346th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Sula is the 117th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 9,636. The municipality's population density is 168.8 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 14.8% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
Originally, most of the island of Sula was part of Borgund Municipality and the small southwestern part of the island was part of Ulstein Municipality (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 July 1958, the southwestern part of Sula island was transferred to Borgund, unifying the whole island as part of the same municipality. In 1968, Borgund (including all of the island of Sula) was merged with the town of Ålesund to form the large municipality of Ålesund. On 1 January 1977, the entire island of Sula and the many small islets around it were separated from Ålesund to become the new municipality of Sula. The initial population of the Sula was 6,302.

Name
The municipality is named after the island of Sula (Súla) since the island made up the majority of the municipality. The name is likely derived from the word which means "cleft", probably referring to the cleft between the twin peaks of Rundehornet and Vardane.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 16 December 1983. The official blazon is "Azure, a chief and pile argent" (I blått eit sølv skjoldhovut med nedvend spiss). This means the arms have are divided with a horizontal line that has a triangular part that drops below the main line. The field (background) below the line has a tincture of blue. Above the line, the field has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The design was chosen to symbolize the cleft of the island between the twin peaks of Rundehornet and Vardane. The arms were designed by Jarle Skuseth. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within Sula. It is part of the Nordre Sunnmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Møre.

Geography
Sula includes one main island and many small surrounding islets. It is bordered by the Sulafjorden strait to the west, the Storfjorden to the south, the Hessafjorden and Borgundfjorden to the north, and the narrow Vegsundet strait to the east. The only road access to the island is the European route E39 highway bridge over the Vegsundet.

The natural environment is typically coastal with a sparse forest. The landscape is mostly rocky with heather covering the ground. The highest elevation is the 776 m tall mountain Vardane. Its neighbouring municipalities are all separated from it by sea, with Hareid to the west, Ørsta to the south, Giske to the northwest, and Ålesund to the north and east.

Government
Sula Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Møre og Romsdal District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Sula is made up of 29 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors
The mayors (ordførar) of Sula:


 * 1977–1978: Bjarne Bjørkavåg
 * 1978–1979: Per Gundersen
 * 1980–1985: Hallvard Ramnefjell
 * 1986–1995: Ivar H. Molvær (KrF)
 * 1995–1999: Gunvor Reistad Aannø (H)
 * 1999-2003: Egil Weltzien Holst (KrF)
 * 2003-2011: Ronny Harald Blomvik (FrP)
 * 2011-2015: Geir Ove Vegsund (H)
 * 2015–2023: Jim Arve Røssevoll (Ap)
 * 2023–present: Turid Humlen (H)

Culture
Sula is noted for strong traditions in the field of music. Nils Petter Molvær grew up in Langevåg. Also, the community harbours a strong maritime heritage. The influence of neighbouring city of Ålesund is strong; many live in Sula while working in Ålesund, which is a short ferry ride or a longer car ride away.

Economy
Manufacturing and production is the most important economical sector. Shipyards, fish processing, textile manufacturing, and furniture production are especially vital. The most famous clothing brand from Sula is Devold of Norway, with high quality woolen sweaters and underwear.



Transportation
Transportation in the municipality includes the European route E39 highway and several minor highways. The E39 highway enters Sula from the north (Ålesund) and it crosses the bridge at Vegsundet and continues west and then south to the Solevågen ferry quay where there are regular ferry routes to Festøya in Ørsta, across the Storfjorden. Also, there is a ferry connection in southwestern portion of Sula. This ferry has regular routes across the Sulafjorden from Sulasund to the village of Hareid on the island of Hareidlandet in the neighbouring municipality of Hareid.

Notable people

 * Anton Ludvig Alvestad (1883 in Sula – 1956), a politician, governemtn minister, and Mayor of Ålesund in 1920–1921
 * Inger Giskeødegård (born 1956 in Langevåg), a Norwegian autodidact illustrator
 * Cecilie Fiskerstrand (born 1996), a footballer who plays goalkeeper for Brighton & Hove Albion W.F.C.



Musicians

 * Stein Erik Tafjord (born 1953 in Langevåg), a jazz musician (tuba) and one of The Brazz Brothers
 * Runar Tafjord (born 1957 in Langevåg), a jazz French horn player and one of The Brazz Brothers
 * Nils Petter Molvær (born 1960 on Sula) a jazz trumpeter, composer, and record producer
 * Harald Devold (1964 in Langevåg – 2016), jazz musician (alto & soprano saxophone and flute)
 * Hild Sofie Tafjord (born 1974 in Langevåg), a Norwegian jazz musician (French horn)
 * Kåre Nymark (born 1974 in Langevåg), a Norwegian jazz trumpeter and composer
 * Robert Post (born 1979 in Langevåg), a Norwegian singer-songwriter
 * Lena Nymark (born 1980), a jazz singer and music teacher who was raised on the island Sula