Førde is a former Norwegian municipality. It was the most populous municipality in the former Sogn og Fjordane county. Førde municipality borders in the north to Naustdal, in the east to Jølster, in the south to Gaular and in the west to Askvoll. The inhabitants are called Førdians. The town of Førde had 10,420 inhabitants as of 1 January 2020.
Topography
Like other places in Western Norway,
Førde is characterized by mountains. The highest point in the former
municipality is Grovabreen with 1636 masl. Førde has buildings at
the bottom along the Førdefjord on both sides of the fjord. The town
of Førde is located at the end of the Førdefjord, and furthermore
the landscape is divided into smaller valleys. Two larger lakes are
Holsavatnet and Movatnet. Førde town is divided into two by the
river Jølstra.
Population pattern
Førde has had
strong population growth over the last 40 years. After Førde was
designated as a growth center in 1965, large resources were invested
in the business community. The population lives mainly in the city
of Førde, and the municipality has had an explosive growth compared
to other municipalities in Sogn og Fjordane. The town of Førde has
10,420 inhabitants as of 1 January 2020. Sunde is on its way to
growing together with the city, and development on Vie has created
demand for housing even further away from the city center. The
districts are the city center, Haugum, Øyrane, Hafstad, Flatene,
Halbrend, Slåttebakkane, Vie, Slåtten, Tefre and Bruland.
Førde Airport (16 km from the city center) connects the region with Oslo and Bergen. The European route E39 from Kristiansand to Trondheim runs through the town. A previous ferry service has been discontinued.
Due to its central location in the otherwise sparsely populated and agricultural Sogn og Fjordane, Førde is a popular shopping town. There are many car dealerships. The slaughterhouse, public administration, health care, construction companies and a shipyard also provide important jobs. One of the five campuses of the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, which was created in 2017 from the merger of several universities, including Høgskolen Sogn og Fjordane, is also located here. There are two hotels open all year round. While many municipalities in Sogn og Fjordane experienced population decline, Førde Municipality has enjoyed continuous population growth from around 3000 in 1951 to 13,092 on 1 January 2019.
In July, Førde Internasjonale Folkemusikkfestival, Norway's largest
folk music festival, takes place in Førde with international and
Norwegian music.
The culture house "Førdehus" regularly hosts
theatrical performances by a traveling theater company, cinema
screenings and temporary exhibitions. There is an indoor swimming pool
and a grass soccer field. At the Sunnfjord Museum (9 km east of the city
center on the E39) you can experience Norwegian local history up close
through old farmhouses. Førde is also home to the Sogn og Fjordane Art
Museum, which since 2012 has been housed in a striking building by
architects C.F. Møller, inspired by the Fylke's glaciers.