Volda

File:Nedre-Ekset i Volda oktober 2009.jpg

The municipality of Volden was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). The original municipality was the same as the parish (prestegjeld) of Volden, including the sub-parishes of Ørsta and Dalsfjord. On 1 August 1883, the sub-parish of Ørsta (population: 2,070) was separated from Volden to form a new municipality of its own. This left Volden with 3,485 residents. On 1 January 1893, the Ytrestølen farm in the Ørsta municipality (population: 13) was transferred to Volden municipality. In 1918, the name was changed from Volden to Volda.{{Cite book |last=Jukvam |first=Dag |url=http://www.ssb.no/emner/00/90/rapp_9913/rapp_9913.pdf |title=Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |year=1999 |isbn=9788253746845 |language=no}}

On 1 July 1924, the sub-parish of Dalsfjord (population: 960) was separated from Volda to become a municipality of its own. This left Volda with 4,715 residents. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the municipalities of Dalsfjord (population: 1,151) and Volda (population: 6,056) were merged back together. The new Volda municipality had 7,207 residents.

On 1 January 2020, another large municipal border adjustment took place. The neighboring municipality of Hornindal (previously in Sogn og Fjordane county) and the Bjørke and Leira areas of Ørsta were merged with Volda to make a much larger Volda Municipality (in Møre og Romsdal county).{{Cite web |title=Nye Volda |url=https://nyevolda.no/ |access-date=2017-10-20 |language=no}}

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Voldsfjorden ({{lang|non|Vǫld}} or {{lang|non|Valdr}}). The meaning of the name is uncertain, but it may come from {{wikt-lang|non|vella}} which means "gush" or "roar" or from another word meaning "wave". It could be compared with the {{wikt-lang|de|welle}} which means "wave".{{Cite book |last=Rygh |first=Oluf |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=691LAQAAIAAJ |title=Norske gaardnavne: Romsdals amt |date=1908 |publisher=W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri |edition=13 |location=Kristiania, Norge |page=67 |language=no |authorlink=Oluf Rygh}} Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Volden. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Volda.{{Cite journal |year=1917 |title=Norsk Lovtidende. 2den Afdeling. 1917. Samling af Love, Resolutioner m.m |url=https://www.nb.no/items/URN:NBN:no-nb_digitidsskrift_2015102381014_001 |journal=Norsk Lovtidend |language=no |location=Kristiania, Norge |publisher=Grøndahl og Søns Boktrykkeri |pages=1057–1065}}

File:Volda komm.svg

File:Volda komm 2020.svg

The original coat of arms was granted on 19 June 1987 and they were in use until 1 January 2020 when the municipality was greatly enlarged. The official blazon was "Azure, a downwards pointing fountain pen nib argent" ({{langx|no|På blå grunn ein nedvend sølv pennesplitt}}). This means the arms had a blue field (background) and the charge was the tip of a fountain pen. The charge had a tincture of argent which means it was commonly colored white, but if it was made out of metal, then silver was used. This design was chosen to symbolize the long history of education in Volda–it was the site of the first secondary school outside of a major city in Norway. The arms were designed by Inge Rotevatn. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.{{Cite web |title=Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen |url=https://www.heraldry-wiki.com/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=Volda |access-date=2023-04-15 |publisher=Heraldry of the World}}{{Cite web |title=Volda, Møre og Romsdal (Norway) |url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/no-15-19.html |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=Flags of the World}}{{Cite web |date=1987-06-19 |title=Godkjenning av våpen og flagg |url=https://lovdata.no/dokument/LF/forskrift/1987-06-19-530 |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=Lovdata.no |publisher=Norges kommunal- og arbeidsdepartementet |language=no}}

The current coat of arms was approved in 2019 for use starting on 1 January 2020 when Hornindal Municipality and part of Ørsta Municipality were added to Volda. The official blazon is "Azure, a downwards pointing fountain pen nib flanked by two scythes endorsed argent". This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is the tip of a fountain pen with a scythe on each side. The charge 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 arms from 1987 were modified by adding two scythes on either side of the tip of a fountain pen. The scythes were taken from the old arms of the former municipality of Hornindal. Hornindal historically had large numbers of smiths and their scythe production was well known in the wider region. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.{{Cite web |title=Forslag til kommunevåpen og alle innsende forslag |url=https://nyevolda.no/aktuelt/forslag-til-kommunevapen-og-alle-innsende-forslag/ |access-date=2020-02-09 |publisher=NyeVolda.no |language=no}}

File:Voldskyrkja.JPG

The Church of Norway has six parishes ({{lang|no|sokn}}) within the municipality of Volda. It is part of the Søre Sunnmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Møre.

Volda's main geographical feature is the Voldsfjorden which branches off into the Austefjorden, Kilsfjorden, and Dalsfjorden. It is also mountainous, particularly southeast of the fjords, with the Sunnmørsalpene mountains surrounding the region. The {{convert|1482|m|adj=on}} tall mountain Eidskyrkja is located in the southeastern part of the municipality.

Volda is bordered by municipalities of: Vanylven Municipality to the south-west/west; Herøy and Ulstein (only by sea) to the west; Ørsta to the north and east; and Stryn and Stad, in Vestland county, to the south.

The dominant centre, both in terms of population and administration, is the village of Volda, in the northernmost part of the municipality. Other population concentrations include Mork, Ekset, Folkestad, Fyrde, Steinsvika, Lauvstad, Bjørkedal, Grodås, and Straumshamn.

Some of the mountains in Volda include Hornindalsrokken, Kvitegga, and Jakta.

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|source 1= World Climate Guide{{Cite web |title=Volda Climate Guide, Norway |url=http://www.worldclimateguide.co.uk/climateguides/norway/volda.php |access-date=March 18, 2012 |publisher=World Climate Guide}}

}}

Volda 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.{{Cite encyclopedia |title=kommunestyre |encyclopedia=Store norske leksikon |publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget |url=https://snl.no/kommunestyre |date=2022-09-20 |editor-last=Hansen |editor-first=Tore |language=Norwegian |editor2-last=Vabo |editor2-first=Signy Irene |accessdate=2022-10-14}} The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Møre og Romsdal District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

The municipal council ({{lang|no|Kommunestyre}}) of Volda is made up of 33 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

{{div col}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|start = 2023

|end = 2027

|reference = {{Cite web |title=Kommunestyrevalg 2023 - Møre og Romsdal |url=https://valgresultat.no/valg/2023/ko/m%C3%B8re%20og%20romsdal/volda#seats |access-date=2024-01-20 |publisher=Valgdirektoratet}}

|collapsed =

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 33

|Arbeiderpartiet = 5

|Fremskrittspartiet = 4

|Grønne = 1

|Høyre = 5

|INP = 2

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 3

|Rødt = 1

|Senterpartiet = 7

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 4

|Venstre = 1

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|start = 2019

|end = 2023

|reference = {{Cite web |title=Kommunestyrevalg 2019 – Møre og Romsdal |url=https://valgresultat.no/valg/2019/ko/m%C3%B8re%20og%20romsdal/volda#seats |access-date=2019-10-19 |publisher=Valgdirektoratet}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 33

|Arbeiderpartiet = 4

|Fremskrittspartiet = 2

|Høyre = 6

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 3

|Senterpartiet = 7

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 3

|Venstre = 2

|Rødt = 1

|Grønne = 2

|otherparty = Volda List

|otherparty_no = Voldalista

|otherparty_number = 3

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|start = 2015

|end = 2019

|reference = {{Cite web |title=Table: 04813: Members of the local councils, by party/electoral list at the Municipal Council election (M) |url=https://www.ssb.no/en/statbank/table/04813/ |publisher=Statistics Norway |language=no}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 27

|Arbeiderpartiet = 6

|Fremskrittspartiet = 4

|Høyre = 3

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 6

|Senterpartiet = 3

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2

|Venstre = 2

|Grønne = 1

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|start = 2011

|end = 2015

|reference = {{Cite web |title=Kommunestyrevalg 2011 – Møre og Romsdal |url=https://valgresultat.no/valg/2011/ko/m%C3%B8re%20og%20romsdal/volda#seats |access-date=2019-10-19 |publisher=Valgdirektoratet}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 27

|Arbeiderpartiet = 4

|Fremskrittspartiet = 4

|Høyre = 4

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 5

|Senterpartiet = 3

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2

|Venstre = 3

|otherparty = Ferry list

|otherparty_no = Ferjelista

|otherparty_number = 2

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|start = 2007

|end = 2011

|reference =

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 27

|Arbeiderpartiet = 4

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 3

|Senterpartiet = 5

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 5

|Venstre = 2

|Høyre = 3

|Fremskrittspartiet = 5

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|start = 2003

|end = 2007

|reference =

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 27

|Arbeiderpartiet = 3

|Fremskrittspartiet = 3

|Høyre = 5

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 5

|Senterpartiet = 4

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 5

|Venstre = 2

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|start = 1999

|end = 2003

|reference =

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 35

|Arbeiderpartiet = 4

|Fremskrittspartiet = 1

|Høyre = 10

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 7

|Senterpartiet = 6

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 4

|Venstre = 3

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|start = 1995

|end = 1999

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1996 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1995 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_c342.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 35

|Arbeiderpartiet = 4

|Fremskrittspartiet = 1

|Høyre = 8

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 7

|Senterpartiet = 7

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 3

|Venstre = 4

|otherparty = Centrum List

|otherparty_no = Sentrumslista

|otherparty_number = 1

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|start = 1991

|end = 1995

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1993 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1991 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_c057.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 35

|Arbeiderpartiet = 5

|Fremskrittspartiet = 1

|Høyre = 7

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 7

|Senterpartiet = 7

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 4

|Venstre = 3

|otherparty = Cross-party list for the west side of the Voldsfjorden

|otherparty_no = Tverrpolitisk liste for vestsida av Voldsfjorden

|otherparty_number = 1

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|start = 1987

|end = 1991

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1988 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1987 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_b765.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 35

|Arbeiderpartiet = 6

|Høyre = 8

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 6

|Senterpartiet = 4

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2

|Venstre = 6

|otherparty = Kindergarten List

|otherparty_no = Barnehagelista

|otherparty_number = 1

|otherparty1 = Non-party election list for the west side of the Voldsfjorden

|otherparty_no1 = Upolitisk valliste for Vestsida av Voldsfjorden

|otherparty_number1 = 2

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|start = 1983

|end = 1987

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1984 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1983 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_b450.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 35

|Arbeiderpartiet = 6

|Høyre = 5

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 8

|Senterpartiet = 6

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2

|Venstre = 5

|otherparty = Non-party election list for the west side of the Voldafjord

|otherparty_no = Upolitisk valliste for Vestsida av Voldafjorden

|otherparty_number = 3

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|start = 1979

|end = 1983

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1979 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1979 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_b093.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 35

|Arbeiderpartiet = 4

|Høyre = 6

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 7

|Senterpartiet = 6

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 1

|Venstre = 6

|otherparty = Election list for Dravlausbygda and Innselset area

|otherparty_no = Valliste for Dravlausbygda og Innselset krins

|otherparty_number = 1

|otherparty1 = Local list for Lid and Yksnøy

|otherparty_no1 = Krinsliste for Lid og Yksnøy

|otherparty_number1 = 1

|otherparty2 = Non-party list for the Mork area

|otherparty_no2 = Upolitisk liste for Mork krins

|otherparty_number2 = 1

|otherparty3 = Non-party list for the west side of the Voldsfjorden

|otherparty_no3 = Upolitisk liste for Vestsida av Voldsfjorden

|otherparty_number3 = 2

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|start = 1975

|end = 1979

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1977 |title=Kommunevalgene 1975 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_a769.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 35

|Arbeiderpartiet = 5

|DLF = 1

|Høyre = 3

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 8

|Senterpartiet = 8

|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 1

|Venstre = 6

|otherparty = Election list for Mork

|otherparty_no = Valliste for Mork

|otherparty_number = 1

|otherparty1 = Local list for Lid og Yksnøy

|otherparty_no1 = Krinsliste for Lid og Yksnøy

|otherparty_number1 = 1

|otherparty2 = Non-party election list for Folkestad, Høydal, Fylsvik and the Bjørkedal area

|otherparty_no2 = Upolitisk Valliste for Folkestad, Høydal, Fylsvik og Bjørkedal Krins

|otherparty_number2 = 1

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|start = 1971

|end = 1975

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1973 |title=Kommunevalgene 1972 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_a457.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 35

|Arbeiderpartiet = 6

|Høyre = 2

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 7

|Senterpartiet = 10

|Venstre = 8

|Local_Lists = 2

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|start = 1967

|end = 1971

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1967 |title=Kommunevalgene 1967 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_a214.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo |volume=I}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 35

|Arbeiderpartiet = 7

|Høyre = 3

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 6

|Senterpartiet = 7

|Venstre = 9

|Local_Lists = 3

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|start = 1963

|end = 1967

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1964 |title=Kommunevalgene 1963 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xii_138.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 35

|Arbeiderpartiet = 6

|Høyre = 2

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 5

|Senterpartiet = 6

|Venstre = 8

|Local_Lists = 8

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|herad = yes

|start = 1959

|end = 1963

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1960 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xii_022.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 27

|Arbeiderpartiet = 4

|Høyre = 1

|Senterpartiet = 2

|Venstre = 5

|Local_Lists = 15

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|herad = yes

|start = 1955

|end = 1959

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1957 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xi_252.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 27

|Arbeiderpartiet = 4

|Høyre = 1

|Senterpartiet = 2

|Kristelig_Folkeparti = 3

|Venstre = 4

|Local_Lists = 13

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|herad = yes

|start = 1951

|end = 1955

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1952 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xi_120.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 24

|Arbeiderpartiet = 3

|Local_Lists = 21

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|herad = yes

|start = 1947

|end = 1951

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1948 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_x_165.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 24

|Arbeiderpartiet = 4

|Local_Lists = 20

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|herad = yes

|start = 1945

|end = 1947

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1947 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_x_133.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 24

|Arbeiderpartiet = 6

|Borgerlige_Felleslister = 1

|Local_Lists = 17

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Volda

|herad = yes

|start = 1937

|end = 1941*

|reference = {{Cite web |date=1938 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_ix_133.pdf |access-date=2020-05-01 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 24

|Arbeiderpartiet = 6

|Local_Lists = 18

|}}

{{div col end}}

The mayors ({{langx|nn|ordførar}}) of Volda:

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

• 1838–1839: Sjur H. Halkjelsvik
• 1840–1841: Peder E. Schjelderup
• 1842–1845: Sjur H. Halkjelsvik
• 1846–1849: Anders Velle
• 1850–1857: Mauritz Aarflot (V)
• 1858–1859: Rasmus R. Aarflot
• 1860–1885: Mauritz Aarflot (V)
• 1886–1887: Rasmus R. Aarflot
• 1888–1889: Rasmus Barstad
• 1890–1893: Rasmus Mork
• 1894–1904: Laurits Barstad
• 1905–1910: Oscar Normann Eng (V)
• 1911–1913: Anders Vassbotn (V)
• 1914–1916: Ola S. Rotevatn
• 1917–1919: Henrik Kårstad (V)
• 1920–1931: Ola S. Rotevatn (Bp)
• 1932–1934: Ola Drabløs
• 1935–1937: Ola R. Heltne
• 1938–1941: Johan Alvestad (Ap)
• 1941–1945: Maurits Aarflot (NS)
• 1945–1945: Johan Alvestad (Ap)
• 1946–1946: Ola Drabløs
• 1946–1947: Georg Rønnestad (Ap)
• 1947–1947: Henrik Driveklepp
• 1948–1951: Martin Dahl (V)
• 1952–1955: Johannes Nes (V)
• 1956–1959: Per Longva (Ap)
• 1960–1967: Karl Alme (V)
• 1968–1975: Sigurd H. Halkjelsvik (Sp)
• 1976–1979: Eilert Bø (KrF)
• 1980–1987: Rasmus R. Aarflot (Sp)
• 1988–2003: Knut Bere (H)
• 2003–2011: Ragnhild Aarflot Kalland (Sp)
• 2011–2015: Arild Iversen (KrF)
• 2015–2019: Jørgen Amdam (Ap)
• 2019–present: Sølvi Dimmen (Sp)

{{div col end}}

Volda is primarily known for strong cultural heritage and academic traditions. A private library at Egset, the first rural of its kind in Norway, is said to have inspired the young Ivar Aasen in the 19th century. Martin Ulvestad, Norwegian–American author who published an English-Danish-Norwegian dictionary in 1895, (Engelsk-Dansk-Norsk Ordbog med fuldstændig Udtalebetegnelse) was born in Volda. The Norsk Landboeblad newspaper was based in Volda in the 1800s. Volda landsgymnas (established 1910) was the first Norwegian secondary school outside a major city. Among the most important institutions today is the Volda University College.

Volda University College (HVO) is one of 25 university colleges in Norway. HVO, with an enrollment of about 3,000 students, specializes in education of teachers, animators, and journalists. This has attracted or incubated several animation companies to Volda, whose work is highlighted in the annual Animation Volda Festival, which started at HVO in 2007.{{Cite web |title=Animation Volda Festival: About Us |url=https://www.animationvolda.no/kopi-av-news |access-date=2020-12-29 |website=Animation Volda Festival}} HVO is host of the annual Norwegian Documentary Film Festival ({{aka}} DOKFILM), which started in 1997.{{Cite web |date=2020-12-29 |title=About DOKFILM |url=http://www.dokfilm.no/english/ |access-date=2020-12-29 |website=DOKFILM}}

The national ski festival X2 is also held in Volda during April every year.

The Volda TI sports club includes an association football team, whose home field is Volda Stadion. The football squad has consistently played in the 2. divisjon to 4. divisjon leagues (tiers three to five of the Norwegian football league system) for a number of decades.

As a logical consequence of the huge influx of students, as well as a county hospital, public services are by far the most dominant sector, representing almost 50% of economic life in Volda. Industry and agriculture are also prevalent.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} Bjørkedalen is noted for its tradition in building wooden boats.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

The Sivert Aarflot Museum is located at Ekset in Volda.{{Cite web |title=Sivert Aarflot Museum, Volda |url=http://www.sunnmore.museum.no/english/sivert-aarflot-museum/ |access-date=February 1, 2018 |website=Stiftinga Sunnmøre Museum}} Volda and its environs are featured prominently in the film Troll Hunter (2010).

The Ørsta–Volda Airport, Hovden, is located in neighbouring municipality of Ørsta, just north of the village of Volda. The European route E39 highway passes north through the municipality on its way to the city of Ålesund. As noted, the municipality is criss-crossed by fjords; therefore, both Lauvstad and Folkestad are linked to the population centre Volda by ferry. In February 2008, the underwater Eiksund Tunnel connected the municipalities of Ulstein, Hareid, Herøy, and Sande to Ørsta and Volda. The tunnel is the deepest undersea tunnel in the world. The Kviven Tunnel was completed in 2012, connecting Fyrde to the village of Grodås to the south on the other side of a large mountain. This tunnel led to the old Hornindal Municipality joining Volda in 2020.

File:Ragnhild Aarflot Kalland (8619885924).jpg

• Martin Ulvestad (1865–1942), a Norwegian-American historian and philologist
• Peter Olai Thorvik (1873–1965), a blacksmith, fisherman, banker, and politician
• Inger Hagerup (1905–1985), an author, playwright and poet who lived in Volda
• Dag Frøland (1945–2010), a comedian, revue artist, singer and impersonator{{IMDb name|0297095|Dag Frøland}}. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
• Ottar Grepstad (born 1953), a Norwegian Nynorsk writer who lives in Volda
• Olav Rune Ekeland Bastrup (born 1956), a Norwegian writer and historian
• Ragnhild Aarflot Kalland (born 1960), a local politician and mayor of Volda from 2003-2011
• Frode Grodås (born 1964), a football goalkeeper with over 250 club caps and 50 for Norway
• Simone Eriksrud (born 1970), a musician, composer, and lead vocalist with D'Sound
• Asbjørn Blokkum Flø (born 1973), a Norwegian composer, musician, and sound artist
• Beate S. Lech (born 1974), a jazz vocalist and lead singer of Beady Belle
• Erlend Slettevoll (born 1981), a Norwegian jazz pianist
• Jon Georg Dale (born 1984), a Progress Party politician and former government minister
• Ørjan Håskjold Nyland (born 1990), a football goalkeeper with over 200 club caps and 28 for Norway

MF Høgsfjord utenfor Volda fergekai.jpg|MF Høgsfjord utenfor Volda fergekai

Sivert Aarflot-museet i Volda 2.jpg|Sivert Aarflot-museet i Volda 2

Fjellnabben Galten i Dalsfjorden.jpg|Fjellnabben Galten i Dalsfjorden

Eikrem - panoramio (1).jpg|Eikrem

{{reflist}}

{{commons category|Volda}}

{{Wikivoyage|Møre og Romsdal}}

• [http://ssb.no/kommunefakta/volda Municipal fact sheet] from Statistics Norway {{in lang|no}}
• [http://volda.kommune.no Official website] {{in lang|no}}
• [http://www.volda.org Website about Volda] {{in lang|no}}
• [http://www.yr.no/place/Norway/Møre_og_Romsdal/Volda/Volda/ Weather forecast for Volda] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207115417/http://www.yr.no/place/Norway/M%C3%B8re_og_Romsdal/Volda/Volda/ |date=7 February 2017 }}

{{Møre og Romsdal}}

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Category:Municipalities of Møre og Romsdal

Category:1838 establishments in Norway