Forsand is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. Forsand was separated from Høle on 1 January 1871. In 1999, evidence of a population here dating back to around 7500 BC was located.

Forsand is located within the constraints of two fjords, Lysefjord and Høgsfjord. It is one of largest municipalities within the county of Rogaland in terms of area, and one of the smallest in terms of population. Forsand municipality covers 842 km² and has a population of 1,116 (2008).

General information

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Forsand farm (Old Norse: Forsandr), since the first church was built there. The first element is the prefix for which means "outsticking" and the last element is sandr which means "sand" or "sandy beach". Before 1918, the name was written "Fossan".

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 11 March 1988. The arms show a silver heron on a green background. They were designed by John Digernes.

Villages

Villages that are part of the municipality:

• Fløyrli at
• Kolabygda at
• Lysebotn, located in the end of the Lysefjord, at
• Øvre Espedal at

References