Strand is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Ryfylke. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Jørpeland. The municipality lies across the fjord from the city of Stavanger. The Ryfast tunnel system connects Stavanger and Strand by a very long undersea tunnel.
The villages of SørskÃÂ¥r and FiskÃÂ¥ are located in northern Strand, on the southern shore of the àrdalsfjorden. This area of Strand produces fruit, vegetables, and dairy products. The FiskÃÂ¥ Mølle (FiskÃÂ¥ Mill) is located in FiskÃÂ¥. The larger village of Tau is located on the western coast of Strand. It is a transportation hub with ferry connections to the city of Stavanger and bus services to nearby HjelmelandsvÃÂ¥gen and deeper into the Ryfylke district. About southeast of Tau is the municipal center of Jørpeland. This town is the largest settlement in Strand with about 7,800 people.
The municipality is the 278th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Strand Municipality is the 88th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of . The municipality's population density is and its population has increased by 12% over the previous 10-year period.
The cross-country and marathon mountain biker Gunn-Rita Dahle comes from Bjørheimsbygd. She has won a gold medal in the Summer Olympics 2004, in Athens. Holtaheia was the mountain behind Holta farm where 34 school boys, 2 teachers and 3 crew died, when the Cunard Viking flight 'Papa Mike' crashed into the mountain, en route to Stavanger.
The parish of Strand was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). In 1865, the municipality was divided into two municipalities: the southern district (population: 3,203) became the new Høgsfjord Municipality and the northern district (population: 2,228) remained as a much smaller Strand Municipality.
During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, the SørskÃÂ¥r-Sundgardene area (population: 121) was transferred from the neighboring àrdal Municipality to Strand Municipality.
On 1 January 2020, the northwestern part of Forsand Municipality was transferred to Strand Municipality (while the rest of Forsand Municipality was merged into Sandnes Municipality).
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Strand farm () since the first Strand Church was built there. The name is identical to the word which means "beach", "shore", or "border", likely due to its location along the fjord.
The coat of arms was granted on 25 May 1973. The official blazon is "Argent, three water wheels gules, two over one" (). This means the arms have a field (background) 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 charge is a set of three water wheels (two over one). The wheels are a symbol for the hydropower, which has been of importance to the municipality, first (since 1850) by using watermills to grind corn and grains, and now using modern hydro-electric plants. The arms were designed by Odd Fjordholm. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.
The Church of Norway has two parishes () within Strand Municipality. It is part of the Ryfylke prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger.
Strand Municipality is located on the mainland of Norway, on the south side of the vast Boknafjorden. The highest point in the municipality is the tall mountain Heiahornet, about east of Jørpeland, near the border with Hjelmeland Municipality. The small islands of Idse and Idsal are located in the southwest part of Strand, between the Høgsfjorden and Idsefjorden. The small islands of Heng and Sør-Hidle lie in the large fjord between Strand Municipality and Stavanger Municipality. The lakes Tysdalsvatnet, Bjørheimsvatnet, and Vostervatnet are all located in Strand. Hjelmeland Municipality lies to the north and east and Sandnes Municipality is to the south. The archipelago containing the islands of Stavanger Municipality lie to the northwest.
Strand 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 Sør-Rogaland District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.
The municipal council () of Strand Municipality 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.
The mayor () of Strand Municipality is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. The following people have held this position:
Scana Steel Stavanger AS is the largest company in Strand. Main activities include producing special steel alloys and casting for the shipping and oil/gas industry. Propellers of RMS Queen Mary 2 were made here. There are about 220 workers.
Comrod Communication ASA is a manufacturer of radio communication aerials. It makes deliveries to fisheries, shipping, oil and gas companies, and military defence. There are about 65 employees.
There are several festivals in Strand, including Ryfylke Ungdomsfestival (Ryfylke Youth Festival), Strandadagane (Strand Days) and Melting Pot (art seminar, mostly making decorative art out of scrap-iron). The annual race between Jørpeland and Tau, Strandamila, is an event which attracts hundreds of people. The race is along the highway, either by bike or on foot. Strand also has many sport facilities. There are a lot of football pitches spread around the municipality, as well as local fitness centres. Tau also has two tennis courts, a beach-volleyball field, and a basketball court, as well as Ryfylkehallen, the largest indoor football arena in the county of Rogaland.
Strand experienced a strong influx of newcomers from Stavanger and Jæren starting in the late 1970s. The original social fabric was divided into factory workers at the iron mill, farmers, and the strong Lutheran tradition. The divides were in many ways exclusive, and only limited movement between the social groups was seen. In later years these divides have become significantly weaker.