Alver (municipality)
Alver is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Nordhordland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Knarvik. Other villages include Alversund, Alver, Isdalstø, Lindås, Ostereidet, Seim, Manger, Askeland, Austmarka, Bøvågen, Haugland, Sæbø, Sletta, Frekhaug, Hjartås, Holme, Io, Krossneset, Meland, and Rossland. The municipality is the 168th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Alver is the 37th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 29,224. The municipality's population density is and its population has increased by 13.5% over the previous 10 -year period. General information. The municipality was established on 1 January 2020 when the three neighboring municipalities of Lindås, Radøy, and Meland were merged into one large municipality. Name. The name of the municipality comes from the old "Alver" farm (). The name has two parts ""al"" meaning "whole" and ""viðra"" meaning "weather", probably referring to the location which is exposed to the weather from all directions. mIt is the same root as the other local names like Alversund and Alverstraumen. Coat of arms. The coat of arms was adopted in 2019 for use starting in 2020. The blue arms show  a gray or white bridge and a boat passing beneath it. It symbolizes that the fact that bridges tie the municipality together and the boat has been a means of transportation in the area for centuries. Churches. The Church of Norway has six parishes () within the municipality of Alver. It is part of the Nordhordland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. Government. All municipalities in Norway, including Alver, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a  municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elects a mayor. The municipality falls under the Bergen District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal. Municipal council. The municipal council of Alver is made up of 47 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows: