{{Infobox_Kommune|
name=Ålesund|
idnumber=1504|
county=[[Møre og Romsdal]]|
landscape=[[Sunnmøre]]|
capital=Ålesund|
governor=[[Bjørn Tømmerdal]] ([[Høyre|H]])|
governor_as_of=2007|
arearank=388|
area=98|
arealand=93|
areapercent=0.03|
population_as_of=2007|
populationrank=18|
population=41,385<ref name="ssbpop2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/02/01/10/folkemengde_en/tab-2007-03-08-16-en.html|title=Population, by sex, age and municipality. Møre og Romsdal. 1 January 2007|accessdate=2007-10-15|publisher=Statistics Norway|year=2007}}</ref>|
populationpercent=0.87|
populationdensity=430|
populationincrease=9.5|
language=[[Norwegian language|Neutral]]|
lat_deg=62| lat_min=28| lat_sec=40| lon_deg=6| lon_min=11| lon_sec=25|
utm_zone=32V| utm_northing=6930569 |utm_easting=0355180| geo_cat=adm2nd|
coatofarms=[[Image:Alesund komm.png|70px]]<br>[[Coat of arms of Ålesund]]|
map=[[Image:Alesund location.png|100px]]|
munwebpage=www.alesund.kommune.no|
}}
{{Audio|Alesund.ogg|'''Ålesund'''}} is a city and [[municipalities of Norway|municipality]] in the [[counties of Norway|county]] of [[Møre og Romsdal]], [[Norway]]. It is a sea port, and is noted for its unique concentration of [[Jugendstil]] architecture.

Ålesund was established as a municipality [[January 1]], [[1838]] (see [[formannskapsdistrikt]]). [[Borgund, Møre og Romsdal|Borgund]] was merged with Ålesund [[January 1]], [[1968]]. [[Sula, Norway|Sula]] was separated from Ålesund [[January 1]], [[1977]]. Ålesund received city rights in 1848. It is the administrative center as well as the principal shipping city of the [[Sunnmøre]] district. The Ålesund [[agglomeration]] has a population of 45.299.<ref name="ssbpop">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/02/01/10/beftett_en/tab-2007-06-07-01-en.html|title=Urban settlements. Population and area, by municipality. 1 January 2007|accessdate=2007-10-15|publisher=Statistics Norway|year=2007}}</ref>

==History==
Legend has it that ''Gangerolf'' (outside of Norway better known as [[Rollo of Normandy|Rollo]]), the 10th century founder of the dynasty of the dukes of [[Normandy]], hailed from the community of [[Giske]], north-west of Ålesund. At least three statues of Rolle exist: in the town park in Ålesund, in the city of [[Rouen|Rouen, France]], and in [[Fargo, North Dakota|Fargo, North Dakota, United States]].
[[Image:Jugendstilsenteret-modf.jpg|thumb|left|[[Jugendstilsenteret]] - The Art Nouveau Centre of Norway.]]
In the night of [[January 23]], [[1904]], the town was the scene of the [[Ålesund Fire]], one of the most terrible of the many conflagrations to which Norwegian towns, once built largely of wood, have been subjected. Practically the entire town was destroyed during the night, a gale aiding the flames{{Fact|date=August 2007}}, and the population had to leave the town in the middle of the night with only a few minutes' notice{{Fact|date=August 2007}}. Only one person died in the fire{{Fact|date=August 2007}}, but more than 10,000 people were left without shelter{{Fact|date=August 2007}}.

[[Wilhelm II of Germany|Kaiser Wilhelm]] of [[Germany]] had often gone on vacation to Sunnmøre. After the fire, he sent 4 ships with materials to build temporary shelters and barracks. After a period of planning, the town was rebuilt in stone, brick and mortar in [[Jugendstil]] ([[Art Nouveau]]), the architectural style of the time. The structures were designed by approximately 20 master builders and 30 Norwegian architects, most of them educated in [[Trondheim]] and [[Charlottenburg|Charlottenburg, Berlin]], drawing inspiration from all over Europe. The town has an unusually consistent architecture, most of the buildings having been built between 1904 and 1907. [[Jugendstilsenteret]] is a national [[interpretation centre]], visitors can learn more about the town fire, the rebuilding of the town and the [[Art Nouveau]] style. Ålesund is a partner city of the [[Réseau Art Nouveau Network|Art nouveau network]], a European network of co-operation created in 1999 for the study, safeguards and development of the Art nouveau.

===Toponomy===
Ålesund was originally known as ''Kaupangen Borgund'',<ref name="betaal">{{Cite web|url=http://www.alesund.kommune.no/sub/info/content/view/158/71/lang,no/|title=Betydningen Ålesund|accessdate=2007-10-16|publisher=Aalesund kommune|year=2007|language=Norwegian}}</ref> ''kaupang'' being [[Old Norse|Norse]] for ''marketplace'' or ''town''. The [[West Norse]] form of the current name was ''Álasund''. The first element is (probably) the plural genitive case of ''áll'' m '[[eel]]', the last element is ''sund'' n 'strait, sound'.<ref name="betaal"/>

Until 1921, the name was written ''Aalesund''.

==Geography==
{{seealso|Geography of Norway}}
Ålesund municipality occupies seven of the outer islands in the county of [[Møre og Romsdal]]: [[Hessa]], [[Aspøy]], [[Nørvøya]], [[Oksnøy]], [[Ellingsøy]], [[Humla, Norway|Humla]] and [[Tørla]]. The city centre is located on the islands Aspøy and Nørvøy, while Hessa and Oksnøy contain residential areas. The second largest island, Elingsøy, used to be accessible only by boat or by road via [[Skodje]] municipality, but a subsea tunnel was built in 1987<ref name="nrktunnel">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/more_og_romsdal/1.1455944|title=Tunnelarbeidet må stanse|accessdate=2007-10-17|publisher=nrk.no|year=2006|author=Odd Sørås|language=Norwegian}}</ref> to make travelling between the island and the city centre more convenient. The tunnel is 3,481 metres long,<ref name="ellingsoytunnelen">{{Cite web|url=http://www.vegvesen.no/cs/Satellite?cid=1159949143387&pagename=VPAalesundstunnel%2FPage%2FVPside&c=Page|title=Ellingsøytunnelen|accessdate=2007-10-17|publisher=Statens vegvesen|year=2007|language=Norwegian}}</ref> and is currently being upgraded.<ref name="rehabtunnel">{{Cite web|url=http://www.vegvesen.no/cs/Satellite?cid=1159949154256&pagename=vegvesen%2FSVVartikkel%2FSVVartikkelMedRelatert&c=SVVartikkel|title=Klart for anleggsstart i "Ålesundstunnelene"|accessdate=2007-10-17|publisher=Statens vegvesen|year=2006|language=Norwegian}}</ref> Situated 236 km north northeast of [[Bergen, Norway|Bergen]], Ålesund is adjacent to the [[Hjørundfjorden|Hjørund]] and [[Geirangerfjord|Geiranger]] [[fjord]]s, the latter being on [[UNESCO|UNESCO's]] list of [[World Heritage Sites]].<ref name="geirangerfjord">{{Cite web|url=http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1195|title=West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord|accessdate=2007-10-16|publisher=UNESCO}}</ref>

The municipality covers an area of 93 [[square kilometres|km²]]. The population is 41,385,<ref name="ssbpop2"/> making the population density 430 people per km². The population of the [[agglomeration]], which includes parts of the neighbouring municipality [[Sula (Møre og Romsdal)|Sula]], is 45,299.<ref name="ssbpop"/> The municipality also contains three small, separate [[urban area]]s &mdash; Hoffland, Årset and Myklebost &mdash; with a total population of 1217.<ref name="ssbpop"/>

The city has a pronounced [[maritime climate]] with mild and windy winters; the coldest month of the year, January, has a mean temperature of 1.3 °C.<ref name="met1">{{Cite web|url=http://met.no/observasjoner/more_og_romsdal/normaler_for_kommune_1504.html?kommuner|title=Normaler for Ålesund|accessdate=2007-10-16|publisher=Meterologisk institutt|year=2007|language=Norwegian}}</ref> The lowest temperature ever recorded at [[Ålesund Airport, Vigra]] is a mere -11&nbsp;°C.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}
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==Economy==
[[Image:aksla aalesund MH5Y3793 2.jpg|thumb|right|View from Aksla onto Ålesund.]]
Ålesund has one of the largest and important fishing harbors in Norway. The town's fishing fleet is one of the most modern in Europe. Ålesund and surroundings also has a large furniture industry. Some well-known household items are manufactured here. In the 1950s and 1960s, Ålesund was one of the chief stations of the [[herring]] fishery business.

To the east of Ålesund lies the village of Sykkylven. The [[Ekornes]] factory, producing furniture such as the [[StressLess]] chair. Håhjem, another village near Ålesund, contains the headquarters of the [[Stokke]] company. Ålesund is also one of the harbours at which the [[Hurtigruten]] arrives two times per day.

==Transportation==
[[Image:hurtigr aalesund MH5Y3639 2.jpg|thumb|MS Polarlys in Ålesund (December 2005).]]
From Øye at the head of Hjørundfjord a road strikes south to the [[Nordfjord]], and from Maråk on [[Geiranger]]fjord another strikes inland to [[Otta]]. The railway line ''[[Raumabanen]]'' starts at [[Åndalsnes]], 120 km east of Ålesund, going to [[Dombås]], then southwards on the [[Dovrebanen]] railway to [[Lillehammer]] and [[Oslo]]. Ålesund is a port of call for passenger and freight vessels travelling between [[Bergen, Norway|Bergen]], [[Kingston upon Hull]], [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]], [[Hamburg]], and [[Trondheim]], including the [[Hurtigruta]] (Norwegian Coastal Express) cruise ships, which arrive in Ålesund twice a day.

==Culture==
[[Image:Alesund harbour.jpg|thumb|right|The inner harbour in winter.]]
The local [[football (soccer)|football]] team, [[Aalesunds Fotballklubb]] (AaFK) was founded in 1914. The team played in the [[Norwegian Football League teams|Norwegian premier league]] for the first time in the [[Tippeligaen 2003|2003 season]]. The team's new arena, [[Color Line Stadion]], opened [[16 April]] [[2005]] and is located approximately 1 km outside the town centre. Aafk's supporter club is called "Stormen" and has about 2,000 members.

The local newspaper is [[Sunnmørsposten]], founded in 1882 and published six days a week. Ålesund is the site of the annual [[Norwegian Food Festival]].

==Education==

Ålesund has a university college, [[Ålesund University College]] (Norwegian: ''Høgskolen i Ålesund'', with approximately 1800 students and 150 employees. The ''Ålesund School of Art'' (Norwegian: ''Ålesund Kunstskole'') is a school for [[visual arts]] located in Ålesund. The [[Norwegian School of Management]] has a campus in Ålesund, but it will close [[August 1]], [[2008]].<ref name="biaalesund">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bi.no/Content/StartPageSection____60841.aspx|title=Om BI Ålesund|accessdate=2007-10-16|language=Norwegian}}</ref>

[[Ålesund videregående skole]], also known as ''Latinskolen'', formerly ''Aalesund Lærd- og Realskole'', is the oldest [[secondary school]] in Ålesund, having been established in 1863.<ref name="latinskolen">{{Cite web|url=http://www.alesund.vgs.no/nyhetsarkivet/artikler_2001_2003.htm/soren_jaabek_art.htm|title=Ja til Latinskolen|accessdate=2007-10-16|author=Ivar Gunnar Braaten|language=Norwegian}}</ref> Of the six [[High school|upper secondary schools]] in Ålesund, including ''Latinskolen'', [[Fagerlia videregående skole]] is the largest with room for approximately 1000 students.<ref name="fagerliavgs">{{Cite web|url=http://www.skoleanlegg.utdanningsdirektoratet.no/byggeprosjekter/fagerlia_vgs_more_og_romsdal.doc|title=02 Skolens navn: Fagerlia vgs.|accessdate=2007-10-16|publisher=Utdanningsdirektoratet|year=2007|language=Norwegian}}</ref>

==Famous residents==
* [[Anton Ludvig Alvestad]], mayor and government minister (1928)
* [[Helen Bjørnøy]], politician
* [[Arnold Eidslott]], song writer
* [[Hartvig Kiran]], journalist, translator, author, song writer and composer
* [[John Arne Riise]], football player
* [[Bjørn Helge Riise]], football player
* [[Arild Rypdal]], writer
* [[Olav Nils Sunde]], entrepreneur

==Twin towns==
{{Wikisource1911Enc|Aalesund}}
Ålesund is [[twinned]] with:<ref name="vennskapsbyer">{{Cite web|url=http://www.alesund.kommune.no/sub/info/content/view/16/69/lang,no/|title=Vennskapsbyer|accessdate=2007-10-17|publisher=Ålesund kommune|year=2007|language=Norwegian}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|Denmark}} [[Randers]], [[Denmark]]: Twin-town since 1947
* {{flagicon|Sweden}} [[Västerås]], [[Sweden]]: Twin-town since 1947
* {{flagicon|Finland}} [[Lahti]], [[Finland]]: Twin-town since 1947
* {{flagicon|Iceland}} [[Akureyri]], [[Iceland]]: Twin-town since 1949
* {{flagicon|United Kingdom }} [[Peterhead]], [[Scotland]], [[United Kingdom]]: Twin-town since 1967
* {{flagicon|Italy}} [[Borgo a Mozzano]], [[Italy]]: Twin-town since 1979
* {{flagicon|United States}} [[Tacoma]], [[United States|U.S.]]: Twin-town since 1986
* {{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Peterhead]], [[Scotland]], [[United Kingdom|U.K.]]

In addition, the city has good relations with the town of [[Eu, Seine-Maritime|Eu, Normandy, France]].<ref name="vennskapsbyer"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
* Municipality website in '''[http://www.alesund.kommune.no/infotorg/ Norwegian]''', '''[http://www.alesund.kommune.no/infotorg/default.asp?bransje=342 English]''', '''[http://www.alesund.kommune.no/infotorg/default.asp?bransje=341 Italian]''', '''[http://www.alesund.kommune.no/infotorg/default.asp?bransje=339 German]''' and '''[http://www.alesund.kommune.no/infotorg/default.asp?bransje=340 French]'''.
* [http://www.jugendstilsenteret.no/english-info/ Jugendstil Centre/Art Nouveau Centre]
* [http://www.jugendstil.no/ Zoomify image of Aalesund]
* [http://www.helse-sunnmore.no/default.asp?menu=2367 Ålesund Hospital]
{{Møre_og_Romsdal}}
{{25 biggest cities of Norway}}

[[Category:Municipalities of Møre og Romsdal]]
[[Category:Cities in Norway]]
[[Category:Ålesund]]

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