At the time if its dissolution in 2020, the 370-square-kilometre (140 sq mi) municipality is the 250th largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Fræna is the 115th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 9,775. The municipality's population density is 27 inhabitants per square kilometre (70/sq mi) and its population has increased by 6.4% over the last decade.[4][5]
The municipality of Fræna was established in 1840 when it was separated from the municipality of Akerø. The original municipality was named Vaagø and it surrounded the Frænfjorden. Later the name was changed to Fræna.[6]
During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, Bud Municipality (population: 1,610), Hustad Municipality (population: 2,196), and Fræna Municipality (population: 3,430) were merged to form a new, larger municipality of Fræna.[6]
The municipality (originally the parish) was first named Vaagø, after the old Vaagøen farm (Old Norse: Vágøy) since the first Vågøy Church was built there. The first element is vágr which means "bay" or "sea". The last element is øy which means "island".[9] The municipality had this name from 1838 until 1865. In 1865, the municipal name was changed to Frænen, after the Frænfjorden (Old Norse: Fræni). The meaning of the fjord name is unknown, but it may have been derived from the word frænn which means "bright" or "shiny". Another option was that it comes from the word frenje which means "foam" or "howl", referring to the local fjord in high winds.[10] On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality from Frænen to Fræna.[11]
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 15 May 1995 and it was in use until 2020 when the municipality ceased to exist. The official blazon is "Or, three bars wavy azure crested to the dexter on the upper edge" (Norwegian: På gull botn tre blå bjelkar der overkantane er teikna med kvervelsnitt). This means the arms have a field (background) has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The charge is three horizontal bars designed too look like ocean surface waves. The arms were chosen to symbolize the municipality's connection to the sea. There are three bars to represent the three former municipalities which made up Fræna: Fræna, Bud, and Hustad. The arms were designed by Jarle Skuseth. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[12][13][14]
The Frænfjorden cut into the middle of the municipality. The coastal areas were low and marshy while the interior of the municipality was mountainous. Two of the more notable mountains in Fræna were Jendemsfjellet and Heiane. The Bjørnsund islands were located off the northwestern coast of Fræna. They are now uninhabited, but the Bjørnsund Lighthouse is still in operation.
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Fræna was made up of 31 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The party breakdown for the final municipal council was as follows:
