Odda
Odda (ⓘ) is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1913 until its dissolution in 2020 when it was merged into Ullensvang Municipality in Vestland county. It was located in southeastern Hordaland county, surrounding the southern end of the Sørfjorden. The administrative centre was the town of Odda, which was also the main commercial and economic centre of the entire Hardanger region. Other villages in the municipality included Botnen, Eitrheim, Håra, Røldal, Seljestad, Skare, and Tyssedal.
Odda Municipality
Odda kommune | |
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View of the town of Odda | |
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Flag | |
Hordaland within Norway | |
Odda within Hordaland | |
| Coordinates: 60°04′00″N 06°32′46″E | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Hordaland |
| District | Hardanger |
| Established | 1 July 1913 |
| • Preceded by | Ullensvang Municipality |
| Disestablished | 1 Jan 2020 |
| • Succeeded by | Ullensvang Municipality |
| Administrative centre | Odda |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2015) | Roald Aga Haug (Ap) |
| Area (upon dissolution) | |
| • Total | 1,615.89 km2 (623.90 sq mi) |
| • Land | 1,475.43 km2 (569.67 sq mi) |
| • Water | 140.46 km2 (54.23 sq mi) 8.7% |
| • Rank | #42 in Norway |
| Population (2019) | |
| • Total | 7,025 |
| • Rank | #150 in Norway |
| • Density | 4.8/km2 (12/sq mi) |
| • Change (10 years) | −1.8% |
| Demonym | Odding |
| Official language | |
| • Norwegian form | Neutral |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | NO-1228 |
Prior to its dissolution in 2020, the 1,616-square-kilometre (624 sq mi) municipality was the 42nd largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Odda is the 150th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 7,025. The municipality's population density is 4.8 inhabitants per square kilometre (12/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 1.8% over the last decade.
In 1927, Erling Johnson, working at Odda Smelteverk, invented a process to produce three-component, NPK fertilizers. This process is now known as the Odda process.