Editing Gjesdal

{{short description|Municipality in Rogaland, Norway}}
{{about|the municipality in Norway|the village in Rogaland, Norway|Gjesdal (village)|the surname|Gjesdal (surname)}}
{{Infobox kommune
|name                   = Gjesdal
|native_name            = 
|native_name_lang       = 
|other_name             = 
|former_name            = Gjestal herred
|former_name1           = Gjæsdal herred
|image_skyline          = Madlandsvatn(Jarvin).jpg
|image_caption          = View of the Gjesdal landscape
|idnumber               = 1122
|county                 = Rogaland
|district               = Jæren
|capital                = [[Ålgård]]
|established            = 1 Jan 1838
|preceded               = none
|demonym                = Gjesdalbu
|language               = Neutral
|coatofarms             = Gjesdal komm.svg
|webpage                = www.gjesdal.kommune.no
|mayor                  = Frode Fjeldsbø
|mayor_party            = [[Labour Party (Norway)|Ap]]
|mayor_as_of            = 2013
|area_rank              = 187
|area_total_km2         = 617.99
|area_land_km2          = 558.25
|area_water_km2         = 59.73
|area_water_percent     = 9.7
|population_as_of       = 2023
|population_rank        = 95
|population_total       = 12302
|population_density_km2 = 22
|population_increase    = 11.4
|coordinates            = {{coord|58|46|55|N|06|00|31|E|region:NO|display=inline,title}}
|utm_zone = 32V |utm_northing = 6519634 |utm_easting = 0327093 |geo_cat = adm2nd
}}

'''Gjesdal''' is a [[List of municipalities of Norway|municipality]] in [[Rogaland]] county, [[Norway]]. It is located in the [[Traditional districts of Norway|traditional district]] of [[Jæren]]. The [[administrative centre]] of the municipality is the village of [[Ålgård]]. Other villages in Gjesdal include [[Dirdal]], [[Frafjord]], [[Gilja]], [[Gjesdal (village)|Gjesdal]], and [[Oltedal]]. The municipality lies about {{convert|25|km}} to the southwest of the city of [[Stavanger (city)|Stavanger]] in southwestern Norway.<ref name="snl1">{{Cite web |last=Store norske leksikon |author-link=Store norske leksikon |title=Gjesdal |url=https://snl.no/Gjesdal |access-date=2016-03-14 |language=no}}</ref>

The [[European route E39]] highway runs through the western side of the municipality. On the east side of the municipality, the [[Frafjord Tunnel]] connects the [[Frafjord]] valley with the rest of the municipality.

The {{convert|618|km2|adj=on}} municipality is the 187th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Gjesdal is the 95th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 12,302. The municipality's [[population density]] is {{convert|22|PD/km2}} and its population has increased by 11.4% over the previous 10-year period.<ref name="ssb pop">{{Cite web |last=Statistisk sentralbyrå |author-link=Statistics Norway |title=Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M) |url=https://www.ssb.no/en/statbank/table/06913/ |language=Norwegian}}</ref><ref name="ssb area">{{Cite web |last=Statistisk sentralbyrå |author-link=Statistics Norway |title=09280: Area of land and fresh water (km²) (M) |url=https://www.ssb.no/en/statbank/table/09280/ |language=Norwegian}}</ref>

==General information==
[[File:Høgsfjorden Frafjorden.jpg|thumb|left|[[Høgsfjorden]] in front, [[Frafjorden]] in the back, looking east. Gjesdal includes everything in the forefront and right side, [[Forsand]] is on the left-back of the fjord.]]
[[File:Oltedal.jpg|thumb|left|View of [[Oltedal]]]]
[[File:Maanafossen3.JPG|thumb|left|View of the [[Månafossen]] waterfall]]

===Name===
The municipality (originally the [[prestegjeld|parish]]) is named after the old ''[[Gjesdal (village)|Gjesdal]]'' farm ({{langx|non|Gesdalir}}) since the first [[Gjesdal Church]] was built there. The first element is probably the old name of the local river, but the meaning is uncertain. The last element is the plural form of {{wikt-lang|non|dalr}} which means "[[valley]]" or "dale".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rygh |first=Oluf |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u4pBAAAAIAAJ |title=Norske gaardnavne: Stavanger amt |date=1915 |publisher=W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri |edition=10 |location=Kristiania, Norge |pages=155 and 159 |language=no |authorlink=Oluf Rygh}}</ref>

Before 1889, the name was spelled ''Gjæsdal'', which is the [[Danish language|Danish]] spelling. During the period from 1889 to 1917 it was spelled ''Gjesdal'' ([[Norwegian language]] version). On 3 November 1917, a [[royal decree|royal resolution]] changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to ''Gjestal''.<ref>{{Cite journal |year=1917 |title=Norsk Lovtidende. 2den Afdeling. 1917. Samling af Love, Resolutioner m.m |url=https://www.nb.no/items/URN:NBN:no-nb_digitidsskrift_2015102381014_001 |journal=[[Norsk Lovtidend]] |language=no |location=Kristiania, Norge |publisher=Grøndahl og Søns Boktrykkeri |pages=1057–1065}}</ref> This was changed to mimic the pronunciation of the local [[dialect]] (the [[voiced alveolar plosive|d]] in ''dal'' is pronounced [[voiceless alveolar plosive|t]] because of the voiceless consonant [[voiceless alveolar fricative|s]] in front). On 26 June 1964, a [[royal decree|royal resolution]] changed the spelling of the name of the municipality back to ''Gjesdal'' as part of a border adjustment that was to take effect on 1 January 1965.<ref>{{Cite journal |year=1964 |title=Norsk Lovtidende. 2den Afdeling. 1964. Samling af Love, Resolutioner m.m |url=https://www.nb.no/items/URN:NBN:no-nb_digitidsskrift_2015102381023_001 |journal=[[Norsk Lovtidend]] |language=no |location=Oslo, Norway |publisher=Grøndahl og Søns Boktrykkeri |page=471}}</ref> This change in spelling was made to bring the name back to the [[etymological]]ly correct form of ''Gjesdal''.<ref name="snl">{{Cite web |last=Store norske leksikon |author-link=Store norske leksikon |title=Gjestal |url=https://snl.no/Gjestal |access-date=2016-03-14 |language=no}}</ref>

===Coat of arms===
The [[coat of arms]] was granted on 15 March 1985. The official [[blazon]] is ''"[[Azure (heraldry)|Azure]], a ram's head [[caboshed]] [[argent]]"'' ({{langx|no|I blått et sølv værhode sett forfra}}). This means the arms have a blue [[field (heraldry)|field]] (background) and the [[charge (heraldry)|charge]] is the head of a [[Domestic sheep|ram]]. The ram head has a [[tincture (heraldry)|tincture]] of [[argent]] which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The ram was chosen as a symbol because [[Sheep husbandry|sheep breeding]] and wool manufacturing have both been important throughout the history of Gjesdal. The wool industry was centered in the village of [[Ålgård]] where wool, textile, and clothing businesses have thrived. It is also an old heraldic charge, that may be found in a number of 14th century Norwegian seals. It depicts almost identical arms in a seal from 1400 of one Aslak Tordsson. The arms were designed by Kai Wood Moe after a preliminary draft by Jørgen Otteren. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen |url=https://www.heraldry-wiki.com/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=Gjesdal |access-date=2023-07-02 |publisher=Heraldry of the World}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Gjesdal, Rogaland (Norway) |url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/no-11-22.html |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=Flags of the World}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1985-05-25 |title=Godkjenning av våpen og flagg |url=https://lovdata.no/dokument/LF/forskrift/1985-03-15-709 |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=Lovdata.no |publisher=Norges kommunal- og arbeidsdepartementet |language=no}}</ref>

===Churches===
The [[Church of Norway]] has two parishes ({{lang|no|sokn}}) within the municipality of Gjesdal. It is part of the [[Jæren prosti]] ([[deanery]]) in the [[Diocese of Stavanger]].

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ style="font-size:medium"|'''''Churches in Gjesdal'''''
!Parish ({{lang|no|sokn}})!!Church name!!Location of the church!!Year built
|-
|rowspan="3"|Gjesdal||[[Dirdal Church]]||[[Dirdal]]||1903
|-
|[[Gjesdal Church]]||[[Gjesdal (village)|Gjesdal]]||1848
|-
|[[Oltedal Church]]||[[Oltedal]]||2002
|-
|rowspan="2"|Ålgård||[[Ålgård Church]]||[[Ålgård]]||2015
|-
|[[Old Ålgård Church]]||[[Ålgård]]||1917
|}

==History==
The [[prestegjeld|parish]] of ''Gjæsdal'' was established as a municipality in 1838 (see [[formannskapsdistrikt]] law). It originally was much smaller than it is today, centered on the Gjesdalen valley in the western part of the present-day municipality. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the [[Schei Committee]]. On 1 January 1965 several areas were merged to form a much larger municipality of Gjesdal:<ref name="Dag">{{Cite book |last=Jukvam |first=Dag |url=http://www.ssb.no/emner/00/90/rapp_9913/rapp_9913.pdf |title=Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen |publisher=[[Statistics Norway|Statistisk sentralbyrå]] |year=1999 |isbn=9788253746845 |language=no}}</ref>
*the original municipality of Gjesdal (population: 3,353)
*the Nedre Maudal area in [[Bjerkreim]] municipality (population: 40)
*the Oltesvik area along the [[Høgsfjorden]] in [[Høle (municipality)|Høle municipality]] (population: 37)
*the parts of [[Forsand]] municipality south and east of the [[Frafjorden]] including [[Dirdal]], [[Frafjord]], Byrkjedal, Øvre Maudal, and Østabødal (population: 621)

On 1 January 1970, an unpopulated area of [[Time, Norway|Time Municipality]] was transferred to Gjesdal. Then on 1 January 1989, another small, unpopulated area of Time was transferred to Gjesdal.<ref name="Dag" />

==Government==
Gjesdal Municipality is responsible for [[primary education]] (through 10th grade), outpatient [[Health care|health services]], [[old age|senior citizen]] services, [[welfare spending|welfare]] and other [[Social work|social services]], [[zoning]], [[economic development]], and municipal [[road]]s and utilities. The municipality is governed by a [[Municipal council (Norway)|municipal council]] of [[Direct election|directly elected]] representatives. The [[mayor]] is [[Indirect election|indirectly elected]] by a vote of the municipal council.<ref name="ks">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=kommunestyre |encyclopedia=[[Store norske leksikon]] |publisher=[[Kunnskapsforlaget]] |url=https://snl.no/kommunestyre |date=2022-09-20 |editor-last=Hansen |editor-first=Tore |language=Norwegian |editor2-last=Vabo |editor2-first=Signy Irene |accessdate=2022-10-14}}</ref> The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the [[Sør-Rogaland District Court]] and the [[Gulating Court of Appeal]].

===Municipal council===
The [[Municipal council (Norway)|municipal council]] ({{lang|no|Kommunestyre}}) of Gjesdal is made up of 27 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political [[Political party|party]].
{{div col}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjesdal
|start                     = 2023
|end                       = 2027
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |title=Kommunestyrevalg 2023 - Rogaland |url=https://valgresultat.no/valg/2023/ko/rogaland/gjesdal#seats |access-date=2024-01-27 |publisher=[[Valgdirektoratet]]}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = 
|Total                     = 27
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 7
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 4
|Høyre                     = 6
|INP                       = 2
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 4
|Senterpartiet             = 3
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 1
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjesdal
|start                     = 2019
|end                       = 2023
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |title=Kommunestyrevalg 2019 – Rogaland |url=https://valgresultat.no/valg/2019/ko/rogaland/gjesdal#seats |access-date=2020-07-05 |publisher=[[Valgdirektoratet]]}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 27
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 10
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 4
|Grønne                    = 1
|Høyre                     = 3
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 4
|Senterpartiet             = 4
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 1
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjesdal
|start                     = 2015
|end                       = 2019
|reference                 = <ref name="ssb valg">{{Cite web |title=Table: 04813: Members of the local councils, by party/electoral list at the Municipal Council election (M) |url=https://www.ssb.no/en/statbank/table/04813/ |publisher=Statistics Norway |language=no}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 27
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 10
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 4
|Høyre                     = 4
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 6
|Senterpartiet             = 3
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjesdal
|start                     = 2011
|end                       = 2015
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |title=Kommunestyrevalg 2011 – Rogaland |url=https://valgresultat.no/valg/2011/ko/rogaland/gjesdal#seats |access-date=2020-07-05 |publisher=[[Valgdirektoratet]]}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 27
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 6
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 5
|Høyre                     = 6
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 7
|Senterpartiet             = 2
|Venstre                   = 1
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjesdal
|start                     = 2007
|end                       = 2011
|reference                 = <ref name="ssb valg" />
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 25
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 5
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 1
|Senterpartiet             = 3
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 6
|Venstre                   = 1
|Høyre                     = 3
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 6
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjesdal
|start                     = 2003
|end                       = 2007
|reference                 = <ref name="ssb valg" />
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 25
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 5
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 6
|Høyre                     = 3
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 6
|Senterpartiet             = 3
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjesdal
|start                     = 1999
|end                       = 2003
|reference                 = <ref name="ssb valg" />
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 25
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 7
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 4
|Høyre                     = 5
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 6
|Senterpartiet             = 2
|Venstre                   = 1
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjesdal
|start                     = 1995
|end                       = 1999
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1996 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1995 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_c342.pdf |access-date=2020-07-05 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 25
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 6
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 2
|Høyre                     = 4
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 6
|Senterpartiet             = 5
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 1
|Venstre                   = 1
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjesdal
|start                     = 1991
|end                       = 1995
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1993 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1991 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_c057.pdf |access-date=2020-07-05 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 25
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 6
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 1
|Høyre                     = 4
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 5
|Senterpartiet             = 5
|Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 3
|Venstre                   = 1
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjesdal
|start                     = 1987
|end                       = 1991
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1988 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1987 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_b765.pdf |access-date=2020-07-05 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 25
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 8
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 3
|Høyre                     = 4
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 5
|Senterpartiet             = 3
|Venstre                   = 2
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjesdal
|start                     = 1983
|end                       = 1987
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1984 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1983 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_b450.pdf |access-date=2020-07-05 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo-Kongsvinger}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 25
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 8
|Fremskrittspartiet        = 1
|Høyre                     = 6
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 5
|Senterpartiet             = 4
|Venstre                   = 1
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjesdal
|start                     = 1979
|end                       = 1983
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1979 |title=Kommunestyrevalget 1979 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_b093.pdf |access-date=2020-07-05 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 25
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 7
|Høyre                     = 7
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 6
|Senterpartiet             = 4
|Venstre                   = 1
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjesdal
|start                     = 1975
|end                       = 1979
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1977 |title=Kommunevalgene 1975 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_a769.pdf |access-date=2020-07-05 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 25
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 7
|DLF/V                     = 2
|Høyre                     = 4
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 6
|Senterpartiet             = 6
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjesdal
|start                     = 1971
|end                       = 1975
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1973 |title=Kommunevalgene 1972 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_a457.pdf |access-date=2020-07-05 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 25
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 7
|Høyre                     = 1
|Kristelig_Folkeparti      = 5
|Venstre                   = 4
|Local_Lists               = 8
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjesdal
|start                     = 1967
|end                       = 1971
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1967 |title=Kommunevalgene 1967 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_a214.pdf |access-date=2020-07-05 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo |volume=I}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 25
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 8
|Venstre                   = 4
|Local_Lists               = 13
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjesdal
|start                     = 1963
|end                       = 1967
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1964 |title=Kommunevalgene 1963 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xii_138.pdf |access-date=2020-07-05 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 17
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 7
|Local_Lists               = 10
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjestal
|herad                     = yes
|start                     = 1959
|end                       = 1963
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1960 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xii_022.pdf |access-date=2020-07-05 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 17
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 7
|Local_Lists               = 10
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjestal
|herad                     = yes
|start                     = 1955
|end                       = 1959
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1957 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xi_252.pdf |access-date=2020-07-05 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 17
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 7
|Local_Lists               = 10
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjestal
|herad                     = yes
|start                     = 1951
|end                       = 1955
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1952 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xi_120.pdf |access-date=2020-07-05 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 16
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 6
|Local_Lists               = 10
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjestal
|herad                     = yes
|start                     = 1947
|end                       = 1951
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1948 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_x_165.pdf |access-date=2020-07-05 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 16
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 6
|Local_Lists               = 10
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjestal
|herad                     = yes
|start                     = 1945
|end                       = 1947
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1947 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_x_133.pdf |access-date=2020-07-05 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 16
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 6
|Local_Lists               = 10
|}}
{{Kommunestyre table
|name                      = Gjestal
|herad                     = yes
|start                     = 1937
|end                       = 1941* 
|reference                 = <ref>{{Cite web |date=1938 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_ix_133.pdf |access-date=2020-07-05 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |location=Oslo}}</ref>
|collapsed                 = yes
|Total                     = 16
|Borgerlige_Felleslister   = 4
|Arbeiderpartiet           = 5
|Local_Lists               = 7
|}}
{{end div col}}

===Mayors===
The [[Mayor#Scandinavia|mayors]] ({{langx|no|ordfører}}) of Gjesdal:<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-08-05 |title=Tidligere ordførere i Gjesdal |url=https://www.gjesdal.kommune.no/tjenester/politikk-og-administrasjon/politikk/ordforer/tidligere-ordforere-i-gjesdal/ |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=Gjesdal kommune |language=no}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*1838-1839: Jesper Tjølsen Ravndal  
*1840-1841: Lars Svendesen Oftedahl
*1842-1843: Christian Davidson Edland
*1844-1847: Lars Eriksen Berge
*1848-1852: Christian Davidson Edland
*1852-1853: Peder Ingebretsen Kyllingstad
*1854-1860: Aadne Larsen Søyland
*1868-1877: Tore Larsen Bergen
*1878-1879: Hans Svendsen Vasse
*1880-1885: Jesper Jespersen Ravndal
*1886-1887: Torger Johannesen Edland
*1888-1889: David Olsen Lihme
*1890-1893: Ole S. Aalgaard
*1894-1898: Knud R. Kluge
*1899-1901: Søren Arnesen
*1902-1907: Knud R. Kluge
*1908-1916: Sven Nilssen
*1916-1919: Knud R. Kluge
*1920-1931: Svein Søyland
*1946-1961: K.B. Lima
*1964-1967: Ingolf Stokkeland
*1968-1971: Alf Kyllingstad
*1972-1975: Alf Ravndal
*1976-1983: Ingolf Stokkeland
*1984-1987: Rasmus Flesjå ([[Christian Democratic Party (Norway)|KrF]])
*1988-1991: Inger Sirevåg
*1992-1999: Svein K. Søyland
*2000-2007: Karl Edvard Aksnes ([[Christian Democratic Party (Norway)|KrF]])
*2008-2013: [[Olaug Vervik Bollestad]] ([[Christian Democratic Party (Norway)|KrF]])
*2013-present: Frode Fjeldsbø ([[Labour Party (Norway)|Ap]])
{{div col end}}

==Geography==
Gjesdal municipality is located in the southern part of the [[Jæren]] district in Rogaland county. To the north and northwest, Gjesdal borders the municipality of [[Sandnes]], to the east is [[Sirdal]] municipality (in [[Agder]] county), to the south is [[Bjerkreim]] municipality, and to the west is the municipality of [[Time, Norway|Time]].

Gjesdal sits at the head of the [[Høgsfjorden]] and along the south and east sides of the [[Frafjorden]]. The [[Månafossen]] waterfall, the largest [[waterfall]] in Rogaland county, is located in the [[Frafjord]] valley. There are several large lakes in the municipality such as [[Edlandsvatnet]], [[Flassavatnet]], [[Limavatnet]], and [[Oltedalsvatnet]]. The [[Figgjoelva]] river has its headwaters in Gjesdal also.

===Weather===
{{Weather box 
|metric first= yes
|single line = yes
|location = Gjesdal
<!-- Mean daily temperature -->
|Jan mean C=-0.1
|Feb mean C=-0.2
|Mar mean C=1.9
|Apr mean C=4.8
|May mean C=9.1
|Jun mean C=12.1
|Jul mean C=13.4
|Aug mean C=13.6
|Sep mean C=11.1
|Oct mean C=8.1
|Nov mean C=3.8
|Dec mean C=1.4
|year mean C=6.6
<!-- Total precipitation, this should include rain and snow. -->
|Jan precipitation mm=126
|Feb precipitation mm=90
|Mar precipitation mm=103
|Apr precipitation mm=65
|May precipitation mm=78
|Jun precipitation mm=85
|Jul precipitation mm=108
|Aug precipitation mm=140
|Sep precipitation mm=185
|Oct precipitation mm=195
|Nov precipitation mm=185
|Dec precipitation mm=155
|year precipitation mm=1515
|precipitation colour=green
<!-- Average number of precipitation days -->
|unit precipitation days=  1 mm<!-- If entering the average number of days, then the unit requirement should be used, because this varies between countries. E.g. 0.2 cm, 0.2 mm. -->
|Jan precipitation days=15.5
|Feb precipitation days=12
|Mar precipitation days=14
|Apr precipitation days=11.2
|May precipitation days=12.5
|Jun precipitation days=12.2
|Jul precipitation days=13.1
|Aug precipitation days=15.3
|Sep precipitation days=18.1
|Oct precipitation days=18.5
|Nov precipitation days=19.1
|Dec precipitation days=17.7
|year precipitation days=179.2
<!-- Mandatory fields, source -->
|source 1= Norwegian Meteorological Institute<ref>{{Cite web |title=eKlima Web Portal |url=http://eklima.met.no |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040614073527/http://eklima.met.no/ |archive-date=2004-06-14 |publisher=Norwegian Meteorological Institute}}</ref>
}}

==Notable people==
[[File:Liv Kyllingstad Godin.jpg|140px|thumb|Liv Godin, 2008]]
* [[Liv Godin]] (1918 in Ålgård – 2012), a Norwegian missionary who worked in the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
* [[Finn E. Kydland]]  (born 1943 in Søyland), an economist who was the winner of [[Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences|Nobel Memorial Prize]] in 2004
* [[Olaug Bollestad]] (born 1961), a nurse and politician who was mayor of Gjesdal from 2007–2013 
* [[Dagny Mellgren]] (born 1978 in Ålgård), a footballer who scored the gold medal goal for Norway at the [[2000 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Leo Moracchioli]] (born 1978 in Ålgård), a multi-instrumentalist [[heavy metal music]]ian and producer based in [[Oltedal]]
* [[Håvard Rugland]] (born 1984 in Ålgård), a Norwegian [[American football]] [[placekicker]], known as ''"Kickalicious"''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Norway}}
*{{commons category-inline|Gjesdal}}
*{{wiktionary-inline|Gjesdal}}
*{{Wikivoyage inline|Rogaland}}
*[http://ssb.no/kommunefakta/gjesdal Municipal fact sheet] from [[Statistics Norway]] {{in lang|no}}

{{Rogaland}}
{{authority control}}
{{use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}

[[Category:Gjesdal| ]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Rogaland]]
[[Category:1838 establishments in Norway]]