Tjøme is a former municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The 39 km2 island municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 2018. The area is now part of Færder Municipality. The administrative centre was the village of Tjøme. Other villages in Tjøme included Bjørnevåg, Grimestad, Hulebakk, Ormelet, Solvang, Sundene, and Svelvik. At the time of its dissolution in 2017, the 39.4 km2 municipality was the 417th largest by area out of the 426 municipalities in Norway. Tjøme was the 212th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 4,928. The municipality's population density was 125 PD/km2 and its population had increased by 9.7% over the previous 10-year period. The whole municipality was made up of a group of islands located to the south of Nøtterøy Municipality. The municipality included all of the island of Tjøme plus the smaller islands of Hvasser, Brøtsø, Hui, and Sandø. In addition to this, there were also about 475 smaller islands and skerries. The main island of Tjøme is the second-largest island in Vestfold County. Tjøme was the childhood holiday destination for writer Roald Dahl.

General information

The parish of Tjømø (later spelled Tjøme) was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). The borders of the municipality were never changed. On 1 January 2018, Tjøme municipality (population: 4,928) and Nøtterøy Municipality (population: 21,748) were merged to form the new Færder Municipality.

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the island of Tjøme since the first Tjøme Church was built there. The name is very old and its meaning is not certain. The name may be derived from the word which means "bridle" or "rope", likely referring to the shape of the island. Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Tjømø. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Tjøme.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 17 February 1989. The official blazon is "Azure, three oarlocks argent, 2 over 1". This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a set of three oarlocks. The charge has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The blue color in the field symbolizes the importance of the sea for this island community. The oarlock was chosen as a symbol for the importance of fishing and trading for the municipality. There are three oarlocks to represent the three main islands: Tjøme, Hvasser, and Brøtsø. The arms were designed by Even Jarl Skoglund after winning a public competition to design the arms. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches

The Church of Norway had two parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Tjøme. It was part of the Tønsberg domprosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Tunsberg.

Geography

Tjøme municipality was completely located on islands between the Tønsbergfjorden and the Ytre Oslofjord. The main island being the island of Tjøme, where the municipal centre Kirkebygda is located. This village was also were the shops, schools, and restaurants were located. There are a few other central areas on the islands such as Hvasser, with active fishermen as well as the tourist industry for the travelers passing through. Hvasser has an icebar, shops, petrol station, and a number of places to buy food and supplies. There were approximately 4,600 permanent residents in Tjøme, but in the summer months that number rose to around 40,000 inhabitants, including the Norwegian royal family who have a summer house on Tjøme. The reason for the extreme increase is mainly the sea sports available in the area and the remarkably good weather. Summers in Tjøme are both warm and sunny, and the beaches are filled with locals and tourists. Tjøme has been nicknamed Sommerøya because so many tourists, particularly from the Oslo area, visit the municipality. Verdens Ende lies at the southern tip of Tjøme Island, and has for years been visited by tourists. Tjøme is also a great place for hiking, even though they are limited by the size of the island. The spectacular seaside scenery can be seen all year round. Færder Lighthouse and the Store Færder Lighthouse were both located in Tjøme municipality.

Government

While it existed, this municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment, social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.

Municipal council

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Tjøme is made up of representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors

The mayors of Tjøme: