Hjelmeland is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Ryfylke. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hjelmeland. Other villages in the municipality include Fister, Årdal, and Jøsenfjorden.[5]

Hjelmeland Municipality
Hjelmeland kommune
Hjelmeland og Fister herred  (historic name)
View of the Hjelmeland Church
View of the Hjelmeland Church
Rogaland within Norway
Rogaland within Norway
Hjelmeland within Rogaland
Hjelmeland within Rogaland
Coordinates: 59°13′02″N 06°20′27″E / 59.21722°N 6.34083°E / 59.21722; 6.34083
CountryNorway
CountyRogaland
DistrictRyfylke
Established1 Jan 1838
  Created asFormannskapsdistrikt
Administrative centreHjelmeland
Government
  Mayor (2022)Anita Husøy Riskedal (Sp)
Area
  Total
1,068.08 km2 (412.39 sq mi)
  Land948.12 km2 (366.07 sq mi)
  Water119.96 km2 (46.32 sq mi)  11.2%
  Rank#105 in Norway
Highest elevation1,253.51 m (4,112.6 ft)
Population
 (2026)
  Total
2,612
  Rank#248 in Norway
  Density2.4/km2 (6.2/sq mi)
  Change (10 years)
Decrease −4.6%
DemonymHjelmelandsbu[2]
Official language
  Norwegian formNynorsk
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-1133[4]
WebsiteOfficial website

Hjelmeland Municipality is known for its fruit production (apples, pears, plums, cherries, and strawberries) and its fish production. Salmon has been important for the fish industry in Hjelmeland Municipality for a couple of decades, but white fish such as cod and halibut has increased its value in the latter years.

The 1,068.08-square-kilometre (412.39 sq mi) municipality is the 105th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Hjelmeland Municipality is the 248th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,612. The municipality's population density is 2.4 inhabitants per square kilometre (6.2/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 4.6% over the previous 10-year period.[6][7]

General information

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View of the Hjelmeland countryside
View of the Jøsenfjorden
View of an old stone bridge in Hjelmeland
View of the Old Årdal Church

The parish of Hjelmeland was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). In 1859, the large Hjelmeland Municipality was divided into two: the southern portion of the municipality (population: 1,315) was split off to form the new Aardal Municipality and the remainder of the municipality (population: 3,084) remained as a smaller Hjelmeland Municipality which was also renamed as Hjelmeland og Fister Municipality.[8]

On 1 July 1884, Hjelmeland og Fister Municipality was divided into two municipalities: the western islands and the western coast of the mainland (population: 832) became the new Fister Municipality and the remaining eastern district of the municipality (population: 2,249) was renamed as simply Hjelmeland Municipality.[8]

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, the following areas were merged to form a much larger Hjelmeland Municipality (population: 2,909; nearly doubling the size of the municipal population):[8]

On 1 January 2020 a major municipal merger took place to the west of Hjelmeland Municipality. As part of this merger, the parts of Hjelmeland Municipality that were located on the island of Ombo were transferred to the newly-enlarged Stavanger Municipality so that the whole island would be part of the same municipality.[9]

Name

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The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Hjelmeland farm (Old Norse: Hjalmaland) since the first Hjelmeland Church was built there. Today the farm is a part of the Hjelmelandsvågen urban area. The first element of the name is the plural genitive case of hjalmr which means "helmet" (likely referring to two hills behind the farm which have the form of two helmets). The last element is land which means "land" or "farm".[10]

Coat of arms

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The coat of arms was granted on 30 November 1984. The official blazon is "Gules, a triple saltire fretty Or" (Norwegian: På raud grunn ein gull Andreaskross, laga med trilling strengar). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a set of three interwoven St. Andrew's crosses. The charge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. They are based on the local tradition of making chairs and other furniture with seats of woven twigs (jærstoler). The process of weaving is symbolised in the arms. At the same time the arms show the strength and solidarity of the municipality. Furthermore, there are three sets of crosses to represent the fact that Hjelmeland is made up of three previous municipalities (Hjemeland, Fister, and Årdal) that were merged in 1965. The arms were designed by Svein Magnus Håvarstein who based the idea from an initial idea by Magnus Torgersen. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[11][12][13]

Churches

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The Church of Norway has three parishes (sokn) within Hjelmeland Municipality. It is part of the Ryfylke prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger.

Churches in Hjelmeland Municipality
Parish (sokn)Church nameLocation of the churchYear built
FisterFister ChurchFister1867
HjelmelandHjelmeland ChurchHjelmeland1858
ÅrdalÅrdal ChurchÅrdal1919
Old Årdal ChurchÅrdal1619

Geography

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View of Årdal

The municipality stretches from the mountains bordering the Setesdal valley to the shores of the fjords that connect to the main Boknafjorden. The highest point in the municipality is the 1,253.51-metre (4,112.6 ft) tall peak in the eastern part of the municipality.[1] The small Jøsenfjorden and Årdalsfjorden cut into the mainland. There are several islands that are part of Hjelmeland including Randøy as well as some smaller surrounding islands. The island of Randøy is connected to the mainland by the Randøy Bridge.

There are several large lakes in the municipality including Nilsebuvatnet, Øvre Tysdalsvatnet, and Tysdalsvatnet. The large lake Blåsjø partially lies in the municipality. The Trollgarden glacial moraine lies atop a mountain in Hjelmeland. The Ritland crater is also located in the municipality.

Suldal Municipality is located to the north, Bykle Municipality (in Agder county) is located to the east, Sandnes Municipality is located to the southeast, Strand Municipality is located to the southwest, and Stavanger Municipality is located to the west.

Government

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Hjelmeland Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.[14] The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Sør-Rogaland District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

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The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Hjelmeland Municipality is made up of 19 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Hjelmeland kommunestyre 20232027 [15]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 2
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 5
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 2
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 9
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
Total number of members:19
Hjelmeland kommunestyre 20192023 [16]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 2
  Green Party (Miljøpartiet Dei Grøne) 1
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 4
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 2
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 9
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
Total number of members:19
Hjelmeland kommunestyre 20152019 [17]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 3
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 5
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 4
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 6
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 1
Total number of members:19
Hjelmeland kommunestyre 20112015 [18]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 2
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 1
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 5
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 4
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 5
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 1
Total number of members:19
Hjelmeland kommunestyre 20072011 [17]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 3
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 1
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 2
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 4
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 7
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 1
Total number of members:19
Hjelmeland kommunestyre 20032007 [17]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 2
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 1
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 3
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 5
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 5
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 2
Total number of members:19
Hjelmeland kommunestyre 19992003 [17]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 1
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 1
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 2
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 6
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 5
  Joint list of the Liberal Party and independents (Fellesliste: Venstre og uavhengige) 4
Total number of members:19
Hjelmeland kommunestyre 19951999 [19]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 2
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 4
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 5
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 9
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 4
Total number of members:25
Hjelmeland kommunestyre 19911995 [20]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 2
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 1
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 3
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 6
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 10
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
 Hjelmeland local party (Hjelmeland bygdeparti)2
Total number of members:25
Hjelmeland kommunestyre 19871991 [21]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 3
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 1
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 4
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 7
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 8
 Cross-party list (Tverrpolitisk liste)2
Total number of members:25
Hjelmeland kommunestyre 19831987 [22]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 2
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 1
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 4
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 7
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 9
 Cross-party list (Tverrpolitisk liste)2
Total number of members:25
Hjelmeland kommunestyre 19791983 [23]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 2
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 5
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 7
  New People's Party (Nye Folkepartiet) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 9
  Joint list of the Progress Party and Non-party Group (Framstaggspartiet og Upolitisk Gruppe) 1
Total number of members:25
Hjelmeland kommunestyre 19751979 [24]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 2
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 2
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 7
  New People's Party (Nye Folkepartiet) 2
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 11
  Joint list of the Liberal Party and independents (Venstre og Upolitisk) 1
Total number of members:25
Hjelmeland kommunestyre 19711975 [25]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 2
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 6
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 10
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 5
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 2
Total number of members:25
Hjelmeland kommunestyre 19671971 [26]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 2
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 5
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 10
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 5
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 3
Total number of members:25
Hjelmeland kommunestyre 19631967 [27]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 2
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 3
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 7
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 4
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 1
Total number of members:17
Hjelmeland heradsstyre 19591963 [28]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 2
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 1
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 10
Total number of members:13
Hjelmeland heradsstyre 19551959 [29]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 3
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 8
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 3
Total number of members:17
Hjelmeland heradsstyre 19511955 [30]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 2
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 6
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 4
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 4
Total number of members:16
Hjelmeland heradsstyre 19471951 [31]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 2
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 1
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 3
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 5
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 5
Total number of members:16
Hjelmeland heradsstyre 19451947 [32]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 4
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgarlege Felleslister) 4
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 8
Total number of members:16
Hjelmeland heradsstyre 19371941* [33]  
Party name (in Nynorsk)Number of
representatives
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgarlege Felleslister) 8
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 8
Total number of members:16
Note: Due to the German occupation of Norway during World War II, no elections were held for new municipal councils until after the war ended in 1945.

Mayors

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The mayor (Nynorsk: ordførar) of Hjelmeland Municipality is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. The following people have held this position:[34][35][36][37]

  • 1838–1843: Andreas Sandsberg
  • 1844–1847: Rev. Johan Gottleib Thaulow
  • 1848–1851: Andreas Sandsberg
  • 1852–1853: Svend S. Sigmundstad
  • 1854–1854: Peder Thorsen
  • 1855–1859: Ole Thorsen
  • 1860–1861: Ole Christensen Selvaag
  • 1862–1863: Haldor Gundersen Fister
  • 1864–1865: Samson Samsonsen Byhrøe
  • 1866–1869: Ole Olsen Bjelland
  • 1870–1873: Ole Svendsen Sigmundstad
  • 1874–1877: Ole Olsen Bjelland
  • 1878–1880: Svend Thorsen
  • 1880–1881: Ole Svendsen Sigmundstad
  • 1882–1889: Orm Olsen Tytlandsvig
  • 1890–1893: Daniel Halvorsen
  • 1894–1897: Hans Olsen
  • 1898–1898: Daniel Halvorsen
  • 1899–1899: Hans Olsen
  • 1900–1901: Daniel Halvorsen
  • 1902–1907: Lorentz Østensen
  • 1908–1916: Nils N. Hauge
  • 1917–1931: Johannes J. Laugaland
  • 1931–1941: Johne Mæland
  • 1942–1945: Lars A. Landsnes
  • 1945–1945: Johne Mæland
  • 1946–1947: Andreas O. Hauge
  • 1948–1951: Kristian Hauge
  • 1952–1957: Georg Vika
  • 1958–1959: Kristian Hauge
  • 1960–1963: Georg Vika
  • 1964–1965: Jone J. Vadla
  • 1966–1967: Tårn Schmidt
  • 1968–1969: Georg Vika
  • 1970–1979: Arne Hetlelid (KrF)
  • 1979–1989: Ole J. Hagalid (Sp)
  • 1990–1991: Håkon Helgøy
  • 1991–1995: Terje Borgen (Sp)
  • 1995–2007: Terje Thornquist (KrF)
  • 2007–2011: Bjørn Laugaland (Sp)
  • 2011–2015: Trine L. Danielsen (H)
  • 2015–2022: Bjørn Laugaland (Sp)
  • 2022–present: Anita Husøy Riskedal (Sp)

Notable people

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References

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  1. 1 2 "Høgaste fjelltopp i kvar kommune" (in Norwegian). Kartverket. 16 January 2024.
  2. "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
  3. "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
  4. Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (9 January 2024). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon.
  5. Thorsnæs, Geir; Lauritzen, Per Roger; Helleve, Eirik, eds. (13 March 2026). "Hjelmeland". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  6. Statistisk sentralbyrå. "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
  7. Statistisk sentralbyrå. "09280: Area of land and fresh water (km²) (M)" (in Norwegian).
  8. 1 2 3 Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.
  9. "Hele Ombo blir del av Nye Stavanger". Stavanger Aftenblad (in Norwegian). Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  10. Rygh, Oluf (1915). Norske gaardnavne: Stavanger amt (in Norwegian) (10 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. pp. 321 and 329.
  11. "Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  12. "Hjelmeland, Rogaland (Norway)". Flags of the World. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  13. "Godkjenning av våpen og flagg". Lovdata.no (in Norwegian). Norges kommunal- og arbeidsdepartementet. 30 November 1984. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  14. Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (25 November 2024). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  15. "Kommunestyrevalg 2023 - Rogaland". Valgdirektoratet. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  16. "Kommunestyrevalg 2019 – Rogaland". Valgdirektoratet. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  17. 1 2 3 4 "Table: 04813: Members of the local councils, by party/electoral list at the Municipal Council election (M)" (in Norwegian). Statistics Norway.
  18. "Kommunestyrevalg 2011 – Rogaland". Valgdirektoratet. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  19. "Kommunestyrevalget 1995" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1996. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  20. "Kommunestyrevalget 1991" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1993. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  21. "Kommunestyrevalget 1987" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1988. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  22. "Kommunestyrevalget 1983" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1984. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  23. "Kommunestyrevalget 1979" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1979. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  24. "Kommunevalgene 1975" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1977. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  25. "Kommunevalgene 1972" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1973. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  26. "Kommunevalgene 1967" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1967. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  27. "Kommunevalgene 1963" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1964. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  28. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  29. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  30. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  31. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  32. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  33. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  34. Fiva, Jon H; Sørensen, Rune J.; Vøllo, Reidar, eds. (2024). "Local Candidate Dataset" (PDF).
  35. Grude, Joakim (1887). Amtsformandskabet i Stavanger Amt 1838-1887 (in Norwegian). Stavanger: Dreyers Boktrykkeri.
  36. Grude, Joakim (1919). Amtsformandskabet i Stavanger Amt 1838-1918 (in Norwegian). Stavanger: Dreyers Grafiske Ansalt.
  37. Brandal, Trygve (1994). Hjelmeland (in Norwegian). Hjelmeland, Norway: Hjelmeland kommune. p. 582-583. ISBN 8299135710.
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