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The city of Molde is the administrative center of Møre og Romsdal county, the administrative center of the municipality of Molde, the commercial hub of Romsdal, and the headquarters of the Diocese of Møre. Other main population centers in the municipality include Hjelset, Kleive, and Nesjestranda. Molde has a maritime, temperate climate, with cool-to-warm summers, and relatively mild winters. It is an old settlement which emerged as a trading post in the late Middle Ages. Formal trading rights were introduced in 1614, and the city was incorporated through a royal charter in 1742. Molde was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt) The city continued to grow throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, becoming a center for Norwegian textile and garment industry, as well as the administrative center for the region, and a major tourist destination. After World War II, Molde has experienced much growth, merging with Bolsøy and parts of Veøy on 1 January 1964, and has become a center for not only administrative and public services, but also academic resources and industrial output. |