Lysefjord

Lysefjord (or Lysefjorden, the suffix "-en" is a form of the definite article in the Norwegian language) is a fjord located in Forsand in Ryfylke in south-western Norway. The name means light fjord, and is said to be derived from the lightly coloured granite rocks along its sides.

The fjord was carved by the action of glaciers in the ice ages and was flooded by the sea when the later glaciers retreated. The geology of Lysefjorden was thoroughly investigated and described by Professor Bjørn G. Andersen in his Master's thesis (1954) ”Om isens tilbaketrekking i området mellom Lysefjorden og Jøsenfjorden i Ryfylke” (On the glacial retreat in the area between the Lysefjorden and Jøsenfjorden in Ryfylke). End to end, it measures 42 km (26 mi) with rocky walls falling nearly vertically over 1000 m (3,000 ft) into the water. Because of the inhospitable terrain, the fjord is only lightly populated and only has two villages on its length - Forsand and Lysebotn, located at opposite ends of the fjord. The few people who live or lived along the fjord are only able to leave their homes by boat, as the slopes are too steep for roads.