Map - Meland

Meland is a former municipality in the Nordhordland district in the old Hordaland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1923 until its dissolution on 1 January 2020 when it was merged into the new Alver Municipality in Vestland county. The municipality was located about 30 minutes north of the city of Bergen in Western Norway. The island municipality was mostly located on the island of Holsnøy, where the administrative centre of Frekhaug is located. Other villages in Meland include Hjartås, Holme, Io, Krossneset, Meland, and Rossland.

Prior to its dissolution in 2020, the 93 km2 municipality is the 386th largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Meland is the 135th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 8,021. The municipality's population density is 91.6 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 33.3% over the last decade.

On 15 October 1923, the western part of the municipality of Alversund was separated to create the new municipality of Meland. Meland was one of many municipalities in Norway that were created for geographical reasons: Meland was separated from the rest of Alversund by the Radfjorden, and transportation between the different parts of the municipality was unreliable and time-consuming. The creation of the municipality was approved in 1922, and the first election for the municipal council was held 23 August 1923, with the municipality becoming official on 15 October 1923. Meland encompassed the southern two-thirds of the island of Holsnøy (the northern third belonged to Herdla municipality), a small area on the northeast coast of the island of Askøy, as well as some very small surrounding islands.

In 1962, the Schei Committee concluded its survey of the organization of Norway's municipalities. The committee recommended enlarging Meland municipality by transferring the northern part of Holsnøy and the minor island of Øpsøy (population: 811) from Herdla municipality to Meland, and the island of Flatøy (population: 166) was transferred from Hamre municipality to Meland. Simultaneously, Meland would lose the parts of the municipality located on the island of Askøy and that area would go to Askøy Municipality. Hordaland county approved the move, and the border changes came into effect on 1 January 1964. A proposal to change the name of Meland municipality to "Holsenøy" was rejected. Hamre and Herdla municipalities ceased to exist, and their territory was divided between the municipalities of Lindås, Osterøy, and Meland, and Askøy, Øygarden, and Meland, respectively.

On 1 January 2020, the neighboring municipalities of Meland, Radøy, and Lindås were merged into a large, new municipality called Alver.