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Herøy, Nordland

Herøy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Silvalen. The municipality is located about 15 km west of the town of Sandnessjøen.

The 64 km2 municipality is the 343rd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Herøy is the 289th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,839. The municipality's population density is 28.8 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 4.5% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Herøy was established in 1864 when it was separated from Alstahaug Municipality. Initially the population of Herøy was 2,438. On 1 July 1917, the northern district of Herøy (population: 1,530) was separated from Herøy to become the new Nordvik Municipality. This left Herøy with 2,555 residents.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1962 the part of Herøy on the island of Dønna (population: 19) was transferred to the new Dønna Municipality. On 1 January 1965 the Husvær/Sandværet island groups (population: 461) were transferred from Alstahaug Municipality to Herøy Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the islands of Søndre Herøya and Nordre Herøya (Herøyjar). The first element is which means "army" (here in the sense of skipaherr which means "military fleet"). The last element is the definite form of which means "island". The sound between the islands was probably a meeting place for the Leidang fleet of the district. Historically, the name of the municiaplity was spelled Herø. On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Herøy.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 3 July 1987. The official blazon is "Azure, three oars Or issuant from the base, the central one abased" (I blått tre oppvoksende gull årer, den midterste nedsenket). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is three vertical oars arranged in a horizontal row, with the middle oar, slightly lower. The oars have a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The blue color in the field symbolizes the importance of the ocean for the island municipality. The oar was chosen to represent the importance of boats. The municipal name comes from the Old Norse word "herr" which means a military meeting place, i.e. the place where fleet gathers. Thus the arms are canting. The arms were designed by Jarle E. Henriksen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within Herøy Municipality. It is part of the Nord-Helgeland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Geography
The municipality of Herøy consists of about 1,700 little islands and islets. The main islands are Nord-Herøy, Sør-Herøy, Tenna, Ytre Øksningan, Indre Øksningan, Seløya, and Staulen— all of which are connected by bridges including Åkviksundet Bridge, Hoholmen Bridge, Kalvøyrevet Bridge. Most islands are low and close to the sea surface.

There are also several smaller outlying island groups such as Gåsvær, Husvær, and Sandværet. Ytterholmen Lighthouse is located in the far western part of the municipality.

Government
Herøy 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. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Helgeland District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Herøy 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.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Herøy (incomplete list):
 * 2003-2019: Arnt Frode Jensen (Ap)
 * 2019–present: Elbjørg Larsen (Ap)

Economy
The main industries in the municipality is fishing, fish farming and processing activities associated with this. Other important industries are agriculture, transportation, service industries, and tourism.

Notable people

 * Petter Dass (ca.1647 – 1707), a Lutheran priest and the foremost Norwegian poet of his generation.
 * Benjamin Dass (1706 at Skar farm in Alstahaug, Herøy – 1775), an educator and scholar, Rector of Trondheim Cathedral School

title: Herøy, Nordland


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User talk:Lbmoore

Hello and Welcome! I hope you like the place. --mav

Bull Riding
If I'm wrong, please correct the article. Gentgeen 15:49, 27 Jul 2004 (UTC)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: User talk:Lbmoore


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Alstahaug

Alstahaug is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandnessjøen. Some of the villages in Alstahaug include Søvika and Tjøtta.

Most residents of Alstahaug live in the town of Sandnessjøen which is situated on the island of Alsta. The characteristic Seven Sisters mountain range is found on the eastern part of the island. Local legend has made this chain of peaks into seven sisters, two adjacent peaks representing twin sisters.

The island is connected to the mainland via the large Helgeland Bridge along Norwegian County Road 17. The Sandnessjøen Airport, Stokka is located 10 km south of Sandnessjøen.

The 188 km2 municipality is the 307th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Alstahaug is the 136th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 7,300. The municipality's population density is 39 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 0.8% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The large municipality of Alstahaug was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). In 1862, the southern district (population: 2,781) was separated to become the new municipality of Tjøtta (Vevelstad Municipality was later separated from Tjøtta). This left Alstahaug with about 3,280 residents. Just two years later, in 1864, the western island district (population: 2,438) was separated to become the new municipality of Herøy. Then on 1 July 1899, the northern district (population: 2,673) was separated to form the new municipality of Stamnes (Leirfjord Municipality was later separated from Stamnes).

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, several major municipal changes took place. First, the Husvær island area of Alstahaug (population: 461) was transferred from Alstahaug to Herøy Municipality. On the same day, the following areas were merged to form the new, larger municipality of Alstahaug:
 * most of the municipality of Tjøtta, except the Skogsholmen area (population: 1,477)
 * the municipality of Sandnessjøen (population: 3,856)
 * the municipality of Alstahaug (population: 970)

On 1 January 1971, the Skålvær islands (population: 32) were transferred from Vega Municipality to Alstahaug. On 1 January 1995, the mainland areas of Alstahaug (population: 70) were transferred to Vefsn Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Alstahaug farm (Alastarhaugr) since the first Alstahaug Church was built there. The first element is the genitive case of the name of the island Alöst (now Alsta). The linguist Magnus Olsen believed this old island name means "eel grounds" and it was an old taboo word for the sea. The last element is which means "hill" or "mound".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 8 August 1986. The official blazon is "Argent, a fess engrailed azure" (I sølv en blå bjelke dannet ved taggesnitt). This means the arms have a field (background) that 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 charge is a fess (bar) with engrailed edges running horizontally through the arms. The design symbolizes the Seven Sisters (De syv søstre), a row of mountains in the area, mirrored in the clear waters of the fjord. The arms were designed by Jarle E. Henriksen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has three parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Alstahaug. It is part of the Nord-Helgeland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

History
At Alstahaug, on the southern end of the island of Alsta, lies the medieval Alstahaug Church, where the poet and minister Petter Dass worked around 1700. Tjøtta, an island south of Alsta, is the place where the famous Viking Hårek resided in the 11th century.

Birdlife
Lying just south of the Arctic Circle in an area that is known as Outer Helgeland, Alstahaug offers the visiting bird watcher a chance to do some birding in spectacular scenery, be it coastal or inland where The Seven Sisters mountain chain marks the boundary between the habitats. One of the better areas to birdwatch is Tjøtta. Here you will find the small nature reserve Ostjønna.

Geography
Alstahaug is a municipality consisting entirely of islands. Most residents live on the main islands of Alsta and Tjøtta, and Alstahaug stretches from the Skålvær island group in the west, to the Vefsnfjorden in the east, and to Mindlandet island to the south. The municipalities of Leirfjord, Vefsn, and Vevelstad lie to the east and Dønna, Herøy, and Vega lie to the north, west, and south, respectively.

Climate
The official weather station is located at Sandnessjøen Airport Stokka, on Alsten island. Alstahaug has a temperate oceanic climate (marine west coast climate). The record high was recorded July 2019, and the all-time low was recorded February 2010. The warmest high recorded in the municipality is 33.1 C recorded July 2019 at Tjøtta island. The November record high 19.4 C set 6 November 2003 is warmest November temperature recorded in Nordland.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are 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. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Helgeland District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Alstahaug is made up of 27 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 Alstahaug (incomplete list):

 * 1968-1974: Torvald Kibsgaard (Ap)
 * 1975-1983: Andreas Grimsø (H)
 * 1984-1993: Gunnar Breimo (Ap)
 * 1993-1999: Bill Rønning (Ap)
 * 1999-2003: Bjarne Myhre (H)
 * 2003-2004: Håkon Mørk (Sp)
 * 2004-2007: Magne Greger (Ap)
 * 2007-2011: Stig Sørra (H)
 * 2011-2019: Bård Anders Langø (Ap)
 * 2019–present: Peder Talseth (Sp)

Notable people

 * Peder Krabbe Gaarder (1814 in Alstahaug – 1883) a Norwegian jurist and political theorist
 * Adam Arndtsen (1829 in Alstahaug – 1919) a Norwegian professor and physicist
 * Torolf Prytz (1858 in Alstahaug – 1938) a Norwegian architect, goldsmith and politician
 * Einar Hole Moxnes (1921 in Alstahaug – 2006) a politician, Mayor of Åfjord, 1955 to 1966
 * Tone Thiis Schjetne (1928–2015) a Norwegian sculptor, lived in Sandnessjøen
 * Gunnar Breimo (born 1939 in Alstahaug) a politician and Mayor of Alstahaug, 1983 to 1993
 * Odd Eriksen (1955–2023) a member of the Cabinet of Norway; recipient of the Polaris Award; one of two who stopped a plane hijacking in 2004
 * Arve Moen Bergset (born 1972 in Sandnessjøen) a traditional folk singer, hardanger fiddler, and classical violinist
 * Stian Theting (born 1976 in Sandnessjøen) a Norwegian footballer with over 500 club caps
 * Rebekka Karijord (born 1976 in Sandnessjøen) a Stockholm-based musician and composer
 * Sander Rølvåg (born 1990 in Sandnessjøen) a Norwegian curler

title: Alstahaug


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Leirfjord

Leirfjord is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Leland. Other villages in Leirfjord include Bardalssjøen and Sundøy. The large Helgeland Bridge is partly located in the municipality, connecting it to Alstahaug Municipality and the town of Sandnessjøen.

The 465 km2 municipality is the 213th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Leirfjord is the 264th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,270. The municipality's population density is 5 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 5.9% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Leirfjord was established on 1 July 1915 when it was separated from the municipality of Stamnes. Initially, the municipality had 2,003 residents. In 1945, a small part of Nesna Municipality (population: 45) was merged into Leirfjord. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, Leirfjord Municipality (population: 1,936) was merged with the parts of Nesna Municipality located south of the Ranfjorden (population: 580) and the parts of Tjøtta Municipality on the island of Alsta (population: 180) to form a new, larger municipality of Leirfjord.

Name
The municipality is named after the Leirfjorden. The old name of the fjord was probably just Leiri, derived from the name of the river Leira, which has its mouth in the end of the fjord. The river name is derived from the word leirr which means "clay".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 30 October 1992. The official blazon is "Or, a cross raguly vert" (I gull et grønt grenkors). This means the arms have a field (background) that has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The charge is cross with edges that are designed with a raguly edge. It symbolizes forestry and agriculture in the municipality as well as the central location of the north–south and east–west roads through the municipality. The arms were designed by Jarle E. Henriksen from the nearby town of Sandnessjøen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Leirfjord. It is part of the Nord-Helgeland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Geography
The municipality of Leirfjord is centered on the Leirfjorden, with most of the municipality on the mainland and a small part on the northeastern part of the island of Alsta. The Sundøy Bridge connects the mainland to the northeastern part of the island of Alsta and the Helgeland Bridge connects it to the rest of Alsta and the town of Sandnessjøen. The Ranfjorden runs along the northern part of Leirfjord and the Vefsnfjorden runs along the southern part of the municipality.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are 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. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Helgeland District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Leirfjord 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.

Mayors
The mayors (ordfører) of Leirfjord (incomplete list):

 * 1920-1926: Lars Jåstad
 * 1956-1957: Birger Jåstad
 * 2007-2011: Ivan Haugland (Ap)
 * 2011-2015: Nils Magnar Johnsen (Sp)
 * 2015-2023: Ivan Haugland (Ap)
 * 2023–present: Sten Rino Bonsaksen (Ap)

Notable people

 * Gunvald Ludvigsen (born 1949 in Leirfjord) a Norwegian politician; Mayor of Eid 2003-2005
 * Roger Johansen (born 1973 in Leirfjord) a Norwegian ice sledge hockey player; competed at the 2010 Winter Paralympics

title: Leirfjord


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Vefsn

Vefsn (Vaapste) is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Mosjøen (population: 9,843). Some of the notable villages in Vefsn include Drevvassbygda, Elsfjord, and Husvik.

The 1929 km2 municipality is the 41st largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Vefsn is the 91st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 13,342. The municipality's population density is 7.3 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 0.7% over the previous 10-year period.

History
The municipality of Vefsn was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). In 1862, the vast eastern district of Vefsn (population: 921) was separated from Vefsn to become the new municipality of Hattfjelldal. This left Vefsn with 5,051 residents. In 1876, the town of Mosjøen (population: 379) was separated from Vefsn to become a separate municipality. This left Vefsn with 4,672 residents.

In 1927, Vefsn municipality was split into three: the small northern district (population: 964) became the new municipality of Drevja and the large southern district (population: 1,746) became the new municipality of Grane. After the split, Vefsn had 3,119 residents remaining. In 1939, a small area of Vefsn (population: 45) was transferred to neighboring town of Mosjøen.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1962, the municipality of Vefsn (population: 5,358) was merged with the neighboring town of Mosjøen (population: 4,628) and the neighboring municipalities of Drevja (population: 1,001) and Elsfjord (population: 920) to form a new, larger municipality of Vefsn. On 1 January 1995, the mainland areas of the neighboring Alstahaug Municipality (population: 70) were transferred to Vefsn.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the river Vefsna (Vefsnar) which flows through the municipality into the Vefsnfjorden (Vefsnir). The meaning of the river name is unknown, but it possibly comes from the old word which means "to wrap" or "to wind around". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Vefsen. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Vefsn.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 13 September 1974. The official blazon is "Sable, a rooster argent armed gules" (På svart bunn en sølv hane). This means the arms have a black field (background) and the charge is a rooster. The rooster 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 rooster is also armed which means its claws, beak, and comb are colored red. The rooster is a symbol for watchfulness and alertness. The arms were designed by Arthur Gustavsson.

The coat of arms was originally adopted by the municipality of Mosjøen on 25 March 1960. In 1962, Mosjøen was merged with Vefsn, Drevja, and Elsfjord to form a new, larger Vefsn municipality. After the merger, the old arms of Mosjøen were chosen for the new municipality. Since the arms officially became obsolete after the merger, they were re-granted in 1974.

Churches
The Church of Norway has three parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Vefsn. It is part of the Indre Helgeland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Geography
The administrative centre of Vefsn is the town of Mosjøen which is situated along the innermost part of the Vefsnfjorden. Outside Mosjøen, the large municipality of Vefsn is dominated by spruce forests, mountains, lakes, agriculture, and the Vefsna river. The municipality is served by Mosjøen Airport, Kjærstad.

The mountain Lukttinden is located in the northern part of the municipality. There are many large lakes in Vefsn including Drevvatnet, Finnknevatnet, Fustvatnet, Hundålvatnet, Luktvatnet, Mjåvatnet, and Ømmervatnet. The Lomsdal–Visten National Park is partially located in Vefsn.

Birdlife
The bird watcher that visits Vefsn soon realizes that it will take more than a day to cover all the interesting habitats and birding areas. Here you will find areas of virtually untouched coniferous woodlands, both inland and along the coast. The Skjørlegda nature reserve is a good example of woodland protection. Here you will find a virtually untouched coniferous forest covering the Eiterå valley. The valley stretches inland to a higher mountainous habitat that is also worth checking.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are 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. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Helgeland District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Vefsn is made up of 29 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 Vefsn:

 * 1838–1842: Christian Quale
 * 1842–1844: Kristoffer Ingebrigtsen
 * 1844–1862: Ola Olsson
 * 1863–1864: Peter Holst
 * 1865–1866: Ola Olsson
 * 1867–1870: Anders Persson
 * 1871–1876: John Ottesen
 * 1877–1878: Even Sund
 * 1889–1894: Peter Holst
 * 1895–1896: Nils M. Kulstad
 * 1897–1898: Even Sund
 * 1899–1901: Per Flaa (LL)
 * 1902–1904: Nils Kulstad (V)
 * 1905-1905: Christian Møinichen Havig (V)
 * 1905-1905: Per Flaa (LL)
 * 1905–1913: Ole Klemmentsen (V)
 * 1914–1916: Mikkel Alsgaard (V)
 * 1917–1918: Nils Skandfer
 * 1919-1920: Sølfest Hagen
 * 1920–1925: Nils Mjaavatn
 * 1926–1928: Anders Svare (V)
 * 1929–1940: Per M. Stordal (Ap)
 * 1943–1945: Anders Svare
 * 1946-1946: Kåre Vangen
 * 1946–1947: Arne Aalbotsjord (Ap)
 * 1948–1954: Anders Granås
 * 1954–1955: Arne Aalbotsjord (Ap)
 * 1956-1959: Kåre Vangen
 * 1960-1961: Arne Aalbotsjord (Ap)
 * 1962-1966: Einar Jensen (Ap)
 * 1966–1975: Arne Aalbotsjord (Ap)
 * 1976–1979: Eugen Almås (Ap)
 * 1980-1989: Peder Hyttebakk (Ap)
 * 1990-1993: Roy Skogsholm (Ap)
 * 1993-1998: Knut Petter Torgersen (Ap)
 * 1998-2000: Britt Jonassen (Ap)
 * 2000-2019: Jann-Arne Løvdahl (Ap)
 * 2019–2023: Berit Hundåla (Sp)
 * 2023–present: Rune Krutå (Ap)

Notable people
Notable people that were born or lived in Vefsn include:
 * Thorolf Holmboe (1866 in Vefsn –1935), a painter, illustrator, and designer
 * Nils Mjaavatn (1883 in Vefsn – 1951), a farmer, teacher, and politician
 * David Monrad Johansen (1888 in Vefsn – 1974), a composer
 * Aage Grundstad (1923 in Vefsn – 2012), an award-winning accordion player
 * Erling Bauck (1924 in Mosjøen – 2004), a Norwegian resistance member and writer
 * Kjell Eliassen (born 1929 in Vefsn), a diplomat
 * Trond Øyen (1929 in Mosjøen – 1999), a Norwegian violinist
 * Baard Owe (1936 in Mosjøen – 2017), an actor, moved to Denmark in 1956
 * Inga Juuso (1945 in Mosjøen – 2014), a yoiker, Sami singer and actress
 * Odd Eriksen (born 1955; worked in Mosjøen), a politician also known for stopping an Algerian hijacker from crashing a Kato Air-flight in 2004.
 * Frode Fjellheim (born 1959 in Mussere), a yoiker and musician on piano and synthesizer
 * Finn Guttormsen (born 1968 in Mosjøen), a Jazz musician on upright bass
 * Aleksander L. Nordaas (born 1982 in Mosjøen), a screenwriter and film director
 * Silje Reinåmo (born 1982 in Mosjøen), an actress, dancer, and musical performer
 * Sandra Lyng (born 1987 in Mosjøen), a Norwegian singer

Sport

 * Johan Lind (born 1942 in Mosjøen), a speed skater who competed at the 1968 and 1972 Winter Olympics
 * Bent Inge Johnsen (born 1972 in Mosjøen), a former footballer with 284 club caps and assistant manager
 * Anette Sagen (born 1985 in Mosjøen), a Norwegian former ski jumper
 * Thomas Drage (born 1992 in Mosjøen), a football player with over 220 club caps

title: Vefsn


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Grane, Nordland

is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Trofors. There are several other villages including Fallmoen, Leiren, Majavatn, and Strendene. European route E6 highway and the Nordland Line run through the municipality from south to north.

The 2004 km2 municipality is the 37th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Grane is the 302nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,454. The municipality's population density is 0.8 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 0.3% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Grane was established on 1 July 1927 when it was separated from the large municipality of Vefsn. Initially, Grane had 1,746 residents. The municipal boundaries have not changed since then.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Grane farm ("Grane" 1661), since the first church was built there in 1860. The name Grane is pronounced with a long a and short n, which is not palatalized. It is seemingly a simple and plain name, but many questions arise regarding both valid meanings for the word and the spoken forms it takes. The spoken form is most peculiar. It is distinct from other genuine old farm names in the area in that it is uninflected, with no definite form and consequently no distinct case (neither dative nor genitive). It is said short and crisp, regardless of what speech context it is found in.

It seems to be a farm name with a grammatical form presuming a standard only found among farms cleared in the Middle Ages, and likely around the 12th century. But the Grane farm was not cleared before the mid-17th century and there is nothing to suggest a prior settlement. Thus we find a basic disparity without any easy explanation. Farm names sometimes follow environmental descriptions given in the vernacular of the time, but it is quite difficult to see what environmental aspect would yield the name form of "Grane" in the speech of the 17th century.

One possible explanation is that those who cleared the farm around 1650 simply borrowed the name from another known place in the country. It is not doubtful that those who cleared the farm came from Åneset in Vefsn. But this does not preclude the notion that the name may have its roots elsewhere. Sagas say it stems from Jämtland (Sweden). In Nord-Trøndelag there are three settlements for which one finds the farm name "Gran" (of course pronounced without the final 'e'). Outside the northern regions, the farm name is found only in Askvoll in Vestlandet. The name of that farm is also written Grane, and the pronunciation ([gra:nə]) is exactly the same. But it is rather insensible that the name could have been borrowed from there.

Therefore, if the name actually is a local development in the Old Norse speech forms of the Middle Ages—there was surely quite a significant farm settlement in the central valleys of Vefsn before the plague—it was unlikely to have been used as the name for a farm. Rather it would have had to have been so well entrenched in its ancient speech form that it held over from the times of pestilence and Black Death when settlers were reduced to meager numbers. This is possible, but still mere conjecture.

In the matter of the name's valid meaning, it is obvious to assume that it has its origins in the tree name which means "spruce". This should designate a place where spruces grow. This is an unlikely explanation for a name with local origins in the Middle Ages and makes little sense. Even though many spruces currently grow in that vicinity, recent pollen studies show that spruce forests came surprisingly late to that stretch of land. They were not present before the 13th to 14th centuries and it took several hundred years after that for spruce forest to proliferate in the Ner-Vefsn and Majavatnet settlements. Spruce trees were not likely characteristic of the Grane area in the Middle Ages.

Researchers into municipal naming practices have concluded that the stem 'gran', found in a series of names nationwide, cannot have its source in the environmental connection to spruce timber. At the root is certainly an Old Norse word which must have denoted something 'sharp', and which is now extant in only a few Norse dialects with traditional meanings. Used in a place name, the stem would probably signify 'something which protrudes up from the landscape.'

Another theory is that the name derives from the South Sámi word kråane, which means 'corner' or 'crook', referring to the bending and curving of the Vefsna river in the area. This is also the point where the river flowing westward from Hattfjelldal changes direction and turns north towards the Vefsnfjord.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 18 July 1980. The official blazon is "Argent, a salmon haurient azure" (På sølv bunn en springende blå laks). This means the arms have a field (background) that 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 charge is a leaping salmon. This was chosen as a symbol of the rich salmon rivers Vefsna and Svenningelva that run through the municipality. There are many small waterfalls where jumping salmon can be observed in the summer. The arms were designed by P. Lakfors.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Grane. It is part of the Indre Helgeland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Geography
The municipality is located in the southern part of the county, along the border with Trøndelag. Grane includes many lakes including Fiskelausvatnet, Gåsvatnet, Jengelvatnet, Majavatnet, Mellingsvatnet, Nedre Fiplingvatnet, Sefrivatnet, and Storsvenningvatnet. The main river Vefsna also runs through the valley. There are two national parks that are partially located in Grane: Børgefjell National Park and Lomsdal–Visten National Park.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are 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. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Helgeland District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Grane is made up of 17 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 (ordfører) of Grane:

 * 2003-2019: Bjørn Ivar Lamo (Ap)
 * 2019–2023: Ellen Schjølberg (Sp)
 * 2023–present: Raymond Fagerli (Sp)

Notable people

 * Gustav Kappfjell (born 1913 in Majavatn – 1999) a Southern Sámi reindeer herder, hunter, farmer, poet and joiker
 * Marcus & Martinus (born 2002 in Elverum) a Norwegian pop-duo made up of twins brothers Marcus and Martinus Gunnarsen.

title: Grane, Nordland


text:
Hattfjelldal

or is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hattfjelldal. Other villages include Grubben, Svenskvollen, and Varntresk. Hattfjelldal Airfield is located in the village of Hattfjelldal.

The 2684 km2 municipality is the 20th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Hattfjelldal is the 313th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,278. The municipality's population density is 0.5 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 13.1% over the previous 10-year period.

Hattfjelldal is one of the last strongholds for the severely endangered Southern Sami language. It was also one of the municipalities in Norway involved in the Terra Securities scandal.

General information
The municipality of Hattfjelldal was established in 1862 when it was separated from the large municipality of Vefsn. The initial population of Hattfjelldal was 961. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the part of Hattfjelldal on the north side of the lake Røssvatnet (population: 168) was transferred to the neighboring Hemnes Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Hattfjelldalen farm (referred to as "Hatfieldalen" in 1723) where the first Hattfjelldal Church was built. The first element of the name comes from the local mountain Hattfjellet which has a hat-like shape. The mountain name is derived from the genitive case of the word which means "hat" and the word  which means "mountain". The last element of the name is the definite form of the word which means "valley" or "dale". Thus it is the "hat-shaped mountain valley". Historically, the name of the municiaplity was spelled Hatfjelddalen. On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to  	Hatfjelldalen (removing one "d"). On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Hatfjelldal (removing the definite form ending). On 29 January 1926, the spelling was changed again, this time by adding a "t" to make it Hattfjelldal.

On 14 June 2019, the national government approved a resolution to add a co-equal, official Sami language name for the municipality: Aarborte. The spelling of the Sami language name changes depending on how it is used. It is called Aarborte when it is spelled alone, but it is Aarborten tjїelte when using the Sami language equivalent to "Hattfjelldal municipality".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 24 October 1986. The official blazon is "Per fess argent and vert embattled with one battlement" (Delt av sølv og grønt ved tindesnitt med en enkelt tinde). This means the arms have a field (background) that is divided by a horizontal line that has a rectangular raised area. The field above the line has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. Below the line, the field is colored green. The arms were designed to mimic the local Hattfjellet mountain which rises above the terrain and can be seen for great distances. The mountain has steep sides with a rather flat plateau at the top, giving it a distinctive look. The design is a canting element since the name of the municipality means "hat mountain valley". The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Hattfjelldal. It is part of the Indre Helgeland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Geography
Hattfjelldal lies along the Swedish border in the southeastern part of Nordland county. The lake Røssvatnet (Reevhtse) lies on the border between Hattfjelldal and Hemnes, and it serves as a reservoir. It has been the site of human occupation since the Stone Age. Its area of 219 km2 makes it the second largest lake in Norway by surface area.

Other lakes in the region include Daningen, Elsvatnet, Famnvatnet, Jengelvatnet, Kjerringvatnet, Krutvatnet, Ranseren, Simskardvatnet, and Unkervatnet. The large river Vefsna runs through the municipality.

Børgefjell National Park is partly located in the southern part of Hattfjelldal, as is Jetnamsklumpen, a prominent mountain. There are several nature reserves, such as Varnvassdalen with a varied topography and old growth forest of pine, birch and some spruce.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are 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. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Helgeland District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Hattfjelldal is made up of 15 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 (ordfører) of Hattfjelldal (incomplete list):

 * 1913-1916: Peter Olsen Bolstad (Ap)
 * Bjarne Aaslid
 * 1970-1977: Karl Ingebrigtsen (Ap)
 * Herlaug Granås
 * 1996-2000: Terje Daleng (Sp)
 * 2000-2015: Asgeir Almås (Ap)
 * 2015-2023: Harald Lie (Sp)
 * 2023–present: Sølvi Andersen (Ap)

Notable people

 * Anders K. Orvin (1889–1980) a Norwegian geologist and explorer
 * Anna Jacobsen (1924–2004), champion of Southern Sami language and culture
 * Karl Ingebrigtsen (born 1935) a Norwegian politician

title: Hattfjelldal


text:
Dønna

Dønna is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland region. The administrative centre of the island municipality is the village of Solfjellsjøen. Other villages include Bjørn, Dønnes, Hestad, Sandåker, and Vandve. The main island of Dønna is connected to the neighboring municipality of Herøy to the south by the Åkviksundet Bridge. The 193 km2 municipality is the 304th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Dønna is the 304th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,391. The municipality's population density is 7.5 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 2.8% over the previous 10-year period.

Municipal history
The municipality of Dønna was established on 1 January 1962 due to the work of the Schei Committee. The new municipality was created by merging these areas:
 * the municipality of Nordvik (population: 1,293)
 * the part of the municipality of Herøy on the southern tip of the island of Dønna (population: 19)
 * the part of the municipality of Nesna on the island Løkta (population: 80)
 * the majority of the municipality of Dønnes (population: 1,348), except for the part located on the island of Tomma.

The borders of Dønna municipality have not changed since that time.

Name
The municipality is named after the island of Dønna (Dyn). The name is probably derived from the Old Norse verb which means to "rumble" or "roar" (referring to the swell of the waves on the island).

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 29 May 1981. The official blazon is "Or a schnecke azure from base sinister to dexter" (Delt av gull og blått ved virvelsnitt). This means the arms have a field (background) that is divided by a line called a schnecke (a swirling clockwise spiral design that is looks like a wave). The field located above the line has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The tincture below the line is blue. The arms are a canting symbol for the municipality since the Norwegian word dønning means "wave" or "swell". The arms were designed by Odd Fjordholm.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Dønna. It is part of the Nord-Helgeland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Economy
Much of the industry focuses on fishing, aquaculture, and fish processing. There is also some agriculture, tourism, and some public services.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are 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. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Helgeland District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Dønna is made up of 17 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 (ordfører) of Dønna:

 * 1995-2003: Anne Sofie Sand Mathisen (Ap)
 * 2003-2007: Steinar Horsgård (Sp)
 * 2007-2011: Ingunn Laumann (Ap)
 * 2011-2015: Anne Sofie Sand Mathisen (Ap)
 * 2015-2019: John-Erik Skjellnes Johansen (Ap)
 * 2019–2023: Nils Jenssen (Sp)
 * 2024–present: John-Erik Skjellnes Johansen (Ap)

Geography
Dønna is located in Outer Helgeland which also consists of the municipalities of Leirfjord, Alstahaug, and Herøy. The municipality is made up of a large archipelago consisting of islands, islets, and reefs. The three largest islands in the municipality are Dønna, Løkta, and Vandve. The Åsværet islands (and the Åsvær Lighthouse) lie in the western part of the municipality. The island municipality is situated at the mouth of the Ranfjorden.

Notable residents

 * Gjeble Pederssøn (ca.1490 at Teigstad – 1557) a priest, the first Lutheran bishop in Norway
 * Petter Dass (ca.1647 – 1707) a Lutheran priest and poet; (birthplace disputed).
 * Erasmus Zahl (1826 in Nordvika – 1900) a privileged trader and figure of the social hierarchy
 * Anton Christian Bang (1840 on Dønna – 1913) a theologian, historian and politician; Bishop of Oslo 1896 to 1912
 * Fredrikke Tønder-Olsen, (Norwegian Wiki) (1856 on Dønna - 1931) feminist pioneer
 * Julius J. Olson (1875 on Dønna – 1955) Minnesota Supreme Court justice
 * Ole Edvart Rølvaag (1876 on Dønna – 1931) a Norwegian-American author
 * Axel Coldevin (1900 on Dønna – 1992) a Norwegian historian, wrote about trade and industry
 * Steinar Bastesen (born 1945 on Dønna) a Norwegian politician, fisherman and whaler
 * Roy Jacobsen (born 1954) a novelist and short-story writer, lives periodically on Dønna
 * Odd Eriksen (born 1955) a politician, stopped an Algerian hijacker; brought up on Dønna
 * Jostein Pedersen (born 1959 in Dønna) a Norwegian musical journalist, reporter and TV commentator

title: Dønna


text:
Nesna

Nesna is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Nesna. Other villages in Nesna include Handnesneset, Husby, Saura, and Vikholmen.

The municipality consists of the three islands Tomma, Hugla (known as "Hugløy" by its inhabitants), and Handnesøya, and one peninsula that bears the name of the municipality, Nesna. The old Husby Estate is headquartered in Husby on Tomma island. The Coastal Express arrives two times a day at the village of Nesna, the northbound arrives 05:30 and the southbound 11:15. The village of Nesna is also home to Nordland's education center Nesna University College, and there is also the KVN High School, and Nesna Church.

The 183 km2 municipality is the 309th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Nesna is the 293rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,783. The municipality's population density is 9.8 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 4.9% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
Nesna was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). The western island district of Nesna (population: 1,348) was separated from Nesna on 1 July 1888 to form the new municipality of Dønnes. This left Nesna with 2,958 residents. On 1 January 1919, the Bardalssjøen farm (population: 4) was transferred from Hemnes Municipality to Nesna Municipality. In 1945, a small area of southern Nesna (population: 26) was transferred to Leirfjord Municipality.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1962, part of the island of Løkta (population: 80) was transferred from Nesna to the new Dønna Municipality and part of the island of Tomma (population: 80) was transferred from the old municipality of Dønnes to Nesna Municipality. Then on 1 January 1964, the Bardalssjøen area of Nesna, located south of the Ranfjorden, was transferred to Leirfjord Municipality. On that same date, the part of Nesna around the inner part of the Sjona fjord was transferred to Rana Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Nesna farm (Nesnar) since the first Nesna Church was built there. The name is derived from the word which means "headland". Historically, the name of the municiaplity was spelled Nesne. On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Nesna.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 23 June 1989. The official blazon is "Per chevron inverted Or and Azure" (Delt av gull og blått ved omvendt sparresnitt). This means the arms have a field (background) that is divided by a line in the form of an inverted chevron pattern. The background above the line has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The background below the line has a tincture of azure. The arms are a canting of the name of the municipality (Nesna comes form nes which means headland in Norwegian). The arms show a yellow-colored "headland" or peninsula surrounded by blue water. The arms were designed by Jarle E. Henriksen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Nesna. It is part of the Nord-Helgeland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are 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. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Helgeland District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Nesna is made up of 17 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 Nesna:

 * 1838–1848: Johan Augustinussen
 * 1848–1850: Fredrik Christian Sand
 * 1850–1854: Johan Augustinussen
 * 1854–1867: Elias Olsen
 * 1867–1876: Jacob Fredrik Zahl
 * 1877–1880: Elias Olsen
 * 1881–1890: Carl Jøsevold
 * 1891–1894: Jakob Beck
 * 1894–1896: Lorents Pettersen
 * 1896–1898: Christian F. Olsen
 * 1899–1907: Carl Jøsevold
 * 1908–1914: Nils Haugen
 * 1915–1918: Anders Pettersen
 * 1919–1922: Møller Zahl Hauknes
 * 1922–1925: Ivar Hjellvik
 * 1926–1928: Laurits Riise
 * 1929–1942: Arne Langset (V)
 * 1943–1945: Anders Forsland
 * 1945-1945: Arne Langset (V)
 * 1946–1952: Johan Knutsen (Ap)
 * 1952–1956: Einar Enga (Ap)
 * 1956–1957: Olaus Berg (H)
 * 1958–1964: Edvard Kaspersen (Ap)
 * 1964-1964: Henry Antonsen (Ap)
 * 1964–1965: Håkon Langseth (Sp)
 * 1966–1967: Leander Paulsen (Ap)
 * 1968–1971: Arne Herseth (Ap)
 * 1972–1973: Edvard Kaspersen (LL)
 * 1974–1975: Arne Herseth (Ap)
 * 1976–1981: Mathias Sellæg Moe (V)
 * 1982–1983: Kåre Eriksen (H)
 * 1984–1985: Ole A. Selseth (V)
 * 1986–1987: Arne Herseth (Ap)
 * 1988–1991: Øyvind Jenssen (Ap)
 * 1991–1995: Anne-Lise Wold (Ap)
 * 1996–1999: Gunnhild Forsland (Sp)
 * 1999–2007: Anne-Lise Wold (Ap)
 * 2007-2011: Ronny Sommerro (Ap)
 * 2011-2015: Marit Bye (H)
 * 2015–present: Hanne Davidsen (Ap)

Notable residents

 * Johan Augustinussen (born 1808 at Langset - 1888 in Nesna), a curate/choirmaster, teacher, and politician
 * Hans Christiansen (1867 in Nesna – 1938), a sailor who competed at the 1912 Summer Olympics
 * Birger Fredrik Motzfeldt OBE, CVO (1898 in Nesna – 1987), a Norwegian aviator and senior military officer.
 * Ida Maria (born 1984), a Norwegian musician and singer-songwriter; born and lives in Nesna
 * Emil Weber Meek (born 1988), a Norwegian professional mixed martial artist, brought up in Nesna
 * Ulrik Berglann (born 1992 in Nesna), a Norwegian footballer with 180 club caps

title: Nesna


text:
Hemnes

Hemnes is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Korgen. Other villages include Bjerka, Bleikvasslia, Hemnesberget, and Sund.

The municipality sits south of the Ranfjorden and stretches south and east toward the border with Sweden. The Nordland Line and European route E6 cross Hemnes on their way to the town of Mo i Rana about 20 km to the northeast. The E6 highway enters Hemnes from the west through the Korgfjell Tunnel from Vefsn.

The 1590 km2 municipality is the 49th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Hemnes is the 193rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 4,459. The municipality's population density is 3.1 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 3.5% over the previous 10-year period.

Economy: A manufacturer is now moving all of its 100 jobs in the community, to a a county in South Norway, according to media in September 2023.

General information
This municipality was established in 1839 when the old municipality of Rana was divided into Sør-Rana and Nord-Rana, shortly after the Formannskapsdistrikt law went into effect. Soon after, in 1844, Sør-Rana was renamed Hemnes.

On 1 July 1918, the southern district of Hemnes (population: 1,369) was separated to become the new municipality of Korgen. This left Hemnes with 3,567 residents. A few months later on 1 January 1919, the eastern area of Bardal (population: 4) was transferred to the neighboring municipality of Nesna. Then on 1 July 1929, Hemnes was split into three municipalities: Sør-Rana, Elsfjord, and Hemnes. After this, the municipality of Hemnes only consisted of the village of Hemnesberget and the area immediately around it (population: 1,077). During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the municipalities of Korgen, Hemnes, the extreme northern part of Hattfjelldal Municipality, and the southern part of Sør-Rana Municipality were all merged to form a new, larger municipality of Hemnes.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Hemnes farm (Heimnes, now called Hemnesberget) since the first Hemnes Church was built there. The first element is which means "home" (here in the sense of being "closest to home"). The last element is which means "headland", referring to the peninsula on which the farm is located.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 4 April 1986. The official blazon is "Azure, boat clamps Or" (I blått en gull båtklammer). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a boat clamp. The clamp has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The blue color in the field symbolizes the importance of the ocean. The clamp was chosen because shipbuilding has long been a tradition in the municipality. To symbolize shipbuilding, it was decided to use the clamp which is used to keep the wooden flanks of the ships together. The arms were designed by Anne Lofthus Valla.

Churches
The Church of Norway has three parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Hemnes. It is part of the Indre Helgeland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Second World War
As part of their drive on Northern Norway, a detachment of three hundred German soldiers landed at Hemnes from the captured Norwegian coastal steamer SS Nordnorge on 10 May 1940 and captured the municipality from a platoon of British soldiers from No. 1 Independent Company, despite a spirited defence in the streets of Hemnesberget. A Royal Navy task force consisting of the anti-aircraft cruiser Calcutta and destroyer Zulu sank the former Norwegian steamer and shelled the German forces in the town, but were unable to dislodge the German landing force.

A Norwegian Army detachment attempted a counterattack against the German's positions, but was driven back. The town was again bombarded on 12 May by a passing Royal Navy force without significant effect, leaving Hemnes in German control for the rest of the war.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are 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. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Helgeland District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Hemnes is made up of 23 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 Hemnes (incomplete list):

 * 1964-1967: Kristen Pettersen Øverleir (Ap)
 * 1968-1975: Ole Brygfjeld (Ap)
 * 1976-1979: Harald Gullesen (Ap)
 * 1980-1983: Nils Nermark (H)
 * 1984-1995: Ørnulf Skjæran (Ap)
 * 1996-1999: Nils Valla (Sp)
 * 1999-2003: Per Jomar Hoel (Sp)
 * 2003-2011: Kjell-Idar Juvik (Ap)
 * 2011-2015: Kjell Joar Petersen-Øverleir (H)
 * 2015-2019: Christine Trones (H)
 * 2019–present: Paul Asphaug (Sp)

Geography
The lake Røssvatnet (Reevhtse) is a lake and reservoir lying partially in the southern part of Hemnes. It has been the site of human occupation since the Stone Age. Its area of 219 km2 makes it the second largest lake in Norway by surface area. Other lakes include Bleikvatnet, Grasvatnet, Stormålvatnet, and Stormyrbassenget.

The Okstindan mountain range is located in Hemnes, including the mountain Oksskolten. The large Okstindbreen glacier sits atop the mountain range.

Notable people

 * Kristen Rivertz, (Norwegian Wiki) (1862–1937), architect
 * Johan Albrigt Rivertz (1874 in Korgen – 1942) a judge on the Supreme Court of Norway
 * Erling Falk (1887 in Hemnesberget - 1940) a Norwegian politician, ideologist and writer
 * Christen Finbak, (Norwegian Wiki) (1904–1954) chemist and physicist
 * Egil Kraggerud (born 1939 in Hemnes) a Norwegian philologist
 * Laila Stien (born 1946 in Hemnes) a novelist, poet and author of children's literature
 * Gerd-Liv Valla (born 1948) a former trade union leader, grew up near Bjerka
 * Reidar Sørensen (born 1956 in Hemnesberget) a Norwegian stage and film actor
 * Kjell-Idar Juvik (born 1966 in Hemnesberget) a politician, Mayor of Hemnes 2003–2011
 * Børge Petersen-Øverleir (born 1967 in Hemnesberget) a Norwegian guitarist

title: Hemnes


text:
Lurøy

Lurøy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lurøy, located on the island of Lurøya. Other villages in Lurøy include Aldra, Haugland, Konsvikosen, Lovund, Sleneset / Solværøyene, Stokkvågen, and Tonnes.

The municipality is located on the coast just south of the Arctic Circle, on the western edge of the Saltfjellet mountain range. The Lurøygården (Lurøy Farm) on the island of Lurøya is a more-than-200-year-old renaissance garden with old plants, a pool, and a nearly 20 m high Copper Beech.

The 265 km2 municipality is the 275th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Lurøy is the 286th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,852. The municipality's population density is 7.2 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 3.3% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
Lurøy was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1872, the far western island district (population: 289) was separated from Lurøy to become the new municipality of Træna. This left Lurøy with 1,554 residents. The borders of Lurøy have not changed since that time.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the island of Lurøya (Lúðrøy) since the first Lurøy Church was built there. The first element is which means "hollowed log" (here probably referring to the form of the mountain of the island). The last element is which means "island". Historically, the name of the municiaplity was spelled Lurø. On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Lurøy.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 22 August 1986. The official blazon is "Or, a navigation cairn sable" (I gull en svart sjøvarde). This means the arms have a field (background) that has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The charge is black navigational cairn. This was chosen to symbolize the local dependence on fishing and sailing in this island municipality. The arms were designed by Olga Nilsen after a proposal by Dagmar Vilfridadottir Olaisen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has two parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Lurøy. It is part of the Nord-Helgeland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Geography and climate
Lurøy is located on the western coast of Helgeland. The small strip of mainland Lurøy runs from Tonnes in the north along Norwegian County Road 17 to Stokkvågen along the Sjona fjord in the south. The rest of the municipality is located on 1,375 islands located to the west of the mainland. The major islands include Aldra, Lurøya, Onøya, Stigen, Solvær, and Lovund. There are also two islands in the northern part of Lurøya that are divided between Lurøy and neighboring Rødøy Municipality: Nesøya and Hestmona.

The populated islands are reached by car ferry from Stokkvågen on the mainland. The ferry reaches Onøy (which has a bridge to Lurøya), Solvær and Lovund 5 times per day.

Climate
Norwegian Meteorological Institute has operated weather stations on Solvær islands since 1939. Data shows a marine west coast climate (oceanic climate) with very mild winters for the high latitude. Spring and summer are the driest seasons, while December is the wettest month. The all-time high was recorded in July 2018, and the all-time low is from February 1966. The average date for the last overnight freeze (low below 0 °C) in spring is 20 April and average date for first freeze in autumn is 5 November giving a frost-free season of 198 days (1981-2010 average for Solvær).

Government
All municipalities in Norway are 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. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Helgeland District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Lurøy 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.

Mayors
The mayors of Lurøy:

 * 1837-1840: Christian Eilert Rasch
 * 1840-1845: Daniel Strøm Dundas
 * 1846-1850: Carl Nicolai Bugge
 * 1850-1854: Benjamin Olsen
 * 1854-1860: Jeremias Willichsen
 * 1860-1864: John Erik Steffensen
 * 1865-1865: Paul Christian Føyn
 * 1865-1866: Jens Christian Pettersen Tønder
 * 1867-1869: John Erik Steffensen
 * 1869-1870: Cornelius Eitran
 * 1871-1875: Iver Olsen Riise
 * 1875-1881: Knut Hansen
 * 1881-1884: Anders Knutsen
 * 1885-1886: Laurits Torgersen
 * 1886-1886: Martin Israelsen
 * 1887-1896: Mathias Knutsen
 * 1896-1922: Isak Dundas
 * 1922-1941: Jakob Victor Hansen
 * 1941-1943: Fredrik Thorstein Krüger
 * 1943-1945: Peder Larsen
 * 1945-1947: Aubert Jentoft
 * 1947-1961: Torvald Brandser
 * 1961-1963: Ivar Riise
 * 1963-1971: Torleif Hansen
 * 1971-1973: Per Rise
 * 1973-1975: Egil Fjellgård
 * 1975-1978: Nils Nermark
 * 1979-1988: Johannes Bentzen (Sp)
 * 1988-2007: Steinar A. Joakimsen (Ap)
 * 2007-2011: Carl Einar Isachsen, Jr. (Sp)
 * 2011-2015: Bjørnar Skjæran (Ap)
 * 2015-2019: Carl Einar Isachsen, Jr. (Sp)
 * 2019–present: Håkon Lund (H)

Notable people

 * Harry Johan Olai Klippenvåg (1913 in Lurøy – 1994) a Norwegian politician, Mayor of Sør-Varanger in 1940's & 50's
 * Herluf Nygaard (1916 in Lurøy – 2001) a Norwegian military officer, active resistance fighter during WWII

title: Lurøy


text:
Træna

Træna is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the island/village of Husøya. Other population centres include Selvær and Sanna.

Fishing is the economic mainstay of Træna. Connections to mainland Norway are by means of boat and ferry. Routes are provided to Sandnessjøen, Nesna, and Stokkvågen. Each year Træna plays hosts a music festival called Traena Music Festival. The islands of Træna have been the site of a number of archeological discoveries, indicating that the island has been populated since the Stone Age.

The 16.5 km2 municipality is the 352nd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Træna is the 353rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of only 444. The municipality's population density is 26.9 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 12.3% over the previous 10-year period.

As of October 2020, there are two regular boat departures per day; authorities have suggested having only one regular departure per day.

General information
The municipality of Træna was established on 1 January 1872 when it was separated from Lurøy Municipality. Initially, Træna had 289 residents. The municipal borders have not changed since that time.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Træna island group (Þriðna). The meaning of the name is uncertain, but it may be derived from the word which means "three", probably referring to the three peaks on the island. Historically, the name of the municiaplity was spelled Trænen. On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Træna.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 24 July 1987. The official blazon is "Gules, three fish-hooks Or two over one" (I rødt tre gull angler, 2-1). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is three fishhooks made of bone from the Stone Age. The fishhooks have a tincture of argent which means they are commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. These hooks symbolize the importance of fishing in the municipality. They are based on the historic bone hooks found in the local cave Kirkhelleren on the island of Sanna. They are canting arms because there are three hooks and the name Træna originates from a word meaning number "three". The arms were designed by Jarle E. Henriksen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Træna. It is part of the Nord-Helgeland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Geography
The municipality consists of over one thousand small islands off the coast of Norway. Four of the islands are populated: Husøya, Selvær, Sanna, and Sandøy. The islands lie along the Trænfjorden to the southeast and the Norwegian Sea to the west. Træna Lighthouse is located in the southern part of the municipality.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are 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. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Helgeland District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Træna is made up of 11 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 (ordfører) of Træna (incomplete list):

 * 1872–1884: Mikkel Paul Olsen
 * 1885–1888: Jakob Jeppesen
 * 1889–1890: Mikkel Paul Olsen
 * 1891-1892: Jakob Jeppesen
 * 1893–1896: Mikkel Paul Olsen
 * 1897–1901: Jens Olsen
 * 1902–1907: Johan Andersen
 * 1908–1913: Jens Olsen
 * 1914–1919: Ole Johan August Olsen
 * 1920–1928: Anders Olsen
 * 1929–1931: Magnus Olsen
 * 1932–1937: Anders Olsen
 * 1938–1939: Erling Aune
 * 1941–1945: Anders Olsen
 * 1945–1945: Aksel Sjøset
 * 1946–1946: Rolf Røsok Olsen
 * 1946–1947: Martin Sandøy
 * 1948–1955: Anders Olsen
 * 1955–1971: Leif Holmen
 * 1972–19??: Arnold Sørhaug
 * 2003-2011: Aina Willumsen (Ap)
 * 2011-2019: Per Pedersen (KrF)
 * 2019–2023: Jan Helge Andersen (Ap)
 * 2023–present: Trond Vegard Sletten (Ap)

title: Træna


text:
Rødøy

Rødøy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vågaholmen. Other villages include Gjerøy, Jektvika, Kilboghamn, Melfjordbotn, Oldervika, Sørfjorden, and Tjong. The municipality consists of many islands to the west of Norway's second biggest glacier, Svartisen.

The 711 km2 municipality is the 162nd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Rødøy is the 322nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,139. The municipality's population density is 1.7 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 13.1% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Rødøy was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1884, the northern district of Rødøy was separated to form the new municipality of Meløy. This division left Rødøy with 1,945 residents. The borders of the municipality have not changed since that time.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the island of Rødøya (Rauðøy) since the first Rødøy Church was built there. The first element is which means "red" (probably referring to the color of the rocks of the island). The last element is which means "island". Historically, the name of the municiaplity was spelled Rødø. On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Rødøy.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 12 February 1988. The official blazon is "Argent, a lion couchant gules" (I sølv en liggende rød løve). This means the arms have a field (background) that 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 charge is red-colored lion that is laying down with its head up and its tail dangling down. The arms are somewhat canting because the municipal name means "Red Island", so the color red was chosen for the lion. The most striking formation on the island is a large, rocky mountain, which has a striking resemblance to a lion. The mountain's name is Rødøyløva, meaning "the Lion of Red Island", which is why this was chosen for the municipal arms. The silver background symbolizes the sea. The arms were designed by Olga Grimsmo Nilsen, former teacher in a local school.

Churches
The Church of Norway has two parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Rødøy. It is part of the Nord-Helgeland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Geography
The eastern part of Rødøy is located on the mainland, just west of the Saltfjellet mountain range. The rest of the municipality consists of islands to the west including Gjerdøya, Storselsøya, Myken, Nesøya, Rangsundøya, Renga, and Rødøya. The westernmost part of the municipality is the Myken islands in the Vestfjorden, where the Myken Lighthouse is located.

The Tjongsfjorden is located in the northern part of the mainland of Rødøy, just north of the mountain Blokktinden. The Melfjorden is located in the southern part of the mainland, flowing out of the Saltfjellet–Svartisen National Park.

Climate
The Norwegian Meteorological Institute has a weather station near the Myken Lighthouse on an island west in the Norwegian Sea. Myken is situated 32 km from the mainland, and 25 km north of the Arctic Circle. This is one of the most oceanic stations in Northern Norway. The current station has recording since 1992, and an earlier station at same location was in operation 1920–1991. The all-time high temperature is 27.5 °C recorded July 1972; the all-time low is -13.9 °C recorded in February 1966. The driest month on record is September 2015 with 0.0 mm precipitation, and the wettest is October 1934 with 227 mm. The average date for first overnight freeze (below 0 °C) in autumn is November 10 (1981-2010 average) at Myken.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are 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. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Helgeland District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Rødøy is made up of 17 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 (ordfører) of Rødøy:

 * 1838-1840: Carl T. Schmidt
 * 1840-1842: Jakob Andersen
 * 1842-1844: Hans Krey Hansen
 * 1844-1848: Ole S. Jæger
 * 1848-1850: Knud T. Hoff
 * 1850-1852: Petter Nielsen
 * 1852-1856: Caspar Hansen
 * 1856-1860: Sophus F. Søeberg
 * 1860-1861: Anton Andersen
 * 1861-1865: Børge Motzfeldt
 * 1865-1867: Andreas Olsen
 * 1867-1871: Hans M. Jæger
 * 1871-1875: Børge Motzfeldt
 * 1875-1876: Jakob Gjertsen
 * 1877-1878: Anders Larsen Hoff
 * 1879-1880: Jakob Gjertsen
 * 1881-1888: Hans M. Jæger
 * 1889-1896: Simon Dahl
 * 1897-1898: Lars Larsen Hoff
 * 1899-1907: Rafael Røsok
 * 1908-1922: Jørgen A. Selsø
 * 1923-1925: Wilhelm Hoff
 * 1926-1934: Peter B. Andersen
 * 1935-1940: Toralf Heen
 * 1943-1944: Arnulf Hansen (NS)
 * 1945-1947: Toralf Heen
 * 1948-1951: Sigurd M. Carson (Ap)
 * 1952-1959: Olav Hoff (KrF)
 * 1960-1967: Sven Hansen (Sp)
 * 1968-1971: Hans Aakre (KrF)
 * 1972-1975: Sven Hansen (Sp)
 * 1976-1979: Hans Aakre (KrF)
 * 1980-1981: Magne Hansen (H)
 * 1982-1983: Sven Hansen (Sp)
 * 1984-1985: Gustav Lorentzen (Ap)
 * 1986-1989: Bernt Johan Arntsen (Ap)
 * 1990-1991: Gustav Lorentzen (Ap)
 * 1992-1995: Bernt Johan Arntsen (Ap)
 * 1995-2003: Johan Anton Svartis (Sp)
 * 2003-2019: Olav Terje Hoff (Sp)
 * 2019–present: Inger Dagmar Monsen (Ap)

Notable people

 * Hans Olav Lahlum (born 1973) a Norwegian historian, crime author, chess player and politician; known for his unconventional style. He grew up in Rødøy, a small community that he says he did not find enjoyable.

title: Rødøy


text:
Meløy

Meløy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Salten traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ørnes. Other villages include Eidbukta, Neverdal, Glomfjord, Halsa, Reipå, Støtt, and Ågskardet.

The municipality is situated just to the north of the Arctic Circle on Norway's west coast. It encompasses the island of Meløya and some 700 other islands of various sizes around the Meløyfjorden, Glomfjorden, and Holandsfjorden in the south, along with a stretch of mainland coast.

The 874 km2 municipality is the 133rd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Meløy is the 153rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 6,212. The municipality's population density is 7.8 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 5.6% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Meløy was established on 1 January 1884 when the large Rødøy Municipality was separated into Rødøy (population: 1,945) in the south and Meløy (population: 2,696) in the north. The municipal borders have not changed since then.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the island of Meløya (Mjǫlva) since the first Meløy Church was built there. The first element comes from the word which means "flour" or "meal" (referring to fine sand on the beaches of the island). The last element (which was added to the name around the year 1500) is which means "island". Historically, the name of the municiaplity was spelled Melø. On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Meløy.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 7 December 1984. The official blazon is "Azure, a poppy plant Or" (I blått en gull valmueplante). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a subspecies of the arctic poppy plant locally known as Svartisvalmue (Papaver radicatum subglobosum). The poppy plant has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The municipality is located near the second largest glacier in continental Norway, the Svartisen (black ice), and the plant is one of the plants found growing closest to the ice. The colors symbolize the blue glacial ice and the yellow flowers. The arms were designed by Rolf Tidemann after the original ideda by Knut Sørensen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has three parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Meløy. It is part of the Bodø domprosti (arch-deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

History
Meløy has been inhabited for many centuries and still possesses various relics from the Viking Age. The Benkestok family, one of Norway's original noble families, established one of its seats at Meløy gård (farm) on the island of Meløya in the 16th century.

Due to the expansion of the community during the 19th century, it was split from its southern neighbour Rødøy in 1884. Its administrative centre was originally on Meløya, but it was later moved to the mainland coastal village of Ørnes. Ørnes is one of the stops on the route of the Hurtigruten (coastal express boat), with a notably scenic entrance via the fjord.

The second largest glacier in Norway, Svartisen, is a target for passenger visits. The mountains around Glomfjord are popular for fishing and hunting as well as skiing in the winter time.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are 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. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Salten og Lofoten District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Meløy is made up of 23 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 (ordfører) of Meløy (incomplete list):
 * 2003-2011: Arild Kjerpeseth (Ap)
 * 2011-2015: Per Swensen (H)
 * 2015–present: Sigurd Stormo (Ap)

Geography
The municipality of Meløy is a coastal community that includes many of the surrounding islands. Many parts of the mainland were fairly isolated until road tunnels were built during the 20th century that connected them to the rest of Norway. Some of the main islands of Meløy are Åmøya, Meløya, Bolga, Mesøya, Grønøya, and Støttvær. Åmøya is connected to the mainland via the Brattsund Bridge. The other islands are all accessible by boat or ferry only. The Kalsholmen Lighthouse is located in the southwestern part of the municipality.

The Vestfjorden passes Meløy in the northwest, and the Meløyfjorden, Glomfjorden, and Holandsfjorden cut into the mainland from the west. The Saltfjellet–Svartisen National Park is located in the southeast in the Saltfjellet mountain range, surrounding the Svartisen glacier.

Economy
The industrial development—and thus the main contributor to the economic development and growth of the Meløy community—started around the time of World War I. It was based on electrical power production in then new Glomfjord power plant from water coming from the Svartisen glacier and the lake Storglomvatnet and gathered in the mountains. In the bottom of Glomfjorden, Norsk Hydro (today YARA) started out producing fertilizers in Glomfjord, today yara is Meløy's biggest workplace with 190 people working there

A conglomerate of industries is found there today in Glomfjord Industry Park. The municipality's overall industries are some light industry, agriculture, forestry, fishing, salmon production, and tourism.

Meløy Energi, an electrical power company, is one of the most important employers in the municipality (as of Q4 2022).

Notable people

 * Eindride Sommerseth (1918 – 2010), Norwegian trade unionist and politician
 * Arne Pettersen (1906 - 1981), Norwegian sailor, last person to leave Ellis Island.

title: Meløy


text:
Gildeskål

Gildeskål is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Bodø Region and the traditional district of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Inndyr. Other villages include Forstranda, Lekanger, Mevik, Mårnes, Nygårdsjøen, Saura, Storvika, Sør-Arnøy, Sørfinnset, and Våg.

The 665 km2 municipality is the 170th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Gildeskål is the 285th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,928. The municipality's population density is 3.1 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 3.9% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Gildeskaal (later spelled Gildeskål) was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). In 1853, the eastern (inland) district of Gildeskaal (population: about 1,150) was separated to become the new municipality of Beiarn. This left Gildeskaal with about 2,400 residents. The municipal boundaries have not changed since.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Gildeskaal farm (Gildaskáli) since the first Gildeskål Church was built there. The first element is the plural genitive case of which means "feast" or "banquet". The last element is which means "hall". On 21 December 1917, a royal resolution enacted the 1917 Norwegian language reforms. Prior to this change, the name was spelled Gildeskaal with the digraph "aa", and after this reform, the name was spelled Gildeskål, using the letter å instead.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 12 February 1988. The official blazon is "Azure, a chalice argent" (I blått en sølv kalk). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a chalice. The chalice 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 arms are canting since the meaning of the municipal name Gildeskål refers to a banquet hall (or guildhall) which, of course, is a place where one might drink from a chalice. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Gildeskål. It is part of the Bodø domprosti (arch-deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Geography
Gildeskål is a coastal municipality that encompasses part of the mainland as well as many islands. Major islands include Fleina, Fugløya, Nordarnøya, Sørarnøya, and Sandhornøya. The southern part of the municipality includes part of the Saltfjellet mountains and the northern part of the municipality borders the Saltfjorden and the Vestfjorden.

There are many lakes in the municipality including: Fellvatnet, Langvatnet, Litle Sokumvatnet, and Sokumvatnet.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are 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. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Salten og Lofoten District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Gildeskål is made up of 17 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 Gildeskål:

 * 1838–1847: Stein Eilert Berner
 * 1848–1849: Ole Helgesen
 * 1850–1851: Peder H. Berg
 * 1852–1860: Edvard Pedersen
 * 1860–1862: Hans Henrik Holck Daae
 * 1863–1866: Jørgen Blix
 * 1867–1868: Hans Henrik Holck Daae
 * 1869–1870: Hans Olsen
 * 1871–1872: Eilert Nicolai Friis
 * 1873–1876: Hans Hansen
 * 1877–1878: Abel Ellingsen
 * 1879–1882: Hans Hansen
 * 1883–1884: Christoffer Arntzen
 * 1885–1888: Hans Hansen
 * 1889–1894: Håkon Hansen
 * 1895–1910: O. Laugsand
 * 1911–1913: Paulius Danielsen
 * 1914–1919: Jens Johansen
 * 1920–1922: Daniel Johan Eilertsen
 * 1923–1925: Johan Nilsen-Nygaard
 * 1926-1926: Daniel Johan Eilertsen
 * 1927–1928: Øyvind Heen
 * 1929–1940: Peder Johnsen
 * 1941-1941: Øyvind Heen
 * 1941–1945: Lars Norum
 * 1945-1945: Peder Johnsen
 * 1946–1947: Astrup Johansen
 * 1948–1958: Reidar Juliussen Myrhaug
 * 1958–1961: Magnus Sundsfjord
 * 1962–1963: Øivind Kaspersen
 * 1964–1969: Meyer Madsen
 * 1970–1971: Rolf Fagermo
 * 1972-1972: Meyer Madsen
 * 1972–1975: Andreas Opsahl
 * 1976–1979: Håkon Willumsen
 * 1980–1981: Harald Joakimsen
 * 1982–1983: Svein Christensen
 * 1984–1995: Roger Granberg (Ap)
 * 1995–1999: Jon Gisle Karlsen
 * 1999-2003: Gunnar T. Skjellvik (Ap)
 * 2003-2011: Walter Pedersen (H)
 * 2011-2019: Petter Jørgen Pedersen (Ap)
 * 2019–present: Bjørn Magne Pedersen (H)

Buildings and structures
Sandhornøy Bridge connects the island of Sandhornøya to the mainland. The Kjellingstraumen Bridge crosses the outer end of the Beiar Fjord.

There is a VLF-transmitter in Gildeskål that is used for sending messages to submerged submarines (call sign: JXN, frequency: 16.4 kHz). It uses as antenna multiple wires spun between two mountains (photo). The transmitter building is located at 66.98278°N, 13.87306°W.

Notable people

 * Elias Blix (1836–1902) a Norwegian professor, theologian, hymn writer and politician
 * Harald Sund (1876–1940) a Norwegian architect, artist and illustrator
 * Håvard Lund (born 1970) a Norwegian jazz musician (clarinet and saxophone) and composer

title: Gildeskål


text:
Beiarn

Beiarn is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Salten. Beiarn is also a part of the Bodø Region, a statistical metropolitan region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Moldjord. Other villages in Beiarn are Høyforsmoen, Trones, and Tverrvika.

The 1222 km2 municipality is the 88th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Beiarn is the 332nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,027. The municipality's population density is 0.9 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 4.5% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Beiarn was established in 1853 when it was separated from the large municipality of Gildeskål. Initially, Beiarn had 1,164 residents. The municipal boundaries have not changed since that time.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Beiar Fjord (Beðir or Beðinn). The meaning of the name is uncertain. It may be derived from the plural form of the word which means "bedding" (in the sense of a "river bed". Another option is that it is the past participle of the word  which means "to pray" or "to ask". Historically, the name of the municiaplity was spelled Beieren. On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Beiara. This spelling, however, was not well-liked. On 19 August 1908 (a few months later), another royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Beiarn.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms has been used in Beiarn since 1988. The blazon is "Vert, a pine tree uprooted Or" (I gull en furu på grønn bunn). This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is a pine tree. The pine tree has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The pine tree was chosen to symbolize the mighty pine forests for which Beiarn has historically been well-known. This is mentioned both by Petter Dass' "Nordlands Trompet" and in Lars Hess Bing's "Description of the Kingdom of Norway, the Isles of Iceland and the Faroe Islands, as well as Greenland". There are remains of giant pine trees that are likely over one thousand years old. The green color of the field was chosen to represent the lush green forests and the gold/yellow color was chosen because the forest is "worth its weight in gold" for the municipality. The arms were designed by Erik Gabrielsen, who was a cultural consultant in Beiarn municipality. In 1995, the municipality applied to have the arms formally approved for use by the National Archives of Norway, but they were not approved because it did not meet the heraldic standards for coats of arms in Norway. The National Archives told the municipality that they can use the unapproved arms in some circumstances, but they cannot be put on a flag, road sign, or public buildings.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Beiarn. It is part of the Salten prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

A privately owned stave church was built in 2006 at Savjord, about 8 km east of Moldjord. The Savjord Stave Church was modeled after the Gol Stave Church.

Geography
The municipality of Beiarn is located just north of the Arctic Circle, along the Beiar River including the Beiar Valley and some surrounding areas in the Saltfjellet mountains. The river is one of the best salmon rivers in Northern Norway. There are several large lakes in Beiarn including Arstaddalsdammen, Litle Sokumvatnet, and Ramsgjelvatnet.

The Saltfjellet–Svartisen National Park is partially located in Beiarn. The world's most northern naturally occurring elm forest (Ulmus glabra) grows in the Arstadlia nature reserve, where the rich vegetation also includes orchids.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are 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. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Salten og Lofoten District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Beiarn is made up of 15 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 (ordfører) of Beiarn:

 * 1853-1858: Lars Hansen Næss
 * 1859-1861: Wilhelm Anton Feght
 * 1863-1866: Lars Hansen Næss
 * 1867-1868: Eiler Rosenvinge Kaurin
 * 1869-1870: Lars Hansen Næss
 * 1871-1877: Gustav Sophus Janke
 * 1878-1886: Ole Andreas Anderssen
 * 1887-1896: Christian Angell Pedersen Storjord
 * 1897-1900: Jørgen Blydt Mowinckel
 * 1901-1902: Lorents Rasch
 * 1903-1906: Christian Angell Pedersen Storjord
 * 1907-1908: Halfdan Johannessen Osbak
 * 1909-1916: Johan Christoffersen
 * 1917-1925: Arne Pedersen Øines
 * 1926-1928: Johan Christoffersen
 * 1929-1934: Edvard Nilsen
 * 1935-1941: Julius J. Einan
 * 1941-1945: Sverre Gloppen (NS)
 * 1945-1955: Julius J. Einan
 * 1956-1957: Haakon Innset
 * 1958-1967: Karl Leithe
 * 1968-1971: Erling Jakobsen
 * 1972-1983: Osvald Tollåli
 * 1983-1990: Arne Larsen
 * 1991-1998: Paul Eggesvik
 * 1999-2010: Frigg-Ottar Os
 * 2011-2023: Monika Sande (Sp)
 * 2023–present: Andrè Kristoffersen (Sp)

Attractions
The area offers many outdoor activities to visitors, including fishing, caving, and mountain walking. The Beiarn farm museum includes an overview of Beiarn's cultural history, from the Viking Age through to the middle of the 20th century.

Notable people

 * Kristian Moljord (1882 in Beiarn – 1976), a fisherman, railroad worker, miner, and politician

title: Beiarn


text:
Saltdal

Saltdal is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Rognan. Other villages in Saltdal include Røkland and Lønsdal.

The 2216 km2 municipality is the 26th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Saltdal is the 187th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 4,650. The municipality's population density is 2.2 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 2% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Saltdal was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). In 1949, a small area of Skjerstad Municipality (population: 10) was transferred to Saltdal. Other than that one change, the borders have never changed.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Saltdalen valley (Salptardalr). The river Saltdalselva runs through the Saltdalen valley. The first element of the name is the old name of the river, Salpti. The river name is salpt which means "strong stream". The last element is which means "valley" or "dale". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Saltdalen. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Saltdal, removing the definite form ending -en.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 28 October 1988. The official blazon is "Gules, a rowan twig Or" (I rødt en gull rognekvist). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is two rowan twigs. The rowan twig has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. This design was chosen to represent nature and the prevalence of rowan forests in the municipality. They are also canting arms because the Norwegian word for rowan is rogn and the municipal centre is the village of Rognan. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen.

Churches
The Church of Norway has two parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Saltdal. It is part of the Salten prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

History
During World War II, the Germans decided to lengthen the Nordland Line from Lønsdal in Saltfjellet going northwards. Over a period of three years, the original plan was to first have both the road and the railroad all the way to Narvik and then on to Kirkenes, but they only managed to build the railroad to Bodø.

The Germans continued to lengthen the road to Kirkenes, and it came to be known as Blodvegen ("the Blood Road") by locals. This project involved prisoners of war, mostly from Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, in building this road under extremely harsh conditions. The workers lived in prison camps where they did not receive enough food for their hard work building the road. This caused many of the workers to collapse and die. A famous sign of this road is the blood cross one of the prisoners drew on the mountainside with his recently killed friend's blood. It has become a tradition to repaint this cross with red paint, so people who pass this will never forget what happened. It's still possible to walk this road, which stretches from Saltnes to Soksenvika. At Saltnes, you will find the Blood Road museum.

Saltdal was known for having some of the most horrifying prisoner-of-war camps in Norway during World War II. A grand total of 15-18 camps with 9,500 Russian, Polish, and Yugoslavian prisoners were located in the valley.

Government
All municipalities in Norway are 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. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Salten og Lofoten District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Saltdal is made up of 21 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 (ordfører) of Saltdal (incomplete list):
 * 1999-2011: Kjell Magne Johansen (Ap)
 * 2011-2015: Finn-Obert Bentsen (Ap)
 * 2015–2023: Rune Berg (Sp)
 * 2023–present: Runar Løvdal Jensen (Ap)

Geography
The main centre in the municipality is Rognan, on the southern shore of the Saltdal Fjord, where the valley floor meets the fjord. When the Ice age ended and the ice had melted 9,000 years ago, the valley was a fjord as the sea reached what is today an elevation of 120 m due to isostatic depression. The valley is situated just north of the Arctic Circle.

Two national parks are partially in the municipality: Saltfjellet–Svartisen National Park in the southwest, and Junkerdal National Park in the eastern part. This makes Saltdal one of the municipalities in Norway with the largest percentage of protected areas within its borders. The river Saltdalselva runs through the valley. The riverbed appears very bright in some places due to the minerals in the sand. The valley is covered with pine forest and birch and other trees are common as well. Lakes in the region include Balvatnet, Fiskeløysvatnet, Kjemåvatnet, and Nordre Bjøllåvatnet. The mountain Ørfjellet is also located in the municipality.

Climate
The municipality lies on the northeastern side of the Saltfjellet mountains, in the rain shadow of the mountains. With mountains surrounding it in almost all directions, Saltdal is one of the driest areas in Norway, especially the upper part of the valley. For five years in a row, 2001 to 2005, and then again in 2007 and 2008, the weather station in the upper part of the Saltdal valley recorded the least precipitation in all of continental Norway, with only 74 mm in 2005. The weather station (81 m ASL) was situated in the upper part of the valley (Storjord) at a farm from 1982 to 2012. From 2013 onwards, the weather station (39 m) is situated about 6 km down the valley at a camping site (Nordnes), but still in the upper part of the valley (Øvre Saltdal). Data from the first station (81 m) shows this to be the driest place in Norway (excluding Svalbard), with on average just over 200 mm precipitation annually.

In spite of the low precipitation, Saltdal has lush vegetation with meadows and forests on the side of the mountains due to the low temperatures reducing evapotranspiration. Due to the rarity of extreme cold snaps, the environment and plant hardiness resemble latitudes further south in the Nordic interior.

Located in an inland valley, Saltdal is also known for its warm summer days, frequently being one of Norway's warmest locations if the right weather situation occurs (with easterly or southeasterly winds blowing). It is not uncommon with daytime temperatures approaching and sometimes exceeding 30 C in the summer months. Similarly, winter temperatures can be quite cold, often dropping below -20 C on a clear day.

During a heatwave in June 2011, Saltdal recorded four days in a row with daytime temperatures exceeding 30 C. On 11 June 2011, Saltdal recorded a daytime high of 33.8 C, which was a new heat record for Nordland county in the month of June. During the July 2019 European heat wave the temperature reached at 34.6 C in Saltdal, the highest temperature ever measured north of the Arctic Circle in Norway. The all-time low -32.2 C was recorded January 2010.

Transportation
The European route E6 highway passes through the entire length of Saltdal, with the Nordland Line running alongside it. A road running east through the Junkerdalen valley (National Road 77) leads to Sweden. The nearest main airport is in Bodø, about 90 minutes from Rognan by road. There is a general aviation airport—Rognan Airport.

Economy
Nowadays, the largest employer is Nexans. The company's Rognan factory specializes in telecommunication, fibre optics and copper cables. There is also some agriculture in Saltdal, and many people work within public services.

[In] September 2023, at least one manufacturer of huts - has kept a minority of its employees, while dozens are laid off until the new year.

Saltdal has a history in boat building out of local timber. Especially before World War II, the boatbuilding industry employed a large percentage of Saltdal's population.

Notable people

 * Ludvig Kristensen Daa (1809 in Saltdal – 1877), Norwegian historian, ethnologist, auditor, editor of magazines and newspapers, educator and politician
 * Arne Hjersing (1860 in Saltdal – 1926), Norwegian painter
 * Bernhoff Hansen (1877 in Rognan – 1950), Norwegian wrestler, gold medallist in the 1904 Summer Olympics
 * Erling Engan (1910 in Saltdal – 1982), Norwegian politician
 * Trygve Henrik Hoff (1938 in Rognan – 1987), Norwegian singer, composer, songwriter and writer
 * Hans-Erik Husby (1972 – 2021), Norwegian rock singer (Turbonegro); lived about five years in Rognan in his childhood and early teens
 * Ragnhild Furebotten (born 1979 in Saltdal), Norwegian fiddler, folk musician and composer
 * Lena Kristin Ellingsen (born 1980 in Saltdal), Norwegian actress

title: Saltdal