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Trysil

Trysil is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Innbygda. Other villages in the municipality include Nybergsund, Østby, and Tørberget.

The 3014 km2 municipality is the 15th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Trysil is the 150th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 6,582. The municipality's population density is 2.2 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 1.6% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
On 1 January 1838, the prestegjeld of Trysil was established as a civil municipality (see formannskapsdistrikt law). In 1880, the Osneset area of western Trysil (population: 302) was transferred to the neighboring municipality of Åmot. On 1 January 1911, the northern part of the municipality (population: 291) was separated to join the new Engerdal Municipality. There were also some minor boundary adjustments west of the lake Osensjøen in 1943 and again in 1964 when some areas were transferred from Elverum Municipality to Trysil.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Trysil farm which was most likely the original name of the current Prestgarden ("the vicarage"), where the first Trysil Church was built. The first element possibly comes from the name of a local river, Trya. The meaning of the river name is unknown. The last element is sil which means "quiet stretch of a river". Prior to 1906, the name was spelled "Tryssil".

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 21 October 1991. The official blazon is "Azure, two ski poles issuant from the base pointing up" (I blått to oppvoksende sølv skistaver). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is two vertical ski poles pointing upwards. The charge 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 design is meant to symbolize Trysil in the past, present, and future since skiing has long been an important way of transportation over the years (including the legend of Trysil-Knut), but has more recently become a major tourist attraction. The arms were designed by Bjørn Ellefsæter. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has seven parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Trysil. It is part of the Sør-Østerdal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

History
One of the first-known, organized ski races was held here 22 January 1862. Roland Huntford, author of Two Planks and a Passion, describes this race as, "the first truly modern ski race." The famous Norwegian skier Halvard Morgedal won all the competitions that year. The Trysilgutten ski club, founded in 1861, is one of the world's oldest ski clubs. See also the Kiandra snow shoe club and Onion Valley snow shoe club.

The small village of Nybergsund was bombed by German aviators during World War II on 11 April 1940, when King Haakon VII and Crown Prince Olav were there.

Economy
Farming and logging are traditionally the most important occupations in the municipality, and there are many wood related industries. The Trysilelva river was the last river in Norway with traditional timber floating. There is extensive wildlife, including a large moose population.

Trysilfjellet is the largest winter sports centre in Norway with 65 prepared slopes.

Government
Trysil 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 Østre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Trysil 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 Trysil:

 * 1838–1839: Paul Irgens Dybdahl
 * 1839–1841: Arne Arnesen
 * 1841–1843: Jo Jonsen Lunde
 * 1843–1845: Paul D. Gleditsch
 * 1845–1847: Halvor E. Lunde
 * 1847–1853: Ole Nyhuus, Sr.
 * 1853–1859: Halvor Strandvold
 * 1859–1863: Ola Nyhuus, Jr.
 * 1863–1867: Johan Landgraff
 * 1867–1867: Albert Balchen
 * 1867–1871: Erik Johnsen Kveen
 * 1871–1875: Johan Landgraff
 * 1875–1879: Hans Nysæter
 * 1879–1881: Johan Rønningen (V)
 * 1881–1889: Per Galaasen (V)
 * 1889–1891: Johan Rønningen (V)
 * 1891–1893: Bernhard Holt (V)
 * 1893–1895: Otto Rundfloen (V)
 * 1895–1898: Johan Rønningen (V)
 * 1899–1901: Bernhard Holt (V)
 * 1902–1904: Martin Nyhuus (V)
 * 1905–1919: Halvor Lunde (ArbDem)
 * 1920–1922: Kristian Ingmar Moe (Ap)
 * 1923–1925: John G. Østby (V)
 * 1926–1931: August Aastad (Ap)
 * 1932–1934: John G. Østby (V)
 * 1935–1937: August Aastad (Ap)
 * 1938–1940: Harald Løbak (Ap)
 * 1941–1945: Harald Lunde (NS)
 * 1945–1955: Harald Løbak (Ap)
 * 1956–1963: Engebret Sørli (Ap)
 * 1964–1971: Harald Berget (Ap)
 * 1972–1999: Arvid Nyberg (Ap)
 * 1999–2015: Ole Martin Norderhaug (Ap)
 * 2015–2023: Erik Sletten (Sp)
 * 2023–present: Turid Backe-Viken (Ap)

Geography
Trysil is bordered in the north by the municipalities of Engerdal and Rendalen, in the west by Åmot, and in the southwest by Elverum and Våler. The eastern border of the municipality is bordered in the north, east and south by Sweden. The main village in Trysil is Innbygda, which often is referred to as Trysil.

Climate
Trysil has a boreal climate (subarctic climate) (Köppen Dfc) with cold winters and warm summers. Due to its inland location, Trysil has comfortably warm summer highs, but colder winters than most other populated places in Southern Norway. Winter temperatures are often lower in Trysil than they are in coastal areas of Northern Norway above the Arctic Circle.

Mean temperature in January is -8 C and in July 15 C. The all-time highest temperature is 33.8 °C recorded 26 July 2008. On 2 March 2005 a low of -32.9 C was recorded, and 13 February 2011 saw a low of -32.5 C. Late winter and spring is the driest season while late summer and autumn is wettest season. The weather station started operating in 1993 and is located near Mosanden Næringspark, about 4 km south of Innbygda.

Nature
Trysil is a great place to explore the Norwegian nature and participating in various outdoor activities like guided trips, river fishing, dog sledge driving, elk safari, night photography, stargazing. This includes a mountain at Norway's largest ski resort, which offers many of the country's most widely acclaimed downhill and slalom slopes.

Notable people

 * Axel Smith (1744–1823), a Norwegian priest and topographer
 * Haakon Nyhuus (1866–1913), a Norwegian librarian and encyclopedist
 * Sven Moren (1871–1938), a farmer, poet, playwright, children's writer and politician
 * Olaf L. Olsen (1881–1958), an American legislator and politician
 * Halvor Floden (1884–1956), a schoolteacher, children's writer, novelist, poet and playwright
 * Einar Skjæraasen (1900–1966), an author, poet and political candidate
 * Halldis Moren Vesaas (1907–1995), a Norwegian poet, translator and writer of children's books
 * Sigmund Moren (1913–1996), a philologist, literary critic, theatre critic and children's writer
 * Tormod Haugen (1945–2008), a writer of children's books and translator, winner of the H.C. Andersen prize
 * Jan Axel Blomberg (born 1969), a heavy metal drummer, stage name Hellhammer

Sport

 * Karl Magnus Satre (1904–1955) & Paul Ottar Satre (1908–1984), a pair of American ski jumpers and cross-country skiers who competed for the US at the 1936 Winter Olympics
 * Kåre Hatten (1908–1983), a cross-country skier, lumberjack and farmer; competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics
 * Hallgeir Brenden (1929–2007), Norwegian cross-country skier and steeplechase runner, twice individual gold medallist at the 1956 and 1960 Winter Olympics and twice team silver medallist at the 1952 and 1956 Winter Olympics
 * Johan Sætre (born 1952), Norwegian former ski jumper; participated in the 1976 and 1980 Winter Olympics
 * Arnfinn Engerbakk (born 1964), footballer who played 12 seasons in Eliteserien for Kongsvinger; capped four times for Norway
 * Anita Moen (born 1967), Norwegian cross-country skier; five time medalist at the Winter Olympics, three silvers in 1994, 1998, 2002 and two bronzes in 1998 & 2002
 * Jarl-André Storbæk (born 1978), footballer who played 11 seasons in Eliteserien (league champion in 2013); capped 17 times for Norway
 * Håvard Storbæk (born 1986), footballer who played 10 seasons in Eliteserien for three different clubs; cousin of Jarl-André Storbæk
 * Kim-Rune Hansen (born 1988), professional snowboarder for Burton Snowboards

Sister cities
Trysil has sister city agreements with the following places:
 * 🇸🇪 Sweden: Kil in Värmland County
 * 🇫🇮 Finland: Laihia in Länsi-Suomi

title: Trysil


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Åmot

Åmot is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Rena. Other villages in the municipality include Åsta, Osneset, and Snippen.

The 1340 km2 municipality is the 72nd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Åmot is the 197th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 4,213. The municipality's population density is 3.3 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 4% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The parish of Aamot (later spelled Åmot) was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). In 1880, the Nordre Osen area of Trysil (population: 302) was transferred into Åmot municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Åmot farm (Ámót) since the first Åmot Church was built there. The first element is which means "river". The last element is which means "meeting" or "joint". Thus the name means the meeting of the rivers; in this case it is referring to the confluence of the rivers Glomma and Rena. On 21 December 1917, a royal resolution enacted the 1917 Norwegian language reforms. Prior to this change, the name was spelled Aamot with the digraph "Aa", and after this reform, the name was spelled Åmot, using the letter Å instead.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 26 February 1988. The official blazon is "Vert, three axes palewise Or" (I grønt tre opprette gull økser, 2-1). This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is a set of three axes. The charge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The design symbolizes the importance and history of the logging industry in the area. For hundreds of years, forestry, together with agriculture, has been the most important source of income in the municipality. The ax that is in the design is called a running axe or narrow axe. It was used by log drivers when they had to chain logs together for transport. The arms were designed by John Digernes. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has three parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Åmot. It is part of the Sør-Østerdal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

Education
Åmot has four schools: Åmot Ungdomsskole (Åmot Lower secondary school), Rena Barneskole, Deset Oppvekstsenter, and Osen Oppvekstsenter.

Government
Åmot 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 Østre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Åmot 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.

Mayor
The mayors (ordfører) of Åmot (incomplete list):

 * 1923-1925: Eivind Petershagen (NKP)
 * 1926-1940: Ole Hermansen (NKP)
 * 1945-1947: Eivind Petershagen (NKP)
 * 1976-1988: Kåre Halvorsen (SV)
 * 1988-1990: Per L. Gundersen (Ap)
 * 1992-1993: Vivi Nysveen Østerås (SV)
 * 1994-1999: Åse Grønlien Østmoe (Sp)
 * 1999-2003: Per L. Gundersen (Ap)
 * 2003-2011: Ole Gustav Narud (Sp)
 * 2011-2015: Espen André Kristiansen (Ap)
 * 2015-2019: Ole Gustav Narud (Sp)
 * 2019–present: Ole Erik Hørstad (H)

Geography
Åmot is located in the east-central part of Innlandet county. It is bordered to the north by the municipality of Rendalen, to the east by Trysil, to the south by Elverum, to the southwest by Hamar and Ringsaker, and in the west by Stor-Elvdal.

The Renaelva and Julussa rivers are both tributaries of the large river Glomma, all three of which flow through Åmot. The Kjøllsæter Bridge crosses the river Renaelva, just north of its confluence with the Julussa river. The Julussdalen valley follows the river Julussa through the municipality.

Notable people

 * Vilhelm Uchermann (1852 in Åmot – 1929), a physician who was Norway's first otorhinolaryngologist
 * Tollef Kilde (1853 in Åmot – 1947), a forest owner, politician, and local Mayor ca.1900
 * Hans Storhaug, MM, DSM (1915 in Rena – 1995), a Norwegian resistance member during WWII
 * Vidar Sandbeck (1918 in Åmot – 2005), a Norwegian folk singer, composer, and writer
 * Anne-Cath. Vestly (1920 in Rena – 2008), a Norwegian author of children's literature
 * Ivar Nergaard (born 1964 in Rena), a Norwegian actor and writer
 * Stian Berget (born 1977 in Rena), a retired Norwegian footballer with almost 200 club caps
 * Tuva Novotny (born 1979), a Swedish actress, director and singer; brought up in Åmot

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

title: Åmot


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Stor-Elvdal

Stor-Elvdal is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Koppang. Other villages in the municipality include Atna, Evenstad, and Sollia.

The 2166 km2 municipality is the 28th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Stor-Elvdal is the 263rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,281. The municipality's population density is 1.1 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 13.6% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The parish of Store Elvedalen was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1965, the neighboring municipality of Sollia (population: 356) was merged with Stor-Elvdal (population: 3,808) to form a new, larger municipality of Stor-Elvdal.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named Stor-Elvdal after the large Elvdalen valley (Elfardalr) which was the historical name for the whole area. The first element is the genitive case of the word which means "river", referring to the river Glomma which flows through the valley. The last element is which means "valley" or "dale". Thus this word means "river valley". The name also includes the prefix which means "big". This prefix was added to the old name "Elvdalen" to distinguish it from the nearby municipality of Lille Elvdalen ("little Elvdalen", later the name was shortened to Alvdal). In the late Middle Ages the two areas were distinguished using the words Ytre Elvdalen (meaning "outer" Elvdalen) and Øvre Elvdalen (meaning "upper" Elvdalen). Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Store Elvdalen or Stor-Elvedalen. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Stor-Elvdal, removing the definite form ending -en.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 12 February 1988. The official blazon is "Vert, two wood saws argent bendwise" (I grønt to skråstilte sølv tømmersager). This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is two diagonal two-man saws. The charge 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 design and color were chosen to symbolize the importance of forestry in the municipality. The arms were designed by Even Jarl Skoglund. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has four parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Stor-Elvdal. It is part of the Sør-Østerdal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

Government
Stor-Elvdal 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 Østre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Stor-Elvdal 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 Stor-Elvdal:

 * 1889–1891: Ole Olsen Evenstad
 * 1901-1904: Thore Myrvang (V)
 * 1913-1916: Thore Myrvang (ArbDem)
 * 1922-1925: Thore Myrvang (ArbDem)
 * 1980–1995: Ola Kristiansen (Ap)
 * 1995-1999: Sigmund Vestad (LL)
 * 1999-2003: Øyvind Strand (Ap)
 * 2003-2011: Sigmund Vestad (LL)
 * 2011-2015: Even Moen (Sp)
 * 2015-2019: Terje Hoffstad (Ap)
 * 2019–2023: Even Moen (Sp)
 * 2023-present: Linda Otnes Henriksen (Ap)

Geography
Stor-Elvdal is bordered on the north by the municipalities of Folldal and Alvdal, on the east by Rendalen, in the south by Åmot and Ringsaker, in the west by Øyer and Ringebu, and in the northwest by Sør-Fron.

The lake Atnsjøen is located in the northwestern part of the municipality, just outside Rondane National Park. The river Glomma runs through the municipality.

Tourism
Stor-Elvdal boasts the second tallest moose statue in the world, a steel giant moose at the side of the Norwegian National Road 3.

Notable people

 * Thore Embretsen Myrvang (1858–1939), an educator, politician, and three-time mayor of Stor-Elvdal
 * Halldis Neegaard Østbye (1896 in Stor-Elvdal – 1983), a person known as "Norway's most fanatical Naziwoman" during WWII
 * Torkel Andreas Trønnes (1925-2011), an automobile advocate who lived in Koppang

Sister cities
Stor-Elvdal has sister city agreements with the following places:
 * 🇪🇪 Sõmeru Parish, Lääne-Viru County, Estonia

title: Stor-Elvdal


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Rendalen

Rendalen is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bergset. Other villages in the municipality include Hanestad, Otnes, Sjølisand, Unset, Åkre, and Åkrestrømmen.

The 3180 km2 municipality is the 13th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Rendalen is the 295th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,769. The municipality's population density is 0.6 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 7.4% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Rendalen was established on 1 January 1965 when the old Ytre Rendal Municipality (population: 1,913) and Øvre Rendal Municipality (population: 1,629) were merged. On 1 January 1984, the unpopulated Spekedalen valley was transferred from Tynset Municipality to Rendalen.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Rendalen valley (Reindalr) which is located in the municipality. The first element is which means "reindeer". The last element is which means "valley" or "dale". The river Rena runs through the valley and it is not known if the valley was named after the river or if the river was named after the valley. A nearby mountain Renafjellet also has a similar name.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 2 June 1989. The official blazon is "Azure, two reindeer heads argent in pale" (I blått to sølv reinsdyrhoder, 1-1). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is two reindeer heads. The charge 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 design symbolizes the importance of reindeer farming in the community. The arms are a canting since the name Rendalen is derived from the word for reindeer. There are two heads to represent Øvre Rendal Municipality and Ytre Rendal Municipality which were merged in 1965 to form this municipality. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has four parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Rendalen. It is part of the Nord-Østerdal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

Geography
The municipality has an area of 3180 km² which makes it the 2nd largest municipality (after Ullensvang Municipality) in Southern Norway. The 11 largest municipalities are all in rural Northern Norway and they are followed by Ullensvang and Rendalen. Rendalen municipality is bordered on the northwest by Alvdal Municipality and Tynset Municipality, in the north by Tolga Municipality, in the east by Engerdal Municipality, in the south by Trysil Municipality and Åmot Municipality, and in the west by Stor-Elvdal Municipality.

Rendalen municipality encompasses most of the Rendalen valley, a side valley of the large Østerdalen valley which dominates Eastern Norway. In addition, the municipality encompasses the northern part of the lake Storsjøen as well as the lakes Sølensjøen, Galtsjøen, Harrsjøen, and Lomnessjøen. The mountains Elgspiggen and Sølen are in Rendalen as well. The rivers Glomma and Renaelva both flow through the municipality.

Government
Rendalen 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 Østre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Rendalen 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 Rendalen:

 * 1965–1967: Erik Husfloen (Ap)
 * 1968–1977: Kjell Borgen (Ap)
 * 1978–1979: Otto Tobro (Ap)
 * 1980–1991: Steinar Berget (Ap)
 * 1992–1995: Sindre Undseth (Ap)
 * 1995–2007: Erling Myhre (Sp)
 * 2007–2019: Norvald Illevold (Ap)
 * 2019–present: Linda Døsen (Ap)

Economy
The primary occupations are in farming and logging, but tourism is also important. The Renåfjellet mountain area provides for excellent alpine hiking.

Notable people

 * Johan Reinhardt (1778 in Rendalen – 1845), a professor of zoology at Copenhagen University
 * Gustav Storm (1845 in Rendalen – 1903), a Norwegian historian and academic
 * Jacob Breda Bull (1853 in Rendalen – 1930), a Norwegian author, journalist, and editor
 * David P. Kvile (1861–1918), a teacher, farmer, politician and teacher in Øvre Rendal
 * Peder E. Vorum (1884–1970), an educator, politician, mayor of Ytre Rendal from 1913 to 1934, member of Nasjonal Samling in 1940, and collaborator during WWII who was convicted of treason in 1948
 * Ottar E. Akre (1896 in Ytre Rendal – 1992), a Norwegian accordionist, composer, and educator
 * Sigurd Akre-Aas (1897 in Ytre Rendal – 1968), a Norwegian fencer who competed at the 1924 and 1928 Summer Olympics
 * Oddbjørn Hagen (1908 in Ytre Rendal – 1983), a Norwegian skier who competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics, gold medal winner in the Nordic combined, and twice silver medalist in cross-country skiing
 * Kjell Borgen (1939–1996), a politician, former Minister of Transport, and secondary school teacher in Rendalen from 1962 to 1966
 * Ola Otnes (born 1951 in Rendalen), a Norwegian actor
 * Guren Hagen, (Norwegian Wiki) (born 1959 in Rendalen), a musician

Twin towns – Sister cities
Rendalen has sister city agreements with the following places:
 * - Aalborg, Region Nordjylland, Denmark
 * 🇫🇮 - Liperi, Itä-Suomi, Finland
 * 🇸🇪 - Orsa, Dalarna County, Sweden

title: Rendalen


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Engerdal

Engerdal is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Engerdal. Other villages in the municipality include Drevsjø, Elgå, Sømådal, and Sorken.

The 2197 km2 municipality is the 28th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Engerdal is the 309th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,328. The municipality's population density is 0.7 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 3.5% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The new municipality of Engerdal was established on 1 January 1911. This new municipality was created by taking some of the land from the following existing municipalities: The borders of the municipality have not changed since its creation.
 * 750 km2 of southeastern Tolga municipality (population: 201)
 * 330 km2 of eastern Ytre Rendal municipality (population: 311)
 * 692 km2 of eastern Øvre Rendal municipality (population: 381)
 * 168 km2 of northern Trysil municipality (population: 291)

Name
The municipality was named Engerdal, after a local valley. The first element of the name comes from the local river Engeråa which flows through the valley. The river name is derived from the name of the lake Engeren, and this is probably derived from the Old Norse word which means "narrow". The last element of the municipal name comes from the word which means "valley" or "dale". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Engerdalen. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Engerdal, removing the definite form ending -en.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 8 February 1991. The official blazon is "Vert, a horse collar Or" (I grønt et gull bogtre). This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is a horse harness (the hames). The charge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The design symbolize the ties between horse and man and at the same time the connection between work and recreation. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has five parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Engerdal. It is part of the Sør-Østerdal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

Geography
The municipality is located in the northeast part of Innlandet county. It is bordered by Sweden to the north and east, the municipality of Trysil to the south, Rendalen to the west, and Os and Tolga to the northwest. The greater part of Lake Femunden and roughly half of the Femundsmarka National Park also lie within the boundaries of the municipality. There are many large lakes in the municipality including Engeren, Galtsjøen, Gutulisjøen, Isteren, Langsjøen, Nedre Roasten, Rogen, and Vurrusjøen.

National parks
Engerdal consists of two national parks. Femundsmarka National Park was founded in 1971 and is situated in the far northeastern corner of the municipality. The area is popular for its many lakes and attracts a lot of people for sport fishing every year. The same lakes are also perfect for paddling the canoe. Due to its large continuously, untouched and protected area, the national park is one of southern Scandinavia's largest parks and the area has become a base for many rare animal species.

The second national park, Gutulia National Park is much smaller, but has a more vigorous complex of trees and bogs. It was founded in 1968 and the many large, but old pines dominates the area.

Government
Engerdal 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 Østre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Engerdal 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 Engerdal:

 * 1911–1916: Guren A. Gløtvold (H)
 * 1917–1919: Ole Puntervold (LL)
 * 1919-1919: Peder Omang (ArbDem)
 * 1920–1925: Guren A. Gløtvold (H)
 * 1926–1928: Ottar Andersen (RF)
 * 1929–1931: Kristian Lian (Ap)
 * 1931-1931: Knut Omang (Ap)
 * 1932–1937: Ottar Andersen (RF)
 * 1938–1940: John Sand (Ap)
 * 1941–1945: Peder Grøndalen (NS)
 * 1945-1945: Ottar Andersen (V)
 * 1945-1945: F.O. Sponberg (Ap)
 * 1946–1947: John Sand (Ap)
 * 1947-1947: F.O. Sponberg (Ap)
 * 1948–1951: Reodor Wardenær (Ap)
 * 1952–1955: Emil Stang (Ap)
 * 1956–1959: Peder Myrstad (Bp)
 * 1960–1963: Reodor Wardenær (Ap)
 * 1964–1971: Pauli Opgård (Ap)
 * 1972–1975: Edgar Krog (Ap)
 * 1975–1983: Ola Joten (Ap)
 * 1984–1987: Reidar Åsgård (Ap)
 * 1988–1991: Ola D. Gløtvold (Sp)
 * 1992–2003: Reidar Åsgård (Ap)
 * 2003–2007: Dag Rønning (Sp)
 * 2007–2011: Reidar Åsgård (Ap)
 * 2011–2019: Lars Erik Hyllvang (Sp)
 * 2019–2023: Line Storsnes (Sp)
 * 2023-present: Tor Erik Skramstad (H)

Economy
The most important industries in the municipality are agriculture and travel and tourism. The area of agricultural activity constitute 13000 acres, which includes about 60 operating units. Due to the harsh climate, the agricultural activity is mainly based around production of domestic animals, such as sheep and milk production. Another important activity is forestry. The total area of forestry make up 1000636 acre, where 517680 acre of this is productive land for logging. Of the forested land, about 40% consists of spruce and 60% of pine. The main owner of the land is the Norwegian state, while the rest is divided between private land owners and some belongs to the company Engerdal kommuneskoger (KF), a subsidiary company owned by the municipality.

Tourism
Due to growth in building secondary residences in the municipality, recreation and leisure activities has become important for those visiting Engerdal and this have had a positive effect on the municipality's travel and tourism industry. Tourists visiting Engerdal will experience a great wilderness with outdoor activities and adventures. Today, a great complex of attractions, activities and museums will reflect the municipals long history and many of them have become important businesses for economic growth, also keeping the cultural heritage intact.

Museums
Blokkodden Villmarksmuseum is an outdoor museum situated along highway 26 in Drevsjø. Its aim is to document the historical exploitation of the wilderness and natural resources in the municipal. You will experience the cultural heritage dated all the way back from the 1700th century and you will get an impression of how people lived and worked here in the past.

Engerdal is the only municipality in Innlandet county with a full-time working Sami community, and it marks the current southernmost border of the traditional Sami region, Sápmi, within Norway. The museum, therefore, exhibits artifacts and buildings from this culture. The museum is open everyday from 1 July to 12 August. Guided tours are available and people can participate in special local arrangements, such as learning about "Falkefangst". About 300–400 years ago, this was a way of hunting Falcons in the mountains.

Attractions
In 1886 the steamship company Fæmund was established, and they invested in a wooden steamship, which today holds the same name: M/S Femund II. From then and still going today, the steamship cargos important goods for the locals and has become an important transportation for tourists wanting to visit the national parks along the lake.

Notable people

 * Egil Hylleraas (1898 in Engerdal – 1965), a distinguished Norwegian theoretical physicist
 * Gjermund Eggen (1941 in Engerdal – 2019), a Norwegian cross-country skier who won three gold medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1966
 * Reidar Åsgård (born 1943), a Norwegian politician and mayor of Engerdal
 * Ola D. Gløtvold (born 1949 in Engerdal), a Norwegian politician and mayor of Engerdal

title: Engerdal


text:
Tolga

Tolga may refer to:

People

 * Tolga (given name), a given name of Turkish origin
 * Nazlı Tolga, a Turkish-Dutch journalist and television host

Places

 * Tolga, Algeria, a municipality in Biskra Province, Algeria
 * Tolga District, a district of Biskra Province, Algeria
 * Tolga, Norway, a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway
 * Tolga (village), a village in Tolga municipality in Innlandet county, Norway
 * Tolga Church, a church in Tolga municipality in Innlandet county, Norway
 * Tolga, Queensland, a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia
 * Tolga Mountains, the old Turkish name for the Altai Mountains

Other

 * HMAS Tolga, an auxiliary minesweeper which served in the Royal Australian Navy during World War II

title: Tolga


text:
Tynset

Tynset is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Tynset. Other villages in Tynset include Fådalen, Fåset, Telneset, Tylldalen, and Yset.

The 1880 km2 municipality is the 43rd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Tynset is the 166th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 5,628. The municipality's population density is 3.1 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 1% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The parish of Tønsæt was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). In 1864, the southern part of the municipality (population: 3,216) was separated to form the new municipality of Lille-Elvdal. This left Tynset with 2,975 residents. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1966, the neighboring municipality of Kvikne was dissolved and on that date the southern part of Kvikne (population: 664) was merged into Tynset municipality. On 1 January 1970, the Garlia farm (population: 5) was transferred from Tynset to the neighboring Rennebu Municipality (which also meant switching from Hedmark county to Sør-Trøndelag county). On 1 January 1984, the unpopulated Spekedalen area was transferred from Tynset to the neighboring Rendalen Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Tynset farm (Tunnusetr) since the first Tynset Church was built there. The first element is the genitive case of the river name Tunna (now spelled Tonna). The meaning of the river name is not known. The last element is which means "mountain pasture" or "farm". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Tønset (pronounced Teunset with the "eu" diphthong equivalent to that in the French word bleu). On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Tynset.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 18 October 1985. The official blazon is "Azure, a moose head issuant argent" (I blått et oppvoksende sølv elghode). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a stylized moose head extending up from the base of the escutcheon. The moose head 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 design was chosen to symbolize the abundance of moose in the area. The arms were designed by Nils Aas. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has four parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Tynset. It is part of the Nord-Østerdal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

Geography
Tynset is the urban centre for the northern Østerdalen part of Innlandet county in the central area of mainland Norway. Tynset lies in the upper quadrant of Norway's longest valley, Østerdalen at an elevation of approximately 480 m above sea level. To the northeast lies the municipality of Tolga; south of Tynset are Rendalen and Alvdal municipalities; and to the west is Folldal municipality. In the neighboring county of Trøndelag, Tynset is bordered to the north by the municipalities of Rennebu and Midtre Gauldal, and to the west by Oppdal municipality.

Tynset is known for its vast areas of forest and mountain, which are ideal for skiing, walking, cycling, hunting, and fishing. In many areas are signposted paths and ski tracks are ploughed in winter. The river Glåma has several side rivers including the Sivilla and Ya. The Fådalen valley and the lake Savalen have many tourist activities. The lakes Innerdalsvatnet and Falningsjøen also lie in the municipality.

Tynset has many wildlife areas including the geological formation at Ripan and Gammeldalen. At Ripan, there is a lake formed by glaciation during the last ice age and at Gammeldalen there are some beautifully formed corries from the same period.

Tynset has many historic mountain farms (seter) that are still in use in the high parts of the countryside. It is possible to visit these farms while hiking. Tynset municipality also rents chalets, which used to belong to some of these mountain farms.

Government
Tynset 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 Østre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Tynset 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
This is a list of the mayors (ordfører) of Tynset since it was established on 1 January 1838.

 * 1838-1839: Ansten Embretsen
 * 1839-1843: Andreas Lie Bull
 * 1843-1847: Ansten Embretsen
 * 1847-1849: Nils Nilsen
 * 1849-1851: Ole J. Hansen
 * 1851-1855: Ole Madsen Fløtten
 * 1855-1857: Ole J. Hansen
 * 1857-1869: Jon Steen
 * 1869-1873: Melchior Tangen
 * 1873-1893: Lars Hektoen
 * 1893-1898: Tore Aaen
 * 1899-1901: Ole J. Steen
 * 1902-1904: Tore Aaen
 * 1905-1910: Ole J. Steen
 * 1910-1919: Hans Bakker (V)
 * 1920-1928: Olaf Rønning (V)
 * 1929-1934: Hans E. Eggen (Bp)
 * 1935-1940: Bersvend Ordertrøen (V)
 * 1941-1945: Per N. Mælen (NS)
 * 1945-1945: Bersvend Ordertrøen (V)
 * 1946-1947: Bernhard Øyan (Ap)
 * 1948-1951: Bersvend Ordertrøen (V)
 * 1952-1956: Per E. Hansæl (Bp)
 * 1957-1959: Annar Aaen (Bp)
 * 1959-1971: Per Often (Sp)
 * 1971-1987: Per N. Hagen (Sp)
 * 1987-1991: Gunnar Jacobsen (Ap)
 * 1991-1999: Olav Distad (Sp)
 * 1999-2005: Dag Henrik Sandbakken (Sp)
 * 2005-2007: Borgar Valle (Sp)
 * 2007-2015: Bersvend Salbu (SV)
 * 2015–present: Merete Myhre Moen (Sp)

Climate
Tynset has a boreal climate (continental subarctic climate). Situated inland on the valley floor at 480 meter altitude and sheltered by mountain ranges, Tynset can see strong inversion for long periods. The all-time low is −46.6 C from 1 February 1912, (Tynset-Åkrann), and the January record low is −46.1 C from 1 January 1979. In the European cold snap of January 2010 Tynset recorded low of −42.4 C. Tynset has recorded the coldest June low for a town in mainland Norway with −7.9 C on 1 June 1907. The all-time high is 31.4 C recorded 25 June 2020, while July has seen 31.3 C on 27 July 2008. Tynset sees sparse precipitation with only 440 mm annually, with February - April as the driest season.

Transportation
The municipality can be reached via railroad, road, and air. The main Norwegian National Road 3 runs through the municipality (it is the shortest route between the cities of Oslo and Trondheim). The Rondevegen road connects Tynset to Lillehammer (to the south), Røros (to the northeast), and continues further into Sweden. County Road 30, which passes through Rendalen, also continues through Tynset into Sweden. The Rørosbanen railway line connects Tynset with the major cities of Oslo and Trondheim. Røros Airport, 55 km away, is part of the national network. Tynset also hosts an aerodrome that is used by smaller aircraft.

Kickers
Tynset produces the traditional Norwegian form of transportation, the "kicker" (spark). It is made in two versions: Rappen and Tarzan. The world's largest kicker is located in the Tynset Square in the village of Tynset. This sculpture is four times the size of a normal kicker.

Economy
With a population of about 5,400 people, Tynset is the urban centre of the Nord-Østerdalen region. Although it is a modern business and shopping centre with a wide variety of commercial activities, agriculture and forestry are still the traditional ways of making a living. Municipal administration and service industries, such as the computer industry, law, finance, and construction are also beginning to play an increasing role. Tynset has most of the functions of a regional centre because of its schools and hospital, and many of the region's intermunicipal services have naturally been positioned in Tynset: The Family Centre, Centre for School Psychology, and others. A factory in Tynset used to produce latex Troll souvenirs, but production moved abroad and it no longer does this.

Culture
Tynset has a rich cultural life with a huge range of organisations in sports, music, drama, the arts, and youth work. The Centre for The Arts (kulturhuset) opened in 1988. The centre houses concerts, plays, a cinema, library, art exhibitions, rehearsals, reunions, conferences, and festivals. The Kulturhuset also has a café.
 * Kulturhuset

Tynset's first sports hall (Tynsethallen) was built in 1986. A second sports hall (Holmenhallen) was opened ten years later. A swimming pool and smaller gymnastics gall in the building connects them to form a complete set of sports facilities.
 * Tynsethallene

Savalen is known internationally for its speed skating ice rink, where many national and international records have been achieved. Savalen has also developed a football pitch, an arena for Nordic skiing and biathlon, a roller skiing track, an alpine area, and 90 km of cross-country skiing tracks. The Savalen area has become a place that is specially designed for the handicapped, which includes wheelchair paths and a specially equipped fishing pier. Savalen has become a well-known holiday and vacation area.
 * Savalen

Tynset had one of Norway's very first pro skateboard vert ramp, it was constructed 1981-82 by Erik Snedsbøl and located in the forest near Tela Sag & Høvleri on Telneset. It was one of the first pro vert-ramp's during the prohibition period (1978–89) in Norway. From 7 September 1978 to 9 May 1989, skateboarding was completely banned in Norway. At that time, Norway was the only country in the world where it was forbidden to sell, buy or stand on a skateboard. The ban was introduced by the Nordli government and lifted by the Brundtland government, both emanating from Arbeiderpartiet (Norwegian Labour Party). Snedsbøl's skateboard ramp was the first to get permission for use in Norway during the prohibition period, and contributed to the softening of the Law of Norway. The newspaper Arbeidets Rett by Jan E. Øvergård published an article on 12 October 1983. The ramp was later published in the Swedish skateboard magazine Uppåt Väggarna (no. 5/6, 1983).
 * Early Skateboard in Norway

Notable people

 * Anders Rambech (1767 in Kvikne – 1836), a district stipendiary magistrate and politician
 * Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (1832 in Kvikne – 1910), a poet and writer who received the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature.
 * Odd Aukrust (1915 in Tynset – 2008), a Norwegian economist
 * Olav Gjærevoll (1916 Tynset – 1994), a botanist, academic and politician
 * Fridtjof Frank Gundersen (1934 in Tynset – 2011), a professor of jurisprudence and politician
 * Gert Nygårdshaug (born 1946 at Tynset), an author of poems, children's books and crime novels
 * Erik Snedsbøl (born 1965 Stavnäs, Sweden), an artist, photographer, writer, musician, skateboarder, Straight edge
 * Bersvend Salbu (born 1968), a Norwegian farmer, politician and Mayor of Tynset 2007-2015
 * Ellen Brekken (born 1985 in Tynset), a jazz musician, plays upright bass, bass guitar and the tuba

Sport

 * Willy Olsen (born 1950 in Tynset), a retired speed skater, competed at the 1972 Winter Olympics
 * Solrun Flatås (born 1967 in Tynset), a cyclist, competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics
 * Tor Halvor Bjørnstad (born 1978), a retired cross-country skier, biathlete and winter triathlete; lives in Tynset
 * Kai Olav Ryen (born 1978 in Tynset), a footballer with 223 club caps
 * Ole Erik Midtskogen (born 1995 in Tynset), a footballer playing for Eliteserien club Odds Ballklubb

Attractions
The following are some of the attractions in the area. The distance from the municipal center of Tynset is shown.
 * Kvikne Mines in Odden. The remains of mining operations begun in 1632. (60 min.)
 * Kvikne Church. A cruciform timber church built in 1652, with a richly decorated interior. The altar is an example of one of Norway's finest Renaissance altarpieces and the church is adorned with staves (planks) on which one can see Viking graffiti, an 11th-century crucifix and other artifacts from the Viking period. (45 min.)
 * Vollan Farm and Chapel. The farm was originally built in the mining period, the earliest part of which dates from the 17th century. This is one of the few farms in the country with its own private chapel. (45 min.)
 * Vollandagan: An annual festival connected with the traditional life of Vollan.
 * Bjørgan parsonage, Kvikne. The birthplace of the author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson. (50 min.)
 * Soapstone quarry, Kvikneskogen, dates from 400 to 600 BC. (30 min. + 45 min. on foot).
 * Røstvangen Mines. The remains of a mining community from the beginning of the 20th century. It survived for only 17 years and was ruined by the greatest bankruptcy of the period. (25 min. + 15 min. on foot).
 * Eidsfossen Power Station, a decommissioned hydroelectric plant 5 km south of Yset that formerly powered the Røstvangen Mines.
 * Tynset Bygdemuseum. Tynset's village museum is 1 kilometer from the town centre and contains exemplar housing from early times to the present.
 * Tynset Church. An octagonal church that was built in 1795 by the architect of a larger example in Røros. The church displays a fine, gilded pulpit over the altar, which is peculiar to this area of Norway. A smaller copy of this church was built in 1825 as Bardu Church inb Bardu in the northern county of Troms by the contractor (and native of Tynset) Ola Olsen Lundberg and is accurate many details.
 * Ramsmoen museumssenter: Exhibitions throughout the year, located in the centre of Tynset.
 * Garborgdagan. An annual festival built around the work of the authors Hulda Garborg and Arne Garborg. Held in Tynset kulturhus and at Kolbotn, Garborg's home for many years.
 * Tynsetutstillinga. An annual exhibition held in Galleri Elgen in Tynset kulturhus, featuring well-known Norwegian artists.
 * Tylldalen Church. Built in 1736, the rich wall painting survived the puritan period by being painted over, thus preserving its original colours. A fine altar dominates the sanctuary and fine ceiling paintings, displaying the Swedish royal arms, make this a fine example of Norwegian late-baroque architecture.
 * Tylldalen bygdetun. Tylldalen's village museum (20 min.) A biennial play for St. Olav's Day is Norway's second oldest historical outdoor play.

title: Tynset


text:
Alvdal

Alvdal is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Alvdal. Other villages include Barkald, Plassmoen, and Strømmen. The municipality is located to the south of Tynset, north and west of Rendalen, north of Stor-Elvdal, and east of Folldal.

The Rørosbane railway and the Norwegian National Road 3 both pass through Alvdal.

The 942 km2 municipality is the 124th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Alvdal is the 253rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,493. The municipality's population density is 2.7 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 1.8% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
In 1864, the parish of Lille-Elvdal (later renamed "Alvdal") was separated from Tynset Municipality to become a separate municipality of its own. Initially, the new municipality had a population of 3,216. On 1 January 1914, the western part of Alvdal (population: 2,284) was separated to become the new Folldal Municipality. This left Alvdal with 2,135 residents.

Name
The area was historically known as Elvdalen or Øvre Elvdalen ((øfri) Elfardalr). The first element is meaning "upper", the next part is the genitive case of  which means "river", and the last element is  which means "valley" or "dale". Thus the name means "(upper) river valley", referring to the upper part of the Glåma river valley. When the municipality was established in 1864, it was named Lille Elvdalen, which meant "Little" Elvdalen in order to distinguish it from the nearby Store Elvedalen municipality ("the large Elvedalen"). On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Alvdal, to better represent the local pronunciation of the name.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 25 November 1988. The official blazon is "Azure, two skis in bend issuant from base sinister" (I blått to skrått framvoksende sølv ski). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a set of two diagonal skis. The charge 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 design symbolizes the history and importance of skiing in the area. One of the oldest pairs of skis discovered by archeologists in Norway was found in Alvdal. The skis were dated to about 500 AD. The arms were designed by Helge Ness from Alvdal. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Alvdal. It is part of the Nord-Østerdal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

Geography
Alvdal is bordered by Tynset to the north, Rendalen to the east and south, Stor-Elvdal to the south, and Folldal to the west. The highest mountain in the municipality is Storsølnkletten at 1827 m tall. Another mountain in Alvdal is Tronfjell. The lake Savalen is partially located in Alvdal. The rivers Sivilla and Glåma both flow through the municipality. The Jutulhogget canyon is located in this municipality as well.

Economy
Agriculture and forestry are the most important industries in Alvdal. The municipality rented public land to a bitcoin mining operation. In 2022, the municipality decided not to continue renting land to this company since no jobs were created from that enterprise, although one local company did some service work on occasion at the site. In 2023, the municipality was sued for NOK4 million by the operator of the former bitcoin mining facility (on municipal property).

Government
Alvdal 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 Østre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Alvdal 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 Alvdal:

 * 1864-1865: Fritz Emil Aas
 * 1866-1873: Morten Mortensen
 * 1874-1881: Fritz Emil Aas
 * 1882-1883: Johan Steien
 * 1884-1891: Morten Mortensen
 * 1892-1893: Johan Steien
 * 1894-1895: Morten Sandvold
 * 1896-1898: P. Randmæl
 * 1899-1901: Jacob Stamoen
 * 1902-1904: P. Randmæl
 * 1905-1907: Haldo Müller
 * 1908-1910: P. Randmæl
 * 1911-1916: Per Hoel
 * 1917-1919: P. Randmæl
 * 1920-1922: Per Hoel
 * 1923-1925: Arne Mellesmo
 * 1926-1931: Per Hoel
 * 1932-1934: Martin Müller
 * 1935-1942: Olav Nyeggen
 * 1942-1945: Embret Mellesmo
 * 1946-1955: Harald Reinertsen
 * 1956-1963: Eivind Kveberg
 * 1963-1967: Lars Holen
 * 1968-1969: Oddgeir Skarpsno
 * 1970-1971: Asmund Westgård
 * 1972-1979: Kåre Blystad
 * 1980-1983: Per Arnfinn Bergebakken (Sp)
 * 1984-1991: Sverre Dalen (Sp)
 * 1991-1995: Sverre Sørbø (Sp)
 * 1995-1999: Per Hvamstad (Sp)
 * 1999-2007: Svein Borkhus (Ap)
 * 2007-2011: Olov Grøtting (Sp)
 * 2011-2015: Svein Borkhus (Ap)
 * 2015-2019: Johnny Hagen (Ap)
 * 2019–present: Mona Murud (Sp)

Notable people

 * Ivar Mortensson-Egnund (1857–1934), a Norwegian author, journalist, theologian, researcher, translator, writer, philosopher, and advocate of nynorsk
 * Lars Olsen Aukrust (1886–1965), a Norwegian farmer and politician
 * Arvid Nilssen (1913–1976), a Norwegian actor, revue artist, singer, and comedian
 * Kjell Aukrust (1920–2002), a Norwegian author, humourist, poet, and artist; the Huset Aukrust, (Norwegian Wiki) is dedicated to him and he is famous for creating the fictional Norwegian village of Flåklypa and its cast of idiosyncratic characters
 * Ola Jonsmoen (born 1932), a Norwegian educator, poet, novelist, and children's writer
 * Svein Borkhus (born 1955), a Norwegian politician and Mayor of Alvdal from 1999 to 2007
 * Olov Grøtting (born 1960), a Norwegian politician and Mayor of Alvdal from 2007 to 2011
 * Anne Nørdsti (born 1977), a Norwegian dansband singer who was influenced by country music

Sport

 * Per Samuelshaug (1905–1990), a Norwegian cross-country skier who participated at the 1936 Winter Olympics
 * Kristian Bjørn (1919–1993), a Norwegian cross-country skier who competed at the 1948 Winter Olympics
 * Torgeir Bjørn (born 1964), a retired Norwegian cross-country skier who competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics
 * Harald Stormoen (born 1980), a retired Norwegian footballer with over 200 club caps

title: Alvdal


text:
Folldal

Folldal is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Folldal. The municipality was established in 1914 when it was separated from Alvdal Municipality.

Folldal is bordered on the north by Oppdal and Tynset municipalities, in the east by Alvdal municipality, in the south by Stor-Elvdal, Sør-Fron and Sel municipalities, and in the west by Dovre municipality. Mining at the Folldal mines was the main industry for Folldal's residents from the 18th century until the last mine related operation in 1993.

The 1277 km2 municipality is the 79th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Folldal is the 301st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,519. The municipality's population density is 1.2 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 8.2% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
Historically, the parish of Folldal was a part of Alvdal Municipality since 1838 (see Formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1914, the parish of Folldal was separated from Alvdal to become a separate municipality. Initially, Folldal had a population of 2,284. On 1 January 1970, the three western farms at Børgsungsætri (population: 11) were transferred from the neighboring Dovre Municipality (in Oppland county) to Folldal Municipality (in Hedmark county). On 28 September 1990, a small, unpopulated part of Sør-Fron Municipality (in Oppland county) was transferred to Folldal Municipality (in Hedmark county).

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Folldal farm since the first Folldal Church was built there. The first element comes from the name of the local river Folla which has an unknown meaning (perhaps something like "the broad one"). The last element is which means "valley" or "dale". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Folldalen. On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Folldal.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 21 September 1988. The official blazon is "Gules, a pickaxe Or in bend issuant from base sinister" (I rødt en skrått framvoksende gull hakke). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a diagonal pickaxe. The pickaxe 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 the mining and agriculture industries in the municipality. The pickaxe was an important tool of miners and thus symbolizes the mining industry, which was the reason for Folldal municipality to be established in 1914. There was mining activity in the Folldal area from 1748 until 1993. The pickaxe also stands for farming as it was an essential tool in clearing the ground for farms in Folldal back when the area was first settled. The arms were designed by Sverre Morken. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has two parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Folldal. It is part of the Nord-Østerdal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

The main Folldal Church was historically a satellite church of the nearby Lesja Church, as was the church at the iron ore mines at Lesjaverk (Lesja Iron Works). Per Berg reports, "'When the sexton Ola Kring died in Lesja in 1751, Frederik Wiborg was appointed sexton there and was presented to the congregation on the third Sunday following Trinity. There certainly wasn't anything very special about being a teacher in Ringsaker, if he was willing to change that for being a sexton. No house or land went with the post and the work was hard. In the Lesja parish there were three satellite churches - Lesjeverk, Dovre, and Folldal. The travel distances were great and it could be very difficult in the winter.'"

History
Mining has been important to Folldal's development from the 18th century to the present. The Folldal works (Folldal Verk) was founded in 1748. Folldal's main copper mine, Gammelgruva, also opened in 1748. The mine employed up to 550 people. Until 1878, ore was transported by horse-drawn vehicles to the Lovise smelter located in neighboring Alvdal municipality. From 1878 to 1906 there was a lull in operations. Operations were restarted in 1906 when ore was transported by a 34 km long cable car (Northern Europe's longest) to the smelter. The main mine played out and was closed in 1941. Smelting continued using ore from several other deposits in the area until 1968. Then the mining and ore dressing moved to Tverrfjellet at Hjerkinn, in neighboring Dovre municipality, approximately 30 km from Folldal. The business was closed in 1993.

Government
Folldal 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 Østre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Folldal 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 Folldal (incomplete list):

 * 1972-1987: Håvard Bonesvoll (Sp)
 * 1987-1999: Erling Brandsnes (Ap)
 * 1999-2003: Hans Einar Thompson (Ap)
 * 2003-2011: Eva Tørhaug (Ap)
 * 2011-2015: Egil Eide (Sp)
 * 2015–2019: Hilde F. Tveråen (Ap)
 * 2019–present: Kristin Langtjernet (Ap)

Geography
Folldal is located along the northern border of Innlandet county. It is bordered in the northwest by Oppdal (in Trøndelag county). The rest of the surrounding municipalities are all in Innlandet county. The municipality of Tynset lies to the northeast, Alvdal is to the east, Stor-Elvdal is to the southeast, Sør-Fron and Sel are to the south, and Dovre is to the west.

Folldal Municipality is notable because the village of Folldal, its administrative center, has the highest elevation (712.5 m above sea level) of all administrative centres in Norway. The village has picturesque scenery with mountains and valleys. The village lies at the foot of Rondeslottet mountain and Snøhetta mountain.

The area also has many interesting geologic features from the last Ice Age. Norway's longest seter valley, the 55 km long Einunndalen, lies within the municipality. The Einunndalen valley is still actively used for summer grazing at the seters (mountain summer farms) established in the 1700s. Almost half of the municipal land is protected as conservation areas and national parks, including parts that are included in the Rondane National Park and Dovre National Park.

A national tourist road, the Norwegian County Road 27, runs through the municipality.

Climate
Folldal has a subarctic climate (Dfc) with short, cool summers and long, cold winters. Situated in a mountain valley on the southern, continental side of the Dovre mountain range at 694 m above sea level, it has the coldest winters in the southern half of Norway.

Outdoors
Folldal offers a wide variety of outdoor activities. Hiking is good with marked trails and several cabins to visit. Fishing can be done in the rivers Folla, Einunna, or Glomma. The opportunities for hunting in the area are also good.

Notable people

 * Ivar Mortensson-Egnund (1857–1934), a Norwegian author, journalist, theologian, researcher, translator, writer, philosopher, and advocate of nynorsk who lived at Einabu in Folldal from 1894
 * Olav Dalgard (1898 in Folldal – 1980), a literary and art historian, filmmaker, author, and educator
 * Tore Segelcke (1901–1979), an actress who spent many summers in Folldal after 1969
 * Olav Odden (1914 in Folldal – 1969), a Norwegian skier, competed in cross-country skiing and Nordic combined at the 1948 Winter Olympics
 * Erling Brandsnes (born 1945 in Folldal), a Norwegian politician and mayor of Folldal from 1987-1999
 * Hans Einar Krokan (born 1945 in Folldal), a Norwegian physician and cancer researcher
 * Svein Borkhus (born 1955 in Dalholen), a Norwegian politician and mayor of Alvdal from 1999-2007 and from 2011

title: Folldal


text:
Os, Innlandet

Os is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Os i Østerdalen. The municipality is located to the west of the municipality of Røros and to the south of the municipalities of Midtre Gauldal and Holtålen in Trøndelag county. In Innlandet county, Os is located to the west of the municipality of Tolga and to the north of the municipality of Engerdal.

The 1040 km2 municipality is the 110th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Os is the 288th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,844. The municipality's population density is 1.8 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 9.4% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The parish of Os was historically part of Tolga Municipality. On 1 July 1926 the parish of Os (population: 1,936) was separated from Tolga to become a separate municipality. In 1927, a small area of Tolga (population: 18) was transferred to the municipality of Os. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1966, the municipality of Os (population: 2,015) was merged with the municipality of Tolga (population: 1,944) to form the new municipality of Tolga-Os. This arrangement was not well-liked by the local residents so after a few years, the municipalities began to ask to undo the merger. On 1 January 1976, the merger was reversed and the municipalities of Os (population: 1,859) and Tolga (population: 1,865) were re-established using their old boundaries.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Os farm (Óss) since the first Os Church was built there in 1703. The name is identical with the word which means "mouth of a river" (here it is referring to the Vangrøfta river running out into the Glomma river).

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 9 July 1993. The official blazon is "Vert, three bells Or" (I grønt tre gull bjeller, 2-1). This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is three cowbells (two over one). The charge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The design symbolizes both traditional and modern business life in the mountain municipality of Os. At the same time, the design is intended to signal hope for the future. The three bells are an image of unity and cooperation between the three main parts of the municipality. The arms were designed by Kjell Akeren. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms, although the bells are slightly off centre, closer to the flagpole.

Churches
The Church of Norway has three parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Os. It is part of the Nord-Østerdal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

Government
Os 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 Østre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Os 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 of Os:

 * 1926-1931: Hans Narjord (V)
 * 1932-1934: Sigvart Odden (Bp)
 * 1935-1937: Hans Narjord (V)
 * 1938-1940: Sigvart Odden (Bp)
 * 1941-1945: Jørgen Øian (NS)
 * 1945-1955: Olav Hummelvold (Bp)
 * 1956-1959: John Holm (Bp)
 * 1960-1965: Olav Hummelvold (Bp)
 * (1966-1975: Part of Tolga-Os Municipality)
 * 1976–1985: Tore Christoffersen (Ap)
 * 1986–1993: Inge Kroken (Ap)
 * 1995-2007: Arnfinn Nergård (Sp)
 * 2007-2011: Arne Grue (Ap)
 * 2011-2015: Arnfinn Nergård (Sp)
 * 2015–2023: Runa Finborud (Sp)
 * 2023–present: Ivar Midtdal (Sp)

Geography
Lakes in the region include Flensjøen, Femunden, and Siksjøen. The mountains Forollhogna and Håmmålsfjellet are located in Os. The large river Glomma runs through the northern part of the municipality.

Notable people

 * Arnfinn Nergård (born 1952), a Norwegian politician who was mayor of Os and also county mayor of Hedmark

Sport

 * Annar Ryen (1909 in Os – 1985), a Norwegian cross-country skier
 * Viggo Sundmoen (born 1954 in Os), a Norwegian former footballer with 150 club caps
 * Randi Langøigjelten (born 1957), a retired Norwegian middle-distance runner
 * Therese Johaug (born 1988 in Os), a Norwegian cross-country skier and three-time Olympic medallist
 * Jon Aukrust Osmoen (born 1992 in Os), a Norwegian orienteering competitor

title: Os, Innlandet


text:
Gjøvik

Gjøvik is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Toten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Gjøvik. Some of the villages in Gjøvik include Biri, Bybrua, and Hunndalen.

The 671 km2 municipality is the 169th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Gjøvik is the 35th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 30,563. The municipality's population density is 48.6 PD/km2 and its population has increased by 3.9% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
Historically, the village of Gjøvik was part of the parish and municipality of Vardal. On 1 January 1861, the village was granted kjøpstad (town) status. At that time, the village was separated from Vardal to form a separate municipality given its new status as a town. Initially, the new town and municipality of Gjøvik had 626 residents. On 1 July 1921, a part of Vardal municipality located just outside the town of Gjøvik (population: 723) was annexed into the town.

Again, on 1 January 1955, another part of Vardal (population: 1,372) was transferred to the town. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the neighboring rural municipalities of Biri (population: 3,274), Snertingdal (population: 2,471), and most of Vardal (population: 9,612) were all merged with the town of Gjøvik (population: 8,251) to form the new, larger Gjøvik Municipality.

Etymology
The municipality (originally the town) is named after the old Gjøvik farm (Djúpvík). The first element is which means "deep". The last element is which means "small bay" or "inlet".

Coat of arms
The original coat of arms was granted in 1922 and it was in use until 2 September 1960 when a new coat of arms was put into use. The diagonal division of the shield shows green and white to symbolise the dark forests around the (light) city. The vertical wavy pale symbolises the Hunnselva river that runs into the lake Mjøsa (the largest lake in Norway). At the same time the pale also symbolizes a linden tree (which has no known symbolism). The linden tree has yellow leaves over the green background and red leaves over the white background. The arms included the statement Vis et voluntas (meaning "force and will") on the lower part of the shield. The base of the design was meant to look like both water (the lake) and also a so-called "potpourri" vase, the most significant design of the glassworks factory that was the founding industry of the town. Photo of the old arms.

The current coat of arms was granted on 2 September 1960 to replace an older coat of arms. The official blazon is "Azure, a swan naiant argent" (På blå bunn en svømmende sølv svane). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a swimming swan (Cygnus cygnus). The swan 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 swan is a symbol for the side-wheel steamer Skiblander, often called the "white swan of Mjøsa", which is usually docked in the town harbor. The arms were designed by Finn Krafft. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has seven parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Gjøvik. It is part of the Toten prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

Gjøvik Church is the main church for the municipality. It was designed by architect Jacob Wilhelm Nordan. The wooden structure was built between 1881 and 1882. Both the church buildings and fixtures are designed in Gothic Revival architecture. The exterior of the church has contrasting colors on wall surfaces and bearing structures. The altarpiece was painted by artist, Asta Nørregaard. The churchyard has a monument dedicated to the memory of Lutheran missionary, Paul Olaf Bodding. The church was restored during 1927, 1960, 2004-2005 and in 2009.

Geography
Along with Hamar, Lillehammer, Brumunddal, and Moelv, Gjøvik is one of the many towns bordering Norway's biggest lake, Mjøsa. The town administration of Gjøvik also includes the suburb area Hunndalen and the rural districts of Biri, Snertingdal, and Vardal.

Gjøvik is bordered on the north by Lillehammer Municipality, in the south by Østre Toten Municipality and Vestre Toten Municipality, and in the west by Søndre Land Municipality and Nordre Land Municipality. Across Lake Mjøsa to the east lies Ringsaker Municipality.

The highest point is Ringsrudåsen with a height of 842 m.

Economy
Gjøvik owes much of its early growth to the local glassworks, which were established there by Caspar Kauffeldt in 1807. In the early 19th century, there was considerable immigration there from Valdres and Western Norway, aiding Gjøvik's growth. The village of Gjøvik was granted kjøpstad status in 1861, making it a town and self-governing municipality. Later, O. Mustad & Son became one of the world's largest manufacturers of fish hooks.

Today dolphitech, Hoff Potetindustrier, Hunton Fiber, and Natre Vinduer are some of the industrial companies operating from Gjøvik. The town is also a port for the former traffic ship, Skibladner, which is now a tourist ship.

The local paper is the Oppland Arbeiderblad. It was formerly a Labour Party newspaper. Defunct newspapers include Oplændingen and Velgeren (Labour Democrat/Liberal), Samhold (Liberal, later Agrarian) and Ny Dag (Communist).

Gjøvik has two notable hotels, the Grand hotel and the Strand hotel.

There have been three notable concerts held in Gjøvik's history, which starred Toto, Robbie Williams and Bryan Adams (June 2011).

Government
Gjøvik 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 Vestre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Gjøvik is made up of 41 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 Gjøvik:

 * 1861–1872: Adolph Martin Lund
 * 1873-1873: Peter Soelberg
 * 1874-1874: Martin Opsahl
 * 1875–1879: Adolph Martin Lund
 * 1879–1884: Haagen Skattum (H)
 * 1885–1888: Mathias Wildaasen (V)
 * 1889-1889: Hans O. Eger (V)
 * 1890-1890: Andreas Slettum
 * 1891–1893: Fredrik Fischer (H)
 * 1894-1894: Christian Nygaard (V)
 * 1895–1896: Anders Østbye (V)
 * 1897-1898: Fredrik Fischer (H)
 * 1898–1899: Anders Østbye (V)
 * 1900-1900: Fredrik Fischer (H)
 * 1901-1901: Anders Østbye (V)
 * 1902–1904: Alf Mjøen (V)
 * 1905-1905: Fredrik Fischer (H)
 * 1906-1906: Adolf Houg (V)
 * 1907-1907: Fredrik Fischer (H)
 * 1908-1908: Leif Castberg (AD)
 * 1909-1909: Adolf Skattum (H)
 * 1910–1916: Leif Castberg (AD)
 * 1917–1922: Johan Granvin (H)
 * 1923–1941: Niels Ødegaard (Ap)
 * 1941–1945: John Lærum (NS)
 * 1945–1967: Niels Ødegaard (Ap)
 * 1968–1978: Nils Røstadstuen (Ap)
 * 1978–1981: Alf Iversen (Ap)
 * 1982–1991: Martin Stikbakke (Ap)
 * 1992–2000: Tore Hagebakken (Ap)
 * 2000–2001: Kåre Haugen (Ap)
 * 2001–2005: Tore Hagebakken (Ap)
 * 2005–2007: Kåre Haugen (Ap)
 * 2007–2019: Bjørn Iddberg (Ap)
 * 2019–2023: Torvild Sveen (Sp)
 * 2023-present: Anne Bjertnæs (H)

Attractions

 * The world's largest arena excavated in rock, called Gjøvik Olympic Hall (Fjellhallen), is located in Gjøvik. It was one of the sites of the Lillehammer Winter Olympics ice hockey games in 1994.
 * Gjøvik farm
 * Gjøvik glassworks
 * Eiktunet cultural-history museum
 * The world's oldest paddle steamer still on a regular schedule, the PS Skibladner
 * Biri Travbane

Public Service & public thinking

 * Anders Lysgaard (1756–1827), a farmer and representative at the Norwegian Constituent Assembly
 * Hans Schikkelstad (1789–1843), a farmer and politician who founded O. Mustad & Søn
 * Balthazar Mathias Keilhau (1797–1858), a Norwegian geologist and mountain pioneer
 * Hans Mustad (1837–1918), a Norwegian businessperson who shaped the company O. Mustad & Son
 * Johan Castberg (1862–1926), a jurist and politician in Gjøvik from 1890-1900
 * Paul Olaf Bodding (1865–1938), a missionary to India memorialized by monument at Gjøvik church
 * Ole Evinrude (1877–1934), a Norwegian-American who invented the first practical outboard motor
 * Niels Ødegaard (1892–1976), an educator, newspaper editor, and politician
 * Harold Harby (1894–1978), a city council member in Los Angeles, California
 * Arne Austeen DFC (1911–1945), a Norwegian flying ace who was killed in WWII
 * Ragnhild A. Lothe (born 1958), a microbiologist and cancer researcher
 * Hans Olav Lahlum (born 1973), an historian, crime author, chess player, and politician

The Arts

 * Finn Lange (1895–1976), a Norwegian actor
 * Georg Adelly (1919–1997), a Swedish film actor
 * Torbjørn Sunde (born 1954), a jazz trombonist and former speed-skater
 * Kjell Ola Dahl (born 1958), an author of Nordic noir crime novels
 * Per A. Borglund (born 1961), a Norwegian newspaper and magazine editor
 * Per Elvestuen (born 1962), a Norwegian illustrator
 * Mai Britt Normann (born 1966), a Norwegian singer-songwriter
 * Eirik Hegdal (bornr 1973), a jazz saxophonist, composer, and leader of Trondheim Jazz Orchestra
 * Ali Pirzad-Amoli (born 1988), a pop singer-songwriter and rapper who goes by the stage name A-Lee
 * Anna Lotterud (born 1989), a singer-songwriter who goes by the stage name Anna of the North
 * Nora Foss al-Jabri (born 1996), a singer and participant in the Norwegian 2012 Eurovision Song Contest

Sport

 * Guttorm Berge (1929–2004), an Alpine skier, bronze medalist at the 1952 Winter Olympics
 * Roger Aandalen (born 1965), a Norwegian boccia player and paralympic medallist
 * Bente Nordby (born 1974), a former football goalkeeper with 172 caps with Norway women
 * Tord Linnerud (born 1974), a rallycross driver
 * Else-Marthe Sørlie Lybekk (born 1978), a retired team handball player and Olympic medallist
 * Gro Hammerseng (born 1980), a handball player and captain of the Norwegian national team
 * Ingvild Flugstad Østberg (born 1990), a cross-country skier and medallist at the 2014 Winter Olympics
 * Maren Lundby (born 1994), a successful ski jumper and gold medallist at the 2018 Winter Olympics

Twin towns – sister cities
Gjøvik is twinned with:
 * 🇸🇪 Gävle, Sweden
 * Næstved, Denmark
 * 🇫🇮 Rauma, Finland
 * 🇺🇸 Stoughton, United States

title: Gjøvik


text:
Lempäälä

Lempäälä is a municipality in Finland, located in the Pirkanmaa region. It lies south of the regional capital, Tampere. The population of Lempäälä is approximately 0, while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 0. It is the most populous municipality in Finland.

The municipality covers an area of undefined km2 of which undefined km2 is water. The population density is undefined PD/km2.

The centre of Lempäälä lies on an isthmus between Lakes Vanajavesi and Pyhäjärvi, which are connected by the Kuokkalankoski Rapids and the Lempäälä Canal, which was built in the 1870s and is still in use.

The first written reference to the parish of Lempäälä dates from 1430. The oldest building in the town is a medieval church named after Saint Birgitta, built in 1504. The only surviving item from the Middle Ages in the church is a wooden crucifix carved from birch.

Finnish writer Yrjö Kokko lived in Lempäälä and is buried in the cemetery.

Ideapark, the second largest shopping centre in the Nordic countries, is located in Lempäälä along the Helsinki-Tampere motorway (E12).

Kuokkala
Kuokkala is a neighbourhood to the north of Lempäälä town which houses a ’museoraitti’ (museum trail). Several buildings now house collections of historical items, including a shop museum (also a shop and information office), hairdressers & barbers, cobblers, WW2 memorabilia, household equipment, blacksmiths, carpenters, a 19th-century Finnish dwelling, and a special exhibit relating to the ex-Finnish region of Sakkola.

Politics
In the 2023 parliamentary elections, Lempäälä voted as such:

 * National Coalition Party - 26.0%
 * Finns Party - 22.0%
 * Social Democratic Party - 21.8%
 * Centre Party - 7.4%
 * Green League - 6.6%
 * Christian Democrats - 6.3%
 * Left Alliance - 4.4%
 * Movement Now - 3.1%
 * Freedom Alliance - 1.0%

Twin towns — Sister cities
Lempäälä is twinned with:

 * 🇸🇪 Ulricehamn, Sweden
 * 🇳🇴 Øvre Eiker, Norway
 * Kerteminde, Denmark
 * 🇭🇺 Tapolca, Hungary

Villages

 * Aimala

title: Lempäälä


text:
Dovre

Dovre is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Dovre. Other villages in Dovre include Dombås and Hjerkinn. The municipality is bordered on the north by Oppdal municipality (in Trøndelag county), on the east by Folldal, on the south by Sel and Vågå, and on the northwest by Lesja. The highest peak in the municipality is Snøhetta at a height of 2286 m.

The 1364 km2 municipality is the 69th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Dovre is the 252nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,466. The municipality's population density is 1.8 PD/km2 and its population has decreased by 9.6% over the previous 10-year period.

General information
The municipality of Dovre was established in 1861 when it was separated from the municipality of Lesja. Initially, the new municipality had 2,537 residents. On 1 January 1970, the three western farms at Bergsengseter (population: 11) were transferred from Dovre to the neighboring Folldal Municipality.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Dovre farm (Dofrar) since the first Dovre Church was built there. The name belongs to a group of Scandinavian toponyms that the Swedish linguist Elof Hellquist has derived from a Proto-Norse *đuƀra-, and linguists have further derived them from the old Proto-Indo-European root - (cf. PIE, "deep" ), a root that is also attested in German Topel ("forested valley") and Old Slavic dublŭ ("hole"). There are several place names in Denmark, Norway and Sweden that are identified as related to Dovre:
 * Denmark
 * Døvregaarde in the narrow valley Døvredal, in Bodilsker parish on Bornholm.
 * Dover a place with steep slopes in Lintrup parish in Haderslev amt.
 * Dovergaard located among deeply cut banks of a small stream, in Skipdsted parish near Aalborg.
 * Dover vestergaard, an old farm name, and the bay Doverkil, with hilly terrain, in Ydby parish, near Thisted.
 * Dover sogn a parish in Hjelmslev hundred in Århus amt. It has a hilly terrain with steep slopes.

 * Norway
 * Dovre herred. ON Dofrar was originally the name of an old farm and it later became the name for the entire hundred.
 * Dofrar was the name of a lost farm in Biri hundred, but it survives in the name of a local meadow Dåvreænga.
 * Døvre, where the name is derived from dofrar and vin ("meadow").

 * Sweden
 * Dovra sjöar ("lakes of Dovra"), which are three lakes (Northern/Upper, Middle, and Southern) in a fissure valley in Närke.
 * Ödesdovra, a farm located at the southernmost extension of the valley.
 * Dovern, a long and narrow inlet of the lake Glan in Östergötland, and there is a strait named Doversund and a farm named Doverstorp.

The name has also been given to giants in Scandinavian legends. The name has been given to the giant Dofri, at Dovrefjell, who was helped by Harald Fairhair and in return assisted him all his life. In Närke, the Dovra lakes were attributed to the giantess Dovra who wept for her husband.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 11 July 1986. The official blazon is "Argent, a muskox sable" (I sølv en svart moskus). This means the arms have a field (background) 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 muskox that is black with yellow horn. It is displayed statant to dexter. The muskox is an animal typical for the northern parts of Canada, Alaska, and Greenland. It is not native to Norway, but in 1932, ten muskoxen were released near Dovre. The number has increased to around 300 (in 2013), and the animal is thus a typical symbol for the municipality. The arms were designed by Einar Skjervold. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches
The Church of Norway has two parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Dovre. It is part of the Nord-Gudbrandsdal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

Dovre Church (Dovre kirke) was built in 1736. The bell tower was added early in the 19th century. It was built based upon designed by Jesper Mikkelson Rusten. It was constructed of wood and has protected status.

Eystein Church (Eysteinskirka) in Dovre was built in 1969 as a church for pilgrims and travelers on the Pilgrim's Route. The church lies near the juncture of the boundaries of Innlandet and Trøndelag counties. Eystein Church is built of concrete using stone and sand brought from the Hjerkinn. The plans for the church were designed by architect Magnus Poulsson (1881-1958).

History
People have lived at Dovre for about 6,000 years. In the Stone Age, they were primarily hunters and fishermen. Approximately 2,000 years ago, the first farms were developed at this location.

Dovre is mentioned in Heimskringla (The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway) by Snorri Sturluson. In 1021, King Olaf laid hold of all the best men, both at Lesja and Dovre, and forced them either to receive Christianity or suffer death, if they were not so lucky as to escape.

The Pilgrim's Route (Old King's Road) between Oslo and Trondheim in the 16th century passed through the Gudbrandsdal valley. After leaving the Lågen river valley (downriver from present day Dombås) the road passed over the Dovrefjell mountains into the present-day municipality of Dovre. The heavy stream of annual pilgrims who visited the shrine of St. Olaf in Trondheim prior to the Protestant Reformation resulted in the construction of mountain stations along the route where the pilgrims could find food and shelter. In speaking of this route, Gjerset quotes Peder Claussøn Friis as writing: "But in the winter people of high estate, as well as members of the court, travel mostly this way, because however high and deep the snow may fall, it blows together on the high mountains and becomes so hard men and horses can walk on it. The bonder run over it on skis and snowshoes. There are three stations: Drivstuen, Herdekinn, and Fogstuen built on this same mountain in order that travelers may find lodging there....at the stations there are implements and dry wood, so that the traveler may build themselves fire, and not suffer from cold, when they have to remain over night, and cannot find the way across the mountain."

The Battle of Kringen (Slaget ved Kringen) took place in August 1612, just downstream of Dovre, where the Scottish force stayed on 24 August 1612.

Government
Dovre 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 Vestre Innlandet District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Dovre 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 Dovre (incomplete list):

 * 1946-1947: Albert Guddal (Ap)
 * 1948-1955: Paul P. Enersgård (Ap)
 * 1956-1962: Karl P. Schanke (Ap)
 * 1962-1967: Erland Rykhus (Ap)
 * 1968-1975: Martin Leren (Ap)
 * 1976-1983: Gunder Bentdal (Ap)
 * 1984-1991: Arne Kåre Os (Ap)
 * 1992-1992: Harald Hammerstad (Ap)
 * 1992-1995: Melvin Rykhus (Ap)
 * 1995-2007: Erland Løkken (Sp)
 * 2007-2018: Bengt Fasteraune (Sp)
 * 2018-2019: Oddny Garmo (Sp)
 * 2019–2023: Astrid Skomakerstuen Ruste (LL)
 * 2023-present: Magne Vorkinn (Sp)

Geography
The municipality is a very mountainous area. Most of the residents live in the lower valley areas along the Gudbrandsdalslågen river. The Dovrefjell, Rondane, Smiubelgen, and Sunndalsfjella mountains are all partially located within the municipality.

National Parks

 * Rondane National Park, which lies partially in Dovre, was the first Norwegian National Park, established on 21 December 1962. In 2003, Rondane National Park was enlarged and smaller areas of nature protection were opened or enlarged.
 * Dovre National Park lies primarily in Dovre, although part lies in Folldal municipality. It was established in 2003. Dovre National Park covers an area of 289 km2 and the altitude varies from the tree line at 1000 m to the peak of Storhøe. The park is located between Rondane National Park, which lies to its southeast, and Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park on its northwest.
 * Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park was founded in 2002 and encompasses part of the former Dovrefjell National Park area (as founded in 1974). It is 1693 km2 and encompasses areas in Dovre as well as in adjacent Lesja municipality plus areas in Trøndelag and Møre og Romsdal. It includes the whole Dovrefjell mountain range.

Climate
The Dovre area is in a valley at fairly high altitude and isolated from the sea by mountain ranges, giving some rain shadow effect for Dovre. Dovre, with the town Dombås, has a subarctic climate (Dfc) with sparse precipitation. The driest season is late winter and spring, and the wettest season is summer. April on average sees just 18 mm precipitaiton, while the wettest months July and August get almost four times as much.

International relations
Dovre has sister city agreements with the following places:
 * 🇩🇪: Gronau, Lower Saxony, Germany
 * 🇫🇮: Leppävirta, Itä-Suomi, Finland
 * 🇸🇪: Storfors, Värmland County, Sweden

Notable people

 * Georg Sauerwein (1831–1904), a German publisher, polyglot, poet, and linguist who lived in Dovre
 * Peter P. Lee (1861 in Dovre – 1937), an American politician and Mayor of Minot, North Dakota in 1896
 * Sigurd Einbu (1866–1946), a self-taught astronomer who ran the magnetic monitoring station at Dombås from 1916
 * Ole Hjellemo (1873 in Dovre – 1938), a musician and composer
 * Ragnar Solberg (1898 in Dovre – 1967), a Norwegian poet
 * Vegard Vigerust (1925 in Dovre – 2020), a Norwegian novelist and poet
 * Børt-Erik Thoresen (1932 in Dombås – 2011), a Norwegian TV host and folk singer
 * Eli Hagen (born 1947 in Dombås), a TV presenter and personality
 * Bengt Fasteraune (born 1964), a Norwegian politician and Mayor of Dovre from 2007-2018
 * Ivar Michal Ulekleiv (born 1966 in Dombås), a former biathlete who competed at the 1994 Winter Olympics
 * Anita Killi (born 1968), an animator and film director who runs an animation studio in Dovre

title: Dovre