Hattfjelldal ( sma, Aarborte) is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in Nordland

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

. It is part of the Helgeland

traditional region Historical regions (or historical areas) are geographical regions which at some point in time had a cultural, ethnic, linguistic or political basis, regardless of latterday borders. They are used as delimitations for studying and analysing social ...

. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hattfjelldal. Other villages include Grubben, Svenskvollen, and

Varntresk Varntresk is a village in the municipality of Hattfjelldal in Nordland county, Norway. The village is located on the eastern shore of the large lake Røssvatnet or is a lake and reservoir in the municipalities of Hattfjelldal and Hemnes in ...

Hattfjelldal Airfield Hattfjelldal Airport ( no, Hattfjelldal flyplass) is a general aviation airport located in the village of Hattfjelldal, in Hattfjelldal Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The first simple landing field was constructed in 1933. During World ...

is located in the village of Hattfjelldal. The municipality is the 20th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Hattfjelldal is the 313th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,273. The municipality's

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

is and its population has decreased by 12.6% over the previous 10-year period. Hattfjelldal is one of the last strongholds for the seriously endangered Southern Sami language. It was also one of the municipalities in Norway involved in the Terra Securities scandal.

General information

The municipality of Hattfjelldal was established in 1862 when it was separated from the large municipality of

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

. The initial population of Hattfjelldal was 961. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the

Schei Committee The Schei Committee ( no, Schei-komitéen) was a committee named by the Government of Norway to look into the organization of municipalities in Norway post-World War II. It convened in 1946, and its formal name was (The 1946 Committee on Municip ...

. On 1 January 1964, the part of Hattfjelldal on the north side of the lake Røssvatnet (population: 168) was transferred to the neighboring Hemnes Municipality.

Name

The municipality (originally a

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

) is named after the old ''Hattfjelldalen'' farm (referred to as "Hatfieldalen" in 1723) where the first church was built. The name describes the valley (''-dalen'') below the mountain Hattfjellet. ''Hattfjellet'' takes its name from the hat-like shape.

Coat of arms

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

was granted on 24 October 1986. The arms show the Hattfjellet mountain, with its typical shape. The mountain is a canting element since the name of the municipality means "hat mountain valley".

Churches

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

Geography

Hattfjelldal lies along the

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

border in the southeastern part of Nordland county. The lake Røssvatnet ( sma, Reevhtse) lies on the border between Hattfjelldal and

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

, and it serves as a

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

. It has been the site of human occupation since the Stone Age. Its area of makes it the second largest lake in Norway by surface area. Other lakes in the region include Daningen, Elsvatnet, Famnvatnet, Jengelvatnet, Kjerringvatnet,

Krutvatnet or is a lake in the municipality of Hattfjelldal in Nordland county, Norway. It lies about east of the lake Røssvatnet and about west of the border with Sweden. The Norwegian National Road 73 runs on the southern shore of the lake on its wa ...

, Ranseren,

Simskardvatnet or is a lake in the municipality of Hattfjelldal in Nordland county, Norway. It is the headwaters of the river Vefsna. The lake lies within Børgefjell National Park, just east of the municipal border with Grane. See also * List of lakes in ...

, and Unkervatnet. The large river

Vefsna , also known as or , is the largest river in Nordland county, Norway. It is long and drains a watershed of . Its headwaters lie in the mountains of Børgefjell National Park at the lake Simskardvatnet. The river runs through the municipaliti ...

runs through the municipality.

Børgefjell National Park Børgefjell National Park ( no, Børgefjell nasjonalpark, sma, Byrkije vaarjelimmiedajve) is an undeveloped national park in Norway, straddling the border between Trøndelag and Nordland counties, along the border with Sweden. The park is undeve ...

is partly located in the southern part of Hattfjelldal, as is Jetnamsklumpen, a prominent mountain. There is several

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

s, such as Varnvassdalen with a varied topography and

old growth forest An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological feature ...

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accepts ...

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains ...

and some spruce.

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Hattfjelldal, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services,

senior citizen Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British usage ...

services,

unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the refere ...

and other social services,

zoning Zoning is a method of urban planning in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into areas called zones, each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for a si ...

economic development In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and ...

, and municipal

road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

s. The municipality is governed by a

municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

of elected representatives, which in turn elect a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

. The municipality falls under the Alstahaug District Court and the

Hålogaland Court of Appeal The Hålogaland Court of Appeal ( no, Hålogaland lagmannsrett) is one of six courts of appeal in the Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the city of Tromsø. The court has jurisdiction over the counties of Nordland, Troms, and Finnmark as ...

Municipal council

The

() of Hattfjelldal is made up of 11 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The

party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often featur ...

breakdown of the council is as follows:

Notable people

* Anders K. Orvin (1889–1980) a Norwegian geologist and explorer *

Anna Jacobsen Anna Jacobsen (Southern Sámi language, Southern Sami: Jaahkenelkien Aanna; 30 October 1924 – 2 April 2004) was a champion of Southern Sami language and culture in Norway.Åke Jünge. "Foregangskvinna". Klassekampen, 22.4.2004. Også i Adresseavis ...

(1924–2004), champion of Southern Sami language and culture *

Karl Ingebrigtsen Karl Ingebrigtsen (9 December 1935 – 28 April 2021) was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. He was born in Hattfjelldal to farmers Inge Ingebrigtsen and Marie Bergsnev. He served as a deputy representative to the Parliament of Norwa ...

(born 1935) a Norwegian politician

References

External links

Municipal fact sheet
from Statistics Norway * {{use dmy dates, date=October 2022 Municipalities of Nordland Valleys of Nordland 1862 establishments in Norway