Engerdal
Encyclopedia
Engerdal is a municipality
in Hedmark
county
, Norway
. It is part of the traditional region
of Østerdalen
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Engerdal. The new municipality of Engerdal was created on 1 January 1911 from parts of the municipalities of Tolga
, Trysil
, Ytre Rendal
, and Øvre Rendal
.
" or "dale". The river name is derived from the name of the lake Engeren
, and this is probably derived from the Old Norse
word ongr which means "narrow".
is from modern times. They were granted on 8 February 1991. The arms show two pieces of a horse harness
(the hames
) in gold on a green background. The two objects symbolize the ties between horse
and man and at the same time the connection between work and recreation.
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 Femund
en and roughly half of the Femundsmarka National Park
also lie within the boundaries of the municipality.
was founded in 1971 and is situated in the north-east of the municipal. The area is popular for its many lakes and attracts a lot of sport - fishers every year. The same lakes are also perfect for padling the canoe. Due to its large continuously, untouced and protected area, the national park is one of Southern-Scandinavia largest 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.
and travel and tourism. The area of agricultural activity constitute 13 000 acre
, which includes about 60 operating units. Due to a harsh climate the agricultural activity is mainly based around production of domestic animals, such as sheeps and milk production. Another important activity is forestry
. The total area of forestry make up 1.000.636 acre, where 517.680 of this is in fact productive land. 40 percentage of the forest 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 municipality; Engerdal kommuneskoger (KF).
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.
. 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 Hedmark
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, exhibit 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 Falcon
s in the mountains.
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
in Hedmark
Hedmark
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Akershus. The county administration is in Hamar.Hedmark makes up the northeastern part of Østlandet, the southeastern part of the country. It includes a long part of the borderline with Sweden, Dalarna County and Värmland County. The...
county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is part of the traditional region
Districts of Norway
The country Norway is historically divided into a number of districts. Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties and municipalities. The districts are defined by geographical features, often valleys, mountain ranges, fjords,...
of Østerdalen
Østerdalen
Østerdalen is a valley and traditional district in Hedmark County, in Eastern Norway. It consisting of the municipalities Rendalen, Alvdal, Folldal,Tynset, Tolga and Os in the north, Elverum, Stor-Elvdal, Engerdal, Trysil and Åmot in the south.-Geography:...
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Engerdal. The new municipality of Engerdal was created on 1 January 1911 from parts of the municipalities of Tolga
Tolga, Norway
Tolga is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Tolga....
, Trysil
Trysil
Trysil is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Innbygda...
, Ytre Rendal
Ytre Rendal
Ytre Rendal is a former municipality in Hedmark county, Norway.It was originally a part of Rendal formannskapsdistrikt. On January 1, 1880 Rendal was split in two to create the municipalities Ytre Rendal and Øvre Rendal...
, and Øvre Rendal
Øvre Rendal
Øvre Rendal is a former municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It was originally a part of Rendal formannskapsdistrikt.On 1 January 1880 Rendal was split in two to create the municipalities Ytre Rendal og Øvre Rendal...
.
Name
The first element is the river name Engera and the last element is dal, the word for "valleyValley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
" or "dale". The river name is derived from the name of the lake Engeren
Engeren
Engeren is a lake in the municipalities of Trysil and Engerdal in Hedmark county, Norway....
, and this is probably derived from the Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
word ongr which means "narrow".
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is from modern times. They were granted on 8 February 1991. The arms show two pieces of a horse harness
Horse harness
A horse harness is a type of horse tack that allows a horse or other equine to pull various horse-drawn vehicles such as a carriage, wagon or sleigh. Harnesses may also be used to hitch animals to other loads such as a plow or canal boat....
(the hames
Horse collar
A horse collar is a part of a horse harness device used to distribute load around a horse's neck and shoulders when pulling a wagon or plow. The collar often supports and pads a pair of curved metal or wood pieces, called hames, to which the traces of the harness are attached...
) in gold on a green background. The two objects symbolize the ties between horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
and man and at the same time the connection between work and recreation.
Geography
The municipality is located in the northeast part of Hedmark county. It is bordered by SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
to the north and east, the municipality of Trysil
Trysil
Trysil is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Innbygda...
to the south, Rendalen
Rendalen
Rendalen is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bergset.-Name:...
to the west, and Os
Os, Hedmark
Os is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Os i Østerdalen. The new municipality of Os was separated from Tolga on 1 July 1926...
and Tolga
Tolga, Norway
Tolga is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Tolga....
to the northwest.
The greater part of Lake Femund
Femund
Femunden is Norway's third largest lake and the second largest natural lake in Norway. It is located close to the border with Sweden in the municipalities of Os, and Engerdal in Hedmark county and Røros in Sør-Trøndelag county. Femundsmarka National Park borders the northeastern part of the...
en and roughly half of the Femundsmarka National Park
Femundsmarka National Park
Femundsmarka National Park is a national park in Norway. The landscape is largely marshes and lakes . It is a popular destination for canoeing and fishing. The park was formed in 1971 to protect the lake and the forests stretching eastwards to Sweden...
also lie within the boundaries of the municipality.
National parks
Engerdal consists of two national parks. Femundsmarka National ParkFemundsmarka National Park
Femundsmarka National Park is a national park in Norway. The landscape is largely marshes and lakes . It is a popular destination for canoeing and fishing. The park was formed in 1971 to protect the lake and the forests stretching eastwards to Sweden...
was founded in 1971 and is situated in the north-east of the municipal. The area is popular for its many lakes and attracts a lot of sport - fishers every year. The same lakes are also perfect for padling the canoe. Due to its large continuously, untouced and protected area, the national park is one of Southern-Scandinavia largest and the area has become a base for many rare animal species.
The second national park, Gutulia National Park
Gutulia National Park
Gutulia National Park is the second smallest national park in Norway. The landscape consists of lakes and virginal forests, dominated by spruce, pine and birch. Because of the climate, growth is slow, and many of the spruce trees are hundreds of years old...
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.
Economy
The most important industries in the municipality are agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and travel and tourism. The area of agricultural activity constitute 13 000 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
, which includes about 60 operating units. Due to a harsh climate the agricultural activity is mainly based around production of domestic animals, such as sheeps and milk production. Another important activity is forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
. The total area of forestry make up 1.000.636 acre, where 517.680 of this is in fact productive land. 40 percentage of the forest consists of spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
and 60 of pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
The main owner of the land is the Norwegian state, while the rest is divided between private land owners and some belongs to the municipality; Engerdal kommuneskoger (KF).
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 travelTravel
Travel is the movement of people or objects between relatively distant geographical locations. 'Travel' can also include relatively short stays between successive movements.-Etymology:...
and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
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
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
intact.
Museums
Blokkodden Villmarksmuseum is an outdoor museum situated along highway 26 in DrevsjøDrevsjø
Drevsjø is a village in Engerdal municipality, Norway. Drevsjø is well-known for the great nature and for the wonderful fishing opportunities. Drevsjø is only 60 minutes from one of Scandinavia's biggest alpine center called Trysilfjellet....
. 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 Hedmark
Hedmark
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Akershus. The county administration is in Hamar.Hedmark makes up the northeastern part of Østlandet, the southeastern part of the country. It includes a long part of the borderline with Sweden, Dalarna County and Värmland County. The...
county with a full-time working Sami
Sami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
community, and it marks the current southernmost border of the traditional Sami region, Sápmi, within Norway. The museum, therefore, exhibit 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 Falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
s 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.External links
- Municipal fact sheet from Statistics NorwayStatistics NorwayStatistics Norway is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every year on its web site. All releases are published both in Norwegian and English...
- Information about Femundsmarka National Park
- Information about Femundsmarka National Park
- http://www.engerdal.kommune.no The municipality's official home page