Etnedal
Encyclopedia
Etnedal is a municipality
in Oppland
county
, Norway
. It is part of the traditional region
of Valdres
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bruflat
.
Etnedal was created as a new municipality on 1 January 1894 after the merger of the areas Nordre Etnedal (from Nord-Aurdal
municipality) and Bruflat (from Sør-Aurdal
municipality).
form of the name was Etnardalr. The first element is the genitive case
of the river name Etna
(Old Norse: Etn) and the last element is dalr which means "valley
" or "dale". The meaning of the river name is unknown but it is possibly derived from etja (meaning "push forward") or eta (meaning "eat").
The coat-of-arms
is from modern times. They were granted by royal degree on 14 July 1989. The arms show the old Lunde bridge
(Lundebru) in gold on a blue background. It is one of the best preserved stone bridges in the country and it is now a national monument. It is also Northern Europe
's largest dry stone
-arch bridge. The bridge was built in 1829 on the old King's road
to Bergen
. A portion of the King's road was refurbished and turned into a footpath in 1992 and is now a natural and cultural walking path.
, on the south by Sør-Aurdal
, and on the west and north by Nord-Aurdal
.
Etnedal is part of the traditional district
of Valdres
in central, southern Norway, situated between Gudbrandsdal
and Hallingdal
. Valdres also includes the municipalities Nord-Aurdal, Sør-Aurdal, Øystre Slidre
, Vestre Slidre
, and Vang.
The river Etna
flows through the municipality, then into Nordre Land
municipality and then down into Randsfjorden
.
and logging
, but there is also some industry
and tourism
.
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
in Oppland
Oppland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The county administration is in Lillehammer. Oppland is, together with Hedmark, one of the only two landlocked counties of Norway....
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 Valdres
Valdres
Valdres is a traditional district in central, southern Norway, situated between Gudbrandsdal and Hallingdal.Administratively, Valdres belongs to Oppland. It consists of the municipalities Nord-Aurdal, Sør-Aurdal, Øystre Slidre, Vestre Slidre, Vang and Etnedal. The main town in the region is...
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bruflat
Bruflat
Bruflat is the administrative centre of Etnedal municipality, Norway. Its population is 206.It originally belonged to Sør-Aurdal municipality, but on 1 January 1894 the whole parish was split away, together with Nord-Etnedal parish, to create Etnedal municipality.The most known persons using a the...
.
Nord-Aurdal
Nord-Aurdal is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Valdres. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Fagernes....
municipality) and Bruflat (from Sør-Aurdal
Sør-Aurdal
Sør-Aurdal is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Valdres. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bagn....
municipality).
Name
The Old NorseOld 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....
form of the name was Etnardalr. The first element is the genitive case
Genitive case
In grammar, genitive is the grammatical case that marks a noun as modifying another noun...
of the river name Etna
Etna (river)
Etna river flows through Etnedal and Nordre Land municipality in Oppland, Norway.It flows into Randsfjorden....
(Old Norse: Etn) and the last element is dalr which means "valley
Valley
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 meaning of the river name is unknown but it is possibly derived from etja (meaning "push forward") or eta (meaning "eat").
Coat-of-arms
Coat 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 by royal degree on 14 July 1989. The arms show the old Lunde bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
(Lundebru) in gold on a blue background. It is one of the best preserved stone bridges in the country and it is now a national monument. It is also Northern Europe
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
's largest dry stone
Dry stone
Dry stone is a building method by which structures are constructed from stones without any mortar to bind them together. Dry stone structures are stable because of their unique construction method, which is characterized by the presence of a load-bearing facade of carefully selected interlocking...
-arch bridge. The bridge was built in 1829 on the old King's road
Pilgrim's Route
The Pilgrim's Route, also known as St. Olav's Way or the Old Kings' Road, was a pilgrimage route to the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway, the site of the tomb of St. Olav. The main route is approximately long...
to Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
. A portion of the King's road was refurbished and turned into a footpath in 1992 and is now a natural and cultural walking path.
Geography
Etnedal is bordered on the east by the municipality of Nordre LandNordre Land
Nordre Land is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Land. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Dokka....
, on the south by Sør-Aurdal
Sør-Aurdal
Sør-Aurdal is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Valdres. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bagn....
, and on the west and north by Nord-Aurdal
Nord-Aurdal
Nord-Aurdal is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Valdres. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Fagernes....
.
Etnedal is part of the traditional district
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 Valdres
Valdres
Valdres is a traditional district in central, southern Norway, situated between Gudbrandsdal and Hallingdal.Administratively, Valdres belongs to Oppland. It consists of the municipalities Nord-Aurdal, Sør-Aurdal, Øystre Slidre, Vestre Slidre, Vang and Etnedal. The main town in the region is...
in central, southern Norway, situated between Gudbrandsdal
Gudbrandsdal
The Gudbrandsdalen is a valley and traditional district in the Norwegian county of Oppland. The valley is oriented in a north-westerly direction from Lillehammer at Mjøsa, extending 230 km toward Romsdal...
and Hallingdal
Hallingdal
Hallingdal is a valley and traditional district in Buskerud county in Norway. It consists of the municipalities of Flå, Nes, Gol, Hemsedal, Ål and Hol.-History:Ancient routes went to Vestlandet through Valdres and Hallingdal and down Røldal to Odda...
. Valdres also includes the municipalities Nord-Aurdal, Sør-Aurdal, Øystre Slidre
Øystre Slidre
Øystre Slidre is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Valdres. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of...
, Vestre Slidre
Vestre Slidre
Vestre Slidre is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Valdres. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Slidre...
, and Vang.
The river Etna
Etna (river)
Etna river flows through Etnedal and Nordre Land municipality in Oppland, Norway.It flows into Randsfjorden....
flows through the municipality, then into Nordre Land
Nordre Land
Nordre Land is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Land. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Dokka....
municipality and then down into Randsfjorden
Randsfjorden
Randsfjorden is Norway's fourth largest lake with an area of . Its volume is estimated at just over , and its greatest depth is . The lake is above sea level....
.
Economy
Occupations in the municipality include animal husbandryAnimal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock.- History :Animal husbandry has been practiced for thousands of years, since the first domestication of animals....
and logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
, but there is also some industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
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...
.
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...
- Etnedal Municipality