Hedmark
Encyclopedia
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 largest lakes are Femunden and Mjøsa
. It also includes parts of Glomma
. Geographically, Hedmark is in the traditional sense divided in the following areas: Hedemarken, east of Mjøsa
, Østerdalen, north of Elverum
, and Glåmdalen, south of Elverum. Hedmark and Oppland
are the only Norwegian counties with no coastline. Hedmark also hosted some of the 1994 Winter Olympic Games.
Hamar
, Kongsvinger
, Elverum
and Tynset
are cities in the county. Hedmark is one of the less urbanized areas in Norway; about half of the inhabitants live on rural land. The population is mainly concentrated in the rich agricultural district adjoining Mjøsa
to the southeast. The county's extensive forests supply much of Norway's timber; logs were previously floated down Glomma
to the coast but are now transported by truck and train.
The Hedmark municipality of Engerdal
has the distinction of marking the current southernmost border in Norway of Sápmi, the traditional region of the Sami
people.
, Østerdalen
and Solør
(with Odalen and Vinger
).
, before Harald Fairhair, Hedmark was a petty kingdom
. Kings of Hedmark include:
Hedmark was originally a part of the large Akershus
amt
, but in 1757 Oplandenes amt was separated from it. Some years later, in 1781, this was divided into Kristians amt (now Oppland
) and Hedemarkens amt.
form of the name was Heiðmǫrk. The first element is heiðnir, the name of an old Germanic
tribe. The last element is mǫrk f 'woodland, borderland, march'. (See also Telemark
and Finnmark
.)
Until 1919 the county was called Hedemarkens amt
.
(14 seats), the Centre Party
(5 seats) and the Socialist Left Party
(2 seats). A total of 8 parties are represented in the assembly, the remaining 5 being the Progress Party
(4 seats), the Conservative Party
(4), the Liberal Party (2), the Christian Democratic Party (1) and the Pensioners Party
(1). The assembly is headed by the county mayor (Norwegian: Fylkesordfører). As of the 2007 elections the county mayor is Arnfinn Nergård
. He represents the Centre Party. In 2003 a parliamentary system was established, which means that the county assembly elects a political administration or council to hold the executive political power. This county council reflects the majority of the county assembly and includes the three parties holding the majority of the assembly seats, i.e., the Labour Party, the Center Party and the Socialist Left Party. The council is led by Siv Tørudbakken
, who represents the Labour Party.
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...
in 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...
, bordering Sør-Trøndelag
Sør-Trøndelag
- References :...
, 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....
and Akershus
Akershus
- Geography :The county is conventionally divided into the traditional districts Follo and Romerike, which fill the vast part of the county, as well as the small exclave west of Oslo that consists of Asker and Bærum...
. The county administration is in Hamar
Hamar
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hamar. The municipality of Hamar was separated from Vang as a town and municipality of its own in 1849...
.
Hedmark makes up the northeastern part of Østlandet, the southeastern part of the country. It includes a long part of the borderline with Sweden
Sweden
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....
, Dalarna County
Dalarna County
Dalarna County is a county or län in middle Sweden. It borders the counties of Jämtland, Gävleborg, Västmanland, Örebro and Värmland. It is also bordered by the Norwegian counties of Hedmark and Sør-Trøndelag in the west...
and Värmland County
Värmland County
Värmland County is a county or län in west central Sweden. It borders the Swedish counties of Dalarna, Örebro and Västra Götaland, as well as the Norwegian counties of Østfold, Akershus and Hedmark to the west.- Province :...
. The largest lakes are Femunden and Mjøsa
Mjøsa
Mjøsa is Norway's largest lake, as well as one of the deepest lakes in Norway and in Europe as a whole, after Hornindalsvatnet. It is located in the southern part of Norway, about 100 km north of Oslo...
. It also includes parts of Glomma
Glomma
The Glomma or Glåma is the longest and largest river in Norway. The long river has a drainage basin that covers a full 13% of Norway's area, all in the southern part of Norway.-Geography:...
. Geographically, Hedmark is in the traditional sense divided in the following areas: Hedemarken, east of Mjøsa
Mjøsa
Mjøsa is Norway's largest lake, as well as one of the deepest lakes in Norway and in Europe as a whole, after Hornindalsvatnet. It is located in the southern part of Norway, about 100 km north of Oslo...
, Østerdalen, north of Elverum
Elverum
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Elverum...
, and Glåmdalen, south of Elverum. Hedmark and 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....
are the only Norwegian counties with no coastline. Hedmark also hosted some of the 1994 Winter Olympic Games.
Hamar
Hamar
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hamar. The municipality of Hamar was separated from Vang as a town and municipality of its own in 1849...
, Kongsvinger
Kongsvinger
is a town and is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Glåmdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsvinger....
, Elverum
Elverum
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Elverum...
and Tynset
Tynset
Tynset 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 Tynset.-Name:...
are cities in the county. Hedmark is one of the less urbanized areas in Norway; about half of the inhabitants live on rural land. The population is mainly concentrated in the rich agricultural district adjoining Mjøsa
Mjøsa
Mjøsa is Norway's largest lake, as well as one of the deepest lakes in Norway and in Europe as a whole, after Hornindalsvatnet. It is located in the southern part of Norway, about 100 km north of Oslo...
to the southeast. The county's extensive forests supply much of Norway's timber; logs were previously floated down Glomma
Glomma
The Glomma or Glåma is the longest and largest river in Norway. The long river has a drainage basin that covers a full 13% of Norway's area, all in the southern part of Norway.-Geography:...
to the coast but are now transported by truck and train.
The Hedmark municipality of Engerdal
Engerdal
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...
has the distinction of marking the current southernmost border in Norway of Sápmi, the traditional region of the 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...
people.
Districts
The county is divided into three traditional districts. These are HedmarkenHedmarken
Hedmarken is a traditional district in the county of Hedmark in Eastern Norway....
, 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:...
and Solør
Solør
Solør is a Norwegian traditional district consisting of the valley between Elverum in the north and Kongsvinger in the south. It is part of the county of Hedmark, and includes the municipalities Våler, Åsnes and Grue.-Glomma valley :...
(with Odalen and Vinger
Vinger
Vinger is a traditional district and a parish as well as being a former municipality in Kongsvinger in Hedmark, Norway.The parish of Vinger was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 ....
).
History
In the early Viking AgeViking Age
Viking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...
, before Harald Fairhair, Hedmark was a petty kingdom
Petty kingdom
A petty kingdom is one of a number of small kingdoms, described as minor or "petty" by contrast to an empire or unified kingdom that either preceded or succeeded it...
. Kings of Hedmark include:
- Halfdan HvitbeinnHalfdan HvitbeinnHalfdan Whiteshanks was a mythical petty king in Norway, described in the Ynglinga saga. The following description is based on the account in Ynglinga saga, written in the 1220s by Snorri Sturluson. The historicity of the kings described in that saga is generally not accepted by modern...
- Sigtryg EysteinssonSigtryg EysteinssonSigtryg Eysteinsson was king of the Norwegian petty kingdoms Raumarike and Hedmark before he was killed by Halfdan the Black in the middle of the 9th century....
- Eystein Eysteinsson, brother of Sigtryg
- Halfdan the BlackHalfdan the BlackHalfdan the Black was a ninth-century king of Vestfold. He belonged to the House of Yngling and was the father of Harald Fairhair, the first king of Norway.-Biography:...
, King Harald's father, was king of half of Hedmark after defeating rulers Sigtryg and his brother, Eystein.
Hedmark was originally a part of the large Akershus
Akershus
- Geography :The county is conventionally divided into the traditional districts Follo and Romerike, which fill the vast part of the county, as well as the small exclave west of Oslo that consists of Asker and Bærum...
amt
Amt (subnational entity)
Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only found in Germany, but formerly also common in northern European countries. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to a U.S...
, but in 1757 Oplandenes amt was separated from it. Some years later, in 1781, this was divided into Kristians amt (now 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....
) and Hedemarkens amt.
The name
The NorseNorth Germanic languages
The North Germanic languages or Scandinavian languages, the languages of Scandinavians, make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages, a sub-family of the Indo-European languages, along with the West Germanic languages and the extinct East Germanic languages...
form of the name was Heiðmǫrk. The first element is heiðnir, the name of an old Germanic
Germanic peoples
The Germanic peoples are an Indo-European ethno-linguistic group of Northern European origin, identified by their use of the Indo-European Germanic languages which diversified out of Proto-Germanic during the Pre-Roman Iron Age.Originating about 1800 BCE from the Corded Ware Culture on the North...
tribe. The last element is mǫrk f 'woodland, borderland, march'. (See also Telemark
Telemark
is a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.-Location:...
and Finnmark
Finnmark
or Finnmárku is a county in the extreme northeast of Norway. By land it borders Troms county to the west, Finland to the south and Russia to the east, and by water, the Norwegian Sea to the northwest, and the Barents Sea to the north and northeast.The county was formerly known as Finmarkens...
.)
Until 1919 the county was called Hedemarkens amt
Amt (subnational entity)
Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only found in Germany, but formerly also common in northern European countries. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to a U.S...
.
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1987). It shows three barkespader (adzes to remove the bark from timber logs).Politics
Every four years the inhabitants of Hedmark vote to elect the 33 representatives of the Hedmark Fylkesting, the Hedmark County Assembly. After the elections of September 2007 the majority of the seats of the assembly is held by a three-party coalition consisting of the Labour PartyNorwegian Labour Party
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
(14 seats), the Centre Party
Centre Party (Norway)
The Centre Party is a centrist and agrarian political party in Norway, founded in 1920. The Centre Party's policy is not based on any of the major ideologies of the 19th and 20th century, but has a focus on maintaining decentralised economic development and political decision-making.From its...
(5 seats) and the Socialist Left Party
Socialist Left Party (Norway)
The Socialist Left Party or SV, is a Norwegian left-wing political party. At one point one of the smallest parties in Parliament, it became the fourth-largest political party in Norway for the first time in the 2001 parliamentary election, and has been so ever since...
(2 seats). A total of 8 parties are represented in the assembly, the remaining 5 being the Progress Party
Progress Party (Norway)
The Progress Party is a political party in Norway which identifies as conservative liberal and libertarian. The media has described it as conservative and right-wing populist...
(4 seats), the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Norway
The Conservative Party is a Norwegian political party. The current leader is Erna Solberg. The party was since the 1920s consistently the second largest party in Norway, but has been surpassed by the growth of the Progress Party in the late 1990s and 2000s...
(4), the Liberal Party (2), the Christian Democratic Party (1) and the Pensioners Party
Pensioners Party (Norway)
The Pensioners' Party is a political party in Norway without parliamentary representation. It was founded in 1985 to work for the interests of pensioners. The party has never been elected to parliament, althouth former Arne Haukvik who was elected on the Centre Party list in 1993 joined the party...
(1). The assembly is headed by the county mayor (Norwegian: Fylkesordfører). As of the 2007 elections the county mayor is Arnfinn Nergård
Arnfinn Nergård
Arnfinn Nergård is a Norwegian politician for the Centre Party.He served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Hedmark during the term 2005–2009....
. He represents the Centre Party. In 2003 a parliamentary system was established, which means that the county assembly elects a political administration or council to hold the executive political power. This county council reflects the majority of the county assembly and includes the three parties holding the majority of the assembly seats, i.e., the Labour Party, the Center Party and the Socialist Left Party. The council is led by Siv Tørudbakken
Siv Tørudbakken
Siv Tørudbakken is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party.Following the Norwegian local elections, 2007 she became the new leader of Hedmark county cabinet, making her the first woman to hold this office. Tørudbakken has since 1995 held a variety of full time political offices in the Hedmark...
, who represents the Labour Party.
Municipalities
| Rank | Name | Inhabitants | Area km² |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ringsaker is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Brumunddal.The municipality of Ringsaker was established on 1 January 1838... |
32,524 | 1,125 |
| 2 |  Hamar is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hamar. The municipality of Hamar was separated from Vang as a town and municipality of its own in 1849... |
28,344 | 339 |
| 3 |  Elverum is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Elverum... |
19,838 | 1,221 |
| 4 |  Stange is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Stangebyen.-Name:... |
19,104 | 642 |
| 5 |  Kongsvinger is a town and is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Glåmdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsvinger.... |
17,377 | 965 |
| 6 |  Sør-Odal Sør-Odal is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Odalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Skarnes.... |
7,791 | 487 |
| 7 |  Åsnes Åsnes is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Solør. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Flisa, which is also the largest town in the municipality with around 2,100 people.-Name:... |
7,607 | 1,015 |
| 8 |  Løten Løten is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Løten. The parish of Løiten was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 .-Name:The municipality is named after an old farm... |
7,272 | 363 |
| 9 |  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... |
6,763 | 2,957 |
| 10 |  Eidskog Eidskog is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Glåmdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Skotterud. Eidskog was separated from the municipality of Vinger in 1864.... |
6,327 | 604 |
| 11 |  Tynset Tynset 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 Tynset.-Name:... |
5,490 | 1,831 |
| 12 |  Nord-Odal Nord-Odal is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Odal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Sand. The parish of Nordre Odalen was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 .-Name:The last element is the old district... |
5,118 | 476 |
| 13 |  Grue Grue may refer to:* Grue , a predator invented by Jack Vance and featured in the Zork series* Grue and bleen, portmanteau words formed from green and blue, coined by Nelson Goodman to illustrate his "new riddle of induction"... |
5,078 | 787 |
| 14 |  Åmot Åmot 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 Rena... |
4,285 | 1,306 |
| 15 |  Våler Vaaler or Våler is:*Våler, Hedmark, a municipality in the county of Hedmark, Norway**Åsnes og Våler, a former municipality in Hedmark, split in 1854*Våler, Østfold, a municipality in the county of Østfold, Norway... |
3,870 | 685 |
| 16 |  Stor-Elvdal Stor-Elvdal 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 Koppang.... |
2,679 | 2,144 |
| 17 |  Alvdal Alvdal 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 Alvdal.... |
2,441 | 927 |
| 18 |  OS OS may refer to:* O.S. Old Stonyhurst, an old boy of the ancient Jesuit public school, Stonyhurst College* O.S. Engines, a Japanese manufacturer of model aircraft engines* Ocean Science, an Oceanographic Journal published by the European Geosciences Union.... |
2,033 | 1,013 |
| 19 |  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:... |
1,998 | 3,073 |
| 20 |  Tolga -Given name:* Tolga Çevik, Turkish actor* Tolga Doğantez, Turkish footballer* Tolga Örnek, Turkish film director* Tolga Seyhan, Turkish footballer* Tolga Zengin, Turkish footballer-Places:* Tolga, Algeria* Tolga, Norway* Tolga, Queensland in Australia... |
1,671 | 1,101 |
| 21 |  Folldal Folldal is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Dovre. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Folldal. The new municipality of Folldal was separated from Alvdal in 1914.-Name:... |
1,669 | 1,266 |
| 22 |  Engerdal 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... |
1,434 | 1,921 |
| Total |  |
190,709 | 27,388 |