Iveland
Encyclopedia
Iveland is a village and municipality in Aust-Agder
county
, Norway
. It is part of the traditional region
of Sørlandet. The administrative center is the village of Birketveit.
was split into two municipalities: Iveland (population: 1,103) and Hornnes
(population: 1,113). The municipal boundaries have not changed since that time.
) is named after the old Iveland farm (Old Norse
: Ífuland), since the first church was built there. The first element is the genitive case
of the river name Ífa (now Frøysåna) and the last element is land which means "land" or "farm". The old river name is probably derived from the Norse word ýr which means "yew" (Taxus baccata
).
is from modern times. They were granted on 9 October 1987. The arms show a stonemason's hammer
which symbolizes the importance of mining
in the area and the green background represents forestry
and agriculture
.
implements have been found which are four-five thousand years old. A King’s road which allowed for horse travel went in an east-west direction through the area and was in use as early as the 9th century, and perhaps before. But the first written record of farms created by clearing the land goes back 600 years.
The Setesdalsbanen was a narrow gauge steam railway which went across Iveland on its route between Vennesla and Byglandsfjord
in Bygland. It was built in 1896. Setesdalsbanen operation was terminated in 1962 and the track was removed between Byglandsfjord and Beihølen. When it was constructed, it revived the lumber
industry. Large quantities of planks, poles, and timbers were brought by horse to the Iveland station and forwarded by railroad to Kristiansand
. This resulted in better prices since it provided competition with the floated timber.
. The Otra
river which flows through Iveland is the largest river in the Sørlandet district. Towards the east it borders on lake Ogge
vatn.
The municipality is bordered in the northwest by Evje og Hornnes
, in the northeast and east by Birkenes
, and in the south and west by Vennesla
. The municipality has three population centers: Birketveit, Vatnestrøm, and Skaiå.
The Iveland area includes several hundred old mines
. These pegmatite
mines and quarries yield more than 100 different minerals, including minerals containing Rare earth element
s, beryllium
, scandium
, uranium
, and thorium
.
Aust-Agder
is a county in Norway, bordering Telemark, Rogaland, and Vest-Agder. In 2002, there were 102,945 inhabitants, which is 2.2% of the total population in Norway. Its area is . The administrative center of the county is in Arendal....
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 Sørlandet. The administrative center is the village of Birketveit.
General information
The municipality was established on 1 January 1886 when the old municipality of Hornnes og IvelandHornnes og Iveland
Hornnes og Iveland is a former municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipalities of Evje og Hornnes and Iveland in the Setesdal region.-Name:...
was split into two municipalities: Iveland (population: 1,103) and Hornnes
Hornnes
Hornnes is a village and a former municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. Hornnes is located in the present-day municipality of Evje og Hornnes in the traditional district of Setesdal...
(population: 1,113). The municipal boundaries have not changed since that time.
Name
The municipality (originally the parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
) is named after the old Iveland farm (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....
: Ífuland), since the first church was built there. 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 Ífa (now Frøysåna) and the last element is land which means "land" or "farm". The old river name is probably derived from the Norse word ýr which means "yew" (Taxus baccata
Taxus baccata
Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may be now known as the English yew, or European yew.-Description:It is a small-...
).
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 9 October 1987. The arms show a stonemason's hammer
Stonemason's hammer
A Stonemason's hammer has one flat traditional face and a short or long chisel-shaped blade. It can thus be used to chip off edges or small pieces of stone without using a separate chisel...
which symbolizes the importance of mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
in the area and the green background represents 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...
and agriculture
Agriculture
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...
.
History
Although nothing is found in written sources about Iveland before the 15th century, there is evidence of occupation for thousands of years prior to that. Stone AgeStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
implements have been found which are four-five thousand years old. A King’s road which allowed for horse travel went in an east-west direction through the area and was in use as early as the 9th century, and perhaps before. But the first written record of farms created by clearing the land goes back 600 years.
The Setesdalsbanen was a narrow gauge steam railway which went across Iveland on its route between Vennesla and Byglandsfjord
Byglandsfjord
Byglandsfjord is a village in the southern part of the municipality of Bygland in the Aust-Agder county, Norway. The village is in the valley of Setesdal and located at the end of the lake Byglandsfjorden. Its population is 351....
in Bygland. It was built in 1896. Setesdalsbanen operation was terminated in 1962 and the track was removed between Byglandsfjord and Beihølen. When it was constructed, it revived the lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
industry. Large quantities of planks, poles, and timbers were brought by horse to the Iveland station and forwarded by railroad to Kristiansand
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
. This resulted in better prices since it provided competition with the floated timber.
Geography
Iveland is the smallest municipality in SetesdalSetesdal
Setesdal is a valley and a traditional district in Aust-Agder County in southern Norway. It consists of the municipalities of Bykle, Valle, Bygland, Iveland, and Evje og Hornnes....
. The Otra
Otra
The Otra river is the largest river in the Sørlandet region of Norway. It flows from the Setesdalsheiene mountains in Bykle municipality in Aust-Agder county in the north, down to the municipality of Kristiansand in the south, where it flows into the Skagerrak.The Otra is long, making it Norway’s...
river which flows through Iveland is the largest river in the Sørlandet district. Towards the east it borders on lake Ogge
Ogge
Ogge is a lake in the municipalities of Birkenes and Iveland in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located about north of Kristiansand and has about 360 islands and reefs. The overall length of the lake is approximately . The Sørland Line runs along the west side of the lake.-Recreation:Ogge is a...
vatn.
The municipality is bordered in the northwest by Evje og Hornnes
Evje og Hornnes
Evje og Hornnes is a municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional region of Setesdal. Evje og Hornnes was created as a new municipality on 1 January 1960 after the merger of the two older municipalities of Evje and Hornnes....
, in the northeast and east by Birkenes
Birkenes
Birkenes is a municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sørlandet. The village of Birkeland is the administrative center and about half of the municipality's residents live there...
, and in the south and west by Vennesla
Vennesla
Vennesla is a municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. Vennesla was separated from Øvrebø in 1861. Øvrebø and Hægeland were merged with Vennesla again on 1 January 1964...
. The municipality has three population centers: Birketveit, Vatnestrøm, and Skaiå.
The Iveland area includes several hundred old mines
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
. These pegmatite
Pegmatite
A pegmatite is a very crystalline, intrusive igneous rock composed of interlocking crystals usually larger than 2.5 cm in size; such rocks are referred to as pegmatitic....
mines and quarries yield more than 100 different minerals, including minerals containing Rare earth element
Rare earth element
As defined by IUPAC, rare earth elements or rare earth metals are a set of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table, specifically the fifteen lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium...
s, beryllium
Beryllium
Beryllium is the chemical element with the symbol Be and atomic number 4. It is a divalent element which occurs naturally only in combination with other elements in minerals. Notable gemstones which contain beryllium include beryl and chrysoberyl...
, scandium
Scandium
Scandium is a chemical element with symbol Sc and atomic number 21. A silvery-white metallic transition metal, it has historically been sometimes classified as a rare earth element, together with yttrium and the lanthanoids...
, uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
, and thorium
Thorium
Thorium is a natural radioactive chemical element with the symbol Th and atomic number 90. It was discovered in 1828 and named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder....
.
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...
- Welcome to Iveland - Tourist information
- Municipal website