Flå
Encyclopedia
Flå is a municipality in Buskerud
county
, Norway
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Flå. The municipality of Flå was established when it was separated from the municipality of Nes
on 1 January 1905. The municipality lies at the most southeasterly point in the valley
and traditional region
of Hallingdal
.
form of the name was Flóða sokn (sokn means parish
). This is the plural
genitive case
of flœð meaning "flood
" (probably because flooding has been a problem for many farms in the river valley). Prior to 1921, the name was written "Flaa".
is from modern times. They were granted on 1 March 1985. The arms show a black bear
on a gray/silver background. This was chosen because there used to be many bears in the Vassfaret
area. Prior to 1985, the municipality used a logo with a bear walking through the area.
and Hallingdal and down Røldal
to Odda
. Reflecting this route, Hallingdal and its neighboring valley of Valdres in Oppland
to the north were originally populated by migrants from Vestlandet and spoke a western dialect
. In recognition of this, Cardinal Nicholas Breakespear
, who was in Scandinavia
as papal legate
in 1153, included Hallingdal in the diocese of Stavanger
.
, in the east by Ringerike
, in the south by Krødsherad
and Sigdal
, in the west by Nore og Uvdal
, and in the northwest by Nes
. Vassfaret
is a desolate mountain valley bordering Flå. The Norefjell
mountain range also includes parts of Flå as well as Nes
, Ringerike
and Sør-Aurdal
municipalities. Lake Krøderen
(Krøderfjord) stretches about 41 km north from the village of Krøderen and reaches to Gulsvik. The Hallingdalselva
river flows into the lake from the north.
Buskerud
is a county in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark, and Vestfold. The county administration is located in Drammen.-Geography:...
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...
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Flå. The municipality of Flå was established when it was separated from the municipality of Nes
Nes, Buskerud
Nes is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hallingdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Nesbyen....
on 1 January 1905. The municipality lies at the most southeasterly point in the 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...
and 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 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...
.
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 Flóða sokn (sokn means parish
Parish
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...
). This is the plural
Plural
In linguistics, plurality or [a] plural is a concept of quantity representing a value of more-than-one. Typically applied to nouns, a plural word or marker is used to distinguish a value other than the default quantity of a noun, which is typically one...
genitive case
Genitive case
In grammar, genitive is the grammatical case that marks a noun as modifying another noun...
of flœð meaning "flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
" (probably because flooding has been a problem for many farms in the river valley). Prior to 1921, the name was written "Flaa".
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 1 March 1985. The arms show a black bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
on a gray/silver background. This was chosen because there used to be many bears in the Vassfaret
Vassfaret
Vassfaret is a desolate mountain valley in southern Norway, bordering Flå, Nes, Ringerike and Sør-Aurdal municipalities and Oppland and Buskerud counties. The valley is said to be between the Hallingdal and Hedalen in the traditional district of Valdres....
area. Prior to 1985, the municipality used a logo with a bear walking through the area.
History
Ancient routes went to Vestlandet through ValdresValdres
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...
and Hallingdal and down Røldal
Røldal
Røldal is a former municipality in Hordaland county, Norway.The parish of Suldal had to be divided into two formannskapsdistrikt January 1, 1838 – this because the main part of the parish belonged to the county of Rogaland, while the annex Røldal belonged to the county of Hordaland...
to Odda
Odda
is a municipality and town in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Odda was separated from Ullensvang on 1 July 1913 and on 1 January 1964 Røldal was merged with Odda. The town of Odda is the centre of the landscape of Hardanger, located at the end of the Hardangerfjord.In 1927, Erling Johnson,...
. Reflecting this route, Hallingdal and its neighboring valley of Valdres 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....
to the north were originally populated by migrants from Vestlandet and spoke a western dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
. In recognition of this, Cardinal Nicholas Breakespear
Pope Adrian IV
Pope Adrian IV , born Nicholas Breakspear or Breakspeare, was Pope from 1154 to 1159.Adrian IV is the only Englishman who has occupied the papal chair...
, who was in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
as papal legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
in 1153, included Hallingdal in the diocese of Stavanger
Ancient Diocese of Stavanger
The former Catholic Diocese of Stavanger, in Norway, included the counties of Rogaland, Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder - together with the regions of Valdres and Hallingdal...
.
Geography
Flå is the southernmost municipality within Hallingdal and forms the gateway to Hallingdal from the south. Flå is bordered in the north by Sør-AurdalSør-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....
, in the east by Ringerike
Ringerike
oskar er kjempe kulRingerike is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Ringerike...
, in the south by Krødsherad
Krødsherad
Krødsherad is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Noresund. The municipality of Krødsherad was established when it was separated from the municipality of Sigdal on 1 January 1901.-Name:The Old Norse form of the name was...
and Sigdal
Sigdal
Sigdal is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Prestfoss. -Background:...
, in the west by Nore og Uvdal
Nore og Uvdal
Nore og Uvdal is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Numedal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Rødberg....
, and in the northwest by Nes
Nes, Buskerud
Nes is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hallingdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Nesbyen....
. Vassfaret
Vassfaret
Vassfaret is a desolate mountain valley in southern Norway, bordering Flå, Nes, Ringerike and Sør-Aurdal municipalities and Oppland and Buskerud counties. The valley is said to be between the Hallingdal and Hedalen in the traditional district of Valdres....
is a desolate mountain valley bordering Flå. The Norefjell
Norefjell
Norefjell is a norwegian mountain range in the Scandes Mountains system. It stretches between the valleys Eggedal and Hallingdal in Norway...
mountain range also includes parts of Flå as well as Nes
Nes, Buskerud
Nes is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hallingdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Nesbyen....
, Ringerike
Ringerike
oskar er kjempe kulRingerike is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Ringerike...
and 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....
municipalities. Lake Krøderen
Krøderen (lake)
Krøderen, sometimes called Krøderfjorden, is a lake in Buskerud, Norway.The lake stretches about north from the village of Krøderen in Krødsherad on it southern end and reaches north to the village of Gulsvik in Flå municipality in the valley of Hallingdal. The lake has a surface area of 42.88...
(Krøderfjord) stretches about 41 km north from the village of Krøderen and reaches to Gulsvik. The Hallingdalselva
Hallingdalselva
Hallingdalselva is a river which flows through the valley and traditional district of Hallingdal in Buskerud County, Norway....
river flows into the lake from the north.
Protected areas
- Bringen Nature Reserve, established 28 June 1985
- Bukollen Nature Reserve, established 28 June 1985
- Festningen Nature Reserve, established 28 June 1985
- Flenten Nature Reserve, established 24 September 1993
- Inner Vassfaret Conservation area, established 28 June 1985
- Stavnselva Nature Reserve, established 13 December 2002
- Vassfaret / Vidalen Conservation Area, established 28 June 1985
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...
- Culture in Flå on the map from Kulturnett.no