Hemnes is a municipality

Municipalities of Norway

Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...

 in Nordland

Nordland

is a county in Norway in the North Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Nord-Trøndelag in the south, Norrbottens län in Sweden to the east, Västerbottens län to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is...

 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 Helgeland

Helgeland

Helgeland is the most southerly district in Northern Norway. Generally speaking, Helgeland refers to the part of Nordland county that is located south of the Arctic Circle. The district covers an area of about , with nearly 79,000 inhabitants...

 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,...

. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Korgen

Korgen

Korgen is the administrative center of Hemnes municipality in Nordland county, Norway.-History:Korgen was a separate municipality in more than 45 years. Korgen was separated from Hemnes and created into a municipality on July 1, 1918. It was merged back together with Hemnes on January 1, 1964...

.

Municipality history

The lake Røssvatnet

Røssvatnet

Røssvatnet is a lake and reservoir in the municipalities of Hattfjelldal and Hemnes in Nordland county, Norway. It has been the site of human occupation since the Stone Age. Its area of makes it the second largest lake in Norway by surface area. Without the dam which has regulated the lake...

  is a lake

Lake

A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...

 and reservoir lying partially in Hemnes; it has been the site of human occupation since the Stone Age

Stone 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...

. Its area of 219 km² makes it the second largest lake in Norway by surface area.

The old municipality of Rana

Rana, Norway

Rana is the second largest municipality in Nordland county – and the third largest in North Norway – by population. By area, Rana is largest in Norway south of Finnmark , taking in large areas of mountains and forested valleys. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region...

 was divided into Sør-Rana and Nord-Rana

Nord-Rana

Nord-Rana is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The administrative centre was Ytteren.It was created by a split from Mo i Rana on 1 January 1923. The new municipality had a population of 1,305....

 in 1839. In 1844, Sør-Rana was re-named Hemnes. Korgen was separated from Hemnes on 1 July 1918. The new municipalities of Sør-Rana

Sør-Rana

Sør-Rana is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway.Sør-Rana was separated from Hemnes July 1, 1929. The new municipality had a population of 1.708....

 and Elsfjord

Elsfjord

Elsfjord is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway.Elsfjord was separated from Hemnes July 1, 1929. At that time Elsfjord had a population of 765. It was merged with Vefsn January 1, 1962. Prior to the merger Elsfjord had a population of 920....

 were separated from Hemnes on 1 July 1929. (After this the municipality of Hemnes only consisted of the village of Hemnesberget

Hemnesberget

Hemnesberget is a small town in the municipality of Hemnes, Norway. Its population is 1,337....

.) Korgen and Sør-Rana were again merged with Hemnes on 1 January 1962.

Second World War

As part of their drive on northern Norway, a detachment of three hundred German soldiers landed at Hemnes from the captured Norwegian coastal steamer SS Nordnorge on 10 May 1940 and captured the municipality from a platoon of British soldiers from No. 1 Independent Company, despite a spirited defence in the streets of Hemnesberget

Hemnesberget

Hemnesberget is a small town in the municipality of Hemnes, Norway. Its population is 1,337....

. A Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 task force consisting of the anti-aircraft cruiser Calcutta

HMS Calcutta (D82)

HMS Calcutta was a C-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, named after the Indian city of Calcutta. She was part of the Carlisle group of the C-class of cruisers.She was laid down by Vickers Limited in 1917, and launched on 9 July 1918...

 and destroyer Zulu

HMS Zulu (F18)

The second HMS Zulu was a Tribal-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was built in Glasgow by Alexander Stephen and Sons. Her keel was laid down on 10 August 1936. She was launched on 23 September 1937 and commissioned on 7 September 1938...

 sank the former Norwegian steamer and shelled the German forces in the town, but were unable to dislodge the German landing force. A Norwegian Army

Norwegian Army

Norway achieved full independence in 1905, and in the first century of its short life has contributed to two major conflicts, the Cold War and the War on Terror. The Norwegian Army currently operates in the north of Norway and in Afghanistan as well as in Eastern Europe. The Army is the oldest of...

 detachment attempted a counter attack against the German's positions, but was driven back. The town was again bombarded on 12 May by a passing Royal Navy force without significant effect, leaving Hemnes in German control for the rest of the war.

Name

The municipality (originally the 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...

) is named after the old Hemnes 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....

: Heimnes), since the first church was built there. The first element is heimr which means "home

Home

A home is a place of residence or refuge. When it refers to a building, it is usually a place in which an individual or a family can rest and store personal property. Most modern-day households contain sanitary facilities and a means of preparing food. Animals have their own homes as well, either...

" (here in the sense of being "closest to home") and the last element is nes which means "headland

Headland

A headland is a point of land, usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends out into a body of water.Headland can also refer to:*Headlands and bays*headLand, an Australian television series...

".

Coat-of-arms

The 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 on 4 April 1986. The arms show a boat clamp

Clamp (tool)

A clamp is a fastening device to hold or secure objects tightly together to prevent movement or separation through the application of inward pressure...

. Shipbuilding

Shipbuilding

Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...

has long been a tradition in the municipality and an element to symbolize shipbuilding was considered appropriate. The symbol chosen is a kind of clamp used to keep the wooden flanks of the ships together.