Sør-Odal is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Odalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Skarnes. Other villages in Sør-Odal include Disenå and Sander.

Sør-Odal kommune
Søndre Odalen herred (historic)
View of the bridge in Skarnes
View of the bridge in Skarnes
Flag of Sør-Odal kommune
Coat of arms of Sør-Odal kommune
Official logo of Sør-Odal kommune
Sør-Odal within Innlandet
Sør-Odal within Innlandet
Coordinates: 60°14′12″N 11°44′44″E / 60.23667°N 11.74556°E / 60.23667; 11.74556
CountryNorway
CountyInnlandet
DistrictOdalen
Established1 Jan 1838
 • Created asFormannskapsdistrikt
Administrative centreSkarnes
Government
 • Mayor (2016)Knut Hvithammer (Ap)
Area
 • Total516.74 km2 (199.51 sq mi)
 • Land479.04 km2 (184.96 sq mi)
 • Water37.70 km2 (14.56 sq mi)  7.3%
 • Rank#207 in Norway
Population
 (2022)
 • Total7,978
 • Rank#131 in Norway
 • Density16.7/km2 (43/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years)
Increase +1.5%
DemonymOdøling[1]
Official language
 • Norwegian formBokmål
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-3415
WebsiteOfficial website

The 517-square-kilometre (200 sq mi) municipality is the 207th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Sør-Odal is the 131st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 7,978. The municipality's population density is 16.7 inhabitants per square kilometre (43/sq mi) and its population has increased by 1.5% over the previous 10-year period.[3][4]

General informationEdit

The parish of Søndre Odalen was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). The borders of the municipality have not changed since that time.[5]

NameEdit

The municipality is named Sør-Odal, after the valley in which it is located. The first element in the name is the word sør which means "southern". The last element of the name is the old district name Odalen (Old Norse: Ódalr). The first part of this is ǫ́ which is a alternate form of the word á which means "river" or "creek" (here it's referring to the Glåma river). The last part of this is dalr which means "valley" or "dale". The prefix "Sør-" was added when the old Odalen parish was divided in 1819 into Nordre Odalen in the north and Søndre Odalen in the south. Later, spelling reforms changed the names to Nord-Odal and Sør-Odal.[6]

Coat of armsEdit

The coat of arms was granted on 10 January 1992. The official blazon is "Gules, three keys Or in pall" (Norwegian: I rødt tre gull nøkler stilt i trepass). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is three keys aligned in in pall. The charge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The keys symbolize justice, knowledge, and positive ideals. The design was chosen to represent the three parishes of Oppstad, Strøm, and Ullern and the three local bodies of water: Glomma, Oppstadåa, and Storsjøen. The arms were designed by Harald Hallstensen, a graphical designer. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[7][8][9][10]

ChurchesEdit

The Church of Norway has three parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Sør-Odal. It is part of the Solør, Vinger og Odal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Hamar.

Churches in Sør-Odal
Parish (sokn) Church name Location of the church Year built
Oppstad Oppstad Church Oppstad 1725
Strøm Strøm Church Strøm 1857
Ullern Ullern Church Ullern 1868

GeographyEdit

The municipality is a rural area in the Odalen valley that is located along the river Glåma and around the southern side of the lake Storsjøen. It is bordered by the municipalities of Eidskog in the south, by Kongsvinger in the east, and by Nord-Odal and Grue in the north. The terrain is dominated by rolling hills, lakes, and pine forests.

GovernmentEdit

All municipalities in Norway are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.[11] The municipality falls under the Romerike og Glåmdal District Court and the Eidsivating Court of Appeal.

Municipal councilEdit

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Sør-Odal is made up of 27 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:

Sør-Odal kommunestyre 2020–2023 [12]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)10
 Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet)2
 Conservative Party (Høyre)4
 Pensioners' Party (Pensjonistpartiet)1
 Red Party (Rødt)1
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)5
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)1
 Sør-Odal Local list (Sør-Odal Bygdeliste)3
Total number of members:27
Sør-Odal kommunestyre 2016–2019 [13][14]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)11
 Green Party (Miljøpartiet De Grønne)1
 Conservative Party (Høyre)6
 Pensioners' Party (Pensjonistpartiet)1
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)2
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)1
 Sør-Odal Local list (Sør-Odal Bygdeliste)5
Total number of members:27
Sør-Odal kommunestyre 2012–2015 [15]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)10
 Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet)2
 Conservative Party (Høyre)7
 Pensioners' Party (Pensjonistpartiet)2
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)4
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)2
Total number of members:27
Sør-Odal kommunestyre 2008–2011 [14]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)15
 Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet)3
 Conservative Party (Høyre)2
 Pensioners' Party (Pensjonistpartiet)1
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)5
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)1
Total number of members:27
Sør-Odal kommunestyre 2004–2007 [14]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)17
 Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet)2
 Conservative Party (Høyre)3
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)3
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)2
Total number of members:27
Sør-Odal kommunestyre 2000–2003 [14]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)17
 Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet)2
 Conservative Party (Høyre)3
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)3
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)2
Total number of members:27
Sør-Odal kommunestyre 1996–1999 [16]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)12
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)3
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)3
 Sør-Odal local list (Sør-Odal bygdeliste)7
Total number of members:25
Sør-Odal kommunestyre 1992–1995 [17]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)19
 Conservative Party (Høyre)2
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)3
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)4
 Cross-party local list (Tverrpolitisk Bygdeliste)5
Total number of members:33
Sør-Odal kommunestyre 1988–1991 [18]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)22
 Conservative Party (Høyre)4
 Red Electoral Alliance (Rød Valgallianse)2
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)3
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)2
Total number of members:33
Sør-Odal kommunestyre 1984–1987 [19]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)24
 Conservative Party (Høyre)4
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)3
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)2
Total number of members:33
Sør-Odal kommunestyre 1980–1983 [20]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)22
 Conservative Party (Høyre)4
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)1
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)4
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)2
Total number of members:33
Sør-Odal kommunestyre 1976–1979 [21]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)22
 Conservative Party (Høyre)2
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)1
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)5
 Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti)3
Total number of members:33
Sør-Odal kommunestyre 1972–1975 [22]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)24
 Conservative Party (Høyre)1
 Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti)1
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)1
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)5
 Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti)1
Total number of members:33
Sør-Odal kommunestyre 1968–1971 [23]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)24
 Conservative Party (Høyre)2
 Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti)1
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)4
 Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti)2
Total number of members:33
Sør-Odal kommunestyre 1964–1967 [24]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)23
 Conservative Party (Høyre)3
 Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti)2
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)1
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)4
Total number of members:33
Sør-Odal herredsstyre 1960–1963 [25]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)22
 Conservative Party (Høyre)2
 Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti)3
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)2
 Centre Party (Senterpartiet)4
Total number of members:33
Sør-Odal herredsstyre 1956–1959 [26]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)22
 Conservative Party (Høyre)2
 Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti)3
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)2
 Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet)4
Total number of members:33
Sør-Odal herredsstyre 1952–1955 [27]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)21
 Conservative Party (Høyre)1
 Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti)5
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)1
 Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet)4
Total number of members:32
Sør-Odal herredsstyre 1948–1951 [28]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)21
 Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti)6
 Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti)1
 Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet)3
 Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister)1
Total number of members:32
Sør-Odal herredsstyre 1945–1947 [29]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)21
 Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti)7
 Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister)4
Total number of members:32
Sør-Odal herredsstyre 1938–1941* [30]  
Party Name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
 Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet)25
 Conservative Party (Høyre)1
 Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet)3
 Liberal Party (Venstre)1
 Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister)2
Total number of members:32
Note: Due to the German occupation of Norway during World War II, no elections were held for new municipal councils until after the war ended in 1945.

MayorsEdit

The mayors of Sør-Odal (incomplete list):

  • 1958-1975: Arne Broen [31]
  • 1975-2007: Henning Myrvang (Ap)[31]
  • 2007-2011: Knut Hvithammer (Ap)
  • 2011-2015: Anne-Mette Øvrum (H)
  • 2015-present: Knut Hvithammer (Ap)

EconomyEdit

Number of minorities (1st and 2nd generation) in Sør-Odal by country of origin in 2017[32]
Ancestry Number
  Poland 101
  Sweden 49
  Thailand 46
  Eritrea 45
  Lithuania 37
  Germany 37
  Romania 34
  Denmark 22

The economy is based on a mix of manufacturing, farming, and services. Skarnes has a train connection to Oslo via the Kongsvingerbanen railway line.

Notable peopleEdit

Sister citiesEdit

Sør-Odal has sister city agreements with the following places:[33]

Media galleryEdit

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
  2. ^ "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
  3. ^ Statistisk sentralbyrå. "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
  4. ^ Statistisk sentralbyrå. "09280: Area of land and fresh water (km²) (M)" (in Norwegian).
  5. ^ Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.
  6. ^ Rygh, Oluf (1900). Norske gaardnavne: Hedmarkens amt (in Norwegian) (3 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. pp. 175 and 194.
  7. ^ "Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  8. ^ "Sor-Odal, Hedmark (Norway)". Flags of the World. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  9. ^ "Godkjenning av våpen og flagg". Lovdata.no (in Norwegian). Norges kommunal- og arbeidsdepartementet. 10 January 1992. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  10. ^ "Kommunevåpen for Sør-Odal kommmune" (in Norwegian). Sør-Odal kommmune. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
  11. ^ Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (20 September 2022). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  12. ^ "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2019 - Innlandet". Valg Direktoratet. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  13. ^ "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2015 - Hedmark". Valg Direktoratet.
  14. ^ a b c d "Table: 04813: Members of the local councils, by party/electoral list at the Municipal Council election (M)" (in Norwegian). Statistics Norway.
  15. ^ "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2011 - Hedmark". Valg Direktoratet.
  16. ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1995" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1996.
  17. ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1991" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1993.
  18. ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1987" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1988.
  19. ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1983" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1984.
  20. ^ "Kommunestyrevalget 1979" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1979.
  21. ^ "Kommunevalgene 1975" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1977.
  22. ^ "Kommunevalgene 1972" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1973.
  23. ^ "Kommunevalgene 1967" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1967.
  24. ^ "Kommunevalgene 1963" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1964.
  25. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960.
  26. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957.
  27. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952.
  28. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948.
  29. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947.
  30. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938.
  31. ^ a b "Arne Broen satte ny rekord som ordfører i Sør-Odal". Glåmdalen (in Norwegian). 31 December 1975. p. 5.
  32. ^ "Immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents". ssb.no. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  33. ^ "Sør-Odal - en kommune med mangfold i kulturtilbudet" (in Norwegian). Sør-Odal kommune. Retrieved 29 December 2008.

External linksEdit