Bindal is a municipality in the Helgeland

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

in the extreme southwest part of

Nordland Nordland (; smj, Nordlánnda, sma, Nordlaante, sme, Nordlánda, en, Northland) is a county in Norway in the Northern Norway region, the least populous of all 11 counties, bordering Troms og Finnmark in the north, Trøndelag in the south, N ...

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. The

administrative centre An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located. In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...

is the village of

Terråk Terråk is the administrative centre of the municipality of Bindal in Nordland country, Norway. The village is located in the eastern part of the municipality, along the shore of the Sørfjorden arm of the Bindalsfjorden. The nearby Vassås Br ...

. Other villages include Bindalseidet, Holm,

Vassås Vassås is a small village in the municipality of Bindal in Nordland county, Norway. It is located along the Tosen arm of the Bindalsfjorden, just north of the Vassås Bridge which connects the village to the larger village of Terråk. The v ...

, Horsfjord and

Åbygda Åbygda is a village in the municipality of Bindal in Nordland county, Norway. The village is located along the river Åbjøra, about southeast of the villages of Vassås and Terråk. Åbygda is the birthplace of Otto Sverdrup, a polar exp ...

. The municipality is the 81st largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Bindal is the 304th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,406. The municipality's

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

is and its population has decreased by 10% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

left, Hildringen in Bindal (1852). In 1838, the

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

of Bindal was split into two municipalities (see formannskapsdistrikt law) because the parish included land in both the counties of Nord-Trøndelag and

. The new law required that municipalities be located only in one county, so the parish was divided into two municipalities:

Nordbindalen Nord-Bindalen or Nordbindalen is a former administrative entity in the Helgeland district of Northern Norway. It was in existence from 1658 to 1852. It is located in the present-day municipality of Bindal. History The ancient district of Bind ...

and Sørbindalen. In 1852, the county border was moved south to its current position and the municipalities of Nordbindalen and Sørbindalen were merged back together to form the municipality of Bindal. On 1 January 1964, the area around the inner

Bindalsfjorden Bindalsfjorden is a fjord in the southern part of Nordland county, Norway. Location The fjord is mostly located in the municipality of Bindal with a small part in neighboring Sømna municipality. Geography The long fjord begins near the vil ...

and the village of Lande (population: 296) was transferred to

Brønnøy Municipality Brønnøy is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland Districts of Norway, region. The administrative centre and commercial centre of the municipality is the town ...

Name

The

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...

form of the name was ''Birnudalr''. The first element is the

genitive case In grammar, the genitive case (abbreviated ) is the grammatical case that marks a word, usually a noun, as modifying another word, also usually a noun—thus indicating an attributive relationship of one noun to the other noun. A genitive can al ...

of the river name ''Birna'' (now

Åbjøra Åbjøra or Åelva is a river in the municipality of Bindal in Nordland county, Norway. It begins in the mountains between the Tosen fjord and the Namdalen valley. The long river passes through some lakes, including the lake Åbjørvatnet, ...

) and the last element is ''dalr'' which means "

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...

" or "dale". The river name is derived from the word ''birna'' which means "(female)

bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...

Coat of arms

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

was granted in 1990. The arms show six gold

rivet A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed, a rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite to the head is called the ''tail''. On installation, the rivet is placed in a punched ...

s on a blue background to represent the

boat building Boat building is the design and construction of boats and their systems. This includes at a minimum a hull, with propulsion, mechanical, navigation, safety and other systems as a craft requires. Construction materials and methods Wood W ...

industry in the municipality.

Churches

The Church of Norway has two parishes () within the municipality of Bindal. It is part of the

Sør-Helgeland prosti 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. It is bordered in the north by the Saltfjellet mountains and Svart ...

(

deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residenc ...

) in the

Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland Sør-Hålogaland is a diocese in the Church of Norway. The Diocese covers the Lutheran Church of Norway churches located within Nordland county in Norway. The diocese is headquartered in the town of Bodø at Bodø Cathedral, the seat of the ...

Geography

Bindal borders four municipalities in

Trøndelag Trøndelag (; sma, Trööndelage) is a county in the central part of Norway. It was created in 1687, then named Trondhjem County ( no, Trondhjems Amt); in 1804 the county was split into Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag by the King of Denmar ...

county:

Høylandet Høylandet is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Namdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Høylandet. Other villages include Kongsmoen and Vassbotna. The municipality is th ...

and

Nærøy Nærøy () is a former municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 2020 when it joined Nærøysund Municipality. It was part of the Namdalen region. Norway's smallest town, Kolvereid, w ...

in the south,

Namsskogan Namsskogan is a municipality in Trøndelag, Norway. Namsskogan is located in the upper part of the long Namdalen valley region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Namsskogan. Other villages in the municipality inclu ...

in the southeast, and Leka in the west. Bindal also has borders with the Nordland municipalities of

Sømna Sømna is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative center of Sømna is the village of Vik i Helgeland. Other villages in the municipality include Dalbotn, Sund, Vennesund, and ...

Brønnøy Brønnøy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland region. The administrative centre and commercial centre of the municipality is the town of Brønnøysund. A secondary centre is the village of Hommelstø. Ot ...

, and Grane. The

runs through the central part of the municipality. From the coast, the municipality reaches into the mountains towards the lake

Majavatnet or is a lake in the municipality of Grane in Nordland county, Norway. The lake lies just west of Børgefjell National Park in southern Grane. The village of Majavatn lies on the eastern shore of the lake. European route E6 and the Nordl ...

in Grane. The tallest mountain is the tall Heilhornet. It also includes part of the lakes

Eidevatnet Eidvatnet or Eidevatnet is a lake that is located in Bindal Municipality in Nordland county, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the wes ...

and

Fjellvatnet Fjellvatnet is a lake that is located in Nordland county, Norway. The lake lies mostly in Bindal Municipality, but the far eastern part of the lake extends into the neighboring Brønnøy Municipality where it is known as ''Storvatnet''. It fl ...

, which also partially lie in

municipality. Other lakes include

Åbjørvatnet or is a lake that lies in the southeastern part of the municipality of Bindal in Nordland county, Norway. The lake is part of the river Åbjøra, about east of the village of Åbygda. See also * List of lakes in Norway * Geography of Norway ...

Kalvvatnet or is a lake in Norway that lies in Namsskogan municipalities of Norway, municipality in Trøndelag county and Bindal municipality in Nordland county. Most of the lake is in Bindal, about northwest of the Namsskogan (village), village of Nam ...

, and Saglivatnet. The river

runs through the eastern part of Bindal. Part of the island of

Austra Austra is an island on the border between Trøndelag and Nordland counties in Norway. The island is shared between the municipalities of Bindal, Leka, and Nærøysund Nærøysund is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is locat ...

is in Bindal.

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Bindal, are responsible for

primary education Primary education or elementary education is typically the first stage of formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary school. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first ...

(through 10th grade), outpatient health services,

senior citizen Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British usage ...

services,

unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for Work (human activity), w ...

and other social services,

zoning Zoning is a method of urban planning in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into areas called zones, each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for a si ...

economic development In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and o ...

, and municipal

road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

s. The municipality is governed by a

municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counci ...

of elected representatives, which in turn elect a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

. The municipality falls under the

Brønnøy District Court Brønnøy District Court ( no, Brønnøy tingrett) was a district court (Norway), district court in Nordland county, Norway. The court was based in the Brønnøysund, town of Brønnøysund. The court existed from 1919 until 2021. It served the mun ...

and the

Hålogaland Court of Appeal The Hålogaland Court of Appeal ( no, Hålogaland lagmannsrett) is one of six courts of appeal in the Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the city of Tromsø. The court has jurisdiction over the counties of Nordland, Troms, and Finnmark as ...

Municipal council

The

() of Bindal is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The

party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...

breakdown of the council is as follows:

Mayor

The mayors of Bindal (incomplete list): *2015–present: Britt Helstad ( Ap) *2010-2015: Petter Bjørnli ( H) *2007-2010: Per-André Johansen (Ap) *1983-2007: Magne H. Paulsen (Ap) *1980-1983: Kristen I. Sylten (Ap) *1964-1967: Kristen I. Sylten (Ap)

Notable people

Otto Sverdrup Otto Neumann Knoph Sverdrup (31 October 1854, in Bindal, Helgeland – 26 November 1930) was a Norwegian sailor and Arctic explorer. Early and personal life He was born in Bindal as a son of farmer Ulrik Frederik Suhm Sverdrup (1833–1914) ...

(1854 in Bindal – 1930) a Norwegian sailor and Arctic explorer *

Fredrik Paasche Johan Fredrik Paasche (3 February 1886 – 1 September 1943) was a Norwegian educator, author and literary historian. Biography Johan Fredrik Amundsen was born at Bindal in Nordland, Norway. He was the son of Olaf Kristian Amundsen (1850–1910 ...

(1886 in Bindal – 1943) a Norwegian educator, author and literary historian *

Carl Ludvig Godske Carl Ludvig Schreiner Godske (20 May 1906 – 3 July 1970) was a Norwegian mathematician and meteorologist. He was born in Bindal. He was a member of the Bergen School of Meteorology, working as meteorologist in Bergen from 1938, and appointed ...

(1906 in Bindal – 1970) a Norwegian mathematician and meteorologist *

Lisbeth Berg-Hansen Lisbeth Berg-Hansen (born 14 March 1963) is a Norwegian businessperson and politician for the Labour Party. She chaired the Norwegian Seafood Federation from 2002 to 2005, and was Vice President of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise from ...

(born 1963 in Bindal) a Norwegian salmon farmer and politician

Economy

The most important industries in Bindal are

aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...

farming Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

and

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

Culture

Boat races for Nordland boats have been held annually since 1978 in the main village of

during the last weekend of June. Bindal has a traditional boat-building industry and Nordland boats are still manufactured here.

Education

Bindal has two schools; one of them is classified as independent and therefore not administered by the municipality. *''Terråk skole'' in

is a 1st-10th grade school and the largest in Bindal with approximately 100 students attending it. *''Bindalseidet friskole'' is an independent school located in Bindalseidet. It is a 1st-10th grade school.

References

External links

Municipal fact sheet
from

Statistics Norway Statistics Norway ( no, Statistisk sentralbyrå, abbreviated to ''SSB'') 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 yea ...

* {{use dmy dates, date=October 2022 Municipalities of Nordland 1852 establishments in Norway