Sirdal is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

Agder Agder is a county (''fylke'') and traditional region in the southern part of Norway. The county was established on 1 January 2020, when the old Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder counties were merged. Since the early 1900s, the term Sørlandet ("south ...

county,

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 the ...

. It is located in the northwestern part of the traditional district of Lister. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of

Tonstad Tonstad is the administrative centre of the municipality of Sirdal in Agder county, Norway. The village is located at the northern end of the lake Sirdalsvatnet in the Sirdalen valley. The village has a population (2015) of 874, giving the vill ...

. Other villages in Sirdal include Bjørnestad, Haughom, Kvæven, Lunde, and Tjørhom. The municipality is the 52nd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Sirdal is the 291st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,810. The municipality's

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

is and its population has decreased by 0.3% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

The old

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 o ...

of Sirdal was first established as a municipality in 1849 when it was separated from the large municipality of Bakke. Initially, Sirdal had 1,804 residents. On 1 January 1903, a small area of Sirdal (population: 63) was transferred to the neighboring municipality of Fjotland. On 1 January 1905, the municipality of Sirdal was dissolved and its territories were divided into two new municipalities:

(population: 828) and Øvre Sirdal (population: 753). These large, sparsely populated municipalities merged along with the Øksendal area of Bakke municipality to recreate the municipality of Sirdal on 1 January 1960. This time, Sirdal started out with a population of 1,426. On 1 January 1987, the Virak and Espetveit areas of northern

Flekkefjord is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Lister. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Flekkefjord. The villages of Sira, Gyland, Rasvåg, Kirkehavn, and Åna-Sira are ...

(population: 41) were transferred to Sirdal municipality.

Name

The municipality is named after the Sirdalen valley which runs through it. The

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

form of the name was . The first element is the genitive case of the river name ''Síra'' (now the Sira river). 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 meaning of the river name is unknown (maybe "strong stream").

Coat of arms

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

was granted on 17 January 1986. The arms show three white-colored willow ptarmigans ( Lagopus lagopus) on a green background. The birds were chosen as a symbol for the hills and moors which make up the largest part of the municipality. The willow ptarmigan is a typical bird for the area.

Churches

The Church of Norway has one parish () within the municipality of Sirdal. It is part of the

Lister og Mandal prosti This list of churches in Agder og Telemark is a list of the Church of Norway churches in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark in Agder and Vestfold og Telemark counties in southern Norway. The diocese is based at the Kristiansand Cathedral in the cit ...

( deanery) in the

Diocese of Agder og Telemark The Diocese of Agder og Telemark ( no, Agder og Telemark bispedømme) is a diocese of the Church of Norway, covering all of Agder county and most of Vestfold og Telemark county in Norway. The cathedral city is Kristiansand, Norway's fifth larges ...

Geography

Sirdal municipality includes the westernmost valley in Agder county, bordering Rogaland county to the west. To the south, it borders on the municipality of

and to the east is

Kvinesdal Kvinesdal is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Lister. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Liknes. Other villages in Kvinesdal include Feda, Fjotland, and Storekvin ...

. Sirdal is the largest municipality by area in

. Lakes in the region include Gravatnet,

Kulivatnet Kulivatnet is a lake in the municipality of Sirdal in Agder county, Norway. It sits just downhill from the border with Bjerkreim municipality in Rogaland county. The lake is somewhat V-shaped and it has a small dam A dam is a barrie ...

Kvifjorden Kvifjorden is a lake in Agder county, Norway. THe lake straddles the borders of the municipalities of Bygland, Kvinesdal, and Sirdal. The lake was created when a dam was built along the Kvina river. The lake is located about northeast of the vi ...

, Øyarvatnet,

Rosskreppfjorden Rosskreppfjorden is a lake in Norway. The lake lies on the border between the municipalities of Valle and Sirdal in Agder county. The lake is part of the Kvina river system and has a hydroelectric power plant in a dam on the south end of the ...

, Sirdalsvatnet, and Valevatn. The mountain Urddalsknuten lies at the northern end of the municipality. In 1990, the mountain road opened between the Sirdalen valley and the

Setesdal Setesdal (; older name: Sætersdal) is a valley and a traditional district in Agder County in southern Norway. It consists of the municipalities of Bykle, Valle, Bygland, Iveland, and Evje og Hornnes. The Otra river flows through the ...

valley over the Suleskard mountain pass. It connected Sirdal to

Brokke Brokke is a village in Valle municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located in the Setesdal valley, about west of the river Otra. The village of Hovet lies about to the east of Brokke, the village of Rysstad Rysstad is a village ...

in the neighboring municipality of Valle to the east. It shortened the distance from

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...

to Stavanger by in the summer, and the road passes through barren,

glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such as ...

-scoured highland. As it passes by the

, it ascends to over above sea level.

Climate

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Sirdal, are responsible for primary education (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 during the refere ...

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 ...

, 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 counc ...

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 ...

. The municipality falls under the Dalane District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The

() of Sirdal is made up of 19 representatives that are elected to four year terms. Currently, 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 featur ...

breakdown is as follows:

Economy

The main source of income for Sirdal is the Sira-Kvina Power Company which gets its power from the big Sira and

Kvina Kvina is a river in Southern Norway. The long river begins in the Setesdalsheiene mountains in the municipality of Valle in Agder county and it flows south, along the former Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder county border, through the Kvinesdalen val ...

rivers. The

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in severa ...

s on the river Sira are utilized in four power stations owned by Sira-Kvina power company. The company also owns three power stations in the

river system, hence the company's name. Total annual production is , total installation is . The largest power station,

Tonstad Hydroelectric Power Station Tonstad Power Station (''Tonstad kraftverk'') is a hydroelectric power station located in the municipality of Sirdal in Agder county, Norway. The station is in Tonstad, at the northern end of the lake Sirdalsvatnet. It has a total installed cap ...

, was inaugurated in 1968, with two units, each producing . The power station has now 4 units, each 160 MW, and one unit at , giving a total output of . Total annual production in this station is approximately , which makes Tonstad the largest power station in

in terms of production. Sira-Kvina power company applied in 2007 for concession to expand the power station with two new units (reversible turbines), each containing , and the concession is pending.

Tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mor ...

is also an important source of income for the Sirdal economy, taking advantage of the extensive mountains, mountainous plateaus, lakes, and great views. There are multiple alpine resorts and hotels in the valley, as well as cottages and camping spots. Winter activities include six

ski resort A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In Nort ...

s for winter enjoyment. Downhill ski areas include Tjørhomfjellet, Bjørnestad Ski Centre, Ålsheia Ski Centre, Fidjeland Ski Centre, and Ådneram Ski lift. Cross-country skiers can enjoy dozens of trails over spectacular terrain. Summer activities include

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

horseback riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

, and river

rafting Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...

History

From the oldest times the Sirdalen valley was divided by the river Sira with Rogaland county controlling the west side and

county controlling the east side. The two sides of the valley, however, was established as one single parish in Christian times, even though it crossed county lines, something that was not very common in Norway. In 1837, it was decided that every

should be a municipality, but no municipality should belong to more than one county (see formannskapsdistrikt law). Sirdal parish was therefore first divided in two municipalities. This was a bad decision because they had very few inhabitants separately. A new solution was found in 1839 when the two municipalities were re-joined, and the county border was moved so that all of Sirdalen was in Vest-Agder county. At Kvæven, in northern Sirdal one finds the Sirdal Mountain Museum. This museum has a collection of old Sirdal buildings. Former lifestyles are visible in the farmhouse, a schoolhouse, stable,

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such as gates, gr ...

's shop, barn, and mountain farm cottage as well as original equipment.

Notable residents

* Berit Kvæven (born 1942 in Øvre Sirdal) a sivilingeniør and politician * Gunnar Tjomlid (born 1974) a skeptic, secular humanist, blogger, and author; brought up in Sirdal *

Linda Grubben Linda Grubben (née Linda Tjørhom; 13 September 1979 in Stavanger) is a retired Norwegian biathlete. She won a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in the 4 × 7.5 km relay, while winning the gold medal at the Biathlon World Champion ...

(born 1979) a

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...

biathlete The biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. It is treated as a race, with contestants skiing through a cross-country trail whose distance is divided into shooting rounds. The shooting rounds are not time ...

Arild Haugen Arild "Hulk" Haugen (born 30 December 1985) is a former strongman and currently a professional boxer from Sirdal, Norway. He set the Guinness World Record for being the youngest World's Strongest Man competitor at the age of 20 years, 258 days duri ...

(born 1985 in Sirdal) a boxer and former strongman

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Väike-Maarja Parish Väike-Maarja Parish ( et, Väike-Maarja vald) is a rural municipality of Estonia, in Lääne-Viru County. It has a population of 5,421 (as of 1 January 2009) and an area of 457.39 km². Settlements ;Small boroughs Kiltsi, Rakke, Simuna, ...

, Estonia (since 1994)