Kvinesdal 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 t ...

. It is located in the traditional district of Lister. 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 ...

of the municipality is the village of

Liknes Liknes is the administrative centre of Kvinesdal municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located along the river Kvina, about north of the mouth where it empties into the Fedafjorden. The village of Storekvina lies about to the nor ...

. Other villages in Kvinesdal include

Feda Feda is a village in Kvinesdal municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located on the north side of the Fedafjorden, about southwest of the village of Liknes and about east of the town of Flekkefjord. The village has a population ...

Fjotland Fjotland is a village in Kvinesdal municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located in the northern part of the Kvinesdalen valley on the northeast side of the lake Fjotlandsvatnet. Fjotland is about southeast of the village of Ha ...

, and

Storekvina Storekvina is a village in Kvinesdal municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located on the shore of the river Kvina, about north of the village of Liknes. The village had a population of 323 in 2015. The Sørlandet Line The Sør ...

. Kvinesdal is an elongated mountain-to-coast municipality, reaching saltwater at the head of the

Fedafjorden Fedafjorden is a fjord in Agder county, Norway. The is located in the municipalities of Kvinesdal, Flekkefjord, and Farsund. The long, narrow fjord runs south from the mouth of the river Kvina to the Listafjorden. The fjord is long and only ...

, which provides access to the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...

in the south. Further north, the landscape is cut by narrow valleys with scattered small villages. There are also abandoned mines at

Knaben Knaben is an old mining village in the northern part of Kvinesdal municipality in Agder county, Norway. Currently, the mine is no longer in use, but the area has become a popular ski resort. The village lies at an elevation of above sea level, ab ...

, a popular

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 North ...

. Because Kvinesdal resembles the geography of the nation as a whole, it is often referred to as "Little Norway". The municipality is the 121st largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Kvinesdal is the 161st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 5,883. 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 increased by 0.8% over the previous 10-year period. Kvinesdal belongs to a central area in the Norwegian south from which many people emigrated to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, particularly the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, from the 1850s until the 1950s. It is noted for being an "American village" (

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

: ''Amerika-bygd'') because of the high number of American residents. These are typically either Norwegians who moved to the States, obtained

US Citizenship Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...

and later moved back to Norway, or are descendants of Norwegians who have never acquired

Norwegian citizenship Norwegian nationality law is based on the principle of jus sanguinis. In general, Norwegian citizenship is conferred by birth to a Norwegian parent, or by naturalisation in Norway. Birth in Norway In general, birth in Norway does not, in itself ...

General information

Kvinesdal kirke, Vest-Agder - Riksantikvaren-T216 01 0022

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 Kvinesdal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see

formannskapsdistrikt () is the name for Norwegian local self-government districts that were legally enacted on 1 January 1838. This system of municipalities was created in a bill approved by the Parliament of Norway and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January ...

law). In 1841, the neighboring municipality of

(population: 980) was merged with Kvinesdal to form a new, larger municipality of Kvinesdal, although this was short-lived. In 1858, the merger was un-done and Fjotland became a separate municipality once again. After the split, Kvinesdal had 4,485 residents. On 1 January 1900, the municipality of Kvinesdal was divided into two: the municipality of

in the far southern part (population: 1,090) and the municipality of Liknes in the northern part (population: 2,937). The name of Liknes municipality was changed (back) to ''Kvinesdal'' in 1917. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the

Schei Committee The Schei Committee ( no, Schei-komitéen) was a committee named by the Government of Norway to look into the organization of municipalities in Norway post-World War II. It convened in 1946, and its formal name was (The 1946 Committee on Municip ...

. On 1 January 1963, the municipalities of

(population: 1,244),

(population: 576), and Kvinesdal (population: 3,218) were merged to form one large municipality of Kvinesdal.

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 . 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

fjord In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Ice ...

name ''Hvínir'' (now called the

) and the last element is ''dalr'' which means "valley" or "dale". The name of the fjord is derived from the river name ''Hvín'' (now

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 ...

), and that name is derived from the verb ''hvína'' which means "squeal". During the period from 1900 to 1917, the municipality was named ''Liknes''.

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 on 15 March 1985. The arms show a Y-shaped silver or white figure on a blue background ( Azure a

pall Pall may refer to: * Pall (funeral), a cloth used to cover a coffin * Pall (heraldry), a Y-shaped heraldic charge * Pall (liturgy), a piece of stiffened linen used to cover the chalice at the Eucharist * Pall Corporation, a global business * Pall. ...

engrailed

argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...

). The Y-shape symbolizes the meeting of the two rivers:

and Litleåna which join and then flow into the

just south of Liknes.

Churches

The

Church of Norway The Church of Norway ( nb, Den norske kirke, nn, Den norske kyrkja, se, Norgga girku, sma, Nöörjen gærhkoe) is an evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. The church b ...

has three parishes () within the municipality of Kvinesdal. 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 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 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

The long, narrow municipality of Kvinesdal stretches from the mountains in the north, along the Kvinesdalen valley to the

in the south. To the west, Kvinesdal is bordered by

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 lo ...

and

Sirdal Sirdal is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the northwestern part of the traditional district of Lister. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Tonstad. Other villages in Sirdal include Bjørnest ...

municipalities. To the east, it is bordered by

Åseral Åseral is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is in the traditional district of Sørlandet. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Kyrkjebygda. Other villages in Åseral include Eikerapen, Kylland, Ljosland, a ...

and

Hægebostad Hægebostad 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 Tingvatn. Other villages in Hægebostad include Eiken, Haddeland, and S ...

. To the south, it is bordered by

Lyngdal 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 Alleen. Some of the main villages in Lyngdal include Austad, Byremo, Fleseland, Hæ� ...

, and it is bordered by

Farsund 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 Farsund. Farsund is a coastal municipality in the far southwestern part of Norway, b ...

in the east and south. A small segment of the northern boundary borders

Bygland Bygland is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Setesdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bygland. Other villages in the municipality include Åraksbø, Austad, By ...

municipality in

county. The river

, which runs through the municipality, is known for its

salmon Salmon () is the common name for several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family (biology), family Salmonidae, which are native to tributary, tributaries of the ...

, and salmon fishing is a popular activity. Two valleys meet in Kvinesdal's center: Vesterdalen (the Western Valley) through which flows the river Kvina and Austerdalen (the Eastern Valley) through which flows the river Litleåna to join the Kvina.

Climate

Population

About 10% of the inhabitants of Kvinesdal are American citizens, and Kvinesdal does enjoy a special relationship with the

. Every year, the municipality hosts a special festival remembering the days when local people emigrated to the new world.

History

Kvinesdal was home of many prominent characters in the Saga Period. Among them were the

Skald A skald, or skáld (Old Norse: , later ; , meaning "poet"), is one of the often named poets who composed skaldic poetry, one of the two kinds of Old Norse poetry, the other being Eddic poetry, which is anonymous. Skaldic poems were traditionally ...

'' Tjodolv the Frode.'' Frode means one with great knowledge of the history of ancestors. He composed a historic poem for his king

Harold Fairhair Harald Fairhair no, Harald hårfagreModern Icelandic: ( – ) was a Norwegian king. According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, he reigned from 872 to 930 and was the first King of Norw ...

. His work was later combined into the

Heimskringla ''Heimskringla'' () is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorre Sturlason (1178/79–1241) 1230. The name ''Heimskringla'' was first used in the 17th century, derived ...

when it was recorded by

Snorri Sturluson Snorri Sturluson ( ; ; 1179 – 22 September 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was elected twice as lawspeaker of the Icelandic parliament, the Althing. He is commonly thought to have authored or compiled portions of the ...

. In northern Kvinesdal, along the high plateau which sits at above sea level, records show that the Salmeli Farm dates back at least to the year 1300. During the

Black Death The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...

years of 1350 the farm became deserted, but was back as a working farm again by 1647. It is now a historic site. The bailiff '' Stig Bagge'', who was granted local leadership from 1536 to 1542 by king

Christian III Christian III (12 August 1503 – 1 January 1559) reigned as King of Denmark from 1534 and King of Norway from 1537 until his death in 1559. During his reign, Christian formed close ties between the church and the crown. He established ...

, was an energetic man when he lived at his ancestral home of Eikeland in Kvinesdal. According to the reports of

Peder Claussøn Friis Peder Claussøn Friis (1 April 1545 – 15 October 1614) was a Norwegian clergyman, author and historian. He is most associated with his translation of ''Snorre Sturlessøns Norske Kongers Chronica''. Peder Claussen Friis grew up in Audnedal i ...

, he executed refractory peasants so willingly that the district thought it was to excess; he was the district's

bogeyman The Bogeyman (; also spelled boogeyman, bogyman, bogieman, boogie monster, boogieman, or boogie woogie) is a type of mythic creature used by adults to frighten children into good behavior. Bogeymen have no specific appearance and conceptions var ...

for many years thereafter. When the bailiff in

Nedenes Nedenes is a village in Arendal municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located in the southern part of Arendal, just north of the municipal border with Grimstad. The Norwegian County Road 420 runs through the village heading north ...

was killed in his bed and rebels came in an unsuccessful attempt to capture and execute Stig, he collected his men and brutally stifled the revolt. Stig himself died by being drawn and quartered by the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

when he was caught in piracy or espionage off their coast at

Walcheren Walcheren () is a region and former island in the Dutch province of Zeeland at the mouth of the Scheldt estuary. It lies between the Eastern Scheldt in the north and the Western Scheldt in the south and is roughly the shape of a rhombus. The two ...

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Kvinesdal, 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 Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administe ...

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

Agder District Court Agder District Court ( no, Agder tingrett) is a district court located in Agder county, Norway. This court is based at three different courthouses which are located in Farsund, Kristiansand, and Arendal. The court serves most of Agder county and ...

and the

Agder Court of Appeal The Agder Court of Appeal ( no, Agder lagmannsrett) is one of six courts of appeal in the Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the town of Skien. The court has jurisdiction over the counties of Vestfold og Telemark and Agder (except for Si ...

Municipal council

The

() of Kvinesdal is made up of 27 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 feature f ...

breakdown is as follows:

Economy

In addition to various small businesses and public services, Kvinesdal's economy is driven in part by hydroelectric power. The Sira-Kvina power company derives hydroelectric power from the Kvina river, in addition to various smaller dams.

Eramet Eramet is a French multinational mining and metallurgy company, listed on the Euronext Paris exchange under the symbol ERA. The company was founded with the funding of the Rothschild family (although they were careful to avoid being listed as fou ...

is an important local employer that provides work to about 200 persons in producing manganese-alloys. There is also a small tourism industry, with golfing and fishing being the main draws.

Notable residents

* Peder Jacobsen Bøgvald (1762 in Feda – 1829) a sea captain, farmer and politician * Kristian Marcelius Førland (1891–1978) an artist, lived and painted in Kvinesdal * Erling Moi (1918 in Kvinesdal – 1944) a

Norwegian resistance The Norwegian resistance (Norwegian: ''Motstandsbevegelsen'') to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms: *Asserting the legitimacy of the exiled government, ...

member in WWII *

Sigbjørn Hølmebakk Sigbjørn Hølmebakk (2 February 1922 – 25 November 1981) was a Norwegian author. Biography Hølmebakk was born at Feda (now Kvinesdal) in Vest-Agder, Norway. His parents were Søren Adolf Svindland (1881–1966) and Inger Marie Abrahamsen M ...

(1922 in Feda – 1981) a Norwegian author * Anne Gullestad (1925 in Kvinesdal – 1998) an actress and theatre director *

Gordon Hølmebakk Gordon Hølmebakk (26 February 1928 – 10 January 2018) was a Norwegian publishing editor, essayist and novelist. Biography He was born in Feda, (now Kvinesdal) in Vest-Agder, Norway. He was the son of Søren Adolf Svindland (1881–1966) and ...

(1928 in Feda – 2018) a publishing editor, essayist and novelist * Aril Edvardsen (1938 in Kvinesdal – 2008) an evangelical preacher and missionary, former home now a museum *

Andreas Hompland Andreas Hompland (born 18 September 1946 in Kvinesdal) is a Norwegian social scientist, journalist, magazine editor and non-fiction writer. Hompland is particularly known for his column ''Sideblikk'', published in the newspaper ''Dagbladet ' ...

(born 1946 in Kvinesdal) a social scientist, journalist and non-fiction writer * Arnfinn Moland (born 1951 in Kvinesdal) a Norwegian historian and writer * Odd Omland (born 1956) a Norwegian politician, Mayor of Kvinesdal 2003 to 2013 * Per Sverre Kvinlaug (born 1974) a Norwegian politician, Mayor of Kvinesdalin from 2015 * Silvia Moi (born 1978 in Kvinesdal) a Norwegian opera singer IMDb Database
retrieved 14 November 2020 * Luxus Leverpostei, (Norwegian Wiki) a Norwegian band formed in Kvinesdal in 1991

Sport

* Ludvig Hunsbedt, (Norwegian Wiki) (born 1961 in Kvinesdal) rallycross driver *

Roger Eskeland Roger Eskeland (born 11 November 1977) is a Norwegian football goalkeeper who currently plays for Norwegian team Bryne FK. He joined the team in 1994, having played for lower league clubs Feda IL and Kvinesdal IL. He played for Bryne in the Nor ...

(born 1977) a Norwegian football goalkeeper *

Atle Roar Håland Atle Roar Håland (born 26 July 1977) is a retired Norwegian football centreback. Around 1997, he played for Vålerenga IF. Before joining IK Start in 2004, he had been crucial to FK Mandalskameratene's success in the 1. divisjon the previo ...

(born 1977) a retired footballer with over 300 club caps

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 ...

Kvinesdal Guest House and Hotel

Official website of Kvinesdal

Webcam from Kvinesdal Tourist Information Kvinesdal Golf Club Kvinesdal Rock Festival Kvinesdaladressen - din egen @kvinesedal.co addresse!
{{use dmy dates, date=December 2020 Municipalities of Agder 1838 establishments in Norway