Bindal
Encyclopedia
Bindal is a municipality in the Helgeland
region
in the extreme southwest part of Nordland
county
, Norway
. The administrative centre
is the village of Terråk
. Other villages include Bindalseidet, Holm
, Vassås
, and Åbygda
.
of Bindal was split into two municipalities (see formannskapsdistrikt
) because the parish included land in both the counties of Nord-Trøndelag
and Nordland
. The new law required that municipalities be located only in one county, so the parish was divided into two municipalities: Nordbindalen
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 Tosen-Lande area (population: 296) was transferred to Brønnøy
.
form of the name was Birnudalr. The first element is the genitive case
of the river name Birna (now Åbjøra
) and the last element is dalr which means "valley
" or "dale". The river name is derived from the word birna which means
"(female) bear
".
is from modern times (1990). The arms show six gold rivet
s on a blue background to represent the boat building
industry in the municipality.
has two parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Bindal. It is part of the Sør-Helgeland deanery
in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland
.
county: Høylandet
and Nærøy
in the south, Namsskogan
in the southeast, and Leka
in the west. Bindal also has borders with the Nordland municipalities of Sømna
, Brønnøy
, and Grane. The Bindalsfjorden
runs through the central part of the municipality.
From the coast, the municipality reaches into the mountains towards the lake Majavatnet
in Grane. The tallest mountain is the 1058 metres (3,471.1 ft) tall Heilhornet. It also includes part of the lakes Eidevatnet
and Fjellvatnet, which also partially lie in Brønnøy
municipality. Other lakes include Åbjørvatnet
, Kalvvatnet
, and Saglivatnet
. The river Åbjøra
runs through the eastern part of Bindal. Part of the island of Austra
is in Bindal.
and forestry
. The largest secondary industry is the door manufacturer, Bindalsbruket, with about 130 employees. Bindal has a traditional boat-building industry and Nordland boats are still manufactured here.
during the last weekend of June.
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...
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,...
in the extreme southwest part of 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...
. The administrative centre
Administrative centre
An administrative centre is a term often used in several countries to refer to a county town, or other seat of regional or local government, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located....
is the village of Terråk
Terråk
Terråk is a village and the administrative centre of the municipality of Bindal in Nordland county, 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 Bridge connects Terråk to the village of...
. Other villages include Bindalseidet, Holm
Holm, Norway
Holm is a village in the municipality of Bindal in Nordland county, Norway. It is located along the Bindalsfjorden, about northwest of the village of Bindalseidet. Holm is also the site of Solstad Church, one of the two churches in the municipality. It is also the quay for the Bindal–Vennesund...
, Vassås
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 village of Åbygda lies about to the southeast. This is...
, and Åbygda
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 Vassås and Terråk....
.
General information
In 1838, the parishParish
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...
of Bindal was split into two municipalities (see formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. This system of municipality was created in a bill approved by the Storting and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January 1837...
) because the parish included land in both the counties of Nord-Trøndelag
Nord-Trøndelag
is a county constituting the northern part of Trøndelag in Norway. As of 2010, the county had 131,555 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-least populated county. The largest municipalities are Stjørdal, Steinkjer—the county seat, Levanger, Namsos and Verdal, all with between 21,000 and...
and 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...
. The new law required that municipalities be located only in one county, so the parish was divided into two municipalities: Nordbindalen
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:...
and Sørbindalen
Sørbindalen
Sør-Bindalen or Sørbindalen is a former administrative entity in the Namdalen district of Trøndelag, Norway. It was in existence from 1658 to 1852. It is located in the present-day municipality of Bindal in Nordland county.-History:...
. 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 Tosen-Lande area (population: 296) was transferred to Brønnøy
Brønnøy
Brønnøy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland region. The administrative and commercial centre is the town of Brønnøysund. A secondary centre is the village of Hommelstø. Other villages include Tosbotn, Lande, Trælnes, and Indreskomo.The Brønnøysund Register...
.
Name
The Old NorseOld 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....
form of the name was Birnudalr. The first element is the genitive case
Genitive case
In grammar, genitive is the grammatical case that marks a noun as modifying another noun...
of the river name Birna (now Åbjøra
Åbjøra
Åbjøra or Åelva is a river in the municipality of Bindal in Nordland county, Norway. It begins in the mountains in the southeastern part of Bindal, it passes through some lakes, including the lake Åbjørvatnet, then past the village of Åbygda, and ends in the Osan fjord, not far from the village of...
) and the last element is dalr which means "valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
" or "dale". The river name is derived from the word birna which means
"(female) bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
".
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-armsCoat 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 (1990). The arms show six gold rivet
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 the head is called the buck-tail. On installation the rivet is placed in a punched or pre-drilled hole, and the tail is upset, or bucked A rivet...
s on a blue background to represent the boat building
Boat building
Boat building, one of the oldest branches of engineering, is concerned with constructing the hulls of boats and, for sailboats, the masts, spars and rigging.-Parts:* Bow - the front and generally sharp end of the hull...
industry in the municipality.
Churches
The Church of NorwayChurch of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
has two parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Bindal. It is part of the Sør-Helgeland deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland
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...
.
| Parish (Sokn) | Church Name | Location of the Church | Year Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solstad | Solstad Church Solstad Church Solstad Church is a parish church in the municipality of Bindal in Nordland county, Norway. It is located along the Bindalsfjorden in the village of Holm. The church is part of the Solstad parish in the Sør-Helgeland deanery in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland. The white church building was... |
Holm Holm, Norway Holm is a village in the municipality of Bindal in Nordland county, Norway. It is located along the Bindalsfjorden, about northwest of the village of Bindalseidet. Holm is also the site of Solstad Church, one of the two churches in the municipality. It is also the quay for the Bindal–Vennesund... |
1888 |
| Vassås | Vassås Church Vassås Church Vassås Church is a parish church in the municipality of Bindal in Nordland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Vassås. The church is part of the Vassås parish in the Sør-Helgeland deanery in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland. There has been a church at this site for centuries. The... |
Vassås 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 village of Åbygda lies about to the southeast. This is... |
1733 |
Geography
Bindal borders four municipalities in Nord-TrøndelagNord-Trøndelag
is a county constituting the northern part of Trøndelag in Norway. As of 2010, the county had 131,555 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-least populated county. The largest municipalities are Stjørdal, Steinkjer—the county seat, Levanger, Namsos and Verdal, all with between 21,000 and...
county: Høylandet
Høylandet
Høylandet is a village and a municipality in Nord-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....
and Nærøy
Nærøy
Nærøy is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. Nærøy is part of the Namdalen region. Norway's smallest town, Kolvereid, is the administration centre of the municipality...
in the south, Namsskogan
Namsskogan
Namsskogan is a village and municipality in Nord-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...
in the southeast, and Leka
Leka, Norway
Leka is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Namdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Leknes. Other villages include Sør-Gutvika and Madsøygrenda....
in the west. Bindal also has borders with the Nordland municipalities of Sømna
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...
, Brønnøy
Brønnøy
Brønnøy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland region. The administrative and commercial centre is the town of Brønnøysund. A secondary centre is the village of Hommelstø. Other villages include Tosbotn, Lande, Trælnes, and Indreskomo.The Brønnøysund Register...
, and Grane. The Bindalsfjorden
Bindalsfjorden
Bindalsfjorden is a fjord in the southern part of Nordland county, Norway. The fjord is mostly located in the municipality of Bindal with a small part in neighboring Sømna municipality. The long fjord begins near the villages of Terråk and Vassås where the Sørfjorden and Tosenfjorden join together...
runs through the central part of the municipality.
From the coast, the municipality reaches into the mountains towards the lake Majavatnet
Majavatnet
Majavatnet 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. The European route E06 highway and the Nordlandsbanen railway line both run along...
in Grane. The tallest mountain is the 1058 metres (3,471.1 ft) tall Heilhornet. It also includes part of the lakes Eidevatnet
Eidevatnet
Eidevatnet or Eidvatnet is a lake that is located in the municipality of Bindal in Nordland county, Norway. The lake lies in the northern part of Bindal that is very sparsely populated. The lake Fjellvatnet flows to the southwest into this lake....
and Fjellvatnet, which also partially lie in Brønnøy
Brønnøy
Brønnøy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland region. The administrative and commercial centre is the town of Brønnøysund. A secondary centre is the village of Hommelstø. Other villages include Tosbotn, Lande, Trælnes, and Indreskomo.The Brønnøysund Register...
municipality. Other lakes include Åbjørvatnet
Åbjørvatnet
Åbjørvatnet 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....
, Kalvvatnet
Kalvvatnet
Kalvvatnet is a Norwegian lake that lies in Namsskogan municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county and Bindal municipality in Nordland county. Most of the lake is in Bindal, about northwest of the village of Namsskogan....
, and Saglivatnet
Saglivatnet
Saglivatnet is a Norwegian lake that lies in Nærøy municipality in Nord-Trøndelag and Bindal municipality in Nordland....
. The river Åbjøra
Åbjøra
Åbjøra or Åelva is a river in the municipality of Bindal in Nordland county, Norway. It begins in the mountains in the southeastern part of Bindal, it passes through some lakes, including the lake Åbjørvatnet, then past the village of Åbygda, and ends in the Osan fjord, not far from the village of...
runs through the eastern part of Bindal. Part of the island of Austra
Austra
Austra is an island on the border between Nord-Trøndelag and Nordland counties in Norway. The island is shared between the municipalities of Bindal, Leka and Nærøy. The highest point is the tall Romsskåla....
is in Bindal.
Economy
The most important industries in Bindal are farmingAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
. The largest secondary industry is the door manufacturer, Bindalsbruket, with about 130 employees. Bindal has a traditional boat-building industry and Nordland boats are still manufactured here.
Culture
Boat races for Nordland boats are have been held annually since 1978 in the main village of TerråkTerråk
Terråk is a village and the administrative centre of the municipality of Bindal in Nordland county, 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 Bridge connects Terråk to the village of...
during the last weekend of June.
Education
Bindal has three schools; two of them are classified as independent and therefore not administered by the municipality.- Terråk skole in TerråkTerråkTerråk is a village and the administrative centre of the municipality of Bindal in Nordland county, 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 Bridge connects Terråk to the village of...
is a 1st-10th grade school and the largest in Bindal with approximately 100 students attending it. - Kjella friskole, one of the independent schools, is located in Sørhorsfjord. It is a 1st-10th grade school.
- Bindalseidet friskole is an independent school located in Bindalseidet. It is a 1st-10th grade school.
External links
- Municipal fact sheet from Statistics NorwayStatistics NorwayStatistics Norway 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 year on its web site. All releases are published both in Norwegian and English...