Hitra
Encyclopedia
Sør-Trøndelag
- References :...
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 municipality covers the island of Hitra and several smaller islands, and is part of the Fosen
Fosen
Fosen is a traditional district in Trøndelag, consisting of the municipalities Osen, Roan, Åfjord, Bjugn, Ørland, Rissa, Agdenes, Snillfjord, Hemne, Hitra and Frøya. The district is dominated by forested valleys, lakes, coastal cliffs but also shallow areas, and in the interior mountains reaching...
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,...
. With a land area of 571.5 km² (220.7 sq mi), the island of Hitra is the seventh largest island in mainland Norway, and the largest island south of the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
.
The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Fillan
Fillan, Norway
Fillan is a village and former municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is also the municipal center of the present-day municipality of Hitra. It is located on the northeastern shore of Hitra island, about south of Ansnes...
. Other villages include Andersskogan, Ansnes
Ansnes
Ansnes is a village in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is located along the Fillfjorden on the northeastern coast of the island of Hitra. There is a bridge from Ansnes to the island of Fjellværsøya to the east. The village is located about north of the...
, Forsnes
Forsnes
Forsnes is a village in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located on the southwestern corner of the island of Hitra, along the Trondheimsleia. It is about south of Kvenvær and about west of Sandstad. The mountain Mørkdalstuva lies northeast of Forsnes...
, Hestvika
Hestvika
Hestvika is a village in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is located on the southeastern tip of the island of Hitra along the Trondheimsleia, about east of Sandstad and the Hitra Tunnel...
, Knarrlagsund
Knarrlagsund
Knarrlagsund or Knarrlaget is a village on the island of Ulvøya in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located on the southern part of the island about east of Ulvan....
, Kvenvær
Kvenvær
Kvenvær is a fishing village and former municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The village of Kvenvær is located on the northwestern coast of the island of Hitra in the present-day municipality of Hitra. It is just south of the Bispøyan islands....
, Melandsjøen
Melandsjøen
Melandsjøen or Melandsjø is a village in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is located on the north shore of the island of Hitra, just across the strait from the island of Dolmøya....
, Nordbotn
Nordbotn, Sør-Trøndelag
Nordbotn is a village in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located on the east side of the island of Fjellværsøya. It is the location of the Nordbotn chapel. The village was once a trading post with a post office, bakery, and store....
, Sandstad
Sandstad
Sandstad is a village and former municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Hitra. The village of Sandstad lies on along the Trondheimsleia on the southeastern coast of the island of Hitra, about southwest of Hestvika. The north entrance to...
, and Ulvan
Ulvan
Ulvan is a village on the island of Ulvøya in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located on the western side of the island on the Frøyfjorden, about west of Knarrlagsund. Ulvan is home to a large fish processing plant operated by Marine Harvest....
.
Hitra is famous in Norway for its large and dense population of Red Deer
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
(seeHitra's Coat-of-arms). Hitra is a member of the International Island Games Association
International Island Games Association
The International Island Games Association is an organisation the sole purpose of which is to organise the Island Games, a friendly biennial athletic competition between teams from several European islands and other small territories. The IGA liaises with the member island associations and with...
.
General information
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...
). On 1 January 1877, the northern district of Frøya (population: 3,949) was separated from Hitra to form a municipality of its own. On 1 January 1886, the southern and eastern parts of Hitra were separated into a new municipality of Fillan
Fillan, Norway
Fillan is a village and former municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is also the municipal center of the present-day municipality of Hitra. It is located on the northeastern shore of Hitra island, about south of Ansnes...
. This left Hitra with 2,241 residents. Then on 1 January 1913, the western part of Hitra was separated to form the new municipality of Kvenvær
Kvenvær
Kvenvær is a fishing village and former municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The village of Kvenvær is located on the northwestern coast of the island of Hitra in the present-day municipality of Hitra. It is just south of the Bispøyan islands....
. This left Hitra with 1,439 residents. On 1 January 1964, the municipalities of Hitra, Kvenvær
Kvenvær
Kvenvær is a fishing village and former municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The village of Kvenvær is located on the northwestern coast of the island of Hitra in the present-day municipality of Hitra. It is just south of the Bispøyan islands....
, Fillan
Fillan, Norway
Fillan is a village and former municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is also the municipal center of the present-day municipality of Hitra. It is located on the northeastern shore of Hitra island, about south of Ansnes...
, and Sandstad
Sandstad
Sandstad is a village and former municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Hitra. The village of Sandstad lies on along the Trondheimsleia on the southeastern coast of the island of Hitra, about southwest of Hestvika. The north entrance to...
were merged together to form a new, larger Hitra municipality. Prior to the merger, Hitra had 1,344 residents.
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 Hitr. The name is probably derived from a word with the meaning "split" or "cleft" (referring to the many inlet
Inlet
An inlet is a narrow body of water between islands or leading inland from a larger body of water, often leading to an enclosed body of water, such as a sound, bay, lagoon or marsh. In sea coasts an inlet usually refers to the actual connection between a bay and the ocean and is often called an...
s of the island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
). Until 1918 the name of the island and municipality was spelled Hitteren.
- See also: HidraHidraHidra is an island and a former municipality in Vest-Agder county in Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Flekkefjord. The island has two harbours: Rasvåg and Kirkehavn. It is the largest island in Vest-Agder county and it is separated from the mainland by the wide...
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. They were granted on 7 August 1987. The arms show the head of a Red Deer
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
in silver on a blue background. It symbolizes one of Northern Europe
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
's largest populations of red deer which is located in the municipality.
- See also: Coats of Arms of GjemnesGjemnesGjemnes is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway on the Romsdal peninsula. It is part of the Nordmøre region. The administrative centre is Batnfjordsøra, which lies along the Batnfjorden and is a former steamship landing place...
, HjartdalHjartdalHjartdal is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Øst-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Sauland....
, and VossVossis a municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Voss. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen....
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 four parishes (sokn) with a total of five churches and two chapels within the municipality of Hitra. It is part of the 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 :...
(prosti) of Orkdal and the Diocese of Nidaros
Diocese of Nidaros
Nidaros is a diocese in the Lutheran Church of Norway. It covers Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag counties and its cathedral city is Trondheim, which houses the well-known Nidaros Cathedral. The diocese is divided into 12 deaneries . Finn Wagle was the bishop from 1991 to 2008...
.
| Parish (Sokn) | Church Name | Year Built | Location of the Church |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hitra | Hitra kirke Hitra Church Hitra church is a main parish church in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The church is located in the village of Melandsjøen, on the northern coast of the island of Hitra.... |
1927 | Melandsjøen Melandsjøen Melandsjøen or Melandsjø is a village in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is located on the north shore of the island of Hitra, just across the strait from the island of Dolmøya.... |
| Dolm kirke Dolm Church Dolm church is a parish church in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The church is located on the southern coast of the island of Dolmøya at Dolmvarden.... |
1188 | Dolmøya Dolmøya Dolmøya is an island in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The island is located in the Frøyfjorden, just north of the village of Melandsjøen on the island of Hitra. The island is flat, swampy, and has very few trees. The island is also the location of the southern... |
|
| Fillan | Fillan kirke Fillan Church Fillan church is a parish church in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The church is located in the village of Fillan, which is also the municipal center of Hitra.... |
1789 | Fillan Fillan, Norway Fillan is a village and former municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is also the municipal center of the present-day municipality of Hitra. It is located on the northeastern shore of Hitra island, about south of Ansnes... |
| Nordbotn kapell Nordbotn Chapel Nordbotn chapel is a chapel in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The chapel is located in the village of Nordbotn on the island of Fjellværsøya. The church was built in 1900.... |
1900 | Nordbotn Nordbotn, Sør-Trøndelag Nordbotn is a village in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located on the east side of the island of Fjellværsøya. It is the location of the Nordbotn chapel. The village was once a trading post with a post office, bakery, and store.... |
|
| Kvenvær | Kvenvær kirke Kvenvær Church Kvenvær church is a parish church in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The church is located in the village of Kvenvær on the northwestern coast of the island of Hitra.... |
1909 | Kvenvær Kvenvær Kvenvær is a fishing village and former municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The village of Kvenvær is located on the northwestern coast of the island of Hitra in the present-day municipality of Hitra. It is just south of the Bispøyan islands.... |
| Forsnes kapell Forsnes Chapel Forsnes chapel is a chapel in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The chapel is located in the village of Forsnes on the southwestern coast of the island of Hitra.... |
1935 | Forsnes Forsnes Forsnes is a village in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located on the southwestern corner of the island of Hitra, along the Trondheimsleia. It is about south of Kvenvær and about west of Sandstad. The mountain Mørkdalstuva lies northeast of Forsnes... |
|
| Sandstad | Sandstad kirke Sandstad Church Sandstad church is a parish church in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The church is located in the village of Sandstad on the southeastern coast of the island of Hitra.... |
1888 | Sandstad Sandstad Sandstad is a village and former municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Hitra. The village of Sandstad lies on along the Trondheimsleia on the southeastern coast of the island of Hitra, about southwest of Hestvika. The north entrance to... |
Geography
Hitra is the seventh largest island of mainland Norway, and is bordered by Frøya to the north. It lies between the TrondheimsleiaTrondheimsleia
The Trondheimsleia is a strait that runs between the islands of Smøla and Hitra and the mainland municipalities of Aure, Hemne, Snillfjord, and Agdenes in Møre og Romsdal and Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The long strait has several fjords which branch off it including the Ramsøyfjorden,...
and the Frøyfjorden
Frøyfjorden
The Frøyfjorden is a fjord between the islands of Frøya and Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The long fjord is rather shallow, only about at its deepest. The Frøya Tunnel is goes beneath the fjord from Hammarvika, Frøya to Dolmøya, Hitra....
. The 345 metres (1,131.9 ft) tall Mørkdalstuva
Mørkdalstuva
Mørkdalstuva or Mørkdalstua is the tallest mountain on the island of Hitra in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The tall mountain lies on the western side of the island, about northeast of Forsnes and southeast of Kvenvær....
is the highest point on the island.
Other than the large island of Hitra, there are many other islands in the municipality, notably Fjellværsøya
Fjellværsøya
Fjellværsøya is an island in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The island is located in the eastern part of Hitra surrounded by the Frøyfjorden, Kråkvågfjorden, and Fillfjorden....
, Ulvøya
Ulvøya (Hitra)
Ulvøya is an island in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The island is located just north of Fjellværsøya island. The Knarrlagsundet bridge connects the two islands. The island is home to the villages of Knarrlagsund and Ulvan. Marine Harvest has a fish processing...
, Dolmøya
Dolmøya
Dolmøya is an island in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The island is located in the Frøyfjorden, just north of the village of Melandsjøen on the island of Hitra. The island is flat, swampy, and has very few trees. The island is also the location of the southern...
, Helgbustadøya
Helgbustadøya
Helgbustadøya is an island in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is an island located in the Straumsfjorden just off the northwestern coast of the island of Hitra, just east of the Bispøyan islands, about northeast of the village of Kvenvær, and about southwest of...
, and Bispøyan
Bispøyan
Bispøyan is a group of islands in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. They are located north of Kvenvær on the island of Hitra, and northwest of the island of Helgbustadøya. The largest islands include Burøya, Olderøya, Monsøya, and Henriksøya. The rocky islands are now...
. The Børøyholmen lighthouse
Børøyholmen Lighthouse
Børøyholmen Lighthouse is a lighthouse in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The lighthouse is located in the Trondheimsleia in the entrance to the Kråkvågfjorden on a tiny island off the shore of the village of Hestvika on Hitra island...
and Terningen lighthouse
Terningen Lighthouse
Terningen Lighthouse is a lighthouse in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The lighthouse is located in the Trondheimsleia near the mouth of the Hemnfjorden, just west of the island of Hemnskjela, and about southwest of the village of Sandstad.The tall lighthouse has an...
are located in the Trondheimsleia
Trondheimsleia
The Trondheimsleia is a strait that runs between the islands of Smøla and Hitra and the mainland municipalities of Aure, Hemne, Snillfjord, and Agdenes in Møre og Romsdal and Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The long strait has several fjords which branch off it including the Ramsøyfjorden,...
in the southeast part of Hitra municipality.
Transportation
The company Kystekspressen runs westamaranWestamaran
The Westamaran is a pioneer type of passenger transport high speed catamarans developed by Westermoen Hydrofoil in 1973. The craft was highly successful, and introduced a new era of passenger transport along the Norwegian coast and elsewhere....
services from Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
and Kristiansund
Kristiansund
Kristiansund is a city and municipality on the western coast of Norway, in the Nordmøre district of Møre og Romsdal county. It was officially awarded township status in 1742, and it is still the major town for the region. The administrative center of the municipality is the city of Kristiansund...
. The 5610 metres (3.5 mi) long undersea tunnel
Undersea tunnel
An undersea tunnel is a tunnel which is partly or wholly constructed under a body of water. They are often used where building a bridge or operating a ferry link is impossible, or to provide competition for existing bridges or ferry links...
called the Hitratunnelen connects Hitra to the mainland to the south and the 5305 metres (3.3 mi) long Frøya Tunnel connects Hitra to Frøya to the north.
Energy
There is a wind farmWind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
in the central part of the island, Hitra Wind Farm
Hitra Wind Farm
Hitra Wind Farm is a 24 turbine wind farm located in the municipality of Hitra in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway and operated by Statkraft. The farm is located on top of the Elsfjellet plateau in the central part of the island of Hitra, just south of the village of Straum and about west of Sandstad...
, founded in 2004, which has 24 wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s which produce a total of 55 MW.
External links
- Hitra Vindpark
- 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...