The 2,684-square-kilometre (1,036 sq mi) municipality is the 20th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Hattfjelldal is the 315th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,284. The municipality's population density is 0.5 inhabitants per square kilometre (1.3/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 14.4% over the previous 10-year period.[6][7]
Hattfjelldal is one of the last strongholds for the severely endangered Southern Sami language. It was also one of the municipalities in Norway involved in the Terra Securities scandal.
General information
The municipality of Hattfjelldal was established in 1862 when it was separated from the large Vefsn Municipality. The initial population of Hattfjelldal Municipality was 961. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the part of Hattfjelldal on the north side of the lake Røsvatnet (population: 168) was transferred to the neighboring Hemnes Municipality.[8]
Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Hattfjelldalen farm (referred to as "Hatfieldalen" in 1723) where the first Hattfjelldal Church was built. The first element of the name comes from the local mountain Hattfjellet which has a hat-like shape. The mountain name is derived from the genitive case of the word hǫttr which means "hat" and the word fjall which means "mountain". The last element of the name is the definite form of the word dalr which means "valley" or "dale". Thus it is the "hat-shaped mountain valley".[9] Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Hatfjelddalen. On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Hatfjelldalen (removing one "d").[10] On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Hatfjelldal (removing the definite form ending).[11] On 29 January 1926, the spelling was changed again, this time by adding a "t" to make it Hattfjelldal.[12]
On 14 June 2019, the national government approved a resolution to add a co-equal, official Southern Sami language name for the municipality: Aarborte.[13] The spelling of the Sami language name changes depending on how it is used. It is called Aarborte when it is spelled alone, but it is Aarborten tjїelte when using the Sami language equivalent to "Hattfjelldal Municipality".[14]
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 24 October 1986. The official blazon is "Per fessargent and vertembattled with one battlement" (Norwegian: Delt av sølv og grønt ved tindesnitt med en enkelt tinde). This means the arms have a field (background) that is divided by a horizontal line that has a rectangular raised area. The field above the line has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. Below the line, the field is colored green. The arms were designed to mimic the local Hattfjellet mountain which rises above the terrain and can be seen for great distances. The mountain has steep sides with a rather flat plateau at the top, giving it a distinctive look. The design is a canting element since the name of the municipality means "hat mountain valley". The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen.[15][16][17]
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Hattfjelldal is made up of 15 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.
The mayor (Norwegian: ordfører) of Hattfjelldal is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position (incomplete list):[39]
