The 1,025-square-kilometre (396 sq mi) municipality is the 113th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Heim is the 163rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 5,880. The municipality's population density is 6 inhabitants per square kilometre (16/sq mi) and its population (in its predecessor municipalities) has decreased by 0.3% over the previous 10-year period.[4][5]
General information
The municipality was established on 1 January 2020 upon the merger of the neighboring municipalities of Hemne and Halsa as well as the Ytre Snillfjord area in the municipality of Snillfjord. The area in the municipality of Halsa left Møre og Romsdal county and switched to Trøndelag county when the merger occurred.[6][7]
Name
The parish of Heim was established in 1884. It is named after the old Heim farm (Old Norse: Heimr), since the first Heim Church was built on its ground. The name is identical with the word heimr which means "home", "homestead", or "farm".[8]
Coat of arms
The coat of arms for Heim was designed and granted in 2019. It is a blue shield with a white ornamental design in the centre. The design was chosen to symbolize many different things. The blue background refers to air, water, and the sea. The white design is reminiscent of boats, fjords, seeds, and church spires, all of which are a part of the culture of the municipality.[9]
The municipal council(Kommunestyre) of Heim is made up of 23 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.