Agdenes

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Agdenes kommune
—  Municipality  —
Coat of arms of Agdenes kommune
Coat of arms
Official logo of Agdenes kommune
Sør-Trøndelag within
Norway
Agdenes within Sør-Trøndelag
Agdenes within Sør-Trøndelag
Coordinates: 63°32′5″N 9°42′4″E / 63.53472, 9.70111
Country Norway
County Sør-Trøndelag
District Orkdalen
Municipality ID NO-1622
Administrative centre Lensvik
Government
 - Mayor (2003) Oddvar Indergård (Felleslista for bygdeutvikling)
Area (Nr. 267 in Norway)
 - Total 318 km² (122.8 sq mi)
 - Land 297 km² (114.7 sq mi)
Population (2004)
 - Total 1,795
 - Density 6/km² (15.5/sq mi)
 - Change (10 years) -1.4 %
 - Rank in Norway 349
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Official language form Bokmål
Data from Statistics Norway
Website: www.agdenes.kommune.no

Agdenes is a municipality in the county of Sør-Trøndelag, Norway.

Agdenes was separated from Ørland January 1, 1896. Lensvik was merged with Agdenes January 1, 1964.

The municipality is situated at the south end of the mouth of the Trondheimsfjord. It borders the municipalities of Hitra, Ørland, Rissa, Orkdal and Snillfjord.

Contents

[edit] The name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the farm Agdenes (Norse Agðanes), since the first church was built there. The meaning of the first element is unknown (but it is probably the same as in the name Agder), the last element is nes n 'headland'.

[edit] Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1991). It shows ermine below a red strip (to represent the old royal connections, and the modern fur farming, of the municipality).

[edit] History

The municipality was formed in 1964 by merging Lensvik, Ingdalen and the outer part of old Agdenes. In 1995, the area of Moldtun was transferred to Snillfjord. This was because the area had been without road connection, and once the road was built, it was built in the direction of Snillfjord and it was hence logical to vote for the transfer.

[edit] Commerce

The industrial density of Agdenes is above the national average, and the primary sector is the biggest. Most of the inhabitants work within the milk or forest industry. The growth of strawberries and the breeding of fur animals are important industries as well.

The growth of strawberries has been a major industry in Agdenes for the past 100 years, started by the farmer Lars H. Selbæk in 1886 by planting some strawberry flowers and then giving them away to neighbouring farms. The most common sorts of strawberry grown here are Korona, Sephyr, Senga Sengana and Bounty. Today the collecting of the strawberries is performed by foreign workers, mainly from Poland and Lithuania. In the initial stages, the Norwegian youth was the main workforce, but after the 70s, it became less attractive for them to pick strawberries in a field.

[edit] Birdlife

The municipality of Agdenes has a rich and varied birdlife. One of the better localities is Litlvatnet.Fully protected since 1983, this nature reserve comprise of shallow water with extensive reed beds. The lake is surrounded by farmland, which in its own right provides food and shelter for several species. Formed during the last ice age when sea levels dropped leaving exposed areas of land and trapped water from the melting ice, today's Litlvatnet is a remnant of this.