Audnedal

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Audnedal kommune
—  Municipality  —
Coat of arms of Audnedal kommune
Coat of arms
Official logo of Audnedal kommune
Vest-Agder within
Norway
Audnedal within Vest-Agder
Audnedal within Vest-Agder
Coordinates: 58°22′48″N 7°22′12″E / 58.38, 7.37
Country Norway
County Vest-Agder
Municipality ID NO-1027
Administrative centre Byremo
Government
 - Mayor (2003) Tønnes Seland (2006)(Bygdelista for øvre del av Audnedal)
Area (Nr. 302 in Norway)
 - Total 251 km² (96.9 sq mi)
 - Land 236 km² (91.1 sq mi)
Population (2004)
 - Total 1,568
 - Density 7/km² (18.1/sq mi)
 - Change (10 years) -0.6 %
 - Rank in Norway 362
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Official language form Neutral
Data from Statistics Norway
Website: www.audnedal.kommune.no

Audnedal is a municipality in the county of Vest-Agder, Norway.

The new municipality Audnedal was created January 1, 1964 - after the merger of Grindheim and Konsmo.

The old municipality (see Undal) had quite different borders: It was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt) - but it was divided in Nord-Audnedal (divided in Konsmo and Vigmostad 1911) and Sør-Audnedal (Spangereid separated 1899) already in 1845.

It is an inland municipality, and borders in the north on Åseral municipality, Hægebostad in the west, Lyngdal and Lindesnes in the south and Marnardal in the east. In the north-east it borders on Evje og Hornnes in the county of Aust-Agder.

[edit] The name

The Norse form of the name was Auðnudalr. The first element is the genitive case of the rivername Auðna (now Audnedalselva), the last element is dalr m 'valley, dale'. The rivername is derived from the Norse word auðn f 'destruction' (because of flooding).

[edit] Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1991). It shows a blade of a circular saw. (To represent the timber industry in the municipality.)

[edit] Attractions

Recommended hiking trips, among other places in the area, are "Blomliknuten".

The local Museum located on Sveindal is also a noteworthy visit.

If you enjoy the art of fishing, you should drop by the river "Mandalselva". Salmon weighing several kilograms are taken here.