Bygland
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| Bygland kommune | |||
| — Municipality — | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | Norway | ||
| County | Aust-Agder | ||
| District | Setesdal | ||
| Municipality ID | NO-0938 | ||
| Administrative centre | Bygland | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor (2004) | Knut A. Austad (Sp) | ||
| Area (Nr. 70 in Norway) | |||
| - Total | 1,312 km² (506.6 sq mi) | ||
| - Land | 1,150 km² (444 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2004) | |||
| - Total | 1,318 | ||
| - Density | 1/km² (2.6/sq mi) | ||
| - Change (10 years) | -6.9 % | ||
| - Rank in Norway | 384 | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Official language form | Nynorsk | ||
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| Website: www.bygland.kommune.no | |||
Bygland is a municipality in the county of Aust-Agder, Norway.
Bygland was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt).
It is bordered on the north by Valle, in the east by Fyresdal (Telemark) and Åmli (Vest-Agder), in the south by Froland and Evje og Hornnes, and in the west by Åseral (Vest-Agder), Kvinesdal (Vest-Agder) and Sirdal (Vest-Agder).
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[edit] The name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old farm Bygland (Norse Byggland), since the first church was built there. The first element is bygg n 'barley', the last element is land n 'land; farm'.
[edit] Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1991). It shows a lynx.
(See also the coat-of-arms of Hamarøy and Hemsedal.)
[edit] Geography
Bygland lies in the middle of Setesdal, a valley and a traditional district in Aust-Agder that included the municipalities of Bykle, Valle, Bygland, Iveland, and Evje og Hornnes. The Otra river flows from the glacially scoured Hardanger plateau (Hardangervidda in Norwegian) in Telemark to the north, through the valley of Setesdal (and through Bygland), into the sea near the Kristiansand.
Bygland is Aust-Agder's second largest municipality in area. The majority of the municipality lies about 700 m above sea level. The municipality stretches from the small town Byglandsfjord in the south to the farms at Langeid in the north. Lake Byglandsfjord is 40 kilometer long and lies on the river Otra.
[edit] History
The Setesdal Railroad (Setesdalsbanen in Norwegian) was a narrow gauge steam railway which went between Vennesla and Byglandsfjord in Bygland. It was built in 1896. Setesdalsbanen operation was terminated in 1962 and the track was removed between Byglandsfjord and Beihølen.
Other transport up the Setesdal valley was provided by the steamships Bjoren and Dølen. First placed in operation in 1866, the Bjoren is still in operation as a tourist attraction on lake Byglandsfjord.
[edit] Attractions
- Byglandsfjord Station – train station constructed in 1896
- Bygland tower – a folk museum.
- Iveland and Vegusdal Bygdemuseum – a folk museum.
- Nomeland Power Station – a hydroelectric generation facility in an impressive structure
- Setesdalmuseet – a familiarization with the cultural history of the Setesdal valley
[edit] External links
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