Hitra

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Not to be confused with Hirta
Hitra kommune
—  Municipality  —
Coat of arms of Hitra kommune
Coat of arms
Official logo of Hitra kommune
Sør-Trøndelag within
Norway
Hitra within Sør-Trøndelag
Hitra within Sør-Trøndelag
Coordinates: 63°32′50″N 8°51′17″E / 63.54722, 8.85472
Country Norway
County Sør-Trøndelag
Municipality ID NO-1617
Administrative centre Fillan
Government
 - Mayor (2007) Ole Haugen (AP)
Area (Nr. 163 in Norway)
 - Total 685 km² (264.5 sq mi)
 - Land 646 km² (249.4 sq mi)
Population (2004)
 - Total 4,090
 - Density 6/km² (15.5/sq mi)
 - Change (10 years) -2.1 %
 - Rank in Norway 226
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Official language form Neutral
Demonym Hitraværing or Hitterværing[1]
Data from Statistics Norway
Website: www.hitra.kommune.no

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

Hitra was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). Frøya was separated from Hitra as a municipality of its own in 1877. Three parishes of the main island of Hitra was also later separated as municipalities of their own (Fillan 1877, Kvenvær 1912 and Sandstad (from Fillan) 1914), but these were merged with Hitra again January 1, 1964.

Hitra is the seventh largest island of mainland Norway, and is bordered by Frøya to the north. It lies on the Trondheimsfjord. The highest point on the island is called Mørkdalstuva, and is 345 m above sea level. The administrative centre of Hitra is Fillan. Hitra is famous in Norway for its large and dense population of Red Deer (notice the coat of arms). Between Hitra and Frøya lies a little island called Dolmøya.

Hitra is a member of the International Island Games Association.

Contents

[edit] The name

Hopsjøbrygga, Hitra
Hopsjøbrygga, Hitra

The Norse form of the name was Hitr. The name is probably derived from a word with the meaning 'split, cleft' (referring to the many inlets of the island).

[edit] Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1987). It shows the head of a Red Deer.

(See also the coat-of-arms of Gjemnes, Hjartdal and Voss.)

[edit] Transport

The company Kystekspressen runs westamaran services from Trondheim and Kristiansund. There is also a 5,610 metre long underwater tunnel (the Hitratunnelen) connecting Hitra to the mainland.

[edit] Energy

There is a windfarm on the island, Hitra Wind Farm, founded in 2004 which has 24 windmills and produces at a rate of 55 MW.

[edit] External links

[edit] References