Ullensvang
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| Ullensvang kommune | |||
| — Municipality — | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | Norway | ||
| County | Hordaland | ||
| District | Hardanger | ||
| Municipality ID | NO-1231 | ||
| Administrative centre | Kinsarvik | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor (2003) | Solfrid Borge (Sp) | ||
| Area (Nr. 61 in Norway) | |||
| - Total | 1,399 km² (540.2 sq mi) | ||
| - Land | 1,287 km² (496.9 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2004) | |||
| - Total | 3,513 | ||
| - Density | 3/km² (7.8/sq mi) | ||
| - Change (10 years) | -9.6 % | ||
| - Rank in Norway | 245 | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Official language form | Nynorsk | ||
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| Website: www.ullensvang.kommune.no | |||
Ullensvang is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway.
Ullensvang used to be an annex to Kinsarvik - but in 1869 Ullensvang became the main parish, and Kinsarvik an annex to Ullensvang. (And the municipality then changed the name to Ullensvang.) Kinsarvik and Odda were separated from Ullensvang as municipalities of their own July 1, 1913. Most of Kinsarvik was again merged with Ullensvang January 1, 1964. (And Eidfjord was merged with Ullensvang in the period January 1, 1964 to January 1, 1977.)
The number of inhabitants has shown a decrease of some 500 between 1980 and 2004. This development can be seen in light of the general depopulation of rural Norway. The major part of Ullensvang is located at the national park Hardangervidda, Europe's biggest mountain plateau (highest point, Haarteigen, 1,690 meters above sea level). The general population, however, is confined to the narrow mountainsides and valleys along the Hardangerfjord especially in the rural centers of Kinsarvik (administrative center) and Lofthus. Ullensvang is Norway's biggest supplier of fruit, especially sweet cherries and apples. Every summer a cherry festival is held at Lofthus, where the Norwegian championship of cherry stone spitting is held (record: 14.24 meters, S. Kleivkaas). Each May a musical festival is held at Ullensvang Hotel (built 1846), when musicians from all of Norway come to the village. The famous composer Edvard Grieg spent many summers at Lofthus, and the festival is held in his honor. During the summer, the population is doubled due to tourism. Attractions in addition to the previous mentioned, are the medieval churches at Lofthus (built 1300 and Kinsarvik (built 1160), several waterfalls, the flowering season in May, and museums at Aga, Utne and Skredhaugen.
[edit] The name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old farm Ullensvang (Norse Ullinsvangr), since the first church was built there. The first element is the genitive case of the name of the Norse god Ullin (sideform of Ullr). The last element is vangr m 'field, meadow'.
[edit] Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms was made official in 1979, but originally belonged to a Middle Age nobleman from the district.
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