Askim

Askim kommune
Municipality

Coat of arms
Østfold within
Norway

Askim within Østfold
Coordinates: 59°35′10″N 11°10′12″E / 59.58611°N 11.17000°E / 59.58611; 11.17000Coordinates: 59°35′10″N 11°10′12″E / 59.58611°N 11.17000°E / 59.58611; 11.17000
Country Norway
County Østfold
District Smaalenene
Administrative centre Askim
Government
 • Mayor (2011) Thor Hals (H)
Area
 • Total 69 km2 (27 sq mi)
 • Land 66 km2 (25 sq mi)
Area rank 409 in Norway
Population (30. June 2014)
 • Total 15,511[1]
 • Rank 71 in Norway
 • Density 225/km2 (580/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years) 9.0 %
Demonym(s) Askiming[2]
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
ISO 3166 code NO-0124
Official language form Bokmål
Website www.askim.kommune.no
Data from Statistics Norway

 Askim  is a town and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Askim. Askim was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt).

Askim is the largest population centre in Indre Østfold with 15 315 inhabitants (2012), and serves as a regional center for 9 municipalities in Indre Østfold. It lies next to the longest river in Norway, Glomma, which forms the border with Spydeberg to the north and west, and Skiptvet to the south. Askim also borders Trøgstad to the northeast and Eidsberg to the southeast.

Askim produces large amounts of hydroelectricity at three dams. From upstream to downstream: Solbergfoss, Kykkelsrud, then Vamma. There was nickel mining at Kykkelsrud at the turn of the 20th century. These mines are also one of the few places where "Spheroidal Norite" is found.

An industrial city for most of the 20th century, the main employer, Viking, shut down its rubber product production in 1991. Glava is the main employer today.

General information

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Askim farm (Old Norse: Askheimr), since the first church was built here. The first element is askr which means "ash tree" and the last element is heimr which means "home", "homestead", or "farm".

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 1 November 1963. The arms symbolize the three large waterfalls in the municipality, the Solbergfoss, Kykkelsrudfoss, and Vammafoss. The rivers and waterfalls are also partially harnessed for hydroelectric power.[3]

Transportation

European route E18 used to go through the city centre, however, since the upgrade to four-lane highway in 2005, its route now runs outside the centre. Norges Statsbaner's Eastern Østfold Line serves the municipality with stops at Langnes Station and Næringsparken and Askim Station in between.

History

Askim has always been a strategic point in wars due to its relative easy crossing of the river. The last battle between Norway and Sweden was fought at the crossing over Glomma on 9 August 1814. There is a yearly historical reenactment, as well as a stone monument at Langnes to commemorate this event.

During the Norwegian Campaign of World War II, a battle occurred at Fossum Bridge when the Norwegian Army defended the crossing against invading Germans in April 1940.

Government

The municipal council runs the government of Askim. The 2007 election results are as follows:[4]

Number of minorities (1st and 2nd generation) in Askim by country of origin in 2015[5]
Ancestry Number
 Poland399
 Iraq312
 Vietnam288
 Bosnia-Herzegovina163
 Philippines140
 Somalia131
 Kosovo126
 Lithuania123
 Syria118
 Croatia113

Attractions

International relations

Twin towns — sister cities

The following cities are twinned with Askim:[6]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.askim.kommune.no/fakta-om-askim.215527.no.html
  2. ↑ "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
  3. ↑ Norske Kommunevåpen (1990). "Nye kommunevåbener i Norden". Retrieved 2008-12-13.
  4. ↑ Norwegian Government. "2007 Askim election results" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2008-06-04.
  5. ↑ "Immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents, by immigration category, country background and percentages of the population". ssb.no. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  6. ↑ "Askims vennskapskommuner" (in Norwegian). Askim kommune. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
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