Meråker
Meråker is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Stjørdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Midtbygda which is about 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of Storlien in Sweden and 46 kilometres (29 mi) east of the town of Stjørdalshalsen in neighboring Stjørdal municipality. Other villages in Meråker include Gudåa, Kopperå, and Stordalen.
Meråker kommune | |
|---|---|
 View of the Meråker valley | |
 Flag  Trøndelag within Norway | |
 Meråker within Trøndelag | |
| Coordinates: 63°26′17″N 11°50′58″E | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Trøndelag |
| District | Stjørdalen |
| Established | 1 Jan 1874 |
| • Preceded by | Øvre Stjørdal Municipality |
| Administrative centre | Midtbygda |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2019) | Kjersti Kjenes (LL) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,273.94 km2 (491.87 sq mi) |
| • Land | 1,188.06 km2 (458.71 sq mi) |
| • Water | 85.88 km2 (33.16 sq mi) 6.7% |
| • Rank | #80 in Norway |
| Population (2022) | |
| • Total | 2,399 |
| • Rank | #260 in Norway |
| • Density | 2/km2 (5/sq mi) |
| • Change (10 years) |  −4.5% |
| Demonym | Meråkerbygg[1] |
| Official language | |
| • Norwegian form | Bokmål |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | NO-5034 |
| Website | Official website |
The municipality markets itself as a recreational area. The main areas of employment are in industry and agriculture. The municipality is noted for its characteristic dialect.
The 1,274-square-kilometre (492 sq mi) municipality is the 80th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Meråker is the 260th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,399. The municipality's population density is 2 inhabitants per square kilometre (5.2/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 4.5% over the previous 10-year period.[3][4]
General information
The municipality of Meråker was established on 1 January 1874 when the old municipality of Øvre Stjørdal was divided into two: Hegra (population: 3,409) in the east and Meråker (population: 1,861) in the west. The municipal borders have not changed since then.[5] On 1 January 2018, the municipality switched from the old Nord-Trøndelag county to the new Trøndelag county.
Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Meråker farm (spelled "Mørakre" around 1430) since the first Meråker Church was built there. The meaning of the first element is uncertain (maybe merr which means "mare" or mýrr which means "bog" or "marsh"). The last element is akr which means "field" or "acre".[6]
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 28 September 1990. The official blazon is "Gules, a cart argent" (Norwegian: I rødt en sølv vogn). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a mining cart. The mining cart has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. This design was chosen to symbolize the fact that mining has traditionally played a major role in the area and has been of great economic importance for Meråker. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[7][8][9]
Churches
The Church of Norway has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Meråker. It is part of the Stjørdal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nidaros.
| Parish (sokn) | Church name | Location of the church | Year built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meråker | Meråker Church | Midtbygda | 1874 |
| Kopperå Chapel | Kopperå | 1936 | |
| Stordalen Chapel | Stordalen | 1863 |
History
Geography
Meråker is a landlocked municipality in the central part of Trøndelag county. To the north is the municipality of Verdal, to the west is Stjørdal, to the south is Selbu and Tydal, and to the east is Sweden.
There are three major lakes in Meråker: Feren, Fjergen, and Funnsjøen. The river Stjørdalselva runs through the municipality towards the Trondheimsfjord. The river Rotla begins in the southern part of Meråker. The mountain Fongen sits on the southern border with Tydal and Selbu.
Government
All municipalities in Norway, including Meråker, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor.[10] The municipality falls under the Trøndelag District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.
Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Meråker is made up of 21 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:
| Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 5 | |
| Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 1 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 7 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 1 | |
| Meråker Cross-Party Local List (Meråker Tverrpolitiske Bygdeliste) | 5 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 6 | |
| Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 1 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 3 | |
| Meråker Cross-Party Local List (Meråker Tverrpolitiske Bygdeliste) | 6 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 7 | |
| Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 1 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 2 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 4 | |
| Meråker Cross-Party Local List (Meråker Tverrpolitiske Bygdeliste) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 1 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 1 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 1 | |
| Meråker cross-party local list (Meråker tverrpolitiske bygdeliste) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 10 | |
| Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 1 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 2 | |
| Meråker Cross-party Local List (Meråker Tverrpolitiske Bygdeliste) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 10 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 1 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 4 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 1 | |
| Meråker Cross-party local list (Meråker Tverrpolitisk bygdeliste) | 4 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 10 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 1 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 2 | |
| Meråker Cross-party local list (Meråker Tverrpolitiske bygdeliste) | 4 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 1 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 4 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 1 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 5 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 12 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 2 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 4 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 1 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 6 | |
| Joint list of the New People's Party and independent voters (Det Nye Folkepartiet og uavhengige velgere) |
1 | |
| Joint list of the Conservative Party (Høyre) and Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 4 | |
| Joint list of the Conservative Party (Høyre), Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti), and Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 13 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 2 | |
| Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 2 | |
| Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 2 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 13 | |
| Conservative Party (Høyre) | 1 | |
| Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 1 | |
| Socialist People's Party (Sosialistisk Folkeparti) | 3 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 15 | |
| Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) | 1 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 2 | |
| Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 13 | |
| Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) | 2 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 3 | |
| Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 13 | |
| Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) | 3 | |
| Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) | 5 | |
| Total number of members: | 21 | |
| Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) | 4 | |
| Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) | 5 | |
| Total number of members: | 20 | |
| Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) | 5 | |
| Liberal Party (Venstre) | 4 | |
| Total number of members: | 20 | |
| Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 11 | |
| Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) | 6 | |
| Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) | 3 | |
| Total number of members: | 20 | |
| Party Name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 12 | |
| Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) | 4 | |
| Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) | 5 | |
| Total number of members: | 20 | |
| Note: Due to the German occupation of Norway during World War II, no elections were held for new municipal councils until after the war ended in 1945. | ||
Mayors
The mayors of Meråker:[29][30]
- 1874–1877: Christian Erlandsen
- 1878–1885: John Johnsen
- 1886–1887: Iver Lie
- 1888–1893: Fredrik Rø (V)
- 1894–1897: O. Hugdahl
- 1898–1907: Fredrik Rø (V)
- 1908–1910: Carl Olaf Iversen (H)
- 1911–1913: Olav Stubban (Ap)
- 1914–1916: Ole E. Wollan (Ap)
- 1917–1922: Peder J. Myrmo (Ap)
- 1923–1925: Arne Bergsaas (Ap)
- 1926–1937: Kristian Rothaug (Ap)
- 1938–1939: Joar Eimhjellen (Ap)
- 1939–1941: Alf Karlsen (Ap)
- 1942-1942: Arild Solberg (NS)
- 1943–1945: Alf Hembre (NS)
- 1945–1966: Alf Karlsen (Ap)
- 1967–1973: Johnny Stenberg (Ap)
- 1973-1995: Svein Brækken (Ap)
- 1995-2015: Bård Langsåvold (Ap)
- 2015-2019: Kari Anita Furunes (Sp)
- 2019–present: Kjersti Kjenes (LL)
Transportation
The European route E14 highway runs east to west through the municipality connecting to Trondheim Airport, Værnes about 40 kilometres (25 mi) to the west. The Meråker Line railway follows the E14 through the municipality also, with stops at Kopperå Station, Meråker Station, and Gudå Station.
Media
The newspaper Meråkerposten has been published in Meråker since 1982.[31]
Notable residents
- Anton Johnson Fridrichsen (1888 in Meråker – 1953) a Swedish theologian
- Helge Ingstad (1899 in Meråker - 2001) author, explorer and archeologist
- Arne Braa Saatvedt (1922 in Meråker – 1945) a Norwegian police official and member of the Nasjonal Samling, executed in 1945
- Bård Langsåvold (born 1952) a Norwegian politician, Mayor of Meråker 1995-2015
- Dag Lyseid (1954–2012) a footballer and politician, deputy Mayor of Meråker 1999-2008
- Vebjørn Selbekk (born 1969) a newspaper editor and author, brought up in Meråker
Sport
- Magnar Lundemo (1938 in Meråker - 1987) a cross country skier and track and field athlete, competed at the 1960 and 1964 Winter Olympics
- Frode Estil (born 1972) a retired cross country skier, lives in Meråker
- Kine Beate Bjørnås (born 1980) a retired cross country skier
- Simen Raaen Sandmæl (born 1990 in Meråker) a Norwegian footballer with over 130 club caps
Media gallery
Meråker, Norway
Meråker smelteverk Kopperå
Elven Kopperåa i Kopperå, Meråker
Grønbergdammen in Meråker
References
- "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
- "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
- Statistisk sentralbyrå. "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
- Statistisk sentralbyrå. "09280: Area of land and fresh water (km²) (M)" (in Norwegian).
- Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå.
- Rygh, Oluf (1903). Norske gaardnavne: Nordre Trondhjems amt (in Norwegian) (15 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 2.
- "Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
- "Meråker, Nord-Trøndelag (Norway)". Flags of the World. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
- "Godkjenning av våpen og flagg". Lovdata.no (in Norwegian). Norges kommunal- og arbeidsdepartementet. 9 December 1990. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
- Hansen, Tore, ed. (12 May 2016). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2019 - Trøndelag". Valg Direktoratet. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
- "Table: 04813: Members of the local councils, by party/electoral list at the Municipal Council election (M)" (in Norwegian). Statistics Norway.
- "Tall for Norge: Kommunestyrevalg 2011 - Nord-Trøndelag". Valg Direktoratet. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
- "Kommunestyrevalget 1995" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1996. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- "Kommunestyrevalget 1991" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1993. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- "Kommunestyrevalget 1987" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1988. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- "Kommunestyrevalget 1983" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo-Kongsvinger: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1984. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- "Kommunestyrevalget 1979" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1979. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- "Kommunevalgene 1975" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1977. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- "Kommunevalgene 1972" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1973. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- "Kommunevalgene 1967" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1967. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- "Kommunevalgene 1963" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1964. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- Krogstad, Bjørn R. (1987). Bygdebok for Meråker (in Norwegian). Vol. 2. Meråker kommune.
- Straume, Kaurin (1973). Meråker kommune 100 år 1874–1974 (in Norwegian). Meråker kommune. p. 7.
- Smith-Meyer, Trond, ed. (1 December 2016). "Meråkerposten". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
External links
| |||
 | Towns and cities |  | |
| Municipalities | |||
