Skjåk

Infobox_Kommune
name=Skjåk
idnumber=0513
county=Oppland
capital=Bismo
landscape=Gudbrandsdal
governor=Rolv Kristen Øygard (Sp)
governor_as_of=2007
arearank=27
area=2076
arealand=1969
areapercent=0.64
population_as_of=2004
populationrank=311
population=2,393
populationpercent=0.05
populationdensity=1
populationincrease=-5.3
demonym=Skjåkvær
language=Nynorsk
lat_deg=61| lat_min=56| lat_sec=10| lon_deg=7| lon_min=57| lon_sec=37
utm_zone=32V| utm_northing=6867516 |utm_easting=0445444| geo_cat=adm2nd




munwebpage=www.skjaak.kommune.no

Skjåk is a municipality in the county of Oppland, Norway.

Skjåk was separated from Lom as a municipality of its own in 1866.

Geography

Skjåk is the westernmost municipality in the valley of Ottadalen. It is bordered to the north by Norddal, Rauma and Lesja, in the east and southeast by Lom, in the south by Luster and in the west by Stryn and Stranda. The municipality lies along the Otta river between the mountainous areas of Breheim and Reinheim. Bismo is the modern population center and the location of the majority of industry and shopping as well as the municipal administration.

The community is at the meeting point between Gudbrandsdal and the mountains between the eastern parts of Norway and the west coast. The municipality lies on a historically significant traffic artery between Stryn and Nordfjord, Geiranger and Sunnmøre and the more easterly Ottadal municipalities of Lom and Vågå.

Nestled in a deep valley, the populated regions of Skjåk are rain shadowed and as a result are actually one of the most arid places in Europe with less annual precipitation than parts of the Sahara desert (although far cooler temperatures allow far lesser potential evapotranspiration than is characteristic of warmer climates. In addition, one side of the valley "solsida", or "the sunny side", has southern exposure, whereas "baksida", the "back side", gets very little sun. Agriculture has been enabled by elaborate irrigation systems for hundreds of years.

Of the total area, 19 km² is used for agriculture; 129 km² for forestry; 75 km² is covered by water; and the rest is mountains and other non-arable land. Virtually the entire 23-kilometer long valley floor is continuously but sparsely built up. Skjåk serves as a point of entry to the mountain areas just west; hunting and fishing are also popular tourist activities. Breiddalsvatnet is an area lake.

The local newspaper is named Fjuken, and is renown as one of Norway's best local newspapersFact|date=December 2007.

The name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old farm Skjåk (Norse "Skeiðakr"), since the first church was built here. The first element is "skeið" n 'running track for horseracing', the last element is "akr" m 'field, acre'.

Until 1889 the name was written "Skiaker", in the period 1889-1910 "Skiaaker", in the period 1911-1920 "Skjaak", and from 1921 on "Skjåk".

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1989). It shows a wooden cut of acanthus (ornament).

History

Skjåk has historical roots back to the Viking era and has a rich cultural heritage. An ancient route of travel between east and west went from Skjåk up through the Raudal valley and down through the Sunndal valley to Stryn on an arm of the Nordfjord. For example, in 1197, according to King Sverre's saga, Bishop Nikolaus is reported to have sent a group of baglers from Oppdal over the mountains to Stryn on Nordfjord, via Raudal.

Famous people from Skjåk

*Jan Magnus Bruheim, author
*Magnhild Bruheim, author
*Jakop Olsen Felodden or Fel-Jakup, composer and violinist
*Aslaug Høydal, author
*Ola Rasmussen Skjåk or Skjåk-Ola (1744-1804), wood carver
*Tore Ørjasæter, author
*Hans Christian Bergheim, snowboarder

ee also

*Skjåk-Ola