Leikanger

Infobox_Kommune
name = Leikanger

---

idnumber = 1419
county = Sogn og Fjordane
landscape = Sogn
capital = Leikanger
demonym = Systrending
language = Nynorsk


munwebpage = www.leikanger.kommune.no
governor = Olav Lunden (Ap)
governor_as_of = 2003
arearank = 344
area = 180
arealand = 177
areapercent = 0.06
population_as_of = 2006
populationrank = 328
population = 2,199
populationpercent = 0.05
populationdensity = 12
populationincrease = -2.4
lat_deg = 61 | lat_min = 13 | lat_sec = 51 | lon_deg = 6 | lon_min = 47 | lon_sec = 23
utm_zone = 32V | utm_northing = 6790521 | utm_easting = 0381342 | geo_cat = adm2nd

Audio|Leikanger.ogg|Leikanger is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center is the village of Leikanger, which is also the administrative center of Sogn og Fjordane county.

The urban area of Leikanger and Hermansverk has 1,965 inhabitants (2007) [cite web|title=Urban settlements. Population and area, by municipality.|url=http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/02/01/10/beftett_en/arkiv/tab-2007-06-07-01-en.html|date=1 January 2007|accessdaymonth=3 August|accessyear=2008|publisher=Statistics Norway] . This urban area is often called Systrond, which is why a person from Leikanger is often called "Systrending".

General information

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old farm "Leikanger" (Old Norse "Leikvangir"), since the first church was built there. The first element is "leikr" which means "sports" or "athletics" and the last element is the plural form of "vangr" which means "meadow". Until 1889 the name was written "Lekanger".

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times. The arms were granted on 5 September 1963. The arms show a twig of an apple tree. The apple tree branch is a symbol for the many orchards in the municipality and thus for the local economy. The three leaves also symbolise the three parishes in the municipality. [cite web|url=http://www.ngw.nl/int/nor/l/leikanger.htm|author=Norske Kommunevåpen|date=1990|title=Nye kommunevåbener i Norden|accessdaymonth=23 June|accessyear=2008]

Background

Leikanger was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The original municipality was identical to the Leikanger parish "(prestegjeld)" with the six sub-parishes ("sokn") of Leikanger, Fresvik, Rinde (later named Feios), Vangsnes, Tjugum, and Mundal (Mundal was later re-named Fjærland).

In 1849 the sub-parishes of Vangsnes, Tjugum, and Mundal were transferred into the newly created Balestrand parish "(prestegjeld)". The new parish was separated from Leikanger in 1850 and made into a municipality of its own named Balestrand. This split left Leikanger with 2,368 residents.cite web|first=Dag|last=Jukvam|publisher=Statistics Norway|title=Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen|date=1999|url=http://www.ssb.no/emner/00/90/rapp_9913/rapp_9913.pdf no icon]

On 1 January 1964, the Hella-Eitorn area (population: 31) was transferred from Balestrand back to Leikanger. Also, the Tingstad area (population: 5) was transferred to neighboring Sogndal municipality. These changes left Leikanger with 2,680 residents.

On 1 January 1992 the sub-parishes of Leikanger lying south of the Sognefjord, including Feios and Fresvik (total population: 572) were transferred to the municipality of Vik. This move left Leikanger with only one sub-parish: Leikanger.cite web|url=http://www.emigration.no/sff/emigration3.nsf/0/326D0346278A5909C1256F570048962C?OpenDocument|title=Some historical data on the 26 Kommunes|first=Oddvar|last=Natvik|date=9 Feb 2005|accessdaymonth=23 June|accessyear=2008]

Churches

The Church of Norway has one church within the municipality of Leikanger. It is part of the Diocese of Bjørgvin and the Rural Deanery "(Prosti)" of Indre Sogn.

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Leikanger, 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.

Municipal council

The municipal council "(Kommunestyre)" of Leikanger is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to every four years. For 2007–2011, the party breakdown is as follows: [cite web|publisher=Statistics Norway|url=http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/00/01/20/kommvalgform_en/tab-2008-01-29-15-en.html|title=Members of the local councils|accessdaymonth=23 June|accessyear=2008|date=2007] Infobox_Kommunestyre
name = Leikanger
start = 2007
end = 2011
Total = 17
Arbeiderpartiet = 7
Fremskrittspartiet =
Høyre = 2
Kristelig_Folkeparti =
Rød_Valgallianse =
Rødt =
Senterpartiet = 3
Sosialistisk_Venstreparti = 2
Venstre = 3
Local_Lists = |

Mayor

The mayor "(ordførar)" of a municipality in Norway is a representative of the majority party of the municipal council who is elected to lead the council. Olav Lunden of the Labour Party "(Det Norske Arbeiderpartiet)" was re-elected mayor for the 2007-2011 term. He was first elected in 2003. [cite web|url=http://www.leikanger.kommune.no/web/leikanger.nsf/0/47CEA4F3327C82E1C12570ED003B002A?OpenDocument|title=Olav Lunden|date=1 Oct 2006|publisher=Leikanger Kommune|accessdaymonth=23 June|accessyear=2008 no icon]

Geography

Leikanger is located on the north side of the Sognefjord and to the east of the Fjærlandsfjord. It is bordered on the north and east by the municipality of Sogndal, on the west by Balestrand, and on the south by Vik.

Twin cities/towns of Leikanger

* Ribe, Municipality of Esbjerg, Denmark

References

External links

* [http://www.leikanger.kommune.no/ Official Leikanger municipality website] no icon
* [http://www.nrk.no/sfj/leksikon/1162169.html NRK: Leikanger] no icon