Holtålen

Infobox_Kommune
name=Holtålen
idnumber=1644
county=Sør-Trøndelag
landscape=
capital=Ålen
governor=Ivar P. Volden (Ap)
governor_as_of=2003
arearank=83
area=1209
arealand=1172
areapercent=0.37
population_as_of=2004
populationrank=330
population=2,172
populationpercent=0.05
populationdensity=2
populationincrease=-9.4
language=Neutral
demonym=holtåling
lat_deg=62| lat_min=52| lat_sec=7| lon_deg=11| lon_min=16| lon_sec=38
utm_zone=32V| utm_northing=6973018 |utm_easting=0615852| geo_cat=adm2nd




munwebpage=www.holtalen.kommune.no

Holtålen is a municipality in the county of Sør-Trøndelag, Norway.

Holtålen (in the period 1938-1971 named "Haltdalen") was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). Singsås was separated from Holtålen in 1841. Ålen was separated from Holtålen in 1860 - but it was again merged with Holtålen January 1, 1972.

The name

The Old Norse forms of the name was "Holtdalr" and (later) "Holtáll". The first element is the name of the river Holta. The last element was (first) "dalr" m 'valley, dale', but is was later (around 1400 AD) replaced by the word "áll" m 'ditch, gully'. (The form "-ålen" is the modern finite form of this word.)

In the period 1938-1972 the name of the municipality was "Haltdalen".

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1988). It shows a grouse (Lagopus lagopus).

(See also the coat-of-arms of Lierne and Sirdal.)

Geography

The valley Gauldalen with its river the Gaula originates from the mountainous area around the mining town of Røros 35 km south of Ålen, and listet on the World Heritage List. The Gaula streams to its estuary at Melhus close to Trondheim. The village of Ålen, administrative centre of the municipality, is found where the deep valley disappears into the mountains.

Downstream is the next village Haltdalen. During the years the two villages have been separate and joined municipalities. The last fusion of the two municipalities Haltdalen (778 inhabitant) and Ålen (1944 inhabitants) in 1972 the old name Holtålen was revived.

The two mines Kjøli and Killingdal are the norththernmost of many coppermines in the Røros area. The last mine in production was Killingdal until close down in 1986.

Hessdalen is a mountain valley joining the Gauldalen close to Ålen. About 1983 Hessdalen became famous for UFO observations.

References