Flatanger


Flatanger is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Namdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lauvsnes. Other villages include Jøssund, Hasvåg, and Vik.
The municipality is the 218th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Flatanger is the 327th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,103. The municipality's population density is and its population has decreased by 0.1% over the previous 10-year period.
Flatanger is also known for having some of the most difficult sport climbing routes in the world.

General information

Flatanger was established as a municipality in the old Nord-Trøndelag county on 1 January 1871 when it was separated from the large municipality of Fosnes. Initially, Flatanger had 1,472 residents. It is one of the few municipalities in Norway whose boundaries have not changed since it was established. In 2018, it became part of the new Trøndelag county.

Name

The municipality is named after the old name for one of the fjords in the area, but it is not known which one. The name is composed of two parts: flat, which probably means "shallow water", and angr, which means "fjord or inlet".

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 12 October 1990. The arms show three silver or white chevrons on a green background. The design was chosen to represent the bow of a boat, seen from the front, since boats have a great historical significance in this coastal fishing community.

Churches

The Church of Norway has one parish within the municipality of Flatanger. It is part of the Namdal prosti in the Diocese of Nidaros.
Parish Church NameLocation of the ChurchYear Built
FlatangerVik ChurchVik1873
FlatangerLøvøy ChurchLauvøya1871

Geography

The municipality consists mostly of mainland, but also includes almost 1,400 islands of various sizes. Some of the major islands include Bjørøya, Lauvøya, Villa, Halmøya, and Kvernøya. Ellingråsa Lighthouse is located on the island of Bjørøya and Villa Lighthouse is on Villa. These islands all lie on the south side of the Folda firth. The Namsenfjorden forms part of the northern boundary of the municipality.

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Flatanger, are responsible for primary education, 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. The municipality falls under the Namdal District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council of Flatanger is made up of 15 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:

Politics

In the 2007 municipal elections, Flatanger had the highest vote for the Venstre party in all of Norway, at 42.9 per cent.

Rock climbing

Flatanger is home to some of the world's hardest sport climbs, particularly in Hanshelleren Cave near town. Change, given the grade 9b+/5.15c+, was first redpointed by Adam Ondra on 4 October 2012. Ondra also redpointed the first, and to date only, 9c climbing route in the world in Flatanger on 3 September 2017. The route was originally named Project Hard by Ondra because of its many difficulties, but after completion—when it was no longer a project—he renamed it Silence.

Notable residents