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 west of Storlien in Sweden and east of the town of Stjørdalshalsen in neighboring Stjørdal municipality. Other villages in Meråker include Gudåa, Kopperå, and Stordalen.
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 municipality is the 80th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Meråker is the 259th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,422. The municipality's population density is and its population has decreased by 2% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

The municipality of Meråker was established on 1 January 1874 when the old municipality of Øvre Stjørdal was divided into two: Hegra in the east and Meråker in the west. The municipal borders have not changed since then. On 1 January 2018, the municipality switched from the old Nord-Trøndelag county to the new Trøndelag county.

Name

The municipality is named after the old Meråker farm, since the first Meråker Church was built there. The meaning of the first element is uncertain and the last element is akr which means "field" or "acre".

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 28 September 1990. Traditionally, mining has played a major role in the area and has been of great economic importance for Meråker. Thus a silver mining cart on a red background as a symbol for the municipality was an obvious decision. The cart depicted in the arms, however, is officially described as a cart, not a mining cart.

Churches

The Church of Norway has one parish within the municipality of Meråker. It is part of the Stjørdal prosti in the Diocese of Nidaros.
Parish Church NameLocation of the ChurchYear Built
MeråkerMeråker ChurchMidtbygda1874
MeråkerKopperå ChapelKopperå1936
MeråkerStordalen ChapelStordalen1863

History

Meråker Smelter

In 1898, a carbide factory was opened at Kopperå, later this factor was rebuilt as a silicon smelter. The smelter was in operation until June 2006. Its main product was microsilica which is used as an additive to cement.

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, 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 Inntrøndelag District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council of Meråker is made up of 21 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:

Mayor

The mayors of Meråker :
The European route E14 highway runs east to west through the municipality connecting to Trondheim Airport, Værnes about 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.

Notable residents