Overhalla


Overhalla is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Namdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ranemsletta. Other villages include Melen, Skage, Skogmo, Svalia, and Øysletta.
The population is concentrated in the relatively broad Namsen river valley at the center. Public services, agriculture, and tourism are the main sources of income. Overhallahus and Pharmaq are located in the municipality.
The municipality is the 155th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Overhalla is the 206th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 3,884. The municipality's population density is and its population has increased by 8.6% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

The municipality of Overhalla was established on 1 January 1838. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee, although Overhalla's borders were only slightly modified. On 1 January 1964, the Galguften and Hauknes area of Høylandet was transferred to Overhalla. On 1 January 2018, the municipality switched from the old Nord-Trøndelag county to the new Trøndelag county.

Name

The Old Norse form of the name was œfri halfa which means "the upper half ". Historically, the Namdalen district was divided in two parts: "the upper half" and "the lower half". The municipality of Overhalla today is, however, just a fraction of the old part of œfri halfa.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms for Overhalla was granted in 1989. They are inspired by an old seal for the district by King Håkon Magnusson from 1344. It shows seven red greek crosses arranged in a circle on a gold background.

Churches

The Church of Norway has two parishes within the municipality of Overhalla. It is part of the Namdal prosti in the Diocese of Nidaros.
Parish Church NameLocation of the ChurchYear Built
RanemRanem ChurchRanemsletta1187
SkageSkage ChurchSkage1903

Geography

The municipality includes part of the lake Eidsvatnet, from which the river Bjøra flows into the river Namsen, which runs from the east to the west. By the time it reaches the border to Namsos, Namsen is already brackish and influenced by the tides the ocean. The river Nordelva also empties into the estuary here. On the south side of Namsen, there is an area of mountains, including Reinsjøfjell and mountain lakes; the Bangsjøene lakes form the border with Snåsa. The western approaches to Geitfjell lies in Overhalla, while the summit lies in Grong. The southern tip of the lake Storgrønningen lies in Overhalla, while the vast majority of the lake lies in Høylandet.

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Overhalla, 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 Overhalla is made up of 21 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:

Transportation

The historic Namsos Line railway traversed the municipality on its way from Grong to Namsos, but the line was closed to passenger traffic in 1978. Freight traffic on the line was discontinued in 2002. The Norwegian County Road 17 also crosses the municipality.

Notable residents