The 2,076-square-kilometre (802 sq mi) municipality is the 33rd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Skjåk is the 271st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,147. The municipality's population density is 1.1 inhabitants per square kilometre (2.8/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 5.8% over the previous 10-year period.[4][5]
General information
The municipality of Skjåk was established on 1 January 1866 when the municipality of Lom was divided and the western part of the municipality (population: 2,691) became the new municipality of Skjåk (historically spelled Skiaker). The eastern part of the municipality (population: 3,299) remained as Lom.[6]
Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Skjåk farm (Old Norse: Skeiðakr) since the first Skjåk Church was built there. The first element comes from the word skeið which means "a running track for horse racing". The last element is akr which means "field" or "acre".[7] Prior to 1889, the name was written "Skiaker", then from 1889 to 1910 it was spelled "Skiaaker". On 4 June 1910, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Skjaak, to give the name a more Norwegian and less Danish spelling due to Norwegian language reforms.[8] On 21 December 1917, a royal resolution enacted the 1917 Norwegian language reforms. Prior to this change, the name was spelled with the digraph "aa", and after this reform, the letter å was used instead (Skjåk).[9][10]
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 31 March 1989. The official blazon is "Azure, an acanthus quatrefoilargent" (Norwegian: På blå grunn eit sølv firblad). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is four acanthus leaves connected in the centre. The charge has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. This design was chosen to symbolize growth and strength. These symbols are found in many historic artifacts from around the area. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[11][12][13]
Skjåk is the westernmost municipality in the Ottadalen valley. It is bordered to the north by the municipalities of Fjord, Rauma, and Lesja, in the east and southeast by Lom, in the south by Luster and in the west by Stryn and Stranda. The municipality lies along the Otta river between the mountainous areas of Breheim and Reinheim. Bismo is the modern population center and the location of the majority of industry and shopping as well as the municipal administration.
The community is at the meeting point between Gudbrandsdalen and the mountains between the eastern parts of Norway and the west coast. The municipality lies on a historically significant traffic artery between Stryn and Nordfjord, Geiranger, and Sunnmøre and the more easterly Ottadal municipalities of Lom and Vågå. The Breheimen National Park and Reinheimen National Park are both located in the municipality.
Of the total area, 19 square kilometres (7.3 sq mi) is used for agriculture; 129 square kilometres (50 sq mi) for forestry; 75 square kilometres (29 sq mi) is covered by water (including the Breiddalsvatnet lake); and the rest is mountains and other non-arable land. Virtually the entire 23-kilometre (14 mi) long valley floor is continuously, but sparsely, built up. Skjåk serves as a point of entry to the mountain areas just west; hunting and fishing are also popular tourist activities. The municipality includes a number of large lakes including Aursjoen, Breiddalsvatnet, Grønvatnet, Langvatnet, Rauddalsvatn, and Tordsvatnet. The Breheimen mountains run through the municipality and the Holåbreen and Tystigbreenglaciers are located in those mountains.
Climate
Nestled in a deep valley, the populated regions of Skjåk are rain shadowed and as a result are actually one of the most arid places in Europe with annual precipitation of about 250 millimetres (10 in) per year, but it avoids a steppe climate (KöppenBSk) by being too cold (mean annual temperature of 2.75 °C [36.95 °F]), thus having a low evapotranspiration rate, and having precipitation too spread out (about 55% in summer). This gives Skjåk a subarctic climate (Köppen Dsc), thanks to low overall precipitation levels in summer.[14][15]
In addition, one side of the valley, solsida ("the sunny side"), has a southern exposure, whereas baksida (the "back side") gets very little sun. Agriculture has been enabled by elaborate irrigation systems for hundreds of years, so the area is green and productive rather than desert-like.
Climate data for Skjåk, Oppland, elevation: 372 m or 1,220 ft, 1961-1990 normals, extremes 1970–1987
Skjåk has historical roots back to the Viking Age and has a rich cultural heritage. An ancient route of travel between east and west went from Skjåk up through the Raudal valley and down through the Sunndal valley to Stryn on an arm of the Nordfjord. For example, in 1197, according to King Sverre'ssaga, Bishop Nikolaus is reported to have sent a group of baglers from Oppdal over the mountains to Stryn on Nordfjord, via Raudal.
The municipal council(Kommunestyre) of Skjåk is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.
