The 3,180-square-kilometre (1,230 sq mi) municipality is the 13th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Rendalen is the 295th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,769. The municipality's population density is 0.6 inhabitants per square kilometre (1.6/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 7.4% over the previous 10-year period.[5][6]
General information
The municipality of Rendalen was established on 1 January 1965 when the old municipalities of Ytre Rendal (population: 1,913) and Øvre Rendal (population: 1,629) were merged. On 1 January 1984, the unpopulated Spekedalen valley was transferred from Tynset Municipality to Rendalen.[7]
Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Rendalen valley (Old Norse: Reindalr) which is located in the municipality. The first element is rein which means "reindeer". The last element is dalr which means "valley" or "dale". The river Rena runs through the valley and it is not known if the valley was named after the river or if the river was named after the valley. A nearby mountain Renafjellet also has a similar name.[4][8]
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 2 June 1989. The official blazon is "Azure, two reindeer heads argentin pale" (Norwegian: I blått to sølv reinsdyrhoder, 1-1). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is two reindeer heads. 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. The design symbolizes the importance of reindeer farming in the community. The arms are a canting since the name Rendalen is derived from the word for reindeer. There are two heads to represent the two former municipalities of Øvre Rendal and Ytre Rendal which were merged in 1965 to form this municipality. The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[9][10][11][12]
The municipality has an area of 3,180 square kilometres (1,227.8 sq mi) which makes it the 2nd largest municipality (after Ullensvang) in Southern Norway. The 11 largest municipalities are all in rural Northern Norway and they are followed by Ullensvang and Rendalen. Rendalen municipality is bordered on the northwest by the municipalities of Alvdal and Tynset, in the north by Tolga, in the east by Engerdal, in the south by Trysil and Åmot, and in the west by Stor-Elvdal.
Rendalen municipality encompasses most of the Rendalen valley, a side valley of the large Østerdalen valley which dominates Eastern Norway. In addition, the municipality encompasses the northern part of the lake Storsjøen as well as the lakes Sølensjøen, Galtsjøen, Harrsjøen, and Lomnessjøen. The mountains Elgspiggen and Sølen are in Rendalen as well. The rivers Glomma and Renaelva both flow through the municipality.
The municipal council(Kommunestyre) of Rendalen 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.
Note: In 1964, Øvre Rendal and Ytre Rendal each elected a council. On 1 January 1965, the two municipalities were merged and their councils were also merged.
Gustav Storm (1845 in Rendalen – 1903), a Norwegian historian and academic
Jacob Breda Bull (1853 in Rendalen – 1930), a Norwegian author, journalist, and editor
David P. Kvile (1861–1918), a teacher, farmer, politician and teacher in Øvre Rendal
Peder E. Vorum (1884–1970), an educator, politician, mayor of Ytre Rendal from 1913 to 1934, member of Nasjonal Samling in 1940, and collaborator during WWII who was convicted of treason in 1948[28]
Ottar E. Akre (1896 in Ytre Rendal – 1992), a Norwegian accordionist, composer, and educator
Oddbjørn Hagen (1908 in Ytre Rendal – 1983), a Norwegian skier who competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics, gold medal winner in the Nordic combined, and twice silver medalist in cross-country skiing
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