Ranelva is a 130-kilometre (81 mi) long river in Rana Municipality in Nordland county, Norway . It is one of the longest rivers in Nordland county. The catchment area of the river is 3,790 square kilometres (1,460 sq mi). Before the power stations of Reinforsen (1925) and Langvatnet (1964) were built, the catchment area was 3,843 square kilometres (1,484 sq mi).
29-584: The river begins on the Saltfjellet plateau, near the border between Norway and Sweden , at the confluence of the little rivers Randalselva ( Southern Sami : Goabdesjåhkå ) and Gubbeltåga ( Lule Sami : Gubbeltædno ). The river then flows mainly in a western-southwestern direction. On its way southwestwards, the river is joined by the river Virvasselva from south. The part of the Ranelva river between its beginning and its joining with Virvasselva
58-648: A daytime high of 33.8 °C (92.8 °F), which was a new heat record for Nordland county in the month of June. During the July 2019 European heat wave the temperature reached at 34.6 °C (94.3 °F) in Saltdal, the highest temperature ever measured north of the Arctic Circle in Norway. The all-time low −32.2 °C (−26.0 °F) was recorded January 2010. The European route E6 highway passes through
87-693: A period of three years, the original plan was to first have both the road and the railroad all the way to Narvik and then on to Kirkenes , but they only managed to build the railroad to Bodø . The Germans continued to lengthen the road to Kirkenes, and it came to be known as Blodvegen ("the Blood Road ") by locals. This project involved prisoners of war , mostly from Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union , in building this road under extremely harsh conditions. The workers lived in prison camps where they did not receive enough food for their hard work building
116-477: A small area of Skjerstad Municipality (population: 10) was transferred to Saltdal Municipality. Other than that one change, the borders have never changed. The municipality (originally the parish ) is named after the Saltdalen valley ( Old Norse : Salptardalr ). The river Saltdalselva runs through the Saltdalen valley. The first element of the name is the old name of the river, Salpti . The river name
145-402: Is salpt which means "strong stream". The last element is dalr which means " valley " or "dale". Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Saltdalen . On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Saltdal , removing the definite form ending -en . The coat of arms was granted on 28 October 1988. The official blazon
174-451: Is " Gules , a rowan twig Or " ( Norwegian : I rødt en gull rognekvist ). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is two rowan twigs . The rowan twig has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. This design was chosen to represent nature and the prevalence of rowan forests in the municipality. They are also canting arms because
203-634: Is a mountain area in Nordland county, Norway that separates the two regions of Helgeland and Salten . It is also a cultural border between the Southern and Central parts of Sápmi . The Saltfjell is one of the largest mountain ranges in Norway, and is also where the Arctic Circle cuts through the country. This range is part of seven municipalities: The northern part is part of the municipalities of Saltdal , Bodø , Beiarn and Gildeskål ,
232-529: Is called Ruovadajåhkå in Lule Sami language . Near Storvollen , the rivers Bjøllåga , Tespa , and Stormdalsåga all join Ranelva from the north and the river Messingåga joins from the south. It continues in a southwestern direction through the Dunderland Valley . The rivers Grønfjellåga and Plura join the Ranelva in this valley. Southwest of the small village Røssvoll , Ranelva meets
261-538: Is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Salten og Lofoten District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal . The municipal council ( Kommunestyre ) of Saltdal is made up of 21 representatives that are elected to four-year terms. The tables below show
290-451: Is not uncommon with daytime temperatures approaching and sometimes exceeding 30 °C (86 °F) in the summer months. Similarly, winter temperatures can be quite cold, often dropping below −20 °C (−4 °F) on a clear day. During a heatwave in June 2011, Saltdal recorded four days in a row with daytime temperatures exceeding 30 °C (86 °F). On 11 June 2011, Saltdal recorded
319-425: Is situated about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) down the valley at a camping site ( Nordnes ), but still in the upper part of the valley ( Øvre Saltdal ). Data from the first station (81 m) shows this to be the driest place in Norway (excluding Svalbard), with on average just over 200 millimetres (7.9 in) precipitation annually. In spite of the low precipitation, Saltdal has lush vegetation with meadows and forests on
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#1732776505357348-435: Is the 26th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Saltdal is the 186th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 4,880. The municipality's population density is 2.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (5.7/sq mi) and its population has increased by 4.1% over the previous 10-year period. The municipality of Saltdal was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). In 1949,
377-460: Is the finite form of fjell which means "mountain". Saltdal Municipality Saltdal ( Northern Sami : Sálát ) is a municipality in Nordland county , Norway . It is part of the traditional district of Salten . The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Rognan . Other villages in Saltdal include Røkland , Lønsdal , Langset , and Saksenvika . The 2,216-square-kilometre (856 sq mi) municipality
406-549: Is very rich with salmon and trout . One of the largest salmon tunnels in Norway (385 metres or 1,263 feet long) is located at the Reinforsen waterfall, and was built in 1956. Ranelva was cleansed with rotenone in 1996, 2004, and 2005 beneath the Sjøforsen waterfall , in order to remove the salmon parasite Gyrodactylus salaris , which was registered there for the first time in 1975. Saltfjellet Saltfjellet
435-580: The Blood Road museum. Saltdal was known for having some of the most horrifying prisoner-of-war camps in Norway during World War II. A grand total of 15-18 camps with 9,500 Russian , Polish , and Yugoslavian prisoners were located in the valley. Saltdal Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services , senior citizen services, welfare and other social services , zoning , economic development , and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality
464-619: The Norwegian mainland, and is part of the Saltfjellet-Svartisen National Park . There are many other glaciers as well. A total of 2,587 square kilometres (999 sq mi) of the area is protected. Several long valleys radiate from the mountains, such as the Dunderland Valley and Blakkådalen going south from the mountains, and Saltdalen and the Beiar Valley going northwards. The eastern part of
493-676: The Norwegian word for rowan is rogn and the municipal centre is the village of Rognan . The arms were designed by Arvid Sveen. The Church of Norway has two parishes ( sokn ) within Saltdal Municipality. It is part of the Salten prosti ( deanery ) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland . During World War II , the Germans decided to lengthen the Nordland Line from Lønsdal in Saltfjellet going northwards. Over
522-467: The current and historical composition of the council by political party . The mayor ( Norwegian : ordfører ) of Saltdal is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position (incomplete list): The main population centre in the municipality is Rognan , on the southern shore of the Saltdal Fjord , where
551-580: The entire length of Saltdal, with the Nordland Line running alongside it. A road running east through the Junkerdalen valley ( National Road 77 ) leads to Sweden. The nearest main airport is in Bodø , about 90 minutes from Rognan by road. There is a general aviation airport— Rognan Airport . One of the largest employers in Saltdal Municipality is Nexans . The company's Rognan factory specializes in telecommunications , fibre optics and copper cables. There
580-557: The fjord. There are two main transport routes over the mountains: the European Route E6 highway and the Nordland Line . The E6 highway was opened in 1937 and was asphalted in 1972. Until 1968 the road was closed in the winter. The railway line was built over the mountain during World War II and opened in 1947. The mountain range is named after the Salten district, named after Saltfjorden (the Salt fjord). The last element
609-479: The municipality: Saltfjellet–Svartisen National Park in the southwest, and Junkerdal National Park in the eastern part. This makes Saltdal one of the municipalities in Norway with the largest percentage of protected areas within its borders. The river Saltdalselva runs through the valley. The riverbed appears very bright in some places due to the minerals in the sand. The valley is covered with pine forest and birch and other trees are common as well. Lakes in
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#1732776505357638-517: The range forms a plateau with some gently sloping mountains, and this is where the road and railway crosses over Saltfjell. Both road and railway take advantage of the Dunderland Valley and the Saltdal valley to make the distance on the alpine tundra , which often sees snowstorms in winter, as short as possible. The western part is more alpine and steep, and this is where the engabreen glacier tongue of Western Svartisen almost reaches down to
667-405: The region include Balvatnet , Fiskeløysvatnet , Kjemåvatnet , and Nordre Bjøllåvatnet . The mountain Ørfjellet is also located in the municipality. The municipality lies on the northeastern side of the Saltfjellet mountains, in the rain shadow of the mountains. With mountains surrounding it in almost all directions, Saltdal is one of the driest areas in Norway, especially the upper part of
696-517: The river Langvassåga which empties the lake Langvatnet . Further down, at Selfors , the river Revelelva (the name of the lowest parts of the river Tverråga ) joins the Ranelva. The river Ranelva empties into the Ranfjorden just south of Ytteren in Mo i Rana . The river receives water from Storakersvatnet via Rana Hydroelectric Power Station . Ranelva is a popular river for fishing . It
725-427: The road. This caused many of the workers to collapse and die. A famous sign of this road is the blood cross one of the prisoners drew on the mountainside with his recently killed friend's blood. It has become a tradition to repaint this cross with red paint, so people who pass this will never forget what happened. It's still possible to walk this road, which stretches from Saltnes to Soksenvika . At Saltnes, you will find
754-490: The side of the mountains due to the low temperatures reducing evapotranspiration . Due to the rarity of extreme cold snaps, the environment and plant hardiness resemble latitudes further south in the Nordic interior. Located in an inland valley, Saltdal is also known for its warm summer days, frequently being one of Norway's warmest locations if the right weather situation occurs (with easterly or southeasterly winds blowing). It
783-653: The valley floor meets the fjord . When the Ice age ended and the ice had melted 9,000 years ago, the valley was a fjord as the sea reached what is today an elevation of 120 metres (390 ft) due to isostatic depression . The valley is situated north of the Arctic Circle . The highest point in the municipality is the 1,755.98-metre (5,761.1 ft) tall mountain Nordre Saulo , located within Junkerdal National Park . Two national parks are partially in
812-420: The valley. For five years in a row, 2001 to 2005, and then again in 2007 and 2008, the weather station in the upper part of the Saltdal valley recorded the least precipitation in all of continental Norway, with only 74 millimetres (2.9 in) in 2005. The weather station (81 m ASL) was situated in the upper part of the valley ( Storjord ) at a farm from 1982 to 2012. From 2013 onwards, the weather station (39 m)
841-657: The western part is in the municipalities of Meløy and Rødøy while the southern part is in Rana Municipality . The highest mountain is Ølfjellet at 1,751 metres (5,745 ft) above sea level. The mountains stretch from the coast to the Swedish border. The glacier Svartisen is actually two glaciers, separated by the Glomdalen valley with the Glomåga river. Western Svartisen is the second largest glacier on
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