| Elsfjord | |
| Herred: | yes |
| Former: | yes |
| Idnumber: | 1829 |
| County: | Nordland |
| District: | Helgeland |
| Capital: | Elsfjord |
| Established: | 1 July 1929 |
| Preceded: | Hemnes Municipality |
| Disestablished: | 1 Jan 1962 |
| Succeeded: | Vefsn Municipality |
| Demonym: | Elsfjord-folk |
| Language: | Bokmål[1] |
| Mayor: | Torgeir Drevvatne |
| Mayor As Of: | 1961–1962 |
| Elevation Max M: | 1348 |
| Highest Point Ref: | [2] |
| Area Rank: | 297 |
| Area Total Km2: | 286.98 |
| Population As Of: | 1960 |
| Population Rank: | 659 |
| Population Total: | 893 |
| Population Density Km2: | 3.1 |
| Population Increase: | -11 |
| Coordinates: | 66.1032°N 13.5483°W |
Elsfjord is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The 287km2 municipality existed from 1929 until its dissolution in 1962. The municipality included the area around the Elsfjorden and the valley leading up to the fjord. The area is now a part of Vefsn Municipality. The administrative centre was the village of Elsfjord.[3]
Prior to its dissolution in 1962, the 287km2 municipality was the 297th largest by area out of the 731 municipalities in Norway. Elsfjord Municipality was the 659th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of about 893. The municipality's population density was and its population had decreased by 11% over the previous 10-year period.[4] [5]
The municipality of Elsfjord was established on 1 July 1929 when the large Hemnes Municipality was divided into three separate municipalities: Elsfjord Municipality (population: 765), Hemnes Municipality (population: 1,077), and Sør-Rana Municipality (population: 1,708). During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1962, Elsfjord Municipality (population: 920) was merged with the neighboring Drevja Municipality (population: 1,001), Vefsn Municipality (population: 5,358), and with the town of Mosjøen) to form a new, larger Vefsn Municipality.[6]
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Elsfjorden since the fjord is a central geographical feature of the municipality. The origin of the fjord name is uncertain, but one possibility is that it comes from the Old Norse name (Norse, Old: Eilifsfjǫrðr. The first element of this is Norse, Old: Eilifr which is an old male name. The last element is which means "fjord".[7]
The Church of Norway had one parish (Norwegian: sokn) within Elsfjord Municipality. At the time of the municipal dissolution, it was part of the Hemnes prestegjeld and the Indre Helgeland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.[8]
| Elsfjord | Elsfjord Church | Elsfjord | 1955 |
The highest point in the municipality was the 1348m (4,423feet) tall mountain Lukttinden on the border with Drevja Municipality.
While it existed, Elsfjord Municipality was 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 was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.[9] The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.
The mayor (no|ordfører) of Elsfjord was the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who held this position:[10]
The municipal council Norwegian: (Herredsstyre) of Elsfjord was made up of 13 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.
. Norges Sivile, Geistlige, Rettslige og Militære Inndeling 1. Januar 1951 . 1951-01-01 . H. Aschehoug & Co. . Norges Offisielle Statistikk . Oslo, Norge . no . PDF . Statistics Norway.
. Norske gaardnavne: Nordlands amt . 1905 . W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri . 16 . Kristiania, Norge . 127 . no . Oluf Rygh.
. Norges Sivile, Geistlige, Rettslige og Militære Inndeling 1. Januar 1951 . 1951-01-01 . H. Aschehoug & Co. . Norges Offisielle Statistikk . Oslo, Norge . no . PDF . Statistics Norway.