Kvinesdal

Kvinesdal is a municipality in the county of Vest-Agder, Norway.

Kvinesdal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). Feda was separated from Kvinesdal on 1 January 1900 but again merged with Kvinesdal on 1 January 1963. Fjotland was also merged with Kvinesdal on that date. (Fjotland was in addition a part of Kvinesdal in the period 1841-1858.)

Kvinesdal is an elongated mountain-to-coast municipality, reaching saltwater at the head of the Fedafjord, which provides access to the North Sea in the south. Further north, the landscape is cut in narrow valleys with small villages scattered around. There are also abandoned mines at Knaben, which remains an immensely popular ski resort. Due to Kvinesdal resembling the geography of the nation as a whole, it is often referred to as "Little Norway".

Kvinesdal belongs to a central area in the Norwegian south from which a lot of people emigrated to North America, particularly the United States, from the 1850s until the 1950s. It is noted for being an "American village" (Norwegian: Amerika-bygd) due a high number of American citizens residing in the municipality. These are typically either Norwegians who moved to the States, obtained US Citizenship and later moved back to Norway, or the descendants of Norwegians who themselves have never acquired Norwegian citizenship.

Name
The Old Norse form of the name was Hvínisdalr. The first element is the genitive case of the fjord name Hvínir (now Fedafjorden) and the last element is dalr which means "valley" or "dale". The name of the fjord is derived from the river name Hvín (now Kvina), and that name is derived from the verb hvína which means "squeal". During the period from 1900–1917, the municipality was named Liknes.

Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 15 March 1985. The figure symbolizes the meeting of the two rivers Kvina and Litleåna.

Geography
To the west, Kvinesdal is bordered by Flekkefjord and Sirdal municipalities. To the east, it is bordered by Åseral and Hægebostad. To the south, it is bordered by Lyngdal, and it is bordered by Farsund in the east and south. A small segment if the northern boundary borders Bygland municipality in Aust-Agder county.

The river Kvina is known for its salmon, and salmon fishing is a popular activity.

Two valleys meet in Kvinesdal's center: Vesterdalen (the Western Valley) through which flows the river Kvina and Austerdalen (the Eastern Valley) through which flows the river Litleåna to join the Kvina.

Population
About 10% of the inhabitants of Kvinesdal are American citizens, and Kvinesdal does enjoy a special relationship with the United States. Every year the municipality hosts a special festival remembering the days when local people emigrated to the new world.

History
Kvinesdal was home of many prominent characters in the Saga Period. Among them were the Skald Tjodolv the Frode. Frode means one with great knowledge of the history of ancestors. He composed a historic poem for his king Harold Fairhair. His work was later combined into the Heimskringla when it was recorded by Snorri Sturluson.

In northern Kvinesdal, along the high plateau (at 550 m above sea level) records show that the Salmeli Farm dates back at least to the year 1300. During the Black Death years of 1350 the farm became deserted, but was back as a working farm again by 1647. It is now a historic site.

The bailiff Stig Bagge, who was granted local leadership from 1536-42 by Christian III of Denmark, was an energetic man when he lived at his ancestral home of Eikeland in Kvinesdal. According to the reports of Peder Claussøn Friis, he executed refractory peasants so willingly that the district thought it was to excess; he was the district's bogeyman for many years thereafter. When the bailiff in Nedenes was killed in his bed and rebels came in an unsuccessful attempt to capture and execute Stig, he collected his men and brutally stifled the revolt. Stig himself died by being drawn and quartered by the Dutch when he was caught in piracy or espionage off their coast at Walcheren.

Economy
Tourism is an important part of the economy for Kvinesdal. The local hotel called the "Kvinesdal Guest House" has had a famous guest: Roald Dahl.

The Guest House features a 20 room hotel offering full accommodations, long and short term rates, and a friendly atmosphere in a classic Victorian setting.

Tinfos is an important local employer that provides work to about 200 persons.

Famous residents
Kvinesdal is known for Aril Edvardsen, a world-renowned Christian charismatic evangelist and the founder of Troens Bevis Verdens Evangelisering (Evidence of Faith World Evangelisation). The organization has its headquarters in Kvinesdal, called Sarons Dal (The Valley of Saron), with a giant mess hall, offices, music studio, TV-studio, a small congregation called Kirken i Dalen (The Church in the Valley), a theological seminary, camping sites and swimming pools.

One of Southern Norway’s greatest artists, Kristian Marcelius Førland (1891–1978), lived and painted in Kvinesdal. His home is now a museum. Førland was a gifted and skillful portrait painter and a prominent landscape painter.

Ludvig Hunsbedt, a famous rallycross driver also lives in Kvinesdal. He started locally as a driver in the amateur class called "bilcross" in 1978. In 1993 he became the European champion and in 1997 he went to the pro-class. He has been at the startline of 223 European championship races and won 23 of these. In 2003 he resigned as a rallycross driver and he's currently owning a car dealership in Kvinesdal specializing on Volvo and Renault cars. He also for many years where the manager of a gas station and a "road rescue service", also in Kvinesdal.

The Band Luxus Leverpostei which is famous all over Norway.

The footballers Atle Roar Håland, Tor Henning Hamre and Roger Eskeland hail from Kvinesdal.