The 1,860-square-kilometre (720 sq mi) municipality is the 44th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Midtre Gauldal Municipality is the 160th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 6,140. The municipality's population density is 3.3 inhabitants per square kilometre (8.5/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 3.5% over the previous 10-year period.[5][6]
The name Midtre Gauldal was created in 1964. The first element is the Norwegian word midtre meaning "middle" and the last part is Gauldal which is the name of the valley through which the river Gaula flows. Therefore, the meaning of the name is "the middle part of Gauldalen".[8]
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 17 December 1982. The official blazon is "Vert, three crosses in pall conjoined argent" (Norwegian: I grønt tre sølv kors samlet i form av et gaffelkors). This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is a design made up of three crosses, joined in the middle, which makes a Y-shaped figure. 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 crossed-Y design has several meanings. First, it symbolizes the landscape which is based on the meeting of the main Gauldal and Soknedal valleys at the village of Støren. Furthermore, the municipality has a major Y-shaped road-and-railway junction. Finally, the Budal Church, dating from 1745 is one of the oldest and one of the few remaining Y-shaped churches in the country. The arms were designed by Halvor Aune. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[9][10][11]
The lake Samsjøen is located in the northern part of the municipality. The Gauldalen valley follows the Gaula River through the municipality. The 1,332-metre (4,370 ft) tall mountain Forollhogna lies on the southern border of the municipality inside Forollhogna National Park, and it is the highest point in the municipality.[1]
Climate
Kotsøy village in Midtre Gauldal is situated in the Gaula river valley close to Gaula river, surrounded by steep hills covered with spruce forest. The climate is boreal, but with fairly mild winters for this climate type, and not far from humid continental climate. The record high 34.3 °C (93.7 °F) was recorded 25 July 2019. The record low −31.1 °C (−24.0 °F) was recorded February 2010, and the January record low is also from 2010.
Climate data for Kotsøy 1991-2020 (127 m, extremes 2007-2024)
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Midtre Gauldal is made up of 33 representatives that are elected to four-year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.
The mayor (Norwegian: ordfører) of Midtre Gauldal 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:[27]
^Haugen, Morten O., ed. (28 May 2024). "Midtre Gauldal". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
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