The 1,312-square-kilometre (507 sq mi) municipality is the 76th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Bygland is the 323rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,136. The municipality's population density is 1 inhabitant per square kilometre (2.6/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 5.9% over the previous 10-year period.[4][5]
General information
The parish of Bygland was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). Since that time, the municipal boundaries have not changed.[6]
Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Bygland farm (Old Norse: Byggland) since the first Bygland Church was built there. The first element is bygg which means "barley". The last element is land which means "land" or "farm".[7]
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 15 November 1991. The official blazon is "Vert, a lynx rampantOrlanguedgules and the tips of ears and tail sable" (Norwegian: På grøn grunn ei oppspringande gull gaupe). This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is a European lynx (Lynx lynx) with a red tongue and with the tips of ears and tail being black. The lynx has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The green color in the field symbolizes the importance of the agriculture and forests in the municipality. The lynx was chosen to symbolize the wild and rich nature in the rural highlands of the municipality. The arms were designed by Daniel Rike. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[8][9][10][11][12]
Bygland is Agder's third largest municipality in area. The majority of the area of the municipality lies in the Setesdalsheiene mountains, at an elevation of over 700 metres (2,300 ft) above sea level. The municipality stretches from the small town Byglandsfjord in the south to the farms at Langeid in the north. Lake Byglandsfjorden is 40 kilometres (25 mi) long and lies on the river Otra. Other lakes include the Åraksfjorden, Gyvatn, Hovatn, Kvifjorden, Longerakvatnet, Straumsfjorden, and Topsæ. The rivers Otra and Topdalsfjorden both run through Bygland on their way south. The Reiårsfossen waterfall is one of many waterfalls in the municipality.
Climate
Byglandsfjord is situated inland in the southernmost of Norway's main valleys and has a humid continental climate (Dfb) or temperate oceanic climate (Cfb), depending on winter threshold used (0 °C (32 °F) as in USA or −3 °C (27 °F) as in Europe). The precipitation pattern, with autumn and winter as wettest seasons, is in line with an oceanic climate. The all-time high 33.7 °C (92.7 °F) was recorded in July 1986. The all-time low −31 °C (−24 °F) is from January 1941. The coldest low after 1980 is −23.6 °C (−10.5 °F) recorded February 1986. The average date for the last overnight freeze (low below 0 °C (32.0 °F)) in spring is 3 May[13] and average date for first freeze in autumn is 14 October[14] giving a frost-free season of 163 days (1981-2010 average).
Climate data for Byglandsfjord 1991-2020 (212 m, precipitation days 1961-90, extremes 1919-2020 includes earlier stations)
The Setesdal Line was a narrow gauge steam railway which went between Vennesla and Byglandsfjord in Bygland. It was built in 1896. The Setesdal Line's operation was terminated in 1962 and the track was removed between Byglandsfjord and Beihølen.
Other transport up the Setesdal valley was provided by the steamships SS Bjoren and Dølen. First placed in operation in 1866, the SS Bjoren is still in operation as a tourist attraction on lake Byglandsfjorden during the summers.
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Bygland is made up of 15 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.