Country Norway County Vest-Agder Municipality ID NO-1042 Area 20.4 km² | Region Southern Norway District Lister Adm. Center Kirkehavn | |
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Hidra is a former municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Flekkefjord. The 20.8-square-kilometre (8.0 sq mi) municipality existed from 1893 until its dissolution in 1965. It encompassed the islands and southern coastal part of the present-day municipality of Flekkefjord. The municipality included the islands of Hidra and Andabeløya as well as 56 other islands, plus the mainland coast from Abelsnes to the river Sira. The administrative centre was the village of Kirkehavn where Hidra Church is located.
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Map of Hidra, 4432 Hidrasund, Norway
Hidra was home to the landscape and coastal painter Olav Omland (1909–1998). He was also a poet and songwriter, and composed the song about Hidra "Hidrasangen". Hidra was also home to the eccentric personality and artist Tatjana Lars Kristian Guldbrandsen.
Name
The Old Norse form of the name was Hitr. The name is probably derived from a word with the meaning "split" or "cleft" (referring to the fact that the island is almost split in two by the Rasvåg fjord). Prior to 1918, the name was spelled Hitterø.
History
The parish of Nes og Hitterø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). However, on 8 October 1893, this municipality was split into two municipalities: Hitterø (population: 2,075) and Nes (population: 1,704). On 1 January 1965, Hidra municipality (formerly called Hitterø) was merged with the municipalities of Nes, Gyland, most of Bakke, and the town of Flekkefjord to form the new municipality of Flekkefjord. Prior to the merger, Hidra had a population of 1,277.