Namdalen
Namdalen is a traditional district in the central part of Norway, consisting of the municipalities Namsos, Grong, Overhalla, Røyrvik, Fosnes, Nærøy, Høylandet, Namdalseid, Flatanger, Leka, Namsskogan and Vikna, all in Nord-Trøndelag county, and in addition Bindal, which lies in Nordland. The centre of this district is the valley Namdalen and the river Namsen, one of the best salmon rivers in Europe (only Tana river in Finnmark yields a larger catch of salmon). Agriculture and forestry has always been important in Namdalen. Norway spruce is the most important tree species. The grain fields in the lower part of the valley are among the most northern in Norway. Part of the forest in the coastal part of the valley belongs to the Scandinavian coastal conifer forests type.
In the early Viking Age, before Harald Fairhair, Namdalen was a petty kingdom.
The name
The Norse form of the name was Naumudalr. The first element is the genitive case of the rivername Nauma (now Namsen), the last element is dalr m 'valley, dale'. The meaning of the rivername is unknown.
See also Namsos.
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