Munkedal Municipality

Munkedal Municipality (Munkedals kommun) is a municipality in Västra Götaland Coonty in wastren Swaden. Its seat is locatit in the toun o Munkedal.

The naition-wide municipal reform o 1952 saw the creation o Munkedal, Svarteborg, Sörbygden an Ödeborg as lairger rural municipalities. Awready in 1967 Ödeborg wis dissolvit an pairts o it addit tae Munkedal. Feenally, in 1974 Svarteborg an Sörbygden wur mergit intae Munkedal formin the present unit.

The name
The municipality is namit efter the auld ferm Munkedal. This ferm wis awned bi the monks at Dragsmark Abbey. The last element is dal 'dale, valley'.

Geography
Munkedal is locatit 110 km north o Gothenburg. The geography is a variet terrain, covered wi pairt forests, pairt muntains, pairt plains an pairt lakes an streams.

Localities
Inhabitants 2005:
Munkedal  	3,838 (seat)
Dingle 	889
Hällevadsholm 	723
Hedekas 	358

History
This aurie in wastren Swaden, bi the Norse border, haes been inhabitit aiblins langer than ony ither in Swaden. Distinctives for Munkedal are some tuils that hae been datit tae 8000 BC, foond aroond 1900 at a ferm namit Herregårda. Thare is a petroglyph aurie cried Lökeberg på Tungenäset an aw, datit tae the Nordic Bronze Age.

In the medieval age, a monastery o Dragsmark wis locatit athin the current municipal borders. It subsequently led tae the name Munkedal, an the names chosen for the municipality whan it wis established in 1974 wi the reform. The coat o airms an aw portrait a medieval scroll an writin pen, characteristics for monks.

Subdiveesions
Munkedal haes 8 pairishes, the sub diveesionin uised bi the Kirk o Swaden. Thair indwallers 1 Januar 2005 an chynges syne 1 Januar 2004 are:

Foss  	5,020  	-52
Svarteborg 	2,683 	+12
Krokstad 	1,043 	+-0
Håby 	468 	+12
Hede 	495 	+10
Bärfendal 	248 	+8
Valbo Ryr 	262 	-9
Sanne 	186 	-10

Source:  

Notability
The Munkedal Railroad, a narrow gauge museum railwey, inauguratit in 1896. A railwey museum is situatit bi it an aw.

The aurie, troubled bi battles atween Norse an Swadish airmies, haes several defence structurs that can be visitit. In addition, thare are mony auld kirks frae the medieval age o interest.

References

Freemit airtins
Munkedal Municipality - Offeecial steid
 Article Munkedal frae Nordisk Familjebok

Category:Municipalities o Västra Götaland Coonty
Category:Gothenburg an Bohus