Snåsa
Snåsa (; ) is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherred region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Snåsa. Other villages include Agle and Jørstad. Snåsa is one of the last strongholds for the seriously endangered Southern Sami language. The municipality is the 23rd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Snåsa is the 278th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,063 inhabitants. The municipality's population density is and its population has decreased by 4.7% over the previous 10-year period. General information. The parish  of Snåsa was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. On 1 January 1874, the eastern district of Snåsa (population: 1,015) was separated to form a new, separate municipality of Lierne. This left Snåsa with 2,235 residents. Snåsa's boundaries have not changed since then. On 1 January 2018, the municipality switched from the old Nord-Trøndelag county to the new Trøndelag county. Name. The name of the municipality (and the old prestegjeld) comes from the Old Norse word "Snǫs". The name is identical with the word "snös" which means "prominent mountain" or "overhanging rock" (possibly referring to the  mountain of Bergsåsen, at the inner end of the lake Snåsavatnet). The name was spelled "Snaasen" until the early 20th century. The Southern Sami language version of the name is "Snåasen tjielte", which was officially accepted in 2010 as an alternate name for the . Coat of arms. The coat of arms was granted on 17 March 1994. The arms show a yellow Lady Slipper orchid "(Cypripedium calceolus)" on a blue background. This particular flower is prevalent throughout the municipality, in fact at least 15 species of orchid have been found growing in Snåsa. Churches. The Church of Norway has one  parish () within the municipality of Snåsa. It is part of the Nord-Innherad prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nidaros. Geography. Snåsa is located about northeast of the city of Trondheim, and it borders Sweden to the southeast. Snåsa borders the municipalities of Overhalla, Grong, and Lierne in the north and east, and Steinkjer and Verdal in the west and south. The 6th largest lake in the country, Snåsavatnet, is partly located in the municipality. Other lakes include Andorsjøen, Bangsjøene, Grøningen, Holderen, and Store Øyingen. The Blåfjella–Skjækerfjella National Park covers a lot of the eastern part of the municipality . Government. All municipalities in Norway, including Snåsa, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor. The municipality falls under the Inntrøndelag District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal. Municipal council. The municipal council () of Snåsa is made up of 21 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows: Mayor. The mayors of Snåsa (incomplete list): Transportation . The European route E6 highway runs through the municipality on the north side of the Snåsavatnet lake and the Nordland Line runs along the south side of the lake. The train stops at Jørstad Station and Snåsa Station.