Askim () is a town and a former municipality in (from January 1, 2020) Indre Østfold municipality in the county of Østfold, Norway.
Askim Municipality
Askim kommune | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
 Østfold within Norway | |
 Askim within Østfold | |
| Coordinates: 59°35′10″N 11°10′12″E / 59.58611°N 11.17000°E | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Østfold |
| District | Smaalenene |
| Administrative centre | Askim |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2011) | Thor Hals (H) |
| Area | |
• Total | 69 km2 (27 sq mi) |
| • Land | 66 km2 (25 sq mi) |
| • Rank | #409 in Norway |
| Population (30. June 2014) | |
• Total | 15,511[1] |
| • Rank | #71 in Norway |
| • Density | 225/km2 (580/sq mi) |
| • Change (10 years) |  +9% |
| Demonym | Askiming[2] |
| Official language | |
| • Norwegian form | Bokmål |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | NO-0124[4] |
| Website | Official website |
The administrative centre of the Askim municipality was the town of Askim. Askim was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt).
Askim is the largest population centre in the Indre Østfold region, with 15,315 inhabitants as of 2012, and serves as a regional center for nine municipalities in the Indre Østfold region. It lies next to the longest river in Norway, Glomma, which forms the border with the former Spydeberg municipality to the north and west, and Skiptvet municipality to the south. Askim also borders to the former Trøgstad municipality to the northeast and the former Eidsberg municipality to the southeast.
Askim produces large amounts of hydroelectricity at three dams / hydroelectric power plants in the river Glomma. From upstream to downstream: Solbergfoss, Kykkelsrud, then Vamma.
There was nickel mining at Kykkelsrud at the turn of the 20th century. These mines are also one of the few places where "Spheroidal Norite" ("Potato Stone") is found.
Askim has been an industrial city for most of the 20th century. The main employer, Viking Gummi (producing rubber products like boots and tyres etc.), shut down their rubber product production in 1991 after being taken over by the Continental Tyres owned Swedish Gislaved Tyres.
Glava was the main employer by the 2010s, making glass cotton insulation etc.
History
editAskim has always been a strategic point in wars due to its relative easy crossing of the river. The last battle between Norway and Sweden was fought at the crossing over Glomma on 9 August 1814. There is a yearly historical reenactment, as well as a stone monument at Langnes to commemorate this event.
During the Norwegian Campaign of World War II, a battle occurred at Fossum Bridge when the Norwegian Army defended the crossing against invading Germans in April 1940.
Name
editThe municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Askim farm (Old Norse: Askheimr), since the first church was built here. The first element is askr which means "ash tree" and the last element is heimr which means "home", "homestead", or "farm".
Coat-of-arms
editThe coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 1 November 1963. The arms symbolize the three large waterfalls in the municipality, the Solbergfoss, Kykkelsrudfoss, and Vammafoss. The rivers and waterfalls are also partially harnessed for hydroelectric power.[5]
Transportation
editEuropean route E18 used to go through the city centre, however, since the upgrade to four-lane highway in 2005, its route now runs outside the centre. Vy's Eastern Østfold Line serves the municipality with stops at Langnes Station and Næringsparken and Askim Station in between.
Government
editThe municipal council runs the government of Askim. The 2007 election results are as follows:[6]
| Ancestry | Number |
|---|---|
 Poland |
399 |
 Iraq |
312 |
 Vietnam |
288 |
 Bosnia-Herzegovina |
163 |
 Philippines |
140 |
 Somalia |
131 |
 Kosovo |
126 |
 Lithuania |
123 |
 Syria |
118 |
 Croatia |
113 |
Attractions
edit- Østfoldbadet (in Norwegian)
- Askim videregående skole
- Askimtorget (in Norwegian)
- Askim Golf Course
Twin towns — sister cities
edit
Notable people
editReferences
edit- ^ "Kraftsenteret Askim - Askim kommune". Archived from the original on 2013-12-24. Retrieved 2013-12-23.
- ^ "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
- ^ "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
- ^ Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (2023-01-26). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget.
- ^ Norske Kommunevåpen (1990). "Nye kommunevåbener i Norden". Retrieved 2008-12-13.
- ^ Norwegian Government. "2007 Askim election results" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2008-06-04.
- ^ "Immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents, by immigration category, country background and percentages of the population". ssb.no. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
- ^ "Askims vennskapskommuner" (in Norwegian). Askim kommune. Archived from the original on 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
External links
edit
- Municipal fact sheet from Statistics Norway
- Municipal website Archived 2020-02-03 at the Wayback Machine (in Norwegian)