Namdalen
Namdalen is a
traditional district in the central part of
Norway, consisting of the municipalities
Namsos,
Grong,
Overhalla,
Røyrvik,
Fosnes,
Nærøy,
Høylandet,
Bindal,
Namdalseid,
Lierne,
Flatanger,
Verran,
Leka,
Namsskogan and
Vikna. 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.