Bjelland (municipality)

Bjelland is a former municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. The 164 km2 municipality from 1902 until 1964 when it was merged into Marnardal municipality. It is now located in the northern part of the present-day municipality of Lindesnes. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village of Bjelland where Bjelland Church is located.

History
The municipality of Bjelland was created on 1 January 1902 when the old municipality of Bjelland og Grindum was split into Bjelland (population: 907) and Grindheim (population: 909). During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, Bjelland municipality was dissolved. The majority of Bjelland (population: 535) was merged with the municipalities of Laudal, Øyslebø, and a small part of Finsland to create the new municipality of Marnardal. At the same time, the Ågedal and Midtbø area of Bjelland (population: 96) was transferred to the municipality of Audnedal.

Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Bjelland farm (Bjárland) since the first Bjelland Church was built there. The first element is the genitive case of the word which means "farm" or "farmstead". The last element is which means "land" or "district".

Government
While it existed, this municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment, social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.

Municipal council
The municipal council (Herredsstyre) of Bjelland was made up of representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.