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65-720: The 715-square-kilometre (276 sq mi) municipality is the 161st largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Seljord is the 229th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,939. The municipality's population density is 4.4 inhabitants per square kilometre (11/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 0.2% over the previous 10-year period. Seljord is famous for its sea serpent , Selma , who allegedly lives in Lake Seljord ( Seljordsvatnet ). The yearly Dyrsku'n market, held since 1866, attracts 60,000 to 80,000 visitors each year. The large fair started as

130-451: A municipal government such as that of a city or a town . Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as the means by which a mayor is elected or otherwise mandated. Depending on the system chosen, a mayor may be the chief executive officer of the municipal government, may simply chair a multi-member governing body with little or no independent power, or may play

195-488: A directly elected mayor of the Dublin Metropolitan Area . The 2019 local elections included plebiscites in three areas on directly elected mayors, of which that for Mayor of Limerick was passed, with the first direct election due as part of the 2024 local elections . In Italy, the mayor is called sindaco , or informally primo cittadino ('first citizen'). Every municipality ( Italian : comune ) has

260-569: A fast pace. Cities with high population densities are, by some, considered to be overpopulated, though this will depend on factors like quality of housing and infrastructure and access to resources. Very densely populated cities are mostly in Asia (particularly Southeast Asia ); Africa's Lagos , Kinshasa , and Cairo ; South America's Bogotá , Lima , and São Paulo ; and Mexico City and Saint Petersburg also fall into this category. City population and especially area are, however, heavily dependent on

325-693: A five-year term. Local administration elections for the new, consolidated municipalities and peripheries will henceforth be held together with the elections for the European Parliament . Local administration in Greece recently underwent extensive reform in two phases: the first phase, implemented in 1997 and commonly called the Kapodistrias Plan , consolidated the country's numerous municipalities and communities down to approximately 1000. The second phase, initially called Kapodistrias II but eventually called

390-538: A high urbanization level, with an economically specialized city population drawing also on rural resources outside the area, illustrating the difference between high population density and overpopulation . Deserts have very limited potential for growing crops as there is not enough rain to support them. Thus, their population density is generally low. However, some cities in the Middle East, such as Dubai , have been increasing in population and infrastructure growth at

455-468: A linguistic origin with the military rank of major , both ultimately derived from French majeur . In modern England and Wales, the position of mayor descends from the feudal lord's bailiff or reeve ( see borough ). The chief magistrate of London bore the title of portreeve for considerably more than a century after the Norman Conquest . This official was elected by popular choice,

520-405: A little less than the land area of Puerto Rico , 8,868 square kilometres (3,424 sq mi). Although the arithmetic density is the most common way of measuring population density, several other methods have been developed to provide alternative measures of population density over a specific area. Mayor#Scandinavia In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in

585-561: A mayor may wear robes, a mayoral chain and a mace . Mayors have the title of His/Her Worship whilst holding the position. In councils where councillors are elected representing political parties, the mayor is normally the leader of the party receiving the most seats on council. In Queensland , the lord mayor and mayors are elected by popular vote at the general council election. Mayors in Bangladesh are elected every five years. They are very powerful in municipal government. The mayor

650-449: A mayor who represents the local government. The mayor is directly elected every five years by the inhabitants of the comune ; the mayor cannot serve for more than two consecutive terms, except in municipalities of up to 5,000 inhabitants, those having a three consecutive terms limit. The mayor is a member of the City council, the legislative body which checks the mayor's policy guidelines and

715-476: A population bigger than 25,000 has one. The term Oberbürgermeister is not used in the three city-states, where the mayors are simultaneously head of state governments , but Regierender Bürgermeister ( Governing Mayor of Berlin ), Erster Bürgermeister ( First Mayor of the city-state of Hamburg ) and Präsident des Senats und Bürgermeister ( President of the Senate and Mayor of Bremen ) are used. However,

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780-504: A privilege secured from King John . By the beginning of the 12th century, the title of portreeve gave way to that of mayor as the designation of the chief officer of London, followed around 1190 by that of Winchester . Other boroughs adopted the title later. In the 19th century, the Municipal Corporations Act 1882 , Section 15, regulated the election of mayors. The mayor was to be a fit person elected annually on 9 November by

845-474: A show of farm animals. More recently, it also includes a huge market with vendors selling a variety of goods including base layer clothing, Bergans outdoors equipment, crafts, and food. Amusement rides are also featured. Seljord folk high school is located in Seljord. The school offers a variety of courses including outdoor adventure, theater, music, and art. The parish of Sillejord (later spelled Seljord )

910-473: A solely ceremonial role. A mayor's duties and responsibilities may be to appoint and oversee municipal managers and employees, provide basic governmental services to constituents, and execute the laws and ordinances passed by a municipal governing body (or mandated by a state, territorial or national governing body). Options for selection of a mayor include direct election by the public, or selection by an elected governing council or board. The term mayor shares

975-474: A term of four years. The daily duties of the mayor's office are restricted to local governance, and as such, it is responsible for the coordination of waste collection , upkeep of public spaces (e.g., parks, undeveloped urban parcels, streets), traffic light control, sewage, and most public utilities. In practice, most of its duties are centered on minor street repairs (new or large road projects, like overpasses, bridges, pedestrian crossings, etc. are handled by

1040-495: Is " Gules , a sea serpent Or " ( Norwegian : På raud grunn ein gull sjøorm ). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a sea serpent . The charge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The design symbolizes the local legend of a sea serpent named Selma who allegedly lives in the lake Seljordsvatn . The arms were designed by Trygve Magnus Barstad. The municipal flag has

1105-478: Is called the Allee effect after the scientist who identified it. Examples of the causes of reduced fertility in low population densities are: Population density is the number of people per unit of area, usually transcribed as "per square kilometer" or square mile, and which may include or exclude, for example, areas of water or glaciers. Commonly this is calculated for a county , city , country , another territory or

1170-462: Is elected in a pair with a vice mayor through direct elections and is a political office. An exception is Special Capital Region of Jakarta , where mayoralty is a civil-service career position with limited authority and is designated by the governor . Their regions are called administration cities ( kota administrasi ). Before 1999, there were administrative cities ( kota administratif , [id] ) which were headed by administrative mayors. In Iran ,

1235-596: Is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Telemark District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal . The mayors ( Norwegian : ordfører ) of Seljord (incomplete list): The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Seljord is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to four-year terms. The tables below show

1300-678: Is just a deputy responsible for a distinct task (e.g., welfare or construction works). Big cities are usually kreisfrei ('district-free'). That means that the city council also has the powers and duties of a rural district council. The leader of a rural district council is called Landrat ('land counsellor'). In that case, the chief mayor also has the duties and powers of a Landrat . There are also some German states that allow smaller cities to have an Oberbürgermeister as well. In Saarland , for instance, every city with more than 35,000 inhabitants has one, and in Saxony-Anhalt every city with

1365-727: Is still in use when referring to the top managers of the municipalities of Norway . The top elected official of the municipalities of Norway, on the other hand, has the title ordfører , which actually means 'word-bearer', i.e. 'chairperson' or 'president', an equivalent to the Swedish word ordförande . In Sweden borgmästare was a title of the senior judge of the courts of the cities, courts which were called rådhusrätt , literally 'town hall court', somewhat of an equivalent to an English magistrates' court . These courts were abolished in 1971. Until 1965, these mayor judges on historical grounds also performed some administrative functions in

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1430-518: Is taken into account, then human population density is 53/km (140/sq mi). This includes all continental and island land area, including Antarctica . However, if Antarctica is excluded, then population density rises to over 58 per square kilometre (150/sq mi). The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has developed a suite of (open and free) data and tools named the Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) to improve

1495-507: Is the highest-ranking official in municipal governments in Bangladesh. Every municipality in Brazil elects a mayor (Portuguese: prefeito/prefeita ) and a vice-mayor (Portuguese: vice-prefeito/vice-prefeita ) for a four-year term, acting as an executive officer with the city council (Portuguese: Câmara Municipal ) functioning with legislative powers. The mayor can be re-elected and manage

1560-560: Is the practice in most Commonwealth countries, in Canada a mayor is addressed as His/Her Worship while holding office. In a few municipalities and townships in Ontario , the reeve is the elected head of the municipality, and the second-in-command is referred to as the deputy reeve . Historically, in some small townships , the title "reeve" was used instead of mayor. In some other municipalities, "mayor" and "reeve" were two separate offices, with

1625-815: The Alcalde evolved during the Reconquista as new lands were settled by the expanding kingdoms of León and Castile . As fortified settlements in the area between the Douro and Tagus rivers became true urban centers, they gained, from their feudal lords or the kings of Leon and Castile, the right to have councils. Among the rights that these councils had was to elect a municipal judge ( iudex in Latin and juez in Spanish). These judges were assisted in their duties by various assistant judges, called alcaldes , whose number depended on

1690-513: The audiencias ; Alcaldes de la Casa y Corte de Su Majestad , who formed the highest tribunal in Castile and also managed the royal court; alcaldes mayores , a synonym for corregidor ; and alcaldes de barrio , who were roughly the equivalent of British parish constables . Because of this, the municipal alcalde was often referred to as an alcalde ordinario . Mayors in Armenia are

1755-542: The Kallikratis Plan , was implemented in 2010, further consolidated municipalities down to 370, and merged the country's 54 prefectures, which were disbanded in favour of the larger 13 regions. The Kallikratian municipalities were designed according to several guidelines; for example, each island (except Crete ) was incorporated into a single municipality, while the majority of small towns were consolidated so as to have an average municipal population of 25,000. In India ,

1820-743: The Lord Mayor of Sydney (Australia) , are elected. In Scotland the post holders are known as convenors, provosts , or lord provosts depending on the local authority. Since reforms introduced in 2000, a number of English local authorities have directly elected mayors who combine the "civic" mayor role with that of leader of the council and have significantly greater powers than either. Areas which now have directly elected mayors include cities, local government districts which cover several towns and rural areas, and since 2014 combined authority areas which include two or more local authority districts. The original Frankish mayors or majordomos were – like

1885-494: The entire world . The world's population is around 8,000,000,000 and the Earth 's total area (including land and water) is 510,000,000 km (200,000,000 sq mi). Therefore, the worldwide human population density is approximately 8,000,000,000 ÷ 510,000,000 = 16/km (41/sq mi). However, if only the Earth's land area of 150,000,000 km (58,000,000 sq mi)

1950-502: The king's lands . To maintain its dependence on and loyalty to the Crown, the position was forbidden to the leaders of the clan groups. A separate mayor, known as the "cow dung mayor" ( maer biswail ), was charged with overseeing the royal cattle. There were similar offices at the Scottish and Irish courts. The office of mayor in most modern English and Welsh boroughs and towns did not in

2015-609: The mayor-council government in the United States. The chief executives of boroughs ( arrondissements ) in Quebec are termed mayors ( maires/mairesses in French). A borough mayor simultaneously serves as head of the borough council and as a regular councillor on the main city council. The scheduling of municipal elections in Canada varies by jurisdiction, as each province and territory has its own laws regarding municipal governance. As

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2080-431: The parish ) is named after the old Seljord farm ( Old Norse : Seljugerði ) since the first Seljord Church was built there. The first element is the genitive case of the word selja which means "sallow-tree" or " willow ". The last element is gerði which means " field ". Prior to 1889, the name was spelled Silgjord or Sillejord . The coat of arms was granted on 15 September 1989. The official blazon

2145-561: The 16th century in Sweden, king Gustav Vasa considerably centralised government and appointed the mayors directly. In 1693 king Charles XI accepted a compromise after repeated petitions from the Estate of the Burgesses over decades against the royal mayor appointments. The compromise was that the burgesses in a city could normally nominate a mayor under the supervision of the local governor. The nominee

2210-469: The 20th century entail any important administrative duties and was generally regarded as an honor conferred for local distinction, long service on the council, or for past services. The mayor was expected to devote much of their time to civic, ceremonial, and representational functions, and to preside over meetings for the advancement of the public welfare. The administrative duties of mayors were to act as returning officer at parliamentary elections and to chair

2275-500: The Imperial Ghibelline faction – were led by podestàs . The Greek equivalent of a mayor is the demarch ( Greek : δήμαρχος , lit.   ' archon of the deme '). In Denmark all municipalities are led by a political official called borgmester , 'mayor'. The mayor of Copenhagen is however called overborgmester 'lord mayor'. In that city other mayors, borgmestre (plural), are subordinate to

2340-652: The Ministry of Public Works (Spanish: Ministerio de Obras Públicas ), under the direct control of the central government. Subcontracting garbage collection and management, overseeing the use of public spaces, and arbitrating neighborhood land use disputes, which are managed by the National Property office (Spanish: Oficina de Bienes Nacionales ), is also controlled by the mayor's office. Water, electrical supply and public transportation coordination are handled by several central government offices, and as such, are not under

2405-757: The Welsh meiri – lords commanding the king's lands around the Merovingian courts in Austrasia , Burgundy , and Neustria . The mayorship of Paris eventually became hereditary in the Pippinids , who later established the Carolingian dynasty . In modern France , since the Revolution , a mayor ( maire ) and a number of mayoral adjuncts ( adjoints au maire ) are selected by the municipal council from among their number. Most of

2470-518: The administrative work is left in their hands, with the full council meeting comparatively infrequently. The model was copied throughout Europe in Britain's mayors, Italy's sindacos , most of the German states' burgomasters , and Portugal's presidents of the municipal chambers . In Medieval Italy , the city-states who did not consider themselves independent principalities or dukedoms – particularly those of

2535-531: The authority of the council between meetings. Mayoral decisions made between meetings are subject to council and may be confirmed or repealed if necessary. Mayors in Australia may be elected either directly through a ballot for the position of mayor at a local-government election, or alternatively may be elected from within the council at a meeting. The civic regalia and insignia of local government have basically remained unaltered for centuries. For ceremonial occasions

2600-441: The board of magistrates, in Swedish known collectively as magistrat . Until 1965 there were also municipal mayors ( kommunalborgmästare ), who had these non-political administrative roles in smaller cities without a magistrates' court or magistrat . This office was an invention of the 20th century as the smaller cities in Sweden during the first half of the 20th century subsequently lost their own courts and magistrates. In

2665-422: The city for two consecutive terms. Mayoral elections in Brazil occur in two different ways: in municipalities with more than 200,000 inhabitants, the voting happens in a two-round system , like the presidential and gubernatorial elections. In municipalities with less than 200,000 inhabitants, the voting happens in a relative majority system (with only one round). The Brazilian system works similarly to

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2730-417: The control of the mayor. Mayors ( maires ) are elected for a six-year term by the municipal council, whose members are elected by direct universal suffrage in local elections held every six years. In Germany, local government is regulated by state statutes. Nowadays only the mayors of the three city-states (Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen ) are still elected by the respective city-state parliaments. In all

2795-407: The council of the borough from among the aldermen or councilors or persons qualified to be such. His term of office was one year, but he was eligible for re-election. He might appoint a deputy to act during illness or absence, and such deputy must be either an alderman or councilor. A mayor who was absent from the borough for more than two months became disqualified and had to vacate his office. A mayor

2860-560: The current and historical composition of the council by political party . Population density Population density (in agriculture : standing stock or plant density ) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans , but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term. Population density is population divided by total land area , sometimes including seas and oceans, as appropriate. Low densities may cause an extinction vortex and further reduce fertility. This

2925-547: The definition of "urban area" used: densities are almost invariably higher for the center only than when suburban settlements and intervening rural areas are included, as in the agglomeration or metropolitan area (the latter sometimes including neighboring cities). In comparison, based on a world population of 8 billion, the world's inhabitants, if conceptualized as a loose crowd occupying just under 1 m (10 sq ft) per person (cf. Jacobs Method ), would occupy an area of 8,000 square kilometres (3,100 sq mi)

2990-441: The head of the executive branch of municipal government . Mayors are often elected by the respective city council and serve for a five-year term. The mayor heads the community administration, nominates members of the administration to various posts, and oversees the municipal budget. In Australian councils, the mayor is generally the member of the council who acts as a ceremonial figurehead at official functions, as well as carrying

3055-421: The highest executive official is not democratically elected, but is appointed to a public office by the city council, and is called simply kaupunginjohtaja 'city manager' or kunnanjohtaja 'municipal manager', depending on whether the municipality defines itself as a city. The term pormestari 'mayor', from Swedish borgmästare confusingly on historical grounds has referred to the highest official in

3120-659: The king ceased after 1720 (the so-called Age of Liberty ). On 16 October 1723, it was decided after a petition that the city should present three nominees, of whom the king (or the Council of the Realm) appointed one. This was kept as a rule from then on in all later regulations and was also kept as a tradition in the 1809 Instrument of Government ( § 31 ) until 1965. In Finland , there are two mayors, in Tampere and Pirkkala . Usually in Finland

3185-481: The lord mayor with different undertakings, like ministers to a prime minister. In other municipalities in Denmark there is only a single mayor. In Norway and Sweden the mayoral title borgermester / borgmästare has now been abolished. Norway abolished it in 1937 as a title of the non-political top manager of (city) municipalities and replaced it with the title rådmann (' alderman ' or ' magistrate '), which

3250-838: The mayor is the executive manager of a city and is elected by the Islamic City Council. The mayor is elected for a four-year term. In the Republic of Ireland , the head of a borough corporation was called "mayor" from the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840 until boroughs were abolished by the Local Government Reform Act 2014 . City council chairs are "mayor" (or "lord mayor" in the cases of Dublin and of Cork ). The Local Government Act 2001 allowed county councils to style their chairperson as "mayor" and some do so. Since 2000 there have been proposals for

3315-575: The mayor is the first citizen of a city and the head of municipal corporation which is a local government of cities with a population over one million. They have a number of roles, both ceremonial and functional. In most Indian states mayors are elected indirectly among the corporators (who are directly elected by the people of their respective wards ) of the municipal corporation, except in nine states: Bihar , Chhattisgarh , Haryana , Jharkhand , Madhya Pradesh , Odisha , Uttar Pradesh , Telangana and Uttarakhand , where mayors are elected directly by

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3380-505: The mayor retaining leadership powers while the reeve was equivalent to what other municipalities called an " at-large councillor". Today most municipalities in the province now designate their elected municipal government heads as mayors, but a small handful retain the position. This continues to be the case in the following municipalities and townships : The reeve is also the chief elected official in most of Alberta 's municipal districts . The elected heads of rural municipalities (RM) in

3445-551: The meetings of the council. The mayor of a town council is officially known as "town mayor" (although in popular parlance, the word town is often dropped). The person is known as "mayor" regardless of gender; the partner of a mayor is sometimes known as the "mayoress". Since the 1974 local government reforms , mayors are also appointed to English local government districts which have borough status . This results in mayors of districts which include towns which also have separate mayors. In districts which do not have borough status,

3510-508: The number of parishes the town had. The title alcalde was borrowed from the Arabic al-qaḍi ( قاضي ), meaning 'the judge'. The word alcalde originally was used for simple judges, as in Andalusian Arabic . Only later was it applied to the presiding municipal magistrate. This early use continued to be reflected in its other uses, such as alcaldes del crimen , the judges in

3575-458: The other states the mayors are now elected directly by the EU citizens living in that area. The post of mayor may be said to be a professional one, the mayor being the head of the local government, and requiring, in order to be eligible, training in administration. In big cities (details are regulated by state statutes) the official title is Oberbürgermeister (mayor). In these cities, a "simple" mayor

3640-480: The provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan are also referred to as a reeve. The mayor of a municipality in the Dominican Republic is called indistinctly alcalde or síndico . The latter name is preferred to avoid confusing the title with the similar-sounding alcaide (lit. ' prison warden '). Such a person is the governor of the municipality whose township elected him (or her) by direct vote for

3705-495: The public. In Indonesia , mayor ( Indonesian : wali kota , formerly called walikotamadya and walikota ) is a regional head of a city or town. A mayor has the same level as a regent ( bupati ), head of a regency ( kabupaten ). Basically, a mayor has the duty and authority to lead the implementation of the policies established by the region along with the city council ( Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah Kota , DPRD Kota; formerly called Tier 2-DPRD ( DPRD Tingkat II )). A mayor

3770-438: The registry office and in the city courts (abolished in 1993) as in Sweden, not the city manager. In addition, pormestari is also an honorary title, which may be given for distinguished service in the post of the city manager. The city manager of Helsinki is called ylipormestari , which translates to 'chief mayor', for historical reasons. Furthermore, the term city manager may be seen translated as mayor . The office of

3835-698: The role of civic leader is taken by the chairman of the council, who undertakes exactly the same functions as a mayor of a district with borough status. Many major cities in the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth have a lord mayor , a special recognition bestowed by the sovereign . Although the position is often ceremonial, with executive responsibilities under the control of an elected mayor, lord mayors in several Commonwealth cities including Belfast , Cardiff , Brisbane , and Dublin hold both ceremonial and executive duties. Some lord mayors, including

3900-533: The same design as the coat of arms. The Church of Norway has one parish ( sokn ) within the municipality of Seljord. It is part of the Øvre Telemark prosti ( deanery ) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark . Seljord Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services , senior citizen services, welfare and other social services , zoning , economic development , and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality

3965-545: The science for policy support to the European Commission Directorate Generals and Services and as support to the United Nations system. Several of the most densely populated territories in the world are city-states , microstates and urban dependencies . In fact, 95% of the world's population is concentrated on just 10% of the world's land. These territories have a relatively small area and

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4030-537: The term Oberbürgermeister was used for the head of the state government of West Berlin until 1951 and was also used in East Berlin from 1948 to January 1991. Mayors ( δήμαρχοι , dēmarchoi , sing. δήμαρχος , dēmarchos ) in Greece were previously elected every four years in local elections and are the head of various municipal governments in which the state is divided. Starting in 2014, mayors are elected for

4095-445: Was ex officio a justice of the peace for the borough during his year of office and the following year. He received such remuneration as the council thought reasonable. These provisions have now been repealed. In medieval Wales, the Laws of Hywel Dda codified the mayor ( Latin : maior ; Welsh : maer ) as a position at the royal courts charged with administering the serfs of

4160-430: Was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 11 October 1873, an unpopulated area of Kviteseid Municipality was transferred to Seljord. On 1 January 1883, an area of southeastern Seljord (population: 235) was transferred to the neighboring Bø Municipality . On 23 January 1905, an unpopulated part of Hjartdal Municipality was transferred to Seljord. The municipality (originally

4225-544: Was then to be presented to and appointed by the king, but the king could appoint mayors directly in exceptional cases. This was codified in the Instrument of Government of 1720 and on 8 July the same year Riksrådet ("the Council of the Realm") decided, after a petition from the said Estate, that only the city could present nominees, not the king or anyone else. Thus the supervision of the local governor and directly appointed mayors by

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