Munkedal

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Munkedal Municipality is a municipality in Västra Götaland County in western Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Munkedal.The nationwide municipal reform of 1952 saw the creation of Munkedal, Svarteborg, Sörbygden and Ödeborg as larger rural municipalities. Already in 1967 Ödeborg was dissolved and parts of it added to Munkedal. Finally, in 1974 Svarteborg and Sörbygden were merged into Munkedal forming the present unit.EtymologyThe municipality is named after the old farm Munkedal. This farm was owned by the monks at Dragsmark Abbey. The last element is dal 'dale, valley'.GeographyMunkedal is located 110 km north of Gothenburg. The geography is a varied terrain, covered with part forests, part mountains, part plains and part lakes and streams.LocalitiesInhabitants 2005: Munkedal 3,838 (seat)Dingle 889Hällevadsholm 723Hedekas 358HistoryThis area in western Sweden, by the Norwegian border, has been inhabited perhaps longer than any other in Sweden. Distinctives for Munkedal are some tools that have been dated to 8000 BC, found around 1900 at a farm named Herregårda. There is also a petroglyph area called Lökeberg på Tungenäset, dated to the Nordic Bronze Age.