lagen

/lag"euhn/, n. Scot. and North Eng.

laggin.

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▪ river, south-central Norway

also called  Gudbrandsdalslågen,  

      river, south-central Norway. The name Lågen is applied to the portion of the river in Oppland fylke (county); it rises in small lakes and streams in the Dovre Plateau at the northern end of Gudbrands Valley and flows southeast for 122 miles (199 km) through Gudbrands Valley to Lake Mjøsa at Lillehammer. It flows out from Mjøsa as the Vorma River (in Akershus fylke) southeast to its confluence with the Glomma (Glåma) River at Årnes, more than 100 miles (160 km) from its source. It drains an area of about 4,600 square miles (11,900 square km) through its main tributaries—the Otta, Sjoa, Vinstra, and Gausa rivers. Large hydroelectric power-generating stations have been built along the Lågen. The main road and rail routes between Trondheim and Oslo follow the river for most of its length.

▪ river, southeastern Norway

also called  Numedalslågen 

      river, southeastern Norway. Rising in the Hardanger Plateau, the Lågen flows generally east and north, then southeast through Numedalen, a valley in Buskerud fylke (county), past Rødberg and Kongsberg, through Vestfold fylke and into the Skagerrak (an arm of the North Sea) at Larvik. With a total length of 209 miles (337 km), it is the third longest river in the country. Near Kongsberg, silver was mined from the early 17th century until the mid-20th century, and the oldest school of mines in the world (founded 1757) is in the town. Above Kongsberg, lumbering and hydroelectric power generation are the main economic resources; below Kongsberg, agriculture becomes important. Larvik is an important lumber-products centre on the southern coast. Small towns in the river valley have many interesting medieval stave churches.

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