The two parishes Särna and Idre were ceded to Sweden from Norway under the treaty of Brömsebro on 13 August 1645.

The middle part of the coat of arms is meant to depict the landscape: streams and hills.

The Northern part is the northernmost point of Svealand, one of the three crowns under the Swedish throne.

The southern area is populated by 5,000 persons, of whom most speak or understand the Elfdalian (or Övdalsk, Älvdalsmål) dialect/language, which is very different from standard Swedish.

This area may be said to have the most interesting culture, with the town Älvdalen and several notable villages such as Evertsberg, Blyberg, Klitten, Brunnsberg, Västermyckeläng and Åsen.