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Buskerud

Buskerud is a county and a current electoral district in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Innlandet, Vestland, Telemark and Vestfold. The region extends from the Oslofjord and Drammensfjorden in the southeast to Hardangervidda mountain range in the northwest. The county administration was in modern times located in Drammen. Buskerud was merged with Akershus and Østfold into the newly created Viken County on 1 January 2020. On 23 February 2022, the Viken County Council voted in a 49 against 38 decision to submit an application to the Norwegian government for a county demerger. Due to this, Buskerud (except the area forming the defunct municipalities of Røyken and Hurum) was re-established in 2024.

Etymology
The county was named after the old manor Buskerud (Biskupsruð) (Biskopsrøysa) located on the west side of the Drammen River in Åmot, Modum municipality. The first element is the genitive case of biskup, 'bishop' (referring to the Bishop of Hamar), the last element is ruð n 'clearing, farm'. The farm was one of the largest in Buskerud, and the original name of the farm (before it became a benefice) was probably Modum. At the time of the Reformation (c. 1536–39) the farm became property of the Crown at which time the farm then served as the residence of the king's bailiffs until 1668.

Geography
Buskerud extended from Hurum at the Oslofjord to the Halling mountains and Hardanger. The county was conventionally divided into traditional districts. These were Hallingdal, Numedal, Ringerike, Lower Buskerud, which was originally part of Vestfold, and Western Vingulmark.

Hallingdal consisted of Flå, Nes, Gol, Hemsedal, Ål and Hol. Numedal consisted of Flesberg, Rollag and Nore og Uvdal. Ringerike consisted of Hole, Krødsherad, Modum, Ringerike and Sigdal. Western Vingulmark consisted of Hurum and Røyken. Lower Buskerud consisted of Drammen, Hurum, Kongsberg, Lier, Nedre Eiker, Røyken and Øvre Eiker. The district was merged from parts that belonged to Vestfold and Vingulmark.

Buskerud's western part was a mountainous plateau with forested valleys and high, grassy pastures; its eastern part contains a lowland basin with many lakes and streams. Tyrifjorden and Krøderen were the biggest lakes. Numedalslågen, the third longest river in Norway, starting in Hordaland, ran through Buskerud unto Vestfold where it reached the sea, while river Begna sweeps into lake Sperillen.

Mountains

 * Haukefjellet
 * Hestebottnuten
 * Julsennuten
 * Kyrkjebønosi
 * Nystølsvarden
 * Øljunuten
 * Raggsteinnuten
 * Storegrønut
 * Tyrvlesnuten
 * Vargebreen

History
Buskerud was separated from Akershus as an amt of its own in 1685, but the amt was smaller than today. It then consisted of the present districts Eiker, Hallingdal, and Ringerike. The area of the present municipalities of Flesberg, Hurum, Kongsberg, Lier, Nore og Uvdal, Rollag and Røyken were transferred from Akershus amt to Buskerud amt in 1760. The name Buskeruds amt was changed to Buskerud fylke in 1919. The municipality of Skoger was transferred from Vestfold to Buskerud in 1964.

The area Ringerike may once have been a small kingdom. During the 10th century, Norway's kings Olaf Tryggvason and Olaf Haraldsson grew up at Bønsnes in Ringerike. In the valley of Numedal, silver was mined in Kongsberg from the 17th century until discontinued in 1957. Weapons industry had been developed in Kongsberg from 1814, and various high tech industry companies now represent the town's major employers. At Modum there was also Blaafarveværket, a cobalt pigment production works (Blue Colour Works).

Economy
Today, agriculture, lumber, wood-pulp mills and other related industries are the county's main economic activities; ample hydroelectric power is produced by the rivers Begna (Begnaelva) and Rands (Randselva). Buskerud has also a large forested area. Substantial income is derived from high tech industries located in Kongsberg. Other significant income comes from the cabin areas in northern Buskerud.

Coat of arms
Buskerud's coat of arms were adopted in April 1966. It features a blue bear whose colours are symbolic of the blue colour works. The silver background of Buskerud's coat of arms represents the silver industry in Kongsberg.

Sports figures

 * Frode Andresen, Ringerike
 * Christer Basma, Røyken
 * Dag Bjørndalen, Modum
 * Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Modum
 * Håvard Bøkko, Hol
 * Kim Christiansen, Drammen
 * Ole Gunnar Fidjestøl, Modum
 * Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Hole
 * Erik Hagen, Ringerike
 * Anders Jacobsen, Ringerike
 * Jørre Kjemperud, Modum
 * Pål Gunnar Mikkelsplass, Nes
 * Børre Næss, Kongsberg
 * Sigurd Pettersen, Rollag
 * Steinar Pettersen, Drammen
 * Asbjørn Ruud, Kongsberg
 * Birger Ruud, Kongsberg
 * Sigmund Ruud, Kongsberg
 * Strømsgodset, Gulskogen, Drammen
 * Ådne Søndrål, Hol

Entertainers

 * Sæbjørn Buttedahl, Lier
 * Karin Fossum, Lier
 * Morten Harket, Kongsberg
 * Theodor Kittelsen, Sigdal
 * Jonas Lie, Modum
 * Jørgen Moe, Hole
 * Anne Marie Ottersen, Kongsberg
 * Olav Thon, Ål
 * Christian Skredsvig, Sigdal
 * Jonas Fjeld, Drammen
 * Elin Sogn, Kongsberg

Politicians

 * Thorbjørn Jagland, Drammen

Districts

 * Eiker
 * Eggedal
 * Hallingdal
 * Hurumlandet
 * Jondalen
 * Numedal
 * Ringerike
 * Lower Buskerud
 * Kjenner
 * Klokkarstua

Cities

 * Drammen
 * Hønefoss
 * Kongsberg
 * Hokksund

Parishes

 * Bakke
 * Bragernes
 * Dagali
 * Drammen
 * Efteløt
 * Eggedal
 * Eiker
 * Fiskum
 * Flesberg
 * Flå
 * Frogner
 * Gol
 * Haug, see Eiker
 * Haug i Norderhov
 * Hedenstad
 * Heggen
 * Hemsedal
 * Hol
 * Hole
 * Holmen
 * Holmsbu
 * Hurum
 * Hval
 * Hønefoss
 * Jondalen
 * Komnes
 * Kongsberg
 * Krødsherad (Krydsherred)
 * Lier
 * Lunder
 * Lyngdal
 * Modum
 * Nedre Eiker
 * Nes (i Hallingdal)
 * Nes (i Ådal)
 * Norderhov
 * Nore
 * Nykirke
 * Opdal
 * Rollag
 * Røyken
 * Sandsvær
 * Sigdal (Holem)
 * Snarum
 * Sollihøgda
 * Strømsø
 * Svene
 * Sylling
 * Tangen
 * Torpo
 * Tranby
 * Tuft
 * Tyristrand
 * Uvdal
 * Veggli
 * Viker
 * Ytre Ådal
 * Ådal
 * Ål
 * Drammen Branch (LDS, 1854-1952)
 * Drammen (Den Katolske Apostoliske Menighet, 1877-1935)
 * Drammen and Oslo (Den Katolske Apostoliske Menighet, 1872-1932)
 * Hurum Branch (LDS, 1855-1867)
 * Kongsberg Branch (LDS, 1939-1948* )

Villages

 * Ask
 * Askgrenda
 * Burud
 * Bødalen
 * Båtstø
 * Dagali
 * Dagslett
 * Darbu
 * Dramdal
 * Drolsum
 * Efteløt
 * Egge
 * Filtvet
 * Gardnos
 * Geilo
 * Geithus
 * Gomnes
 * Gulsvik
 * Hagafoss
 * Hallingby
 * Haugastøl
 * Haugsbygd
 * Helgelandsmoen
 * Hen
 * Hennummarka
 * Holmsbu
 * Hovet
 * Hønefoss
 * Hval
 * Hvittingfoss
 * Hyggen
 * Kjenner
 * Klokkarstua
 * Konnerud
 * Krokstadelva
 * Kroksund
 * Krøderen
 * Kvisla
 * Lahell
 * Lampeland
 * Lierbyen
 * Lierskogen
 * Lierstranda
 * Mjøndalen
 * Midtbygda
 * Nakkerud
 * Nedre Eggedal
 * Nes, Ådal
 * Nesbyen
 * Nore
 * Noresund
 * Nærsnes
 * Oddevall
 * Ormåsen
 * Ovenstadlia
 * Prestfoss
 * Reistad
 * Rollag
 * Rødberg
 * Sjåstad
 * Skoger
 * Skollenborg
 * Skotselv
 * Slemmestad
 * Sokna
 * Solbergelva
 * Sollihøgda
 * Spikkestad
 * Steinberg
 * Steinsåsen
 * Storsand
 * Sundvollen
 * Svene
 * Sylling
 * Sysle
 * Sætre
 * Tofte
 * Torpo
 * Tronstad
 * Tyristrand
 * Ustaoset
 * Uvdal
 * Veggli
 * Vestbygda
 * Vestfossen
 * Vik
 * Vikersund
 * Åmot
 * Åros
 * Åsa
 * Åsbygda

Former municipalities

 * Eiker
 * Gol og Hemsedal
 * Hønefoss
 * Norderhov
 * Nore
 * Sandsvær
 * Skoger
 * Strømm
 * Strømsgodset
 * Tyristrand
 * Uvdal
 * Ytre Sandsvær
 * Øvre Sandsvær
 * Ådal

title: Buskerud


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Aust-Agder

Aust-Agder (, "East Agder") was a county (fylke) in Norway until 1 January 2020, when it was merged with Vest-Agder to form Agder county. In 2002, there were 102,945 inhabitants, which was 2.2% of Norway's population. Its area was 9212 km2. The county's administrative center was the town of Arendal.

The county, located along the Skagerrak coast, extended from Gjernestangen at Risør to the Kvåsefjorden in Lillesand. The inner parts of the area included Setesdalsheiene and Austheiene. Most of the population lives near the coast; about 78% of the county's inhabitants live in the five coastal municipalities of Arendal, Grimstad, Lillesand, Tvedestrand, and Risør. The rest of the county is sparsely populated. Tourism is important, as Arendal and the other coastal towns are popular attractions.

The county includes the larger islands of Tromøya, Hisøya, Justøya, and Sandøya. The interior of the county encompasses the traditional district of Setesdal, through which the river Otra flows to the coast.

In 2017, the Parliament of Norway voted to merge Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder counties into one large region, Agder, effective 1 January 2020.

The county was part of the Aust-Agder District Court and the Church of Norway Diocese of Agder og Telemark.

Name
The meaning of the name is "(the) eastern (part of) Agder", since the word aust is the Nynorsk form of "east".

Until 1919, the name of the county was Nedenes amt. The amt was named after the old Nedenes farm (Norse Niðarnes), since this was the seat of the amtmann (County Governor). The first element is the genitive case of the river name Nið (now called Nidelva) and the last element is nes which means "headland". The meaning of the river name is unknown.

Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 12 December 1958. It shows two horizontal golden bars on a red background. They symbolize the lumber trade and the recovery of iron ore that was important for Aust-Agder's growth. There are two bars to represent the two areas of the county: inland and coastal.

Municipalities
The system of municipalities, or kommuner, was established in Norway in 1837, based on previously existing parishes (see formannskapsdistrikt). Norway had been ceded to Sweden by Denmark in 1814, at which it promptly rebelled and won the right of self-rule, though nominally part of Sweden. In 1905, Norway declared total independence. Meanwhile, as the years progressed, the municipalities did not remain the same, but new ones were formed, old ones broken up, and land was transferred. Since the 1990s, Aust-Agder has been divided into 15 municipalities:

Cities

 * Arendal
 * Grimstad
 * Risør
 * Lillesand
 * Tvedestrand

Parishes

 * Arendal
 * Austad
 * Austre Moland
 * Barbu
 * Birkenes
 * Bjorbekk
 * Bygland
 * Bykle
 * Old Bykle
 * Dypvåg
 * Eide
 * Engene
 * Evje
 * Færvik
 * Fevik
 * Fjære
 * Fjellgardane
 * Flosta
 * Froland
 * Frydendal
 * Gjerstad
 * Gjøvdal
 * Grimstad
 * Grøvdal, see Gjøvdal
 * Herefoss
 * Hisøy
 * Holt
 * Hommedal
 * Hornnes
 * Hylestad
 * Høvåg
 * Iveland
 * Justøy
 * Laget
 * Landvik
 * Lillesand
 * Mykland
 * Risør
 * Sandnes
 * Stokken
 * Søndeled (Sønneløv)
 * Tovdal
 * Trefoldighet (Trinity)
 * Tromøy
 * Tvedestrand
 * Valle
 * Vegusdal
 * Vegårshei
 * Vestre Moland
 * Østerhus
 * Østre Moland, see Austre Moland
 * Øyestad
 * Åmli
 * Årdal
 * Arendal Branch (LDS, 1864-1914)
 * Arendal Lutherske Frimenighet (1884-1908)
 * Arendal (Den Katolske Apostoliske, 1889-1928)
 * Arendal Metodistkirke (1868-1892)
 * Risør Branch (LDS, 1851-1866)
 * Risør Lutheran Frikirke, (1877-1995)
 * Tvedestrand Baptist Menighet (1892-1895)

Villages

 * Akland
 * Asdal
 * Askerøya
 * Askland
 * Ausland
 * Austad
 * Bakken
 * Berdalen
 * Besteland
 * Birkeland
 * Birketveit
 * Bjorbekk
 * Bjåen
 * Blakstad
 * Borås
 * Bossvika
 * Bossvika
 * Breive
 * Brekka
 * Brekkestø
 * Brokke
 * Bygland
 * Byglandsfjord
 * Bykle
 * Bøylefoss
 * Bøylestad
 * Dypvåg
 * Dølemo
 * Dåsnesmoen
 * Eikeland
 * Engesland
 * Eppeland
 * Espenes
 * Evje
 * Evjemoen
 * Eydehavn
 * Fevik
 * Fiane, Gjerstad
 * Fiane, Tvedestrand
 * Fie
 * Flakk
 * Flatebygd
 * Flaten
 * Froland
 * Frolands verk
 * Færvik
 * Gautestad
 * Gjennestad
 * Gjerstad
 * Gjeving
 * Goderstad
 * Grendi
 * Gryting
 * Grønland
 * Heldalsmo
 * Helldal
 * Herefoss
 * Hesnes
 * Hillestad (Tovdal)
 * Hinebu
 * His (Hisøy)
 * Holmsund
 * Homborsund
 * Homdrom
 * Homme
 * Hornnes
 * Hoslemo
 * Hovden
 * Hovet
 * Hynnekleiv
 * Hødnebø
 * Høvåg
 * Håbbesland
 * Håbbestad
 * Jomås
 * Jortveit
 * Kalvøysund
 * Kilen
 * Kilsund
 * Kjetså
 * Klåholmen
 * Kolbjørnsvik
 * Kongshamn
 * Krabbesund
 * Kroken
 * Kråkvåg
 * Laget
 * Langeid
 * Lauvdal
 * Lauveik
 * Lauvrak
 * Libru
 * Lindtveit
 * Litveit
 * Longerak
 * Longum
 * Lyngør
 * Løddesøl
 * Løvjomås
 * Merdø
 * Mjølhus
 * Mjåvatn
 * Mo
 * Moen
 * Moi
 * Mollestad
 * Mykland
 * Myra
 * Narestø
 * Nedenes
 * Nelaug
 * Nesgrenda
 * Nipe
 * Nordbygdi
 * Nygrenda
 * Nævesdal
 * Oggevatn
 * Ose
 * Osedalen
 * Pusnes
 * Reddal
 * Revesand
 * Ribe
 * Risdal
 * Rise
 * Roresand
 * Rugsland
 * Rygnestad
 * Rykene
 * Rysstad
 * Rød, Arendal
 * Rød, Gjerstad
 * Rønnes
 * Røysland
 * Sagene
 * Sagesund
 * Saltrød
 * Sandnes, Bygland
 * Sandnes, Risør
 * Sandvika (Borøy)
 * Sennumstad
 * Sivik
 * Skaiå
 * Skåmedal
 * Skiftenes
 * Skjeggedal
 * Songe
 * Staubø
 * Stoa
 * Strengereid
 * Sundebru
 * Svaland
 * Søndeled
 * Søre Herefoss
 * Tjore
 * Trøe
 * Tveide
 * Tveit
 * Ubergsmoen
 * Ulvøysund
 * Uppstad
 * Valle
 * Vatnebu
 * Vatnestrøm
 * Vehus
 * Vesterhus
 * Vestøl
 * Vik
 * Vrengen
 * Væting
 * Ytre Ramse
 * Østerholt
 * Østerhus
 * Østerå
 * Øvre Dåsvatn
 * Øvre Ramse
 * Øyna
 * Åkerøyhamn
 * Åmdalsøyra
 * Åmli
 * Åneland
 * Åraksbø
 * Ås

Former Municipalities

 * Austre Moland
 * Barbu
 * Dypvåg
 * Eide
 * Evje
 * Evje og Vegusdal
 * Fjære
 * Flosta
 * Gjøvdal
 * Herefoss
 * Hisøy
 * Holt
 * Hornnes
 * Hornnes og Iveland
 * Hylestad
 * Høvåg
 * Landvik
 * Moland
 * Mykland
 * Stokken
 * Søndeled
 * Tovdal
 * Tromøy
 * Vegusdal
 * Vestre Moland
 * Øyestad

Population
Since the census of 1769, Aust-Agder has experienced a steady population growth: from 29,633 to 79,927 in 1900, and to 102,848 in 2001. There was significant emigration to the United States in the 19th century and early 20th century.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Aust-Agder


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John Mortimer

Sir John Clifford Mortimer (21 April 1923 – 16 January 2009) was a British barrister, dramatist, screenwriter and author. He is best known for short stories about a barrister named Horace Rumpole, adapted from episodes of the TV series Rumpole of the Bailey also written by Mortimer.

Early life
Mortimer was born in Hampstead, London, the only child of Kathleen May (née Smith) and (Herbert) Clifford Mortimer (1884–1961), a divorce and probate barrister  who became blind in 1936 when he hit his head on the door frame of a London taxi but still pursued his career. Clifford's loss of sight was not acknowledged openly by the family.

John Mortimer was educated at the Dragon School, Oxford, and Harrow School, where he joined the Communist Party, forming a one-member cell. He first intended to be an actor (his lead role in the Dragon's 1937 production of Richard II gained glowing reviews in The Draconian) and then a writer, but his father persuaded him against it, advising: "My dear boy, have some consideration for your unfortunate wife... [the law] gets you out of the house."

At 17, Mortimer went to Brasenose College, Oxford, where he read law, though he was actually based at Christ Church because the Brasenose buildings had been requisitioned for the war effort. In July 1942, at the end of his second year, he was sent down from Oxford by John Lowe, Dean of Christ Church, after romantic letters to a Bradfield College sixth-former, Quentin Edwards, later a QC, were discovered by the young man's housemaster. However, Mortimer was still allowed to take his Bachelor of Arts degree in law in October 1943. His close friend Michael Hamburger believed he had been very harshly treated.

Early writing career
With weak eyes and doubtful lungs, Mortimer was classified as medically unfit for military service in World War II. He worked for the Crown Film Unit under Laurie Lee, writing scripts for propaganda documentaries.

"I lived in London and went on journeys in blacked-out trains to factories and coal-mines and military and air force installations. For the first and, in fact, the only time in my life I was, thanks to Laurie Lee, earning my living entirely as a writer. If I have knocked the documentary ideal, I would not wish to sound ungrateful to the Crown Film Unit. I was given great and welcome opportunities to write dialogue, construct scenes and try and turn ideas into some kind of visual drama."

He based his first novel, Charade, on his experiences with the Crown Film Unit.

Mortimer made his radio debut as a dramatist in 1955, adapting his own novel Like Men Betrayed for the BBC Light Programme. His debut as an original playwright came with The Dock Brief starring Michael Hordern as a hapless barrister, first broadcast in 1957 on BBC Radio's Third Programme, and later televised with the same cast. It later appeared in a double bill with What Shall We Tell Caroline? at the Lyric Hammersmith in April 1958, before transferring to the Garrick Theatre. The Dock Brief was revived by Christopher Morahan in 2007 for a touring double bill with Legal Fictions. It won the Prix Italia in 1957, and its success on radio, stage, and television led Mortimer to prefer writing for performance rather than writing novels.

Mortimer's play A Voyage Round My Father, first broadcast on radio in 1963, is autobiographical, recounting his experiences as a young barrister and his relations with his blind father. It was televised by BBC Television in 1969 with Mark Dignam in the title role. In a lengthier version, the play became a stage success – first at Greenwich Theatre with Dignam, then in 1971 at the Theatre Royal Haymarket with Alec Guinness). In 1981 it was remade by Thames Television with Laurence Olivier as the father and Alan Bates as young Mortimer. In 1965, he and his wife wrote the screenplay for the Otto Preminger film Bunny Lake is Missing, which also starred Olivier.

Legal career
Mortimer was called to the Bar (Inner Temple) in 1948, at the age of 25. His early career covered testamentary and divorce work, but on taking silk in 1966, he began to undertake criminal law. His highest profile came from cases relating to claims of obscenity, which, according to Mortimer, were "alleged to be testing the frontiers of tolerance."

He has sometimes been cited wrongly as one of the Lady Chatterley's Lover obscenity trial defence team. He did, however, successfully defend publishers John Calder and Marion Boyars in a 1968 appeal against a conviction for publishing Hubert Selby Jr.'s Last Exit to Brooklyn. He assumed a similar role three years later, this time unsuccessfully, for Richard Handyside, the English publisher of The Little Red Schoolbook.

In 1971, Mortimer managed to defend the editors of the satirical paper Oz against a charge of "conspiracy to corrupt and debauch the morals of the young of the Realm", which might have carried a sentence of 12 years' hard labour. In 1976, he defended Gay News editor Denis Lemon (Whitehouse v. Lemon) against charges of blasphemous libel for publishing James Kirkup's The Love That Dares to Speak Its Name; Lemon was given a suspended prison sentence, which was overturned on appeal. He successfully defended Virgin Records in a 1977 obscenity hearing for using the word bollocks in the title of the Sex Pistols album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols and the manager of the Nottingham branch of Virgin record shop chain for displaying and selling the record. Mortimer retired from the bar in 1984.

Later writing career
Mortimer is best remembered for creating a barrister named Horace Rumpole, inspired by his father Clifford, whose speciality is defending those accused in London's Old Bailey. Mortimer created Rumpole for a BBC Play For Today in 1975. Although not Mortimer's first choice of actor – in an interview on the DVD set, he said he wanted Alistair Sim "but he turned out to be dead so he couldn't take it on" – Australian-born Leo McKern played Rumpole with gusto and proved popular. The idea was developed into a series, Rumpole of the Bailey, for Thames Television, in which McKern kept the lead role. Mortimer also wrote a series of Rumpole books. In September–October 2003, BBC Radio 4 broadcast four new 45-minute Rumpole plays by Mortimer with Timothy West in the title role. Mortimer also dramatised many real-life cases of the barrister Edward Marshall-Hall in a radio series with former Doctor Who star Tom Baker as protagonist.

In 1975 and 1976, Mortimer adapted eight of Graham Greene’s short stories for episodes of Shades of Greene presented by Thames Television. Mortimer was credited with writing the script for Granada Television's 1981 serialization of Brideshead Revisited, based on the novel by Evelyn Waugh. However, Graham Lord's unofficial biography, John Mortimer: The Devil's Advocate, revealed in 2005 that none of Mortimer's submitted scripts had in fact been used and the screenplay was actually written by the series' producer and director. Mortimer adapted John Fowles's The Ebony Tower starring Laurence Olivier for Granada in 1984. In 1986, his adaptation of his own novel Paradise Postponed was televised. He wrote the script, based on the autobiography of Franco Zeffirelli, for the 1999 film Tea with Mussolini, directed by Zeffirelli and starring Joan Plowright, Cher, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Lily Tomlin. From 2004, Mortimer worked as a consultant for the politico-legal US "dramedy" television show Boston Legal.

Mortimer developed his career as a dramatist by rising early to write before attending court. His work in total includes over 50 books, plays and scripts. Besides 13 episodes of Rumpole dramatized for radio in 1980, several others of his works were broadcast on the BBC, including the true crime series John Mortimer Presents: The Trials Of Marshall Hall and Sensational British Trials.

Personal life
Penelope Fletcher, better known as Penelope Mortimer, met John Mortimer while still married to Charles Dimont and pregnant with their last child. Fletcher married Mortimer on 27 August 1949, the same day her divorce from Dimont became absolute. Together they went on to have a son, Jeremy Mortimer, and a daughter, Sally Silverman. The unstable marriage inspired work by both writers, of which Penelope's novel, The Pumpkin Eater (1962), later made into a film of the same name, is best known. The couple divorced in 1971 and he married Penelope Gollop in 1972. They had two daughters, Emily Mortimer (1971), and Rosie Mortimer (1984). He and his second wife lived in the Buckinghamshire village of Turville Heath. The split with his first wife had been bitter, but they were on friendly terms by the time of her death in 1999.

In September 2004, the Sunday Telegraph journalist Tim Walker revealed that Mortimer had fathered another son, Ross Bentley, who was conceived during a secret affair Mortimer had with the English actress Wendy Craig more than 40 years earlier. He was born in November 1961. Craig and Mortimer had met when the actress had been cast playing a pregnant woman in Mortimer's first full-length West End play, The Wrong Side of the Park. Ross Bentley was raised by Craig and her husband, Jack Bentley, the show business writer and musician.

In Mortimer's memoirs, Clinging to the Wreckage, he wrote of "enjoying my mid-thirties and all the pleasures which come to a young writer."

Honours
Awarded a CBE in 1986, he was made a knight bachelor in the 1998 Birthday Honours.

Death
Mortimer suffered a stroke in October 2008 and died on 16 January 2009, aged 85.

Attributes
John Mortimer was a member of English PEN. He was patron of the Burma Campaign UK, the London-based group campaigning for human rights and democracy in Burma and president of the Royal Court Theatre, having been the chairman of its board from 1990 to 2000.

Select screenwriting credits

 * The Innocents (additional dialogue, 1961)
 * Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965)
 * A Flea in Her Ear (1968)
 * John and Mary (1969)
 * Edwin (1984, TV film)
 * Maschenka (1987) (Vladimir Nabokov novel adaptation directed by John Goldschmidt)
 * Tea With Mussolini (1999)

title: John Mortimer


text:
Vest-Agder

Vest-Agder ("West Agder") was one of 18 counties (fylker) in Norway up until 1 January 2020, when it was merged with Aust-Agder to form Agder county. In 2016, there were 182,701 inhabitants, around 3.5% of the total population of Norway. Its area was about 7277 km2. The county administration was located in its largest city, Kristiansand.

Vest-Agder was a major source of timber for Dutch and later English shipping from the 16th century onwards. Historically, the area exported timber, wooden products, salmon, herring, ships, and later nickel, paper, and ferrous and silica alloys. Compared to other counties of Norway, today's exports-intensive industry produces shipping and offshore equipment (National Oilwell Varco), cranes (Cargotec), ships (Umoe Mandal, Flekkefjord Slip), wind turbine equipment, nickel (Glencore), and solar industry microsilica (Elkem). A major tourist attraction is Kristiansand Dyrepark.

Vest-Agder grew to political prominence with the decision of King Christian IV to establish Kristiansand as a key naval base, trading centre, and bishopric in 1641, forcing urban citizens and merchants from all over Agder to settle in the city. The county had large-scale emigration to North America from the 1850s onwards.

Name
The meaning of the name is "(the) western (part of) Agder".

Lister og Mandal amt was created on 1 January 1662 and it consisted of the two old lens of Lister and Mandal. This name continued until 1 January 1919, when the name was changed to Vest-Agder.

Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 12 December 1958. They show an oak tree in yellow on a green background, representing the historic rich nature and oak woods in the area.

Geography
Vest-Agder is the western and southernmost part of the current county of Agder, extending inland from the North Sea and its arm, the Skagerrak, to the southern fringes of Setesdalen, surrounded by the mountain range Setesdalsheiene. It includes the southernmost point of the entire country, Pysen island south of Mandal, and the southernmost part of continental Norway, Lindesnes. It has a very broken and hilly surface. From the coast there are six valleys that stretch north into the county: Audnedalen, Lyngdalen, Kvinesdalen, Mandalen, Sirdalen, and Otradalen (which continues into Aust-Agder where it is called Setesdalen).

Most of the habitation lies along the coast, including the towns Kristiansand, Mandal, Flekkefjord, and Farsund. About 31 fjords are located there. The northern portion is mountainous and sparsely settled, while the central upland moors are used for pasturing of cattle and sheep. Since the Gulf Stream touches the coast of Vest-Agder, it is also called "the Norwegian Riviera", and Agder as a whole is also called "The California of Norway".

History
The oldest ever remains of an 8,000+ year old human in Norway has been found at Søgne, she endured an almost exclusively marine diet. In Kristiansand, a Sarup-style Neolithic funeral site from 3,400 BC has been excavated. Just before and after the onset of the common era, the region was uniquely rich in sites dedicated to the God Ull (Ullr), and also had a semi-urban settlement at Oddernes (Kristiansand). Norway's first possible all-national king, Halvdan Svarte, was raised probably in the Kvinesdal valley at a matrimonial manor, his mother was presumably the daughter of King Harald of Agder. He was followed by his son King Harald Fairhair, who had his easternmost manor at Kongsgård near Kristiansand. Churches are known since Viking ages. Vest-Agder was not particularly preeminent in the later Viking and Medieval Ages. Mandal (Vesterrisør) and Kristiansand (Ottrunes) had semi-urban trading centers from the 1300s onwards, but did not enjoy urban economic privileges until the 1632 (Mandal) and 1641 (Kristiansand). A general lack of agricultural fertility made the region remaining a relatively poor part of Norway through the centuries.

In the 16th century, Dutch merchant vessels began to visit ports in southern Norway to purchase salmon and other goods. Soon thereafter the export of timber began, as oak from southern Norway was exceptionally well suited for shipbuilding. As the Netherlands developed in the 17th century, it began to suffer from a severe labor shortage, and many families from Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder emigrated to the Netherlands, especially the coastal areas.

In the 19th century, emigration to the United States started. One of the most important causes of this emigration was the emergence of steamships. While Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder historically had very strong positions in the manufacture and repair of sailing ships, the shift to steamships was poorly utilised and resulted in a cyclical slope for the shipbuilding and shipping industries. Emigration to the United States was a means of escaping from the high unemployment that followed. Many Americans returning to the county after Norway became prosperous. This feature is particularly predominant in Kvinesdal and Farsund in the west, which maintains strong cultural links with the United States.

During World War II the area had substantial fortifications and German personnel, with major bases and airfields in Lista, Mandal and Kristiansand. Batterie Vara near Kristiansand was constructed as one out of two 40 cm coastal artillery forts covering the Skagerrak Sea in conjunction with a similar fort in northern Denmark. After the war, Kristiansand grew considerably whereas other cities lost much of their relative economic and demographic importance.

Municipalities
On 1 January 1838, all the counties were divided into local administrative units each with their own governments (see formannskapsdistrikt). The number and borders of these municipalities were based on the parishes of the Church of Norway. Over time the number and locations of these have changed, and at present there are 15 municipalities in Vest-Agder. The municipality of Åseral was part of the neighboring county of Nedenes until 1880, when it was moved to Vest-Agder.

Cities

 * Alleen
 * Farsund
 * Flekkefjord
 * Kristiansand
 * Lyngdal
 * Mandal

Parishes

 * Austad
 * Bakke
 * Bjelland
 * Eiken (Egen)
 * Farsund
 * Feda
 * Finsland
 * Fjotland
 * Flekkefjord
 * Flekkerøy
 * Frelseren
 * Greipstad
 * Grim
 * Grindheim (Grindum)
 * Gyland
 * Halse (Halsaa)
 * Harkmark
 * Haughom
 * Hellemyr
 * Herad (Herred)
 * Hidra (Hitterø)
 * Holum (Holme)
 * Hægebostad (Øvre Kvinesdal)
 * Hægeland (Heggeland)
 * Hånes
 * Justvik
 * Konsmo
 * Korshamn
 * Kristiansand
 * Kristiansand tukthus
 * Kvinesdal
 * Kvævemoen
 * Kvås (Qvås)
 * Laudal
 * Liknes, see Kvinesdal
 * Lista (Vanse)
 * Ljosland
 * Lund
 * Lunde
 * Lyngdal
 * Mandal
 * Nes
 * Nord-Audnedal
 * Netlandsnes
 * Oddernes
 * Randesund
 * Sirdal
 * Spangereid
 * Spind
 * Søgne
 * Old Søgne
 * Søm
 * Sør-Audnedal
 * Tonstad
 * Torridal
 * Tveit
 * Valle
 * Vanse
 * Vennesla
 * Vestbygda
 * Vigmostad
 * Voie
 * Vågsbygd
 * Øvrebø
 * Øvre Sirdal
 * Øyslebø
 * Åknes
 * Åseral
 * Flekkefjord Branch (LDS, 1899–1904)
 * Kristiansand Branch (LDS, 1856–1912)
 * Kristiansand (Katolske Apostoliske, 1896–1925)

Villages

 * Alleen
 * Andabeløy
 * Aukland
 * Austad
 * Ausvika
 * Birkeland
 * Bjelland
 * Bjørnestad
 * Breland
 * Brennåsen
 * Eik
 * Eiken
 * Eikerapen
 * Feda
 * Finsland
 * Fjotland
 * Fleseland
 * Grindheim
 * Grovane
 * Gyland
 * Haddeland
 * Harkmark
 * Heddeland
 * Homstean
 * Hægeland
 * Hæåk
 * Høllen
 * Høllen
 * Hånes
 * Ime
 * Justvik (Gjusvik)
 * Kilen
 * Kirkehavn
 * Knaben
 * Koland
 * Konsmo
 * Korshamn
 * Krossen
 * Kvås
 * Kyrkjebygda
 * Langenes
 * Laudal
 * Liknes
 * Ljosland
 * Lohne
 * Loshavn
 * Lunde, Sirdal
 * Lunde
 * Mosby
 * Mushom
 * Nodeland
 * Nodelandsheia
 * Ny-Hellesund
 * Ore
 * Randesund
 * Rasvåg
 * Røyknes
 * Sande
 * Skarpengland
 * Skofteland
 * Skomrak
 * Sira
 * Sirnes
 * Skålevik
 * Snartemo
 * Storekvina
 * Strai
 * Svenevig
 * Svenevik
 * Tangvall
 * Tingvatn
 * Tonstad
 * Trysnes
 * Tveit
 * Vanse
 * Ve
 * Vedderheia
 * Vennesla
 * Vestbygd
 * Vigeland
 * Vigmostad
 * Volleberg
 * Øvre Eikeland
 * Øvrebø
 * Øyslebø
 * Åknes
 * Ålefjær
 * Ålo
 * Åna-Sira
 * Åros
 * Åvik

Former Municipalities

 * Austad
 * Bakke
 * Bjelland
 * Bjelland og Grindum
 * Eiken
 * Feda
 * Finsland
 * Fjotland
 * Greipstad
 * Grindheim
 * Gyland
 * Halse og Harkmark
 * Herad
 * Hidra
 * Holum
 * Hægeland
 * Konsmo
 * Kvås
 * Laudal
 * Lista
 * Nes
 * Nes og Hitterø
 * Nord-Audnedal
 * Oddernes
 * Randesund
 * Spangereid
 * Spind
 * Sør-Audnedal
 * Tonstad
 * Tveit
 * Undal
 * Vigmostad
 * Øvre Sirdal
 * Øvrebø
 * Øvrebø og Hægeland
 * Øyslebø
 * Øyslebø og Laudal

Notable residents
Category:People from Vest-Agder
 * Sofus Arctander (1845–1924), Liberal politician, Prime Minister for a brief period in 1905.
 * Bernt Balchen (1899–1973), aeronaut, WWII pilot, polar navigator, military officer.
 * Jens Bjørneboe (1920–1976), author and playwright.
 * Camilla Collett (Wergeland) (1813–1895), author, writer, feminist, emancipator.
 * Bjøro Håland, country & western musician.
 * Bjarne Lingås (1933–2011), heavyweight boxer, amateur (198, 14 losses) and professional (14, 2 losses).
 * Rolf Løvland, musician, composer, director, twice winning European Song Contest.
 * Herman Wedel Major (1814–1854, born in Ireland), regarded as the founder of modern psychiatry in Norway.
 * Svein Mathisen (1952–2011), football player for IK Start, Hibernian, and Norway.
 * Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway (1973–), Crown Princess of Norway.
 * Jørgen Moe (1813–1882), writer, folklorist (Asbjørnsen og Moe), poet, bishop of Kristiansand.
 * Nicolai Tangen (1966), hedgefund investor, CEO of the Norwegian Soveregin Wealth Fund (NBIM) since 2020.
 * Christian Rynning-Tønnesen (1959–), business leader, CEO of Norske Skog, Statkraft.
 * Emanuel Vigeland (1875–1948), artist, sculptor, painter, creator of the Vigeland installation in Frogner Park in Oslo.
 * Gustav Vigeland (1869–1945), artist, sculptor, painter.
 * Henrik Wergeland (1808–1845), author, writer, playwright, educator, national archivar, bureaucrat, emancipator.

title: Vest-Agder


text:
Rogaland

Rogaland is a county in Western Norway, bordering the North Sea to the west and the counties of Vestland to the north, Telemark to the east and Agder to the east and southeast. Per 1. January 2024, it had a population of 499,417 people.

The administrative centre of the county is the city of Stavanger, which is one of the largest cities in Norway.

Etymology
Rogaland is the region's Old Norse name, which was revived in modern times. During Denmark's rule of Norway until the year 1814, the county was named Stavanger amt, after the large city of Stavanger. The first element is the plural genitive case of rygir which is probably referring to the name of an old Germanic tribe (see Rugians). The last element is land which means "land" or "region". In Old Norse times, the region was called Rygjafylki.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms is modern; it was granted on 11 January 1974. The arms are blue with a white or silver pointed cross in the centre. The cross is based on the old stone cross in Sola, the oldest national monument in Norway. It was erected in memory of Erling Skjalgsson after his death in 1028. This type of cross was very common in medieval Norway.

Geography
Rogaland is mainly a coastal region with fjords, beaches, and islands, the principal island being Karmøy. The vast Boknafjorden is the largest bay, with many fjords branching off from it.

Stavanger/Sandnes, the third-largest urban area of Norway, is also a central area for the Norwegian petroleum industry. The area includes the large cities of Stavanger and Sandnes. The municipalities Randaberg, and Sola is also in close proximity. Together, this conurbation is ranked above the city Trondheim in population rankings in Norway.

There are also other cities/towns in Rogaland other than Stavanger and Sandnes. They include Haugesund, Egersund, Sauda, Jørpeland, Bryne, Kopervik, Åkrehamn, and Skudeneshavn.

Karmøy has large deposits of copper (some from the Visnes mine was used in the construction of the Statue of Liberty). Sokndal has large deposits of ilmenite. Rogaland is the most important region for oil and gas exploration in Norway, and the Jæren district in Rogaland is one of the country's most important agricultural districts.

History
There are remains in Rogaland from the earliest times, such as the excavations in a cave at Viste in Randaberg (Svarthola). These include the find of a skeleton of a boy from the Stone Age. Various archeological finds stem from the following times, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. Many crosses in Irish style have been found. Rogaland was called Rygjafylke in the Viking Age. Before Harald Fairhair and the Battle of Hafrsfjord, it was a petty kingdom. The Rugians were a tribe possibly connected with Rogaland.

Culture and tourism
A series of festivals and congresses of international fame and profile are arranged, such as The Chamber Music Festival, The Maijazz Festival, The Gladmat (lit. happy food) Festival, and The ONS event, which has been held in Stavanger every second year since 1974. The ONS is a major international conference and exhibition with focus on oil and gas, and other topics from the petroleum industry. The Concert Hall and Music Complex at Bjergsted and the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra provide important inspiration in the Norwegian musical environment. Another annual event in Stavanger is The World Tour Beach Volleyball. During this tournament, the downtown is converted into a beach volleyball arena.

Rogaland is home to many natural wonders, like Prekestolen, Kjerag and Gloppedalsura. In Stavanger, there is an archeological museum with many artifacts from early history in Rogaland. An Iron Age farm at Ullandhaug in Stavanger is reconstructed on the original farm site dating back to 350–500 AD. The Viking Farm is a museum at Karmøy.

Government
A county (fylke) is the chief local administrative area in Norway. The whole country is divided into 11 counties. A county is also an election area, with popular votes taking place every 4 years. In Rogaland, the government of the county is the Rogaland County Municipality. It includes 47 members who are elected to form a county council (Fylkesting). Heading the Fylkesting is the county mayor (fylkesordførar). Since 2020, the Rogaland County Municipality has been led by Marianne Chesak, the county mayor.

The county also has a County Governor (fylkesmann) who is the representative of the King and Government of Norway. Bent Høie is the incumbent governor, in office since 1 November 2021.

The municipalities in Rogaland are divided among several district courts (tingrett): Dalane District Court, Haugaland District Court, Jæren District Court, and Stavanger District Court. All of these courts are subordinate to the Gulating Court of Appeal district based in Bergen.

Municipalities
Rogaland County has a total of 23 municipalities:

Districts

 * Dalane
 * Haugaland
 * Jæren
 * Ryfylke

Cities

 * Bryne
 * Egersund
 * Haugesund
 * Jørpeland
 * Kopervik
 * Sauda
 * Sandnes
 * Skudeneshavn
 * Stavanger
 * Åkrehamn

Parishes

 * Askøy (Askø)
 * Avaldsnes
 * Bjerkreim
 * Bokn (Bukken)
 * Bore
 * Bø
 * Domkirken, Stavanger
 * Egersund
 * Erfjord
 * Falnes
 * Ferkingstad
 * Finnøy (Hesby)
 * Fister
 * Forsand (Fossan)
 * Frue, see Hetland
 * Førdesfjorden
 * Gjestal
 * Haugesund
 * Hausken
 * Helleland
 * Hesby
 * Heskestad
 * Hetland
 * Hjelmeland
 * Hvidingsø
 * Høgsfjord
 * Høle
 * Høyland
 * Hå
 * Håland
 * Imsland
 * Jelsa (Jelsø)
 * Klepp
 * Kopervik
 * Kvitsøy (Hvidingsø)
 * Lund
 * Lye
 * Madla
 * Malle, see Madla
 * Mosterøy
 * Nedstrand (Hinderå)
 * Norheim
 * Nærbø
 * Nærem
 * Ogna
 * Orre
 * Randaberg (Randeberg)
 * Rennesøy
 * Riska (Riskekvernen)
 * Røldal (in Hordaland after 1848)
 * Sand
 * Sandeid
 * Sandnes
 * Sankt Johannes, Stavanger
 * Sankt Petri, Stavanger
 * Saude (Sauda)
 * Sjernarøy
 * Skjold
 * Skudenes
 * Skudeneshavn
 * Skåre
 * Sokndal
 * Sola (Sole)
 * Soma
 * Stavanger
 * Strand
 * Suldal
 * Sørbø
 * Talgøy (Talgje)
 * Tananger
 * Time (Lye)
 * Tjora
 * Torvastad (Torvestad)
 * Tysvær
 * Utsira
 * Utstein Kloster
 * Varhaug
 * Vats
 * Vedavågen
 * Vikedal
 * Vår Frue, see Hetland
 * Åkra
 * Åkra (old)
 * Åna-Sira
 * Årdal
 * Egersund Branch (LDS, 1899–1913)
 * Haugesund Branch (LDS, 1905–1950)
 * Stavanger Branch (LDS, 1850–1938)
 * Stavanger (Dissentermenigheter: Stavanger, Klepp, and Haugesund 1859–1903)
 * Stavanger (Vennenes Samfund- Quakers, 1821–1951)

Villages

 * Aksdal
 * Amdal
 * Askje
 * Åkrehamn
 * Åmøy
 * Avaldsnes
 * Bjerkreim
 * Bjoa
 * Bore
 * Bru
 * Brusand
 * Dirdal
 * Dueland
 * Eik
 * Eike
 * Erfjord
 * Ferkingstad
 * Feøy
 * Figgjo
 * Fiskå
 * Fister
 * Fogn
 * Forsand
 * Foss-Eikeland
 * Frafjord
 * Føresvik
 * Førre
 * Gjesdal
 * Gilja
 * Grinde
 * Grødem
 * Hauge i Dalane
 * Hellandsbygd
 * Helleland
 * Hellvik
 * Hervik
 * Hesby
 * Heskestad
 * Hestnes
 * Hindaråvåg
 * Hjelmelandsvågen
 * Hommersåk
 * Hundvåg
 * Hæen
 * Høle
 * Hålandsmarka
 * Hålandsosen
 * Idse
 * Imslandsjøen
 * Innbjoa
 * Jelsa
 * Judaberg
 * Jøsenfjorden
 * Klepp stasjon
 * Kleppe
 * Krossberg
 * Kvernaland
 * Li
 * Lyefjell
 * Lysebotn
 * Marvik
 * Moi
 * Mossige
 * Nedstrand
 * Nesflaten
 * Norheim
 * Nærbø
 * Oanes
 * Obrestad
 * Ogna
 * Oltedal
 * Orre
 * Pollestad
 * Randaberg
 * Rekefjord
 * Røvær
 * Sand i Ryfylke
 * Sandeid
 * Sandve
 * Saudasjøen
 * Sirevåg
 * Sjernarøyane
 * Skjold
 * Skjoldastraumen
 * Sogndalsstrand
 * Solakrossen
 * Stenebyen
 * Stronda
 * Suldalsosen
 * Susort
 * Sviland
 * Sør-Hidle
 * Sørbø
 * Sørnes
 * Talgje
 * Tau
 * Torvastad
 * Tysværvåg
 * Undheim
 * Varhaug
 * Vassøy
 * Vatne i Sandnes
 * Vatne i Vindafjord
 * Veavågen
 * Verdalen
 * Vigrestad
 * Vikebygd
 * Vikedal
 * Vikeså
 * Vikevåg
 * Visnes
 * Voll
 * Vormedal
 * Yrke
 * Ydstebøhamn
 * Ølensjøen
 * Ølensvåg (Ølsvågen)
 * Øvrebygd
 * Ålgård
 * Åna-Sira
 * Årdal i Ryfylke

Former municipalities

 * Avaldsnes
 * Egersund
 * Erfjord
 * Finnøy
 * Fister
 * Forsand
 * Helleland
 * Heskestad
 * Hetland
 * Hjelmeland og Fister
 * Høle
 * Høyland
 * Håland
 * Imsland
 * Jelsa
 * Kopervik
 * Madla
 * Nedstrand
 * Nærbø
 * Ogna
 * Rennesøy
 * Sand
 * Sandeid
 * Sjernarøy
 * Skjold
 * Skudenes
 * Skudeneshavn
 * Skåre
 * Sogndal
 * Stangaland
 * Torvastad
 * Vats
 * Varhaug
 * Vikedal
 * Ølen
 * Åkra
 * Årdal

Higher Education

 * University of Stavanger
 * VID Specialized University (campus Stavanger)
 * Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL)]

Demographics
Total population:

In popular culture
Rogaland is a playable region within Norway in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, called Rygjafylke in the game. It is also the homeland of the game’s main character, Eivor Varinsdottir.

title: Rogaland


text:
Hordaland

Hordaland was a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark, and Rogaland counties. Hordaland was the third largest county, after Akershus and Oslo, by population. The county government was the Hordaland County Municipality, which is located in Bergen. Before 1972, the city of Bergen was its own separate county, apart from Hordaland. On 1 January 2020, the county was merged with neighbouring Sogn og Fjordane county, to form the new Vestland county.

Name
Hordaland (Old Norse: Hǫrðaland) is the old name of the region which was revived in 1919. The first element is the plural genitive case of hǫrðar, the name of an old Germanic tribe (see Charudes). The last element is land which means "land" or "region" in the Norwegian language.

Until 1919 the name of the county was Søndre Bergenhus amt which meant "(the) southern (part of) Bergenhus amt". (The old Bergenhus amt was created in 1662 and was divided into Northern and Southern parts in 1763.)

Flag
Hordaland's flag shows two golden axes and a crown in red. The flag is a banner of the coat of arms derived from the old seal of the guild of St. Olav from Onarheim in Tysnes municipality. This seal was used by the delegates of Sunnhordland in 1344 on the document to install king Haakon V of Norway. It was thus the oldest symbol used for the region and adapted as the arms and flag in 1961. The symbols refer to the patron saint of the guild, Saint Olav, King of Norway, whose symbol is an axe.

Coat of arms
The coat-of-arms were officially granted on 1 December 1961. They were designed by Magnus Hardeland, but the general design had been originally used in the Sunnhordland region during the 14th century. In the early 20th century, leaders of the county began using the old arms as a symbol for the county once again. The arms are on a red background and consist of two golden axes that are crossed with a golden crown above them.

History
Hordaland county had been around for more than one thousand years. In the 7th century, the area was made up of many petty kingdoms under the Gulating and was known as Hordafylke from around the year 900. In the early 16th century, Norway was divided into four len. The Bergenhus len was headquartered in Bergen and encompassed much of western and northern Norway.

In 1662, the lens were replaced by amts. Bergenhus amt originally consisted of the present-day areas of Hordaland, Sogn og Fjordane, and Sunnmøre and the far northern Nordlandene amt was subordinate to Bergenhus. In the 1680s, Nordlandene and Sunnmøre were split from Bergenhus. In 1763, the amt was divided into northern and southern parts: Nordre Bergenhus amt and Søndre Bergenhus amt. When the amt was split, the present day municipality of Gulen was split with the southern part ending up in Søndre Bergenhus amt. In 1773, the border was re-drawn so that all of Gulen was located in the northern part. Søndre Bergenhus amt was renamed Hordaland fylke in 1919.

The city of Bergen was classified as a city-county (byamt) from 1831 to 1972. During that time in 1915, the municipality of Årstad was annexed into Bergen. In 1972, the neighbouring municipalities of Arna, Fana, Laksevåg and Åsane were annexed into the city of Bergen. Also at that same time, the city of Bergen lost its county status, and became a part of Hordaland county.

Government
A county (fylke) is the chief local administrative area in Norway. The whole country is divided into 19 counties. A county is also an election area, with popular votes taking place every 4 years. In Hordaland, the government of the county was the Hordaland County Municipality. It included 57 members elected to form a county council (Fylkesting). Heading the Fylkesting was the county mayor (fylkesordførar). The last county mayor for the Hordaland County Municipality was Anne Gine Hestetun.

The county also had a County Governor (fylkesmann) who was the representative of the King and Government of Norway. Lars Sponheim was the last County Governor of Hordaland. The municipalities in Hordaland were divided among four district courts (tingrett): Nordhordland, Sunnhordland, Bergen, and Hardanger. Hordaland was also part of the Gulating Court of Appeal district based in Bergen.
 * Nordhordland District Court: Askøy, Austevoll, Austrheim, Fedje, Fjell, Fusa, Lindås, Masfjorden, Meland, Modalen, Os, Osterøy, Radøy, Samnanger, Sund, Vaksdal, Voss, Øygarden, and Gulen (Gulen was actually in neighbouring Sogn og Fjordane county)
 * Sunnhordland District Court: Bømlo, Etne, Fitjar, Kvinnherad, Stord, Sveio and Tysnes
 * Bergen District Court: the city of Bergen
 * Hardanger District Court: Eidfjord, Granvin, Jondal, Kvam, Odda, Ullensvang and Ulvik

Most of the municipalities in Hordaland were part of the Hordaland police district. Gulen and Solund in Sogn og Fjordane county were also part of the Hordaland police district. Bømlo, Etne, Fitjar, Stord and Sveio were a part of the "Haugaland and Sunnhordland" police district, along with eight other municipalities in Rogaland county.

Geography
Hordaland is semi-circular in shape. It is located on the western coast of Norway, split from southwest to northeast by the long, deep Hardangerfjorden, one of Norway's main fjords and a great tourist attraction. About half of the National park of Hardangervidda is in this county. The county also includes many well-known waterfalls, such as Vøringsfossen and Stykkjedalsfossen. It also includes the Folgefonna and Hardangerjøkulen glaciers.

More than 60% of the inhabitants live in Bergen and the surrounding area. Other urban or semi-urban centres include Leirvik, Voss and Odda.

Municipalities

 * 1) Askøy
 * 2) Austevoll
 * 3) Austrheim
 * 4) Bergen
 * 5) Bømlo
 * 6) Eidfjord
 * 7) Etne
 * 8) Fedje
 * 9) Fitjar
 * 10) Fjell
 * 11) Fusa
 * 12) Granvin
 * 13) Jondal
 * 14) Kvam
 * 15) Kvinnherad
 * 16) Lindås
 * 17) Masfjorden
 * 18) Meland
 * 19) Modalen
 * 20) Odda
 * 21) Os
 * 22) Osterøy
 * 23) Øygarden
 * 24) Radøy
 * 25) Samnanger
 * 26) Stord
 * 27) Sund
 * 28) Sveio
 * 29) Tysnes
 * 30) Ullensvang
 * 31) Ulvik
 * 32) Vaksdal
 * 33) Voss

Districts

 * Hardanger
 * Haugaland
 * Mauranger
 * Midhordland
 * Nordhordland
 * Stril
 * Strilelandet
 * Sunnhordland
 * Voss

Cities

 * Bergen
 * Leirvik
 * Odda

Parishes

 * Alversund
 * Arna
 * Ask
 * Askøy
 * Austevoll
 * Austrheim
 * Bekkjarvik
 * Bergen
 * Bergsdalen
 * Birkeland
 * Biskopshavn
 * Bjoastrand
 * Blomvåg
 * Bremnes
 * Bruvik
 * Bømlo
 * Old Bømlo
 * Bønes
 * Dale
 * Eid
 * Eidfjord
 * Old Eidfjord
 * Eidsvåg
 * Eksingedal
 * Emigrant
 * Erdal
 * Etne
 * Evanger
 * Fana
 * Fedje
 * Finnås
 * Fitjar
 * Fjelberg
 * Fjell
 * Fjæra
 * Foldnes
 * Førde
 * Fridalen
 * Frøyset
 * Fusa
 * Fyllingsdalen
 * Gjerde
 * Gjerstad
 * Granvin
 * Grindheim
 * Haga
 * Hamre
 * Hatlestrand
 * Haus
 * Herdla (Herlø)
 * Hjelme
 * Old Hjelme
 * Holdhus
 * Holmedal
 * Holy Cross
 * Hordabø (Bøe)
 * Hosanger
 * Hundvin
 * Hundvåkøy
 * Husnes
 * Hålandsdal
 * Jondal
 * Kausland
 * Kinsarvik
 * Knarvik
 * Kvam
 * Kvinnherad
 * Laksevåg
 * Landro
 * Landås
 * Lindås
 * Loddefjord
 * Lygra
 * Lykling
 * Manger
 * Masfjorden
 * Meland
 * Mjelde
 * Mo
 * Moster
 * Old Moster
 * Myking
 * Møkster
 * Nesheim
 * Nore Neset Church
 * Norheimsund
 * Nygård
 * Nykirken
 * Nysæter
 * Odda
 * Olsvik
 * Onarheim
 * Opdal (Uggdal)
 * Oppheim
 * Os
 * Ostereidet
 * Raundalen
 * Reksteren
 * Røldal (before 1848 in Rogaland)
 * Salhus
 * Samnanger
 * Sandnes
 * Sandvik
 * Seim
 * Skare
 * Skjold
 * Skånevik
 * Slettebakken
 * Solheim, Bergen
 * Solheim, Masfjorden
 * St James's
 * St George's
 * St John's
 * St Mark's
 * St Mary's
 * Stamnes
 * Stord
 * Store-Kalsøy
 * Storetveit
 * Strandebarm
 * Strandvik
 * Strudshavn
 * Strusshamn
 * Stødle
 * Støle (Strødle)
 * Sund
 * Sundvor
 * Sveio
 * Sæbø
 * Sælen
 * Søreide
 * Takvam
 * Tveit
 * Tysnes
 * Tyssedal
 * Uggdal
 * Ullensvang
 * Ulvik
 * Uppheim
 * Uskedalen
 * Utne
 * Vaksdal
 * Valen
 * Valen
 * Valestrand
 * Varaldsøy
 * Vike
 * Vikebygd
 * Vikøy
 * Vinje
 * Voss
 * Vossestrand
 * Ytre Arna
 * Ytrebygda
 * Ænes
 * Ølen
 * Ølve
 * Øystese
 * Åkra (Åkre)
 * Ålvik
 * Årstad
 * Åsane

Villages

 * Abbedisso
 * Algrøyna
 * Alsåker
 * Alveim
 * Alver
 * Alverstraumen
 * Ask
 * Askeland, Lindås
 * Askeland, Radøy
 * Auklandshamn (Økland)
 * Austbygdi
 * Austevollhella
 * Austmarka
 * Austrepollen
 * Austrheim
 * Bakkasund
 * Bekkjarvik
 * Birkeland
 * Blomvåg
 * Bolstadøyri
 * Borstrondi
 * Botnen
 * Breistein
 * Bru (Strandebarm)
 * Bruvik
 * Bøvågen
 * Dale (Dalekvam)
 * Dalegarden
 * Dimmelsvik
 * Djønno
 * Eidfjord
 * Eidsvik
 * Eikelandsosen
 * Eitrheim
 * Erdal
 * Espeland
 * Etnesjøen (Etne)
 * Evanger
 * Fanahammeren (Fana)
 * Fedje
 * Finse
 * Fitjar
 * Fjelberg
 * Fjell
 * Fjæra
 * Flatkvål
 * Flesland
 * Foldnes
 * Fotlandsvåg
 * Frekhaug
 * Fusa
 * Fyllingsdalen
 * Førde i Hordaland
 * Gjermundshamn Ferry Port
 * Gjetingsdalen
 * Granvin
 * Grov
 * Haga
 * Hagavik
 * Haljem
 * Hammarsland
 * Hamre
 * Hanevik
 * Hatlestrand
 * Haugland
 * Haukanes
 * Haus
 * Havrå
 * Helle
 * Hernar
 * Herøysund
 * Hjartås
 * Hjellestad
 * Holdhus
 * Holme
 * Holmefjord
 * Horda
 * Hosanger
 * Hundvin
 * Husa
 * Husavik
 * Husnes
 * Hylkje
 * Høylandsbygda
 * Indre Arna
 * Indre Ålvik
 * Io
 * Isdalstø
 * Jondal
 * Kaland
 * Kausland
 * Kinsarvik
 * Kjøkkelvik
 * Kleppestø
 * Klokkarvik
 * Knappskog
 * Knarrevik
 * Knarrevik (Knarvrika)
 * Kolbeinsvik
 * Kolltveit
 * Krokeidet
 * Krossneset
 * Kvitheim
 * Kysnesstranda
 * Laksevåg
 * Landro
 * Langevåg
 * Lindås
 * Litlabø
 * Loddefjord
 * Lofthus
 * Lonevåg
 * Luro
 * Lykling
 * Manger
 * Masfjordnes
 * Mathopen
 * Meland
 * Milde
 * Misje
 * Mo (Modalen)
 * Mongstad
 * Moster
 * Mosterhamn
 * Møvik
 * Mundheim
 * Møkster
 * Nedre Vinjo
 * Nesheim
 * Nesttun
 * Nord-Huglo
 * Nordrepollen
 * Nordvik
 * Norheimsund
 * Onarheim
 * Osa
 * Ostereidet
 * Osøyro
 * Reksteren
 * Ringøy
 * Rong
 * Rosendal
 * Rossland
 * Rostøy
 * Rubbestadneset
 * Røldal
 * Sagvåg
 * Salhus
 * Seim
 * Sekkingstad
 * Seljestad
 * Skare (Skarde)
 * Skjelviki
 * Skogsvåg
 * Skånevik
 * Sletta
 * Stalheim
 * Stamneshella
 * Stanghelle
 * Steine
 * Storebø
 * Strandvik
 * Straume
 * Strusshamn
 * Sundal
 * Sunde i Sunnhordland
 * Sveio
 * Svortland
 * Sylta
 * Sæbø (Sæbøvågen)
 * Sæbøvik
 * Søfteland
 * Søre Øyane
 * Sør-Huglo
 * Søvik
 * Toska
 * Trengereid
 * Tunes
 * Turøyna
 * Tveitevåg
 * Tysse
 * Tyssedal
 * Tælavåg
 * Tørvikbygd
 * Uggdal
 * Uggdalseidet
 * Ulvik
 * Uskedal
 * Utne
 * Utsylta
 * Utåker
 * Valen
 * Valestrand
 * Valestrandfossen
 * Valevåg
 * Vaksdal
 * Varaldsøy
 * Vikadal
 * Vikavågen
 * Vikebygd
 * Vikøy
 * Vinnes
 * Vossevangen
 * Våga
 * Våge
 * Våge
 * Ytre Arna
 * Ytre Ålvik
 * Ænes
 * Ølve
 * Øvre Eidfjord
 * Øystese
 * Ågotnes
 * Åkra
 * Årland
 * Årland
 * Årås

Former municipalities

 * Alversund
 * Arna
 * Bergen landdistrikt
 * Bremnes
 * Bruvik
 * Eid
 * Evanger
 * Fana
 * Finnås
 * Fjelberg
 * Hamre
 * Haus
 * Herdla
 * Hjelme
 * Hordabø
 * Hosanger
 * Hålandsdal
 * Kinsarvik
 * Laksevåg
 * Manger
 * Moster
 * Mosterøy
 * Røldal
 * Skånevik
 * Strandebarm
 * Strandvik
 * Sæbø
 * Valestrand
 * Varaldsøy
 * Vikebygd
 * Vossestrand
 * Ølen
 * Årstad
 * Åsane

Twin towns – Sister cities
Hordaland county is twinned with:
 * 🇫🇷 Lower Normandy, France
 * 🇱🇹 Kaunas, Lithuania
 * 🏴 Cardiff, Wales
 * Orkney Islands, Northern Isles, Scotland

Christmas Tree
Since 1949 Hordaland has given a Christmas tree to the Scottish Capital city of Edinburgh this is to remember the help given to Norwegians during World War II by Scots however since 2008 the tree has been sourced in Scotland but has remained a gift from the people of Hordaland.

Notable residents

 * Ole Bull (1810–1880), composer, violinist
 * Tore Eikeland (1990–2011), politician
 * Edvard Grieg (1843–1907), composer
 * Nordahl Grieg (1902–1943), writer
 * C. J. Hambro (1885–1964), politician
 * Julius Christopher Hammer (1798–1877). priest and politician
 * Ludvig Holberg (1684–1754), writer
 * Leif Andreas Larsen ("Shetlands-Larsen") (1906–1990), military officer in World War II
 * Christian Michelsen (1857–1925), politician
 * Johan Sebastian Welhaven (1807–1873), writer
 * Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll (1991-presents), DJ, musician
 * Alan Olav Walker (1997- presents), DJ, musician

title: Hordaland


text:
Sogn og Fjordane

Sogn og Fjordane (English: "Sogn and Fjordane") was a county in western Norway, up to 1 January 2020 when it was merged to become part of Vestland county. Bordering previous counties Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland, the county administration was in the village of Hermansverk in Leikanger municipality. The largest town in the county was Førde.

Although Sogn og Fjordane has some industry, predominantly hydroelectricity and aluminium, it is predominantly an agricultural area. Sogn og Fjordane is also home to the Urnes Stave Church and the Nærøyfjord, which are both listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.

The Western Norway University of Applied Sciences has campuses in Sogndal and Førde.

Name
The name Sogn og Fjordane was created in 1919; a literal translation is: Sogn and the fjords. The first element is the name of the region of Sogn, located in the southern part of the county. The last element is the plural definite form of fjord, which refers to the two regions in the county called Nordfjord and Sunnfjord in the northern and central parts of the county.

Prior to 1919, the name of the county was Nordre Bergenhus amt which meant "(the) northern (part of) Bergenhus amt". (The old Bergenhus amt, created in 1662, was divided into northern and southern halves in 1763.)

Coat of arms
The coat of arms of Sogn og Fjordane was granted on 23 September 1983. The arms show the geographical layout of the county: three large blue fjords protruding into the white colored land. The three fjords represent the three regions of the county: Nordfjord (surrounding Nordfjorden), Sunnfjord (with Førdefjorden), and Sogn (surrounding Sognefjorden). Nearly all villages and towns are situated along one of these fjords and the name of the county is based on the fjords.

Written standard
Sogn og Fjordane is the only county in Norway in which all municipalities have declared Nynorsk to be their official written form of the Norwegian language.

History
The county consisted of the two historic counties: Firdafylke (now the Fjordane region; Nordfjord-Sunnfjord) and Sygnafylke (now the Sogn region). These both were formed in the Middle Ages under the Gulating government. They were merged with Hordafylke (now Hordaland) and Sunnmørafylke (now Sunnmøre) to form the Bergenhus len in the late Middle Ages. The Bergenhus len was one of four len in Norway. It was administered from the Bergenhus Fortress in the city of Bergen.

On 19 February 1662, a royal decree changed the name to Bergenhus amt. The Sunnmøre region was moved to Romsdalen amt in 1689. Later, in 1763, the amt was divided in half creating: Nordre Bergenhus and Søndre Bergenhus (Northern and Southern Bergenhus). Later, on 1 January 1919, Nordre Bergenhus amt was renamed Sogn og Fjordane fylke during a period of time when many location names in Norway were changed. In 2017, the Norwegian government announced the merger of this county as well as Hordaland into a new county called Vestland.

Government
A county (fylke) is the chief local administrative area in Norway. The country is divided into 19 counties. A county is also an election area, with popular votes taking place every 4 years. The Sogn og Fjordane County Municipality was the government that oversaw the county. It was a group of 39 members who were elected to form a county council (Fylkesting). Heading the Fylkesting was the county mayor (fylkesordførar). The last county mayor for the Sogn og Fjordane County Municipality was Åshild Kjelsnes, the county mayor. She replaced Nils R. Sandal, who was county mayor from 2003 until 2011.

The county also had a County Governor (fylkesmann) who was the representative of the King and Government of Norway. Anne Karin Hamre was the last County Governor of Sogn og Fjordane. She replaced Oddvar Flæte, who was county governor from 1994 until 2011.

The municipalities of Sogn og Fjordane were divided among three district courts (tingrett): Sogn, Fjordane, and Nordhordland. Sogn og Fjordane was also part of the Gulating Court of Appeal district based in Bergen.
 * Sogn District Court: Aurland, Balestrand, Leikanger, Luster, Lærdal, Sogndal, Vik, and Årdal
 * Fjordane District Court: Askvoll, Bremanger, Eid, Fjaler, Flora, Førde, Gaular, Gloppen, Hornindal, Hyllestad, Høyanger, Jølster, Naustdal, Selje, Solund, Stryn, and Vågsøy
 * Nordhordland District Court: Gulen (and the rest of the Nordhordland district of the county of Hordaland)

All of the municipalities of Sogn og Fjordane except Gulen and Solund were part of the Sogn og Fjordane police district. Gulen and Solund were part of the Hordaland police district.

Geography
It is mainly a rural area with a scattered population. Sogn og Fjordane includes the largest glacier in mainland Norway, Jostedalsbreen, in the Breheimen mountain range, and the deepest lake, Hornindalsvatnet. There are also many famous waterfalls located in the area. Ramnefjellsfossen (previously called Utigardfossen) is the tallest in Norway and third tallest in the world and Vettisfossen is one of Norway's highest waterfalls with a vertical drop of 275 m. Both are located in the Jotunheim mountains. Cruise ships visit Sogn og Fjordane all summer because of the unique vistas of high mountains and deep blue fjords.

The famous Nærøyfjord is located in the south of the county. This is a UNESCO listed fjord area. There are several archipelagos, including Bulandet, Bremangerlandet and islands around Florø. The westernmost point in Norway proper is Holmebåen in Solund municipality. The island of Unst, part of Shetland Islands is around 300 km west of Holmebåen.

The terrain changes quite rapidly with mostly smaller mountains on the coastline, gradually increasing to mountains reaching more than 2000 m. Because of the steep rise in elevation and fjords cutting through the terrain, the amount of precipitation is very high. Low pressure systems come in from the west and meet the mountains (a phenomenon known as orographic lifting) and cause rain and snowfall.

Transport
Transport is made more difficult because of the fjords and the mountains. The fjords have to be crossed by ferries or rounded, often a large detour. There are four airports in the county, at Florø, Førde, Sandane and Sogndal. There is only one railway station, Flåm. The county contracts bus and boat companies for bus and boat routes in the county, under the new (2015) brand name Kringom.

Districts
The county is conventionally divided into three traditional districts. These are Sogn (in the south), Sunnfjord (in the centre), and Nordfjord (in the north). Sogn surrounds Sognefjorden from Solund on the offshore island of Sula in the North Sea to the village of Skjolden in Luster along Lustrafjorden, a branch of the Sognefjord. The total length is 204 km. The middle district of Sunnfjord actually has two main fjords: Førdefjorden and Dalsfjorden. The northern district surrounds Nordfjorden.

Municipalities
In 1837, the counties were divided into local administrative units, each with their own governments. The number and borders of these municipalities have changed over time, and before the dissolution of the county, there were 26 municipalities in Sogn og Fjordane. Originally the municipalities were the same as the old Church of Norway parishes.

 * 1) Askvoll
 * 2) Aurland
 * 3) Årdal
 * 4) Balestrand
 * 5) Bremanger
 * 6) Eid
 * 7) Fjaler
 * 8) Flora
 * 9) Førde
 * 10) Gaular
 * 11) Gloppen
 * 12) Gulen
 * 13) Hornindal
 * 14) Hyllestad
 * 15) Høyanger
 * 16) Jølster
 * 17) Leikanger
 * 18) Luster
 * 19) Lærdal
 * 20) Naustdal
 * 21) Selje
 * 22) Sogndal
 * 23) Solund
 * 24) Stryn
 * 25) Vik
 * 26) Vågsøy

Cities

 * Florø
 * Førde
 * Måløy

Parishes

 * Arnafjord
 * Askrova
 * Askvoll
 * Aurland
 * Bakka
 * Balestrand (Tjugum)
 * Batalden
 * Berle
 * Bjordal
 * Borgund
 * Old Borgund
 * Breim
 * Brekke
 * Bremanger
 * Bremangerpollen
 * Bru (Svanø)
 * Bygstad (Svanø)
 * Bulandet
 * Bø
 * Dale i Fjaler
 * Dale i Luster
 * Davik
 * Eid
 * Eikefjord
 * Ervik
 * Farnes
 * Feios (Rinde)
 * Fet
 * Fjaler (Ytre Holmedal)
 * Fjærland (Mundal)
 * Florø
 * Flåm
 * Folkestad
 * Fortun
 * Fresvik
 * Frøya
 * Førde
 * Gaular
 * Old Gaupne
 * Gaupne
 * Gimmestad
 * Old Gimmestad
 * Gjemmestad
 * Gloppen
 * Guddal
 * Gulen (Evindvik)
 * Hafslo
 * Hauge
 * Heggjabygda
 * Helgheim
 * Haukedalen
 * Hellevik
 * Hersvik
 * Hestad
 * Holmedal
 * Holsen
 * Hopperstad
 * Hornindal
 * Hove
 * Husøy (Husø)
 * Hyen
 * Hyllestad
 * Høyanger
 * Indre Holmedal, see Gaular
 * Innvik
 * Joranger
 * Jostedal
 * Jølster
 * Kaupanger
 * Kinn (Kinden)
 * Kirkebø, see Kyrkjebø
 * Kjølsdalen
 * Kvamsøy
 * Kyrkjebø
 * Lavik
 * Leikanger
 * Leikanger (Leganger) i Selje
 * Ljosheim
 * Loen
 * Luster (Lyster)
 * Lærdal
 * Midtgulen
 * Mjømna (Mjømen)
 * Mundal (Fjæreland)
 * Naustdal (Nøssedal)
 * Nedstryn
 * Nes
 * Nordal
 * Norddalsfjord
 * Nord-Vågsøy
 * Nordsida
 * Norum
 * Nærøy
 * Olden
 * Old Olden
 * Oppstryn
 * Ortnevik
 * Randabygd
 * Rinde
 * Rugsund
 * Sandane
 * Sande
 * Selje
 * Sogndal
 * Solund (Sulen)
 * Solvorn
 * Stavang
 * Stedje
 * Stongfjorden
 * Stryn (Innvik)
 * Stårheim
 * Sulen, see Solund
 * Svanøy
 * Svelgen
 * Sæle
 * Sør-VågsøySør-Vågsøy
 * Tjugum (Balestrand)
 * Totland
 * Tønjum
 * Undredal
 * Urnes
 * Utvik
 * Vangen
 * Vangsnes
 * Vassenden
 * Veitastrond
 * Vereid
 * Vereide
 * Vevring (Vefring)
 * Vik
 * Vik (Hopperstad, Hove)
 * Viksdalen
 * Vilnes
 * Værlandet
 * Ytre Holmedal, see Fjaler
 * Ølmheim
 * Øn
 * Ålfoten
 * Ålhus
 * Årdal

Villages

 * Arnafjord
 * Askvoll
 * Aurlandsvangen
 * Austreim
 * Bakka
 * Balestrand
 * Barekstadlandet
 * Barmen
 * Barmøya
 * Berle
 * Bjordal
 * Borgund
 * Brandsøy
 * Brekke
 * Bremanger
 * Bruland
 * Brulandet
 * Bryggja
 * Bygstad
 * Byrkjelo
 * Byrknes
 * Dale
 * Dalsøyra
 * Davik
 * Degnepoll
 * Deknepollen
 * Dingja
 * Eikefjord
 * Eimhjellen
 * Eivindvik
 * Egge
 * Ervik
 * Espedal
 * Feios
 * Fimreite
 * Fjærland
 * Flatraket
 * Flekke
 * Flo
 * Flåm
 * Fortun
 * Fresvik
 * Frønningen
 * Gaupne
 * Gimmestad
 * Grodås
 * Grov
 * Guddal
 * Gudvangen
 * Hafslo
 * Hardbakke
 * Haukedalen
 * Heggjabygda
 * Helgheim
 * Helle
 * Hermansverk
 * Hersvikbygda
 * Hestad
 * Holvik
 * Holmedal
 * Holsen
 * Hopland
 * Hovden
 * Hyen
 * Hyllestad
 * Håvik
 * Høyanger
 * Indre Offerdal
 * Indrevevring
 * Innvik
 * Instefjord
 * Isane
 * Jostedal
 * Kalvåg
 * Kandal
 * Kaupanger
 * Kjølsdalen
 * Kjørnes
 * Kolgrov
 * Kvalheim
 * Kvammen
 * Kvamsøy
 * Kyrkjebø
 * Langenes
 * Langhaugane
 * Lavik
 * Leikanger
 * Leikanger
 * Leirvik
 * Loen
 * Losnegard
 * Lote
 * Luster
 * Lærdalsøyri
 * Midtgulen
 * Mjømna
 * Mogrenda
 * Myrdal
 * Naustdal
 * Nedstryn
 * Nes
 * Nese
 * Norane
 * Norddalsfjord
 * Nordfjordeid
 * Nornes
 * Nordsida
 * Nyttingnes
 * Olden
 * Oppstryn
 * Ornes
 * Ortnevik
 * Randabygda
 * Raudeberg
 * Re
 * Reed
 * Refvik
 * Rognaldsvåg
 * Roset
 * Rugsund
 * Rutledal
 * Rygg
 * Sandane
 * Sande
 * Seimsdalen
 * Selje
 * Silda
 * Skei
 * Skjolden
 * Skorpa
 * Sogndalsfjøra
 * Solvorn
 * Stavang
 * Steinhovden
 * Stongfjorden
 * Straume
 * Stryn
 * Stårheim
 * Svanøya
 * Svelgen
 * Sørbøvågen
 * Sørstranda
 * Systrond
 * Tennebø
 * Totland
 * Tjugum
 * Tønjum
 * Undredal
 * Urnes
 * Utvik
 * Vadheim
 * Vangsnes
 * Vassenden
 * Vedvik
 * Veitastrond
 * Vereide
 * Vik
 * Vikøyri
 * Vågsvåg
 * Ytre Oppedal
 * Øvre Årdal
 * Ålfoten
 * Ålhus
 * Årdalstangen

Former Municipalities

 * Borgund
 * Breim
 * Brekke
 * Bru
 * Davik
 * Eikefjord
 * Florø
 * Hafslo
 * Innvik
 * Jostedal
 * Kinn
 * Kyrkjebø
 * Lavik
 * Lavik og Brekke
 * Nord-Vågsøy
 * Sør-Vågsøy
 * Vevring

title: Sogn og Fjordane


text:
Nordland

Nordland (Nordlánnda, Nordlaante,, Northland) is one of the three northernmost counties in Norway in the Northern Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Trøndelag in the south, Norrbotten County in Sweden to the east, Västerbotten County to the south-east, and the Atlantic Ocean (Norwegian Sea) to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is in the town of Bodø. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen has been administered from Nordland since 1995. In the southern part of the county is Vega, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.

Districts
The county is divided into traditional districts. These are Helgeland in the south (south of the Arctic Circle), Salten in the centre, and Ofoten in the north-east. In the north-west lie the archipelagoes of Lofoten and Vesterålen.

Geography
Nordland is located along the northwestern coast of the Scandinavian peninsula in Northern Norway. Due to the large distance to the densely populated parts of Europe, this is one of the least polluted areas in Europe. Nordland extends about 500 km from Trøndelag to Troms. The distance by road from Bindal in the far south of the county to Andenes on the northern tip is roughly 800 km.

Nordland has a rugged coastline, with many fjords. From south to north, the main fjords are Bindalsfjord, Vefsnfjord, Ranfjord, Saltfjord-Skjerstadfjord, Folda, Tysfjord, Ofotfjord (the longest) and Andfjord, which is shared with Troms county. The best-known is perhaps the Vestfjorden, which is not really a fjord, but an open stretch of sea between the Lofoten island group and the mainland. The Raftsundet strait, with its famous branch Trollfjord, is the shortest waterway connecting Lofoten and Vesterålen. The continental shelf is very narrow west of Andenes, nowhere else in Norway is the deep ocean only a few kilometres from shore. Saltstraumen whirlpool is just south-east of Bodø, and Moskenstraumen is located in southern Lofoten.

Steep mountains near the sea and an almost flat lowland area in between the mountains and the sea (Strandflaten, coastal brim) is very typical for the long coastline in Nordland, and Strandflaten often continues out from the shore, the result is numerous islands (skerries), of which Helgeland have thousands; these islands are usually mountainous, but with smaller or larger strandflate areas. The southern part of Norway's largest island (apart from Svalbard), Hinnøya is in Nordland, as is the third-largest island, Langøya. In the fjords, the coastal brim is much less developed: There might be a more gradual slope, with hills, towards the mountains, or no lowland at all. There are often valleys at the head of fjords (the fjord is an extension of the valley), usually with a river at the centre of the valley. Mo i Rana, Mosjøen and Rognan are situated in such valleys.

Norway's second-largest glacier, Svartisen, the second-largest lake, Røssvatnet, and the second-deepest fjord, Tysfjord (897 m) are all located in Nordland. The largest river (waterflow) is Vefsna which forms the Laksforsen waterfall. The Saltfjellet mountain range forms a natural border between Helgeland and Salten, and is where the Arctic Circle cuts through the county. The western part of this mountain range is dominated by steep mountains and fjord inlets, with glaciers stretching towards the sea, while the eastern part of the mountains is more gentle and rounded, with some forested valleys, and is well suited for hiking. The interior of Nordland, towards the border with Sweden, is dominated by the Kjølen Mountains (Scandinavian Mountains). The highest mountain in Nordland is Oksskolten 1915 m in Okstindan range, the second-highest is Suliskongen 1907 m in Fauske, and the third is Storsteinfjellet 1894 m in Narvik. Stetind in Tysfjord has been voted as Norway's national mountain.

There are many glaciers in the mountains, like Blåmannsisen, Okstindbreen, the Sulitjelma Glacier, and Frostisen—7 of the 15 largest glaciers in continental Norway are located in Nordland.

Geology
In the geological past, a collision with Greenland pushed long slices of the seabed on top of the existing bedrock, today forming the bedrock from Dovrefjell and Trollheimen south of Trondheim stretching north in Trøndelag and through Nordland to justh north of Tromsø. This Cambrian—Silurian bedrock, much of it mica schist, is by far the largest area in Norway with soft bedrock rich in nutritions good for plant growth. It forms the bedrock in the fjord areas, while the islands off the coast and some of the easternmost areas along the border with Sweden are made up of hard bedrock (usually granite). In some areas, as in Tysfjord and Sørfold, the bedrock is a mix of soft bedrock and hard granite.

Much of the Lofoten mountains are of precambrian eruptive origin and 3.5 billion years old, among the oldest on earth. The youngest rock in Norway is on Andøya, also known for its fossils of dinosaurs and other life forms. As the land was depressed by the ice sheet in the ice age, substantial areas in the lowest altitudes was beneath the surface of the sea for thousands of years acquiring marine deposits. Due to post-glacial rebound, this is now dry land, reaching 120 m above sea level today in Saltdal, 100 m in Narvik and Brønnøysund, and 30 m to 50 m in Lofoten and Vesterålen. Limestone is very common in Nordland, with many caves throughout the county, such as Grønligrotta in Rana. There are more caves in Rana than any other area in northern Europe. In August 2006 the Tjoarvekrajgge cave in Sørfold was explored and verified as the longest cave in Scandinavia 22 km long); Raggejavreraige in Tysfjord is the deepest in Scandinavia and Svarthamarhola in Fauske has the largest cavity. There are more than 900 caves in Nordland, one of these have a 70 m high waterfall. Marble is found in several locations. Fauske is sometimes referred to as the marble capital, and has exported marble worldwide (one customer being the UN building in New York City).

Climate
The largest area of Nordland, including fjord areas, inland areas and highlands below the treeline, the area is dominated by the boreal climate (Dfc), but an atypical oceanic variant with relatively mild winters, lack of permafrost, and often with autumn as wettest season. Towns with this climate include Mosjøen, Mo i Rana, Rognan, Fauske and Narvik. Along the coast and on islands (including Vega) along the southern and middle part of Nordland is a warmer, temperate oceanic climate (Cfb) with winter mean temperature above 0 C and a four month long summer. This includes Brønnøysund, Sandnessjøen and some islands north to Skrova. Just inland of this is a narrow area with coldest winter month mean temperature just below 0 C but still a four month long summer, this area has a humid continental climate (Dfb), and includes the county seat Bodø.

On the outer islands from Myken in Rødøy in the south and north including most of Lofoten and Vesterålen, the summers become slightly shorter; winter months are still relatively mild (above -3 °C; some islands above 0 C like Værøy and Bø), making this an area with subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc). Towns within this area includes Leknes, Stokmarknes, Sortland and Andenes.

The strongest climate gradient in Nordland is seen in winter, as the interior inland away from the fjords, as well as mountains, have much colder winters than the coast. Large fjords bring with them significant oceanic moderation in winter temperatures to the surrounding land area, as seen in Fauske and Narvik. Temperatures will generally drop 0.7 C-change as elevation increases by 100 m. Snow cover can persist all year at altitudes above 1100 m to 1500 m. Annual snow accumulation can exceed 5 m in the mountains, this is the main reason for the many glaciers in Nordland. With mountains in almost all areas, alpine tundra is common in Nordland.

Easterly winds give dry, sunny weather (the air must climb the Kjølen mountains), with warmth in summer and cold, clear air in winter. Southwesterly winds are common, bringing moist and mild air from the Atlantic Ocean. Autumn and winter is the wettest season along the coast of Nordland, while April–June on average is the driest. The strongest winds occur in late autumn and winter, as the Atlantic low-pressure systems are strongest then. High-pressure weather can occur in all seasons, and in summer this brings 24-hour sunshine north of the Arctic Circle.

Lurøy 115 m, west of Saltfjell, averages 3066 mm precipitation annually; the wettest location in North Norway and in the world at such high latitude. Some of the wettest areas along the coast (a narrow band) north to Glomfjord fulfills the climatic criteria for a temperate rainforest. East of the mountains, upper part of Saltdal has an annual precipitation less than 300 mm.

Many locations in Nordland have recorded what Norwegians know as "tropical nights" when the overnight low does not fall below 20 °C. The warmest night ever recorded in Norway was July 29, 2019 at Sømna-Kvaløyfjellet 302 m in Sømna near Brønnøysund with overnight low 26.1 °C.

The warmest temperature recorded in Nordland is 35 °C recorded July 27, 2019 at Mosjøen airport, this is also a tie with the national high for July. On the same day, Laksfors south of Mosjøen recorded 35.6 °C but this recording was not approved due to too much vegetation and gravel near the weather station. Also on the same day, Saltdal recorded 34.6 °C, this is the warmest temperature ever recorded in Norway north of the Arctic Circle.

The warmest month recorded in Nordland was July 2014 with mean 19.3 °C at Mosjøen airport and Mo i Rana airport, while the warmest average daily high was at Laksfors with 26.6 °C the same month. The coldest low ever recorded in Nordland is -44.5 °C on December 30, 1978 in Svenningdal valley in Grane.

Research using sediment in lakes near the Okstind Glacier has shown that the summer climate in Nordland was up to 2.5 C-change warmer 9,000 to 6,000 years ago, and then slowly cooled—it was 0.5 C-change warmer 2,000 years before present (see Holocene climatic optimum). This research also concluded that the eastern Okstind Glacier did not melt completely during this warm period, the first glacier in Norway known to have survived since the Ice age.

Climate statistics provided by Norwegian Meteorological Institute; 1991-2020 base period.

Light

The light conditions vary considerably from north to south; Andenes in the north will have midnight sun from 22 May to 20 July, and the sun is below the horizon from 28 November to 16 January (Narvik daylight). In Bodø, the sun is above the horizon from 3 June to 8 July. Helgeland is situated south of the Arctic Circle; at the winter solstice the sun is above the horizon approximately 3 hours a day (Mosjøen daylight). There is not a true midnight sun in Helgeland, although the upper part of the sun disc will be above the horizon all night in June as far south as Mosjøen. With the transitional period with a short dusk included, there are three full months (from early May to early August) without darkness in Nordland.

In Laukvik is the polarlightcenter, with lots of information about the Aurora Borealis (polarlight).

Wildlife

The sea along the coast has a rich marine life, and the cod fisheries in Lofoten have lasted for more than 1,000 years. In addition to cod, coalfish, haddock, herring, wolf fish and halibut are all common along the coast and in the fjords. Nordland also features many lakes. The largest deep water coral reef (Lophelia pertusa) in the world, the Røst Reef, 40 km long, is located west of Røst, and protected from trawling since 2003. The coast of Nordland has the highest density of white-tailed eagles in Europe.

Just off the coast, the islands of Røst have the largest colonies of seabirds in Norway. Røst offers a range of habitats and serves as a stop-over point for many birds that are migrating even further north. The municipality is home to one of the largest bird cliffs in the North Atlantic, where birdwatchers can find puffin, shag, kittiwake, and cormorant colonies. Lovund also has a well-known colony of puffins.

Otters are very common along the coast and fjords, as are harbour porpoises, grey seals and harbour seals. The largest fish in the sea is the basking shark, which used to be hunted. The most frequent birds along the coast, common in all areas including the fjords, are gulls, Eurasian oystercatcher and Arctic terns, and the grey heron has also become common. The Eurasian eagle-owl has a stronghold along the Helgeland coast, whilst predatory birds like golden eagle, gyrfalcon, and peregrine falcon nest in some inaccessible areas. Orcas are common along the coast and in the Vestfjord area (even in the fjords) in winter, and the world's largest predator, the sperm whale, hunts for prey in the deep waters west of Andøya. Tysfjord and Folda fjord is home to the world's northernmost lobster population. Spruce forest expansion has been blocked by Saltfjell and Kjølen mountains, thus spruce forest naturally grows only in Helgeland, but are commonly planted in the whole county for economic reasons, sparking some debate. Sitka spruce is also commonly planted in Nordland, particularly in coastal areas. The coastal areas belong to the Scandinavian coastal conifer forests ecoregion; some small areas have been classified as rainforests using botanical criteria as well as precipitation data. Inland areas up to the conifer treeline belong to the Scandinavian and Russian taiga ecoregion, while the highlands and mountains belong to the Scandinavian Montane Birch forest and grasslands ecoregion.

Other common trees in Nordland are birch, rowan, willow, grey alder, bird cherry, aspen and Scots pine, more rarely seen is wych elm and common hazel (elm north to Beiarn, hazel north to Steigen, small-leaved lime north to Brønnøy, forest apple north to Moskenes). The Nordland whitebeam (Nordlandsasal) is one of very few endemic trees in Norway and only grows in Bindal in Nordland.

In the mountain areas in the interior, reindeer can be seen (these have Sami owners), hunted by the indigenous wolverine. There are also a few brown bears in the interior. The Arctic fox is now in danger of extinction on the mainland, but a few are left in these mountain areas, particularly in Børgefjell mountains. Red foxes, moose, hares, red squirrels, small rodents, pine marten (inland valleys) and stoats are all common in the forests. As of 2008, there were a minimum of 50 European lynx in Nordland residing in the forests in all Nordland except Lofoten and Vesterålen. In lowland areas, roe deers now occur in most of Nordland, and red deers are seen in the southern part of Nordland. The badger and the common viper have their most northerly habitat in southerly coastal areas of Nordland. Grey wolves have been observed in inland areas of Helgeland. There are few species of amphibians, although the common frog is common in all Nordland except mountain areas and the smooth newt has its most northerly habitat in the world in the river Vefsna. There are seven national parks in, or partly in, Nordland. From south to north, these are Børgefjell National Park, Lomsdal–Visten National Park, Saltfjellet–Svartisen National Park, Junkerdal National Park, Rago National Park, Sjunkhatten National Park and Møysalen National Park. The national park centre for Nordland is situated in Saltdal.

Economy

The key industries are fisheries and offshore petroleum exploration. Nordland is well known for the fishing of codfish and fish farming of salmon. Main export markets are Germany, Scandinavia, Britain, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, France, Russia and Japan.

Tourism is important, mainly in the summer season, although there are some winter visitors looking for good skiing or wanting to see the Northern Lights, especially from February to April. Tourists are attracted by the scenic coast, especially Lofoten, which is also visited by many cruise ships in the summer, while the rest of the county often is ignored by tourists. Mountain hiking is popular among natives and some tourists.

Whale watching attracts tourists to Andøy and the Tysfjord /Lødingen /Svolvær area, and fishing is also popular along the coast and in the salmon and trout rivers; there is also Arctic char in some rivers. Saltstraumen has the world record for coalfish using a fishing rod, and Røst has the world record for halibut, 202 kg.

Farming is another regional economy and consists mainly of dairy farming and livestock such as sheep, and domesticated reindeer graze the inland highlands. There is also some forestry, particularly in the Helgeland district, but also further north. In earlier days, grain was grown in Nordland (mostly barley, some oats). Nordlandshest is the smallest of the three Norwegian horse breeds. The Norwegian Lundehund was bred to hunt puffins and was only saved from extinction due to a few remaining dogs in Lofoten.

There is a long history of mining. Sulitjelma has the largest copper deposits in the county, as well as pyrite, the latter is also found in several other locations, but the mining here has been discontinued for economic reasons. In earlier days, silver was mined in the Dunderland Valley in Rana, and until 2002 nickel and olivine was mined in Ballangen. There are several limestone, marble, and dolomite rock quarries, dolomite in Vefsn, Fauske, Sørfold, and Ballangen. As of 2008, mining of gold in Bindal is in testing stages.

The port of Narvik has a direct rail connection to the well-known and profitable Kiruna-Gällivare iron-ore fields in Sweden. There are many dams for hydroelectric power.

Nordland has an increasingly diverse economy, with fledgling research and development in aerospace and space exploration at the Andøya Rocket Range, which primarily is known for its satellite launches. This vast province, Norway's second largest, almost the size of Denmark, traditionally was very important for NATO, and the Royal Norwegian Air Force has two squadrons of F-16 fighters stationed at Bodø Airport and all its P-3 Orion maritime surveillance aircraft stationed at Andøya Air Station. The decommissioning of closing military bases has led to a regional shift towards a new knowledge-based economy.

Bodø Airport is the busiest airport and a hub for many smaller airports in Nordland. Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes in the north also has non-stop flights to Oslo. The European route E6 runs along the entire length of Nordland. There are many tunnels and bridges; some of the largest are Helgeland Bridge, Gimsøystraumen Bridge, Raftsund Bridge, Skjomen Bridge, Rombak Bridge, Hadsel Bridge, Sortland Bridge, Andøy Bridge, Saltstraumen Bridge, Kjellingstraumen Bridge and Brønnøysund Bridge. Even with improved communications, population numbers in Nordland have actually decreased slightly since 1990, as many young people move to larger cities in Norway. Bodø is the only municipality in the county with significant growth in population.

There are local hospitals in Mosjøen, Sandnessjøen, Mo i Rana, Bodø (the largest), Gravdal, Narvik and Stokmarknes.

History

There is evidence of human settlement in Nordland as far back as 10,500 years ago, about as early as in southern Norway. These Stone Age people lived near the coast, often on islands and typically along straits near the open sea, with a rich provision of marine resources. Such archeological evidence has been found on Vega, in Leirfjord, and along Saltstraumen. There are at least 15 locations with prehistoric rock carvings in Nordland, from Helgeland in the south to Narvik in the north (see Fosna-Hensbacka culture).

Some of the oldest houses known in Norway were excavated on Langhågan on the island Sanna in Træna municipality; the oldest house was oval, 6 m by 4.5 m, and is dated to 4000 BC. A 65 m long stone paved "trail" from the house down to a small harbour, today 23 m above sea level, is still visible.

The 4,600-year-old rock drawings at Rødøy, which depict a man on skis holding a stick, is the oldest known reference of skis being used. The location is somewhat surprising, as this island has unreliable snow cover, and the Scandinavian climate was warmer in the Stone Age. This rock drawing was used as a pictogram in the Lillehammer Olympic Games in 1994.

The first agricultural culture has been dated to the Bronze Age. This culture left large burial cairns close to the sea, for instance in Steigen and Vestvågøy, and the northernmost location is around Harstad in southern Troms. These locations have significant areas of lowland suited for agriculture, they are close to the sea and they have many natural harbours.

The oldest remains of a boat ever found in Norway were discovered in a bog in Sømna. Known as Haugvikbåten, the well-preserved piece, kept in the Museum of Science (Vitenskapsmuseet) in Trondheim, has been dated to 800–400 BC—the Nordic Bronze Age.

For many generations, Hålogaland had been the northernmost area of Norse settlement. The remnants of large longhouses near Borg (Vestvågøy) and in Steigen are dated to the Merovinger period (ca 600 AD). There is substantial archeological evidence of a Norse iron-based culture along the coast from approximately 200 AD.

Nordland is regarded as part of Sápmi. The Sami (or Sámi), which are not of Norse origins, have lived in Nordland for at least 2,000 years. Not just inland, but also along the fjords and, in the northern part of Nordland, even on the coast and larger islands, such as Hinnøya. There is a story in Heimskringla about a Viking who became a contender for the throne, Sigurd Slembe. He was on the run from the king and was helped by Sami in what is probably Lødingen municipality today. The Sami even built him a boat, which the saga mention was made from pine wood (viking ships were typically made from oak wood, but the oak does not grow naturally this far north). Tysfjord today is a centre for the Lule Sami culture.

The current county of Nordland was part of the petty kingdom of Hålogaland in the Viking era. This kingdom also included the southern part of Troms.

In January 1432, an Italian trade ship going from Crete to Flanders was hit by a storm and taken far north where it was wrecked; some of the crew survived and came ashore on a small island near Røst. They were taken care of by the people of Røst. The story, told by one of the men, Pietro Querini, gives one of the very few descriptions of life in Nordland in this time period (Querini - Norw txt). Querini sees the people of Røst (in all 120 people) as very trusting and good Catholics, the inner circle of paradise. He also mentions a German priest, which they could talk to in Latin. People lived from fishing cod and halibut, which they traded for other goods (like grain) in Bergen—the cod as stockfish. Each family also had about 5 cows and collected eggs from semi-domesticated ducks. The shipwrecked men did not lack food during their winter stay, usually fish, but Querini also mentions milk, meat, butter, and pancakes. The people of Røst lived in round, wooden houses, and mostly used clothes made of wool. By late May, sailing in 24-hour daylight, the Italians were taken south to Bergen.

The largest ship disaster ever in Norway took place in 1944 when Rigel transporting German prisoners was bombed by British Fleet Air Arm aircraft near Sandnessjøen (Alstahaug), with more than 2,500 casualties. The ship was grounded on Rosøya, where it remained, half sunk until it was demolished in 1970.

Petter Dass lived in Alstahaug, and the Nobel laureate author Knut Hamsun grew up in Hamarøy after his family moved there when he was 3 years old.

Nordland County is identical to the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

Government
A county (fylke) is the chief local administrative area in Norway. The whole country is divided into 15 counties (from 2024). A county is also an election area, with popular votes taking place every 4 years. In Nordland, the government of the county is the Nordland County Assembly. It includes 45 members who are elected to form a county council (Fylkesting). Heading the Fylkesting is the county mayor (fylkesordførar). Since October 2023, the Nordland County Municipality has been led by Eivind Holst, the county mayor. The County Municipality elects a County Cabinet, which is the executive body of Nordland County Council. Since October 2023 Svein Øien Eggesvik is head of the County Cabinet.

The county also has a County Governor (fylkesmann) who is the representative of the King and Government of Norway. Tom Cato Karlsen is the current County Governor of Nordland.

The municipalities in Nordland are divided among several district courts (tingrett): Alstahaug District Court, Brønnøy District Court, Lofoten District Court, Ofoten District Court, Rana District Court, Salten District Court, and Vesterålen District Court. All of these courts are subordinate to the Hålogaland Court of Appeal district based in Tromsø.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted on 15 January 1965. It shows a black nordlandsbåt on a gold background. The boat is the traditional boat of Nordland. This boat was widely used for fishing in the region in old times, now they are still used for recreation. The black colour symbolizes the tar that was used on the boats. The golden background refers to the sun.

Twin region

 * 🇵🇱 Lower Silesia, Poland
 * 🇨🇳 Zhejiang, China
 * 🇮🇹 Veneto, Italy

Municipalities
Nordland County has a total of 41 municipalities:

title: Nordland