Hordaland

Hordaland is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark, and Rogaland counties. Hordaland is the third largest county after Akershus and Oslo by population. The county government is the Hordaland County Municipality which is located in Bergen. Before 1972, the city of Bergen was its own separate county apart from Hordaland.

Nordland

Nordland is a county in Norway in the Northern Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Nord-Trøndelag in the south, Norrbotten County in Sweden to the east, Västerbotten County to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is in Bodø. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen has been administered from Nordland since 1995. In the southern part is Vega, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. The history of Nordland is a tale about the gifts from the sea: One of the most productive seas in the world providing food all year since ancient times, the same sea creates a climate more moderate than any other place in the arctic; even the bedrock itself enriched by sea living organisms millions of years ago in the geological past.

Sør-Trøndelag

Sør-Trøndelag [ˈsøːr ˈtrœndəˈlɑːɡ] is a county comprising the southern portion of the Trøndelag region in Norway, bordering Nord-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Oppland and Hedmark. To the west is the Norwegian Sea , and to the east is Jämtland in Sweden. The county is separated into a northern and southern part by the Trondheimsfjord. Slightly over 200,000 of the county's population lives in Trondheim and its suburbs. The Norwegian dialect of the region is Trøndersk.

Oslo

Oslo or, rarer or [ˈuʂlu]) is the capital and the most populous city in Norway. Oslo constitutes both a county and a municipality. Founded in the year 1040, and established as a "kaupstad" or trading place in 1048 by King Harald III, the city was elevated to a bishopric in 1070 and a capital under Haakon V around 1300. Personal unions with Denmark from 1397 to 1523 and again from 1536 to 1814 and with Sweden from 1814 to 1905 reduced its influence. After being destroyed by a fire in 1624, the city was moved closer to Akershus Fortress during the reign of King Christian IV and renamed Christiania in his honour. It was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. Following a spelling reform, it was known as Kristiania from 1877 to 1925, at which time its original Norwegian name was restored. Oslo is the economic and governmental centre of Norway. The city is also a hub of Norwegian trade, banking, industry and shipping. It is an important centre for maritime industries and maritime trade in Europe. The city is home to many companies within the maritime sector, some of which are among the world's largest shipping companies, shipbrokers and maritime insurance brokers. Oslo is a pilot city of the Council of Europe and the European Commission intercultural cities programme. Oslo is considered a global city and ranked "Beta World City" in studies carried out by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network in 2008. It was ranked number one in terms of quality of life among European large cities in the European Cities of the Future 2012 report by fDi magazine. A survey conducted by ECA International in 2011 placed Oslo as the second most expensive city in the world for living expenses after Tokyo. In 2013 Oslo tied with the Australian city of Melbourne as the fourth most expensive city in the world, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)'s Worldwide Cost of Living study. As of January 2015, the municipality of Oslo has a population of 647,676, while the population of the city's urban area was 942,084. The metropolitan area had an estimated population of 1.71 million. The population is currently increasing at record rates, making it the fastest growing major city in Europe. This growth stems for the most part from international immigration and related high birth rates, but also from intra-national migration. The immigrant population in the city is growing somewhat faster than the Norwegian population, and in the city proper this is now more than 25% of the total. Demonym for a male child or adult, is oslogutt—literally a boy from Oslo.

Rogaland

Rogaland is a county in Western Norway, bordering Hordaland, Telemark, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder. It is the center of the Norwegian petroleum industry, and as a result of this, Rogaland has the lowest unemployment rate of any county in Norway, 1.1%. Rogaland has a fertility rate of 2.18 children per woman, which is the highest in the country, and one of the highest in Europe.

Sogn og Fjordane

Sogn og Fjordane [ˈsɔŋn ɔ ˈfjuːrɑnə] is a county in western Norway, bordering Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland. The county administration is in the village of Hermansverk in Leikanger municipality. The largest town in the county is 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 Sogn og Fjordane University College has campuses in Sogndal, Sandane, and Førde.

Møre og Romsdal

Møre og Romsdal [ˈmøːrə o ˈrʊmsdɑːl] is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in the city of Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city. The county is governed by the Møre og Romsdal County Municipality which includes an elected county council and a county mayor. The national government is represented by the county governor (currently Lodve Solholm).

Finnmark

Finnmark is a county in the extreme northeastern part of Norway. By land, it borders Troms county to the west, Finland to the south, and Russia to the east, and by water, the Norwegian Sea to the northwest, and the Barents Sea to the north and northeast. The county was formerly known as Finmarkens amt or Vardøhus amt. Since 2002, it has had two official names: Finnmark and Finnmárku . It is part of the Sápmi region, which spans four countries, as well as the Barents Region, and is the largest and least populated county of Norway. Situated at the northernmost part of continental Europe, where the Norwegian coastline swings eastward, Finnmark has always been an area where East meets West, in culture as well as in nature and geography. Vardø, the easternmost municipality in Norway, is located farther east than the cities of St. Petersburg and Istanbul.

Oppland

Oppland is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The county administration is in Lillehammer. Oppland is, together with Hedmark, one of the only two landlocked counties of Norway.

Nord-Trøndelag

Nord-Trøndelag [ˈnuːɽ ˈtrœndəˈlɑːɡ] is a county constituting the northern part of Trøndelag in Norway. As of January 1, 2014, the county had 135,142 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-least populated county. The largest municipalities are Stjørdal, Steinkjer—the county seat, Levanger, Namsos and Verdal, all with between 21,000 and 12,000 inhabitants. The economy is primarily centered on services, although there are significant industries in agriculture, fisheries, hydroelectricity and forestry. It has the lowest gross domestic product per capita of any county in the country. Nord-Trøndelag covers 22,412 square kilometres , making it the sixth-largest county, and consists of 23 municipalities. The district of Innherred runs along the east side of the Trondheimsfjord, and is the most populated area, with much farming. To the south lies the district of Stjørdalen, while in the north, the larger district of Namdalen stretches from the Norwegian Sea to the mountains bordering Sweden. West of the Trondheimsfjord lays Fosen. Nord-Trøndelag borders Sør-Trøndelag to the south and Nordland to the north. The western part of the county has several large valleys and consists largely of unpopulated wilderness, including four national parks. Snåsavatnet is the largest lake, while major rivers include Namsen, Verdalselva and Stjørdalselva. Innherred was an important area during the Viking Age and featured the Battle of Stiklestad. The county was created in 1804 and was known as Nordre Trondhjems amt until 1919. Since the 1950s, the county has experienced a population growth below national levels. The axis north-south through the country past Grong and along the west side of Trondheimsfjorden is a main transport artery, including the European Route E6 and the Nordland Line.

Buskerud

Buskerud is a county in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark and Vestfold. The county administration is located in Drammen.

Vest-Agder

Vest-Agder [ˈvɛst ˈɑɡdər] is a county in Norway, bordering Rogaland to the west and Aust-Agder to the east. In 2002 there were 157,851 inhabitants, which is 3.4% of the total population in Norway. Its area is 7,281 km2 . The county administration, and largest city is Kristiansand Shipping, commerce and recreation are the main industries here. Compared to other counties of Norway, Vest-Agder is noted for having the highest level of foreign exports. Another international dimension linked to the county is the large-scale emigration to North America that took place from the 1850s and onwards, which resulted in many Americans returning to the county after Norway became prosperous. This feature is particularly predominant in Kvinesdal and Farsund, which maintains strong cultural links with the United States.

Aust-Agder

Aust-Agder [ˈæʉst ˈɑɡdər] is a county in Norway, bordering Telemark, Rogaland, and Vest-Agder. In 2002, there were 102,945 inhabitants, which is 2.2% of the total population in Norway. Its area is 9,212 square kilometres . The administrative center of the county is in Arendal. The county, which is located at the Skagerrak coast, extends from Gjernestangen at Risør to Kvåsefjorden at Lillesand. The inner parts of the area includes Setesdalsheiene and Austheiene. The majority of the population live near the coast; about 78% of the county's inhabitants live in the five coastal municipalities 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 islands of Tromøy, Justøya, and Sandøya. The interior of the county encompasses the traditional district of Setesdal, through which the Otra river flows to the coast.

Telemark

Telemark is a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.

Vestfold

Vestfold is a county in Norway, bordering Buskerud and Telemark. The county administration is in Tønsberg, and the largest city is Sandefjord. With the exception of Oslo county, Vestfold is the smallest county in Norway by area. Vestfold is located west of the Oslofjord, as the name indicates. It includes many smaller, but well-known towns in Norway, such as Larvik, Sandefjord, Tønsberg and Horten, these towns run from Oslo in an almost constant belt of urban areas along the coast, ending in Grenland in neighbouring region Telemark. The river Numedalslågen runs through the district. Many islands are located at the coast. Vestfold is mostly dominated by lowland and is among the best agricultural areas of Norway. Winters last about three months, while pleasant summer temperatures last from May to September, with a July average high of 17 °C . Vestfold is traditionally known for shipping and sailing. Sandefjord was formerly a headquarters for the Norwegian whaling fleet, and Horten used to be an important naval port. The coastal towns of Vestfold now engage in fishing and shipbuilding. Some lumbering is carried on in the interior. The district also includes some of the best farmland in Norway. Vestfold is the only county in which all municipalities have declared Bokmål to be their sole official written form of the Norwegian language.

Troms

Troms is a county in Northern Norway. It borders Finnmark county to the northeast and Nordland county in the southwest. Norrbotten Län in Sweden is located to the south and further southeast is a shorter border with Lapland Province in Finland. To the west is the Norwegian Sea . The entire county, which was established in 1866, is located north of the Arctic circle. The Troms County Municipality is the governing body for the county, elected by the people of Troms, while the Troms county governor is a representative of the King and Government of Norway.

Østfold

Østfold is a county in southeastern Norway, bordering Akershus and southwestern Sweden (Västra Götaland County and Värmland), while Buskerud and Vestfold are on the other side of Oslofjord. The county's administrative seat is Sarpsborg. Many manufacturing facilities are situated here, such as the world's most advanced biorefinery, Borregaard in Sarpsborg. Moss and Fredrikstad have shipyards. There are granite mines in Østfold and stone from these were used by Gustav Vigeland. The county slogan is "The heartland of Scandinavia". The local dialect is characterized by its geographical proximity to Sweden.

Hedmark

Hedmark is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag to the north, Oppland to the west and Akershus to the south. The county administration is in Hamar. Hedmark makes up the northeastern part of Østlandet, the southeastern part of the country. It has a long border with Sweden, Dalarna County and Värmland County. The largest lakes are Femunden and Mjøsa, the largest lake in Norway. Parts of Glomma, Norway's longest river, flow through Hedmark. Geographically, Hedmark is traditionally divided into: Hedemarken, east of Mjøsa, Østerdalen, north of Elverum, and Glåmdalen, south of Elverum. Hedmark and Oppland are the only Norwegian counties with no coastline. Hedmark also hosted some events of the 1994 Winter Olympic Games. Hamar, Kongsvinger, Elverum and Tynset are cities in the county. Hedmark is one of the less urbanized areas in Norway; about half of the inhabitants live on rural land. The population is mainly concentrated in the rich agricultural district adjoining Mjøsa to the southeast. The county's extensive forests supply much of Norway's timber; at one time, logs were floated down Glomma to the coast but are now transported by truck and train. The Hedmark municipality of Engerdal has the distinction of marking the current southernmost border in Norway of Sápmi, the traditional region of the Sami people. The county is divided into three traditional districts. These are Hedmarken, Østerdalen and Solør . Hedmark was originally a part of the large Akershus amt, but in 1757 Oplandenes amt was separated from it. Some years later, in 1781, this was divided into Kristians amt and Hedemarkens amt. Until 1919, the county was called Hedemarkens amt.

Akershus

Akershus is a county in Norway, bordering Hedmark, Oppland, Buskerud, Oslo and Østfold; it also has a short border with Sweden . Akershus, with more than half a million inhabitants, is the second largest county by population after Oslo. The county is named after Akershus Fortress. The county administration is in Oslo, which is not part of the county per se.

Trondelag

More and Romsdal

Møre og Romsdal [ˈmøːrə ɔ ˈrumsdɑːl] ( listen) (Møre and Romsdal) is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in the city of Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city. The county is governed by the Møre og Romsdal County Municipality which includes an elected county council and a county mayor. The national government is represented by the county governor (currently Lodve Solholm).