Hordaland

Last updated
Hordaland County
Hordaland fylke
Former County
Hordaland Hardangerfjord 05.JPG
Hardangerfjord in July 2012
Flag of Hordaland.svg
Flag
Hordaland vapen.svg
Coat of arms
Norway Counties Hordaland Position.svg
Hordaland within Norway
Norway Hordaland location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Hordaland County
Norway location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Hordaland County
Coordinates: 60°15′N06°00′E / 60.250°N 6.000°E / 60.250; 6.000
Country Norway
County Hordaland
District Western Norway
Established1763
 • Preceded by Bergenhus amt
Disestablished1 Jan 2020
 • Succeeded by Vestland county
Administrative centre Bergen
Government
 • Body Hordaland County Municipality
 •  Governor (2010-2019) Lars Sponheim (V)
 •  County mayor
   (2015-2019)		 Anne Gine Hestetun (Ap)
Area
 (upon dissolution)
 • Total15,460 km2 (5,970 sq mi)
 • Land14,551 km2 (5,618 sq mi)
 • Water909 km2 (351 sq mi)  5.9%
 • Rank#9 in Norway
Population
 (2014)
 • Total508,500
 • Rank#3 in Norway
 • Density33/km2 (85/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years)
Increase2.svg +7.9%
Demonym Hordalending [1]
Official language
[2]
 •  Norwegian form Nynorsk
Time zone UTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 code NO-12 [3]
Income (per capita)148,000  kr (2001)
GDP (per capita)263,000  kr (2001)
GDP national rank#2 in Norway
(7.55% of country)
Data from Statistics Norway

Hordaland (Urban East Norwegian: [ˈhɔ̂rdɑlɑn] ⓘ ) 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.

Contents

Name and symbols

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

The flag of Hordaland Flag of Hordaland.svg
The flag of Hordaland

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. [4]

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. [5]

History

Historical population
YearPop.±%
176963,757—    
1900205,771+222.7%
1950308,164+49.8%
1960338,265+9.8%
1970369,430+9.2%
1980388,084+5.0%
1990407,427+5.0%
2000435,219+6.8%
2010477,175+9.6%
2014508,500+6.6%
Source: Statistics Norway. [6] [7]
Religion in Hordaland [8] [9]
religionpercent
Christianity
 
87.34%
Islam
 
0.77%
Buddhism
 
0.22%
Other
 
11.67%

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. [10]

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. [10]

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. [10]

Government

Hardanger is one of Norway's most important sources of fruit, providing approximately 40% of the country's fruit production, including apples, plums, pears, cherries, and redcurrants. Lofthus1.jpg
Hardanger is one of Norway's most important sources of fruit, providing approximately 40% of the country's fruit production, including apples, plums, pears, cherries, and redcurrants.

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. [10]

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. [10]

Geography

Finse is the highest point of the Norwegian Railway System, located at 1,222 m (4,009 ft) above sea level. FinseInWinter.jpg
Finse is the highest point of the Norwegian Railway System, located at 1,222 m (4,009 ft) above sea level.

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.

PanoramaSotraNese.jpg
Panorama over the island of Sotra.
Location of Oppland Municipalities Hordaland Municipalities.png
Location of Oppland Municipalities

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

Cities

Parishes

Villages

Former municipalities

Main article: list of former municipalities of Norway

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Hordaland county is twinned with: [10]

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. [13]

Notable residents

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sogn og Fjordane</span> Former county of Norway

Sogn og 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fitjar</span> Municipality in Vestland, Norway

Fitjar is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The municipality is located in the traditional district of Sunnhordland. Fitjar municipality includes the northern part of the island of Stord and the hundreds of surrounding islands, mostly to the northwest of the main island. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Fitjar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulvik</span> Municipality in Vestland, Norway

Ulvik is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The municipality stretches from the Hardangerfjord to the mountains that reach 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) above sea level. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ulvik. The villages of Osa and Finse are also located in Ulvik municipality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hardangerfjord</span> Fjord in Norway

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haugaland</span> District in Rogaland and Vestland, Norway

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunnhordland</span> District in Vestland, Norway

Sunnhordland is a traditional district in the western region of Norway. The district consists of the southern coastal regions of the old Hordaland county. It includes the areas that surround the mouth of the Hardangerfjorden and the surrounding islands. The municipalities of Sveio, Etne, Stord, Bømlo, Fitjar, Kvinnherad, and Tysnes make up the district of Sunnhordaland. The regional centre of this district is the town of Leirvik in Stord.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flags of Norwegian subdivisions</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finnås</span> Former municipality in Hordaland, Norway

Finnås is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county, Norway. The 225-square-kilometre (87 sq mi) municipality, which existed from 1838 until 1916, was located in the traditional district of Sunnhordland. Originally, the municipality encompassed all of the island of Bømlo, the small surrounding islands, and the mainland located south of the Bømlafjorden. It was located in the present-day municipalities of Bømlo and Sveio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nordhordland District Court</span>

Nordhordland District Court was a district court in Norway serving the Nordhordland and Midhordland in Hordaland county, as well as Gulen Municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county. The court served the municipalities of Askøy, Austevoll, Austrheim, Fedje, Fjell, Fusa, Gulen, Lindås, Masfjorden, Meland, Modalen, Os, Osterøy, Radøy, Samnanger, Sund, Vaksdal, Voss, and Øygarden. The court was subordinate to the Gulating Court of Appeal. The court was led by the chief judge. The Nordhordland District Court was co-located with the Bergen District Court at the Bergen Tinghus at Tårnplads 2 in Bergen.

Hordaland Police District is headquartered in Bergen, Norway. In the police district are approximately 454,000 inhabitants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunnhordland District Court</span>

Sunnhordland District Court was a district court in Vestland county, Norway. The court was based in the town of Leirvik in Stord Municipality. The court existed from 1591 until 2021. It had jurisdiction over Sunnhordland which included the municipalities of Bømlo, Fitjar, Kvinnherad, Stord, Sveio, and Tysnes. Cases from this court could be appealed to Gulating Court of Appeal.

Voss District Court was a district court in the Voss region of Vestland county, Norway. The court was based in the village of Vossavangen. The court existed from 1919 until 2006. It had jurisdiction over the municipalities of Voss, Eidfjord, Granvin, and Ulvik. Cases from this court could be appealed to Gulating Court of Appeal.

Hardanger District Court was a district court in the Hardanger region of Vestland county, Norway. The court was based in the village of Lofthus in Ullensvang Municipality, but it also has courts in Norheimsund and Odda. The court existed from 1919 until 2021. It had jurisdiction over the municipalities of Eidfjord, Kvam, Ullensvang, and Ulvik. Cases from this court could be appealed to Gulating Court of Appeal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruravik–Brimnes Ferry</span>

The Bruravik–Brimnes Ferry was a Norwegian ferry connection across the Hardanger Fjord between Bruravik in the municipality of Ulvik and Brimnes in the municipality of Eidfjord. The ferry connected Norwegian County Road 7 and Norwegian National Road 13, and before it was discontinued it was operated by the company Fjord1 and served by MF Sogn with up to three departures per hour. The crossing lasted about 12 minutes. In the summer of 2013 the route was also served by MF Sognefjord.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vestland</span> County of Norway

Vestland is a county in Norway established on 1 January 2020. The county is located in Western Norway and it is centred around the city of Bergen, Norway's second largest city. The administrative centre of the county is the city of Bergen, where the executive and political leadership is based, but the County Governor is based in Hermansverk. The county is one of two counties in Norway that have Nynorsk as their official written language form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haugaland og Sunnhordland District Court</span>

Haugaland og Sunnhordland District Court is a district court located in Vestland and Rogaland counties in Norway. This court is based at two different courthouses which are located in Haugesund and Leirvik. The court serves the southern part of Vestland county and the northern part of Rogaland county. This court takes cases from 17 municipalities. The court in Haugesund accepts cases from the municipalities of Bokn, Etne, Haugesund, Karmøy, Sauda, Suldal, Tysvær, Utsira, and Vindafjord. The court in Leirvik accepts cases from the municipalities of Bømlo, Fitjar, Kvinnherad, Stord, Sveio, and Tysnes. The court is subordinate to the Gulating Court of Appeal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hordaland District Court</span>

Hordaland District Court is a district court located in Vestland county, Norway. This court is based at two different courthouses which are located in Bergen and Lofthus. The court serves the Nordhordland, Midthordland, and Hardanger areas of the county which includes cases from 18 municipalities. The court in Bergen accepts cases from the municipalities of Alver, Askøy, Austevoll, Austrheim, Bergen, Bjørnafjorden, Fedje, Masfjorden, Modalen, Osterøy, Samnanger, Vaksdal, Voss, and Øygarden. The court in Lofthus accepts cases from the municipalities of Eidfjord, Kvam, Ullensvang, and Ulvik. The court is subordinate to the Gulating Court of Appeal.

References

  1. ↑ "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
  2. ↑ "Forskrift om målvedtak i kommunar og fylkeskommunar" (in Norwegian). Lovdata.no.
  3. ↑ Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (2023-01-26). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget.
  4. ↑ "Civic heraldry of Norway – Norske Kommunevåpen". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 2015-04-12.
  5. ↑ "Hordaland fylke" (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 2016-10-04. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
  6. ↑ http://www.ssb.no/fob/kommunehefte/12/fob_12_tabeller.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  7. ↑ "Tabell 6 Folkemengde per 1. Januar, etter fylke og kommune. Registrert 2009. Framskrevet 2010-2030, alternativ MMMM". Archived from the original on 2009-08-21. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  8. ↑ Statistics Norway – Church of Norway.
  9. ↑ Statistics Norway – Members of religious and life stance communities outside the Church of Norway, by religion/life stance. County. 2006–2010 Archived 2011-11-02 at the Wayback Machine
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 no:Hordaland
  11. ↑ The City and the Stril country University of Bergen Grind website.
  12. ↑ "Home page of Cardiff Council – Cardiff's twin cities". Cardiff Council. 15 June 2010. Archived from the original on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
  13. ↑ "Edinburgh celebrates links with Norway". Scottish Field. 2020-11-03. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
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