Hordaland

Hordaland

Hordaland was a county in Norway. It was the third largest county by population, after Akershus and Oslo. It shared borders with Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark, and Rogaland.

The main government for Hordaland was in the city of Bergen. Bergen is a big cultural and economic center.

Before 1972, Bergen had its own county status. But in January 2020, Hordaland merged with Sogn og Fjordane to create a new county called Vestland. This change joined two historic regions into one.

Name and symbols

Hordaland is an old name for a region in Norway. The county was called Søndre Bergenhus amt before 1919. This name means the southern part of an older area named Bergenhus amt.

Hordaland’s flag and coat of arms show two golden axes crossed with a golden crown on a red background. These symbols come from an old seal used by a group from Sunnhordland in 1344. They became the county’s emblem in 1961. The symbols represent Saint Olav, a king of Norway whose symbol is an axe.

See also: Rogaland and Sogn og Fjordane

History

Hordaland county existed for over a thousand years. In the 7th century, the area had many small kingdoms under the Gulating. It was called Hordafylke from around the year 900.

In the early 1500s, Norway was divided into four areas, with the Bergenhus len based in Bergen.

In 1662, these areas were changed into amts. Bergenhus amt included places that are now Hordaland, Sogn og Fjordane, and Sunnmøre. Over time, these areas were split and reorganised. In 1919, Søndre Bergenhus amt was renamed Hordaland fylke.

The city of Bergen was its own county from 1831 to 1972. In 1972, several nearby towns were joined with Bergen, making it a larger part of Hordaland county.

Government

A county in Norway is one of the main local areas for government. Hordaland was one of 19 counties in the country. The county was run by the Hordaland County Municipality. This group had 57 elected members who formed a county council. The head of this council was called the county mayor. The last one was Anne Gine Hestetun.

There was also a County Governor who represented the King and the Government of Norway. The last one was Lars Sponheim. The county was divided into four district courts: Nordhordland, Sunnhordland, Bergen, and Hardanger. These courts helped with local legal matters.

Geography

Hordaland was an area along the western coast of Norway. The long, deep Hardangerfjorden split it from southwest to northeast. This fjord was a popular place for visitors to see. The county also had parts of the Hardangervidda National park, famous waterfalls like Vøringsfossen and Stykkjedalsfossen, and glaciers such as Folgefonna and Hardangerjøkulen.

Most people lived in Bergen Municipality and nearby areas. Other smaller towns included Leirvik, Vossavangen, and Odda. The county also had beautiful islands like Sotra.

Municipalities

Hordaland had many local areas called municipalities. Some of the main ones were Bergen Municipality, which was the largest and where the county government was based. Others included Askøy Municipality, Austevoll Municipality, and Bømlo Municipality. There were thirty-three municipalities in total. Each had its own local government and community.

Districts

Hordaland county had several distinct districts, each with its own unique character. Some of the main districts included Hardanger, Haugaland, Mauranger, Midhordland, Nordhordland, Strilelandet, Sunnhordland, and Voss. These areas were known for their beautiful landscapes and rich traditions. Stril was also part of the county.

Cities

Main article: list of towns and cities in Norway

Hordaland had several important cities. The largest was Bergen. It was also the county's main city. Other notable cities included Leirvik and Odda. These cities were busy places full of activity and culture.

Parishes

Hordaland had many parishes. These were small communities or areas in the county. Some of these parishes included Alversund, Arna, Ask, Askøy, and Austevoll. Others were Austrheim, Bekkjarvik, Bergen, and Bergsdalen. There were many more parishes, showing the variety of places in Hordaland.

Villages

Main article: list of villages in Hordaland

Hordaland had many small villages. Some of these villages include Abbedisso, Algrøyna, Alsåker, and Alveim. Others are Alverstraumen, Ask, Askeland, and Auklandshamn. Many more villages like Austbygdi, Austevollhella, and Austmarka were also part of this county. The list includes places such as Bekkjarvik, Birkeland, Blomvåg, and many others. This shows the many communities in Hordaland.

Former municipalities

Main article: list of former municipalities of Norway

Hordaland used to have many smaller areas called municipalities. These were places where people helped each other with everyday things. Some of these old municipalities include Alversund Municipality, Arna Municipality, Bergen landdistrikt, and Bremnes Municipality, among many others. Over time, these areas changed or joined together to make larger ones.

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Norway

Twin towns – Sister cities

Hordaland county had several sister cities. It was twinned with Lower Normandy, France, Kaunas, Lithuania, Cardiff, Wales, Orkney Islands, Northern Isles, and Scotland.

Since 1949, Hordaland gave a Christmas tree to Edinburgh as a thank you for the help given to Norwegians during World War II by Scots. Since 2008, the tree came from Scotland, but it was still a gift from the people of Hordaland.

Notable people

Hordaland was home to many famous people. Ole Bull was a well-known composer and violinist. Edvard Grieg was a famous composer. Nordahl Grieg was a writer. Ludvig Holberg was also a famous writer from this area. Other notable people include politician Tore Eikeland and military officer **Leif Andreas Larsen].