Aust-Agder
Encyclopedia
is a county
(fylke) 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 9212 square kilometres (3,556.8 sq mi). 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. About 77% of the inhabitants live at the coast, where the main built area is. 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.
", since the word aust is the nynorsk form of "east". (see also: the name of Vest-Agder
county).
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 the Nidelva
) and the last element is nes which means "headland
". The meaning of the river name is unknown.
is from modern times. They were granted in 1958. It shows two 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.
es. 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, the kommuner did not remain the same, but new ones were formed, old ones broken up, and land was passed between kommuner.
Aust-Agder is divided into 15 municipalities:
. It began with a flow of people from Setesdal
en like the swarm of bees of Jordanes
in the early 19th century. They were looking for work and cultural improvement in the cities of the coast, but they often continued on to the United States.
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
(fylke) in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, bordering 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.-Location:...
, 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%...
, and Vest-Agder
Vest-Agder
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...
. In 2002, there were 102,945 inhabitants, which is 2.2% of the total population in Norway. Its area is 9212 square kilometres (3,556.8 sq mi). The administrative center of the county is in Arendal
Arendal
is a town and municipality in the county of Aust-Agder, Norway. Arendal belongs to the traditional region of Sørlandet.The town of Arendal is the administrative center the municipality and also of Aust-Agder county...
.
The county, which is located at the Skagerrak
Skagerrak
The Skagerrak is a strait running between Norway and the southwest coast of Sweden and the Jutland peninsula of Denmark, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea area, which leads to the Baltic Sea.-Name:...
coast, extends from Gjernestangen at Risør to Kvåsefjorden at Lillesand. The inner parts of the area includes Setesdalsheiene
Setesdalsheiene
Setesdalsheiene is the collective term for the mountains to the west and east of the Setesdalen valley in Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder counties in Southern Norway. The river Otra flows through the valley between the mountains....
and Austheiene. About 77% of the inhabitants live at the coast, where the main built area is. Tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
is important, as Arendal and the other coastal towns are popular attractions.
The county includes the islands of Tromøy
Tromøy
Tromøy is the largest island in Southern Norway, a former municipality in Aust-Agder county, and is currently an important part of the present-day municipality of Arendal.-Location:...
, Justøya, and Sandøya
Sandøya, Aust-Agder
Sandøya is an island along the southern coast of Norway. It has roughly 230 permanent residents , and shares its local administration with the surrounding communities and the nearby town Tvedestrand. The island has no bridge to the mainland, and the inhabitants rely on boats for transportation....
. The interior of the county encompasses the traditional district of Setesdal
Setesdal
Setesdal is a valley and a traditional district in Aust-Agder County in southern Norway. It consists of the municipalities of Bykle, Valle, Bygland, Iveland, and Evje og Hornnes....
, through which the Otra
Otra
The Otra river is the largest river in the Sørlandet region of Norway. It flows from the Setesdalsheiene mountains in Bykle municipality in Aust-Agder county in the north, down to the municipality of Kristiansand in the south, where it flows into the Skagerrak.The Otra is long, making it Norway’s...
river flows to the coast.
Name
The meaning of the name is "(the) eastern (part of) AgderAgder
Agder is a historical district of Norway in the southernmost region of Norway, corresponding to the two counties Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder. Today, the term Sørlandet is more commonly used.-Name:...
", since the word aust is the nynorsk form of "east". (see also: the name of Vest-Agder
Vest-Agder
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...
county).
Until 1919, the name of the county was Nedenes amt. The amt was named after the old Nedenes farm (Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
Niðarnes), since this was the seat of the amtmann (County Governor). The first element is the genitive case
Genitive case
In grammar, genitive is the grammatical case that marks a noun as modifying another noun...
of the river name Nið (now called the Nidelva
Nidelva (Aust-Agder)
Nidelva in Aust-Agder is the main river in the Arendal drainage basin. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers, Nisserelva and Fyreselv. The river flows into the Skagerak at Arendal. The total length of the system is , the watershed covers...
) and the last element is nes which means "headland
Headland
A headland is a point of land, usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends out into a body of water.Headland can also refer to:*Headlands and bays*headLand, an Australian television series...
". The meaning of the river name is unknown.
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is from modern times. They were granted in 1958. It shows two golden bars on a red background. They symbolize the lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
trade and the recovery of iron ore that was important for Aust-Agder's growth.
Municipalities
The system of municipalities, or kommuner, was established in Norway in 1837, based on previously existing parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es. Norway had been ceded to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
by Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. 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, the kommuner did not remain the same, but new ones were formed, old ones broken up, and land was passed between kommuner.
Aust-Agder is divided into 15 municipalities:
| Rank | Name | Inhabitants | Area km² | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arendal Arendal is a town and municipality in the county of Aust-Agder, Norway. Arendal belongs to the traditional region of Sørlandet.The town of Arendal is the administrative center the municipality and also of Aust-Agder county... |
41,655 | 256 | |
| 2 | Grimstad Grimstad is a town and municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It belongs to the geographical region of Sørlandet. The administrative center of the municipality is the town of Grimstad. Other notable places in Grimstad include Eide, Fevik, Fjære, Landvik, Prestegårdskogen, Reddal, and Roresanden.It is... |
20,497 | 273 | |
| 3 | Lillesand Lillesand is a town and municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sørlandet. The administrative center of the municipality is the town of Lillesand.-General information:... |
9,465 | 180 | |
| 4 | Risør Risør is a city and municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. The city belongs to the traditional region of Sørlandet. It is a popular tourist place. The surrounding area includes many small lakes and hills, and is known for its beautiful coastline as well.... |
6,894 | 179 | |
| 5 | Tvedestrand Tvedestrand is a town and municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sørlandet. The administrative center is the village of Tvedestrand.... |
5,939 | 204 | |
| 6 | Froland Froland Froland is a municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Sørlandet. The administrative center is the village of Blakstad, which along with Osedalen form the main population center of the municipality.... |
5,002 | 605 | |
| 7 | Birkenes Birkenes Birkenes is a municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sørlandet. The village of Birkeland is the administrative center and about half of the municipality's residents live there... |
4,689 | 633 | |
| 8 | Evje og Hornnes Evje og Hornnes Evje og Hornnes is a municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional region of Setesdal. Evje og Hornnes was created as a new municipality on 1 January 1960 after the merger of the two older municipalities of Evje and Hornnes.... |
3,397 | 521 | |
| 9 | Gjerstad Gjerstad Gjerstad is a municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional region of Agder, in the southeastern part of the county, along the border with Telemark county.-General information:... |
2,478 | 308 | |
| 10 | Vegårshei Vegårshei Vegårshei is a municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sørlandet. The administrative center is the village of Myra.-General information:... |
1,886 | 322 | |
| 11 | Åmli Åmli Åmli is a municipality in the county of Aust-Agder, Norway. It is located in the traditional region of Sørlandet. The main population centre and administrative center is the village of Åmli which lies along the river Nidelva.-Name:... |
1,861 | 1,068 | |
| 12 | Valle | 1,289 | 1,135 | |
| 13 | Iveland Iveland Iveland is a village and municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Sørlandet. The administrative center is the village of Birketveit.-General information:... |
1,254 | 250 | |
| 14 | Bygland Bygland Bygland is a municipality in the county of Aust-Agder, Norway. The municipal center is the village of Bygland. Other villages in the municipality include Byglandsfjord, Lauvdal, and Åraksbø... |
1,223 | 1,156 | |
| 15 | Bykle Bykle Bykle is a municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional region of Setesdal. The administrative center is the village of Bykle in the southern part of the municipality. Another village nearby is Nordbygdi... |
970 | 1,256 | |
| Total |  |
108,499 | 9,158 |
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. These figures are deceptive, however, as they do not count the exodus to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It began with a flow of people from Setesdal
Setesdal
Setesdal is a valley and a traditional district in Aust-Agder County in southern Norway. It consists of the municipalities of Bykle, Valle, Bygland, Iveland, and Evje og Hornnes....
en like the swarm of bees of Jordanes
Jordanes
Jordanes, also written Jordanis or Jornandes, was a 6th century Roman bureaucrat, who turned his hand to history later in life....
in the early 19th century. They were looking for work and cultural improvement in the cities of the coast, but they often continued on to the United States.