Rogaland

Rogaland is a county in Western Norway, bordering the North Sea to the west and the counties of Vestland to the north, Vestfold og Telemark to the east and Agder to the east and southeast. In 2020, it had a population of 479,892. The administrative centre of the county is the city of Stavanger, which is one of the largest cities in Norway.
Rogaland is the centre of the Norwegian petroleum industry. In 2016, Rogaland had an unemployment rate of 4.9%, one of the highest in Norway. In 2015, Rogaland had a fertility rate of 1.78 children per woman, which is the highest in the country. The Diocese of Stavanger for the Church of Norway includes all of Rogaland county.
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 in central Rogaland and it includes the large city of Stavanger and the neighboring municipalities of Sandnes, Randaberg, and Sola. Together, this conurbation is ranked above the city Trondheim in population rankings in Norway.
There are many 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. food with a happy smile) 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.
Subdivisions
Municipalities
Rogaland County has a total of 23 municipalities:
Districts
Boknafjord
Dalane
Haugaland
Jæren
Ryfylke
Cities
Bryne
Egersund
Haugesund
Jørpeland
Kopervik
Sauda
Sandnes
Skudeneshavn
Stavanger
Tananger
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
Education
Øksnevad Secondary School
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.
References
External links
Official county website
Region Stavanger Official tourism site for the Stavanger region
Counties of Norway
Petty kingdoms of Norway
1662 establishments in Norway