Aust-Agder

Aust-Agder was a county (fylke) in Norway until 1 January 2020, when it was merged with Vest-Agder to form Agder county. In 2002, there were 102,945 inhabitants, which was 2.2% of Norway's population. Its area was . The county's administrative center was the town of Arendal.
The county, located along the Skagerrak coast, extended from Gjernestangen at Risør to the Kvåsefjorden in Lillesand. The inner parts of the area included Setesdalsheiene and Austheiene. Most of the population lives near the coast; about 78% of the county's inhabitants live in the five coastal municipalities of 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 larger islands of Tromøya, Hisøya, Justøya, and Sandøya. The interior of the county encompasses the traditional district of Setesdal, through which the river Otra flows to the coast.
In 2017, the Parliament of Norway voted to merge Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder counties into one large region, Agder, effective 1 January 2020.
The county was part of the Aust-Agder District Court and the Church of Norway Diocese of Agder og Telemark.
Name
The meaning of the name is "(the) eastern (part of) Agder", since the word aust is the Nynorsk form of "east".
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 Nidelva) and the last element is nes which means "headland". The meaning of the river name is unknown.
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 12 December 1958. It shows two horizontal 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. There are two bars to represent the two areas of the county: inland and coastal.
Municipalities
The system of municipalities, or kommuner, was established in Norway in 1837, based on previously existing parishes (see formannskapsdistrikt). 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, as the years progressed, the municipalities did not remain the same, but new ones were formed, old ones broken up, and land was transferred. Since the 1990s, Aust-Agder has been divided into 15 municipalities:
Cities
Arendal
Grimstad
Risør
Lillesand
Tvedestrand
Parishes
Arendal
Austad
Austre Moland
Barbu
Birkenes
Bjorbekk
Bygland
Bykle
Old Bykle
Dypvåg
Eide
Engene
Evje
Færvik
Fevik
Fjære
Fjellgardane
Flosta
Froland
Frydendal
Gjerstad
Gjøvdal
Grimstad
Grøvdal, see Gjøvdal
Herefoss
Hisøy
Holt
Hommedal
Hornnes
Hylestad
Høvåg
Iveland
Justøy
Laget
Landvik
Lillesand
Mykland
Risør
Sandnes
Stokken
Søndeled (Sønneløv)
Tovdal
Trefoldighet (Trinity)
Tromøy
Tvedestrand
Valle
Vegusdal
Vegårshei
Vestre Moland
Østerhus
Østre Moland, see Austre Moland
Øyestad
Åmli
Årdal
Arendal Branch (LDS, 1864-1914)
Arendal Lutherske Frimenighet (1884-1908)
Arendal (Den Katolske Apostoliske, 1889-1928)
Arendal Metodistkirke (1868-1892)
Risør Branch (LDS, 1851-1866)
Risør Lutheran Frikirke, (1877-1995)
Tvedestrand Baptist Menighet (1892-1895)
Villages
Akland
Asdal
Askerøya
Askland
Ausland
Austad
Bakken
Berdalen
Besteland
Birkeland
Birketveit
Bjorbekk
Bjåen
Blakstad
Borås
Bossvika
Bossvika
Breive
Brekka
Brekkestø
Brokke
Bygland
Byglandsfjord
Bykle
Bøylefoss
Bøylestad
Dypvåg
Dølemo
Dåsnesmoen
Eikeland
Engesland
Eppeland
Espenes
Evje
Evjemoen
Eydehavn
Fevik
Fiane, Gjerstad
Fiane, Tvedestrand
Fie
Flakk
Flatebygd
Flaten
Froland
Frolands verk
Færvik
Gautestad
Gjennestad
Gjerstad
Gjeving
Goderstad
Grendi
Gryting
Grønland
Heldalsmo
Helldal
Herefoss
Hesnes
Hillestad (Tovdal)
Hinebu
His (Hisøy)
Holmsund
Homborsund
Homdrom
Homme
Hornnes
Hoslemo
Hovden
Hovet
Hynnekleiv
Hødnebø
Høvåg
Håbbesland
Håbbestad
Jomås
Jortveit
Kalvøysund
Kilen
Kilsund
Kjetså
Klåholmen
Kolbjørnsvik
Kongshamn
Krabbesund
Kroken
Kråkvåg
Laget
Langeid
Lauvdal
Lauveik
Lauvrak
Libru
Lindtveit
Litveit
Longerak
Longum
Lyngør
Løddesøl
Løvjomås
Merdø
Mjølhus
Mjåvatn
Mo
Moen
Moi
Mollestad
Mykland
Myra
Narestø
Nedenes
Nelaug
Nesgrenda
Nipe
Nordbygdi
Nygrenda
Nævesdal
Oggevatn
Ose
Osedalen
Pusnes
Reddal
Revesand
Ribe
Risdal
Rise
Roresand
Rugsland
Rygnestad
Rykene
Rysstad
Rød, Arendal
Rød, Gjerstad
Rønnes
Røysland
Sagene
Sagesund
Saltrød
Sandnes, Bygland
Sandnes, Risør
Sandvika (Borøy)
Sennumstad
Sivik
Skaiå
Skåmedal
Skiftenes
Skjeggedal
Songe
Staubø
Stoa
Strengereid
Sundebru
Svaland
Søndeled
Søre Herefoss
Tjore
Trøe
Tveide
Tveit
Ubergsmoen
Ulvøysund
Uppstad
Valle
Vatnebu
Vatnestrøm
Vehus
Vesterhus
Vestøl
Vik
Vrengen
Væting
Ytre Ramse
Østerholt
Østerhus
Østerå
Øvre Dåsvatn
Øvre Ramse
Øyna
Åkerøyhamn
Åmdalsøyra
Åmli
Åneland
Åraksbø
Ås
Former Municipalities
Austre Moland
Barbu
Dypvåg
Eide
Evje
Evje og Vegusdal
Fjære
Flosta
Gjøvdal
Herefoss
Hisøy
Holt
Hornnes
Hornnes og Iveland
Hylestad
Høvåg
Landvik
Moland
Mykland
Stokken
Søndeled
Tovdal
Tromøy
Vegusdal
Vestre Moland
Øyestad
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. There was significant emigration to the United States in the 19th century and early 20th century.
See also
Vest-Agder
Sørlandet
Agder
References
External links
Political map
Aust-Agder fylkeskommune (in English)
Photogallery
Former counties of Norway
2020 disestablishments in Norway
States and territories disestablished in 2020