Buskerud

Buskerud is a former, and future, county and a current electoral district in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark and Vestfold. The region extends from the Oslofjord and Drammensfjorden in the southeast to Hardangervidda mountain range in the northwest. The county administration was in modern times located in Drammen. Buskerud was merged with Akershus and Østfold into the newly created Viken County on 1 January 2020. On the 23 February 2022 Viken County Council voted in a 49 against 38 decision to submit an application to the Norwegian government for a county demerger. Due to this, Buskerud (except the area forming the defunct municipalities of Røyken and Hurum) will be re-established in 2024.
Etymology
The county was named after the old manor Buskerud (Biskopsrøysa) located on the west side of the Drammen River in Åmot, Modum municipality. The first element is the genitive case of , 'bishop' (referring to the Bishop of Hamar), the last element is n 'clearing, farm'. The farm was one of the largest in Buskerud, and the original name of the farm (before it became a benefice) was probably Modum. At the time of the Reformation the farm became property of the Crown at which time the farm then served as the residence of the king's bailiffs until 1668.
Geography
Buskerud extended from Hurum at the Oslofjord to the Halling mountains and Hardanger. The county was conventionally divided into traditional districts. These were Hallingdal, Numedal, Ringerike, Lower Buskerud, which was originally part of Vestfold, and Western Vingulmark.
Hallingdal consisted of Flå, Nes, Gol, Hemsedal, Ål and Hol. Numedal consisted of Flesberg, Rollag and Nore og Uvdal. Ringerike consisted of Hole, Krødsherad, Modum, Ringerike and Sigdal. Western Vingulmark consisted of Hurum and Røyken. Lower Buskerud consisted of Drammen, Hurum, Kongsberg, Lier, Nedre Eiker, Røyken and Øvre Eiker. The district was merged from parts that belonged to Vestfold and Vingulmark.
Buskerud's western part was a mountainous plateau with forested valleys and high, grassy pastures; its eastern part contains a lowland basin with many lakes and streams. Tyrifjorden and Krøderen were the biggest lakes. Numedalslågen, the third longest river in Norway, starting in Hordaland, ran through Buskerud unto Vestfold where it reached the sea, while river Begna sweeps into lake Sperillen.
Mountains
Haukefjellet
Hestebottnuten
Julsennuten
Kyrkjebønosi
Nystølsvarden
Øljunuten
Raggsteinnuten
Storegrønut
Tyrvlesnuten
Vargebreen
History
Buskerud was separated from Akershus as an amt of its own in 1685, but the amt was smaller than today. It then consisted of the present districts Eiker, Hallingdal, and Ringerike. The area of the present municipalities of Flesberg, Hurum, Kongsberg, Lier, Nore og Uvdal, Rollag and Røyken were transferred from Akershus amt to Buskerud amt in 1760. The name was changed to in 1919. The municipality of Skoger was transferred from Vestfold to Buskerud in 1964.
The area Ringerike may once have been a small kingdom. During the 10th century, Norway's kings Olaf Tryggvason and Olaf Haraldsson grew up at Bønsnes in Ringerike. In the valley of Numedal, silver was mined in Kongsberg from the 17th century until discontinued in 1957. Weapons industry had been developed in Kongsberg from 1814, and various high tech industry companies now represent the town's major employers. At Modum there was also , a cobalt pigment production works (Blue Colour Works).
Economy
Today, agriculture, lumber, wood-pulp mills and other related industries are the county's main economic activities; ample hydroelectric power is produced by the rivers Begna and Rands . Buskerud has also a large forested area. Substantial income is derived from high tech industries located in Kongsberg. Other significant income comes from the cabin areas in northern Buskerud.
Coat of arms
Buskerud's coat of arms were adopted in April 1966. It features a blue bear whose colours are symbolic of the blue colour works. The silver background of Buskerud's coat of arms represents the silver industry in Kongsberg.
Notable people from Buskerud
Sports figures
Frode Andresen, Ringerike
Christer Basma, Røyken
Dag Bjørndalen, Modum
Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Modum
Håvard Bøkko, Hol
Kim Christiansen, Drammen
Ole Gunnar Fidjestøl, Modum
Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Hole
Erik Hagen, Ringerike
Anders Jacobsen, Ringerike
Jørre Kjemperud, Modum
Pål Gunnar Mikkelsplass, Nes
Børre Næss, Kongsberg
Sigurd Pettersen, Rollag
Steinar Pettersen, Drammen
Asbjørn Ruud, Kongsberg
Birger Ruud, Kongsberg
Sigmund Ruud, Kongsberg
Strømsgodset, Gulskogen, Drammen
Ådne Søndrål, Hol
Entertainers
Sæbjørn Buttedahl, Lier
Karin Fossum, Lier
Morten Harket, Kongsberg
Thorbjørn Jagland, Lier
Theodor Kittelsen, Sigdal
Jonas Lie, Modum
Jørgen Moe, Hole
Anne Marie Ottersen, Kongsberg
Olav Thon, Ål
Christian Skredsvig, Sigdal
Jonas Fjeld, Drammen
Elin Sogn, Kongsberg
Municipalities
Districts
Eiker
Eggedal
Hallingdal
Hurumlandet
Jondalen
Numedal
Ringerike
Lower Buskerud
Kjenner
Klokkarstua
Cities
Drammen
Hønefoss
Kongsberg
Hokksund
Parishes
Bakke
Bragernes
Dagali
Drammen
Efteløt
Eggedal
Eiker
Fiskum
Flesberg
Flå
Frogner
Gol
Haug, see Eiker
Haug i Norderhov
Hedenstad
Heggen
Hemsedal
Hol
Hole
Holmen
Holmsbu
Hurum
Hval
Hønefoss
Jondalen
Komnes
Kongsberg
Krødsherad (Krydsherred)
Lier
Lunder
Lyngdal
Modum
Nedre Eiker
Nes (i Hallingdal)
Nes (i Ådal)
Norderhov
Nore
Nykirke
Opdal
Rollag
Røyken
Sandsvær
Sigdal (Holem)
Snarum
Sollihøgda
Strømsø
Svene
Sylling
Tangen
Torpo
Tranby
Tuft
Tyristrand
Uvdal
Veggli
Viker
Ytre Ådal
Ådal
Ål
Drammen Branch (LDS, 1854-1952)
Drammen (Den Katolske Apostoliske Menighet, 1877-1935)
Drammen and Oslo (Den Katolske Apostoliske Menighet, 1872-1932)
Hurum Branch (LDS, 1855-1867)
Kongsberg Branch (LDS, 1939-1948* )
Villages
Ask
Askgrenda
Burud
Bødalen
Båtstø
Dagali
Dagslett
Darbu
Dramdal
Drolsum
Efteløt
Egge
Filtvet
Gardnos
Geilo
Geithus
Gomnes
Gulsvik
Hagafoss
Hallingby
Haugastøl
Haugsbygd
Helgelandsmoen
Hen
Hennummarka
Holmsbu
Hovet
Hønefoss
Hval
Hvittingfoss
Hyggen
Kjenner
Klokkarstua
Konnerud
Krokstadelva
Kroksund
Krøderen
Kvisla
Lahell
Lampeland
Lierbyen
Lierskogen
Lierstranda
Mjøndalen
Midtbygda
Nakkerud
Nedre Eggedal
Nes, Ådal
Nesbyen
Nore
Noresund
Nærsnes
Oddevall
Ormåsen
Ovenstadlia
Prestfoss
Reistad
Rollag
Rødberg
Sjåstad
Skoger
Skollenborg
Skotselv
Slemmestad
Sokna
Solbergelva
Sollihøgda
Spikkestad
Steinberg
Steinsåsen
Storsand
Sundvollen
Svene
Sylling
Sysle
Sætre
Tofte
Torpo
Tronstad
Tyristrand
Ustaoset
Uvdal
Veggli
Vestbygda
Vestfossen
Vik
Vikersund
Åmot
Åros
Åsa
Åsbygda
Former Municipalities
Eiker
Gol og Hemsedal
Hønefoss
Norderhov
Nore
Sandsvær
Skoger
Strømm
Strømsgodset
Tyristrand
Uvdal
Ytre Sandsvær
Øvre Sandsvær
Ådal
Gallery
References
External links
Buskerud fylkeskommune,
Hallingdal
Ringerikes region
Drammens region
Vest region
Former counties of Norway
2020 disestablishments in Norway
Populated places disestablished in 2020
States and territories disestablished in 2020