Sogn og Fjordane

Sogn og Fjordane (English: "Sogn and Fjordane") was, up to 1 January 2020, a county in western Norway, when it was merged to become part of Vestland county. Bordering previous counties Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland, the county administration was in the village of Hermansverk in Leikanger municipality. The largest town in the county was Førde.
Although Sogn og Fjordane has some industry, predominantly hydroelectricity and aluminium, it is predominantly an agricultural area. Sogn og Fjordane is also home to the Urnes Stave Church and the Nærøyfjord, which are both listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.
The Western Norway University of Applied Sciences has campuses in Sogndal and Førde.
Name
The name Sogn og Fjordane was created in 1919; a literal translation is: Sogn and the fjords. The first element is the name of the region of Sogn, located in the southern part of the county. The last element is the plural definite form of fjord, which refers to the two regions in the county called Nordfjord and Sunnfjord in the northern and central parts of the county.
Prior to 1919, the name of the county was Nordre Bergenhus amt which meant "(the) northern (part of) Bergenhus amt". (The old Bergenhus amt, created in 1662, was divided into northern and southern halves in 1763.)
Coat of arms
The coat of arms of Sogn og Fjordane was granted on 23 September 1983. The arms show the geographical layout of the county: three large blue fjords protruding into the white colored land. The three fjords represent the three regions of the county: Nordfjord (surrounding Nordfjorden), Sunnfjord (with Førdefjorden), and Sogn (surrounding Sognefjorden). Nearly all villages and towns are situated along one of these fjords and the name of the county is based on the fjords.
Written standard
Sogn og Fjordane is the only county in Norway in which all municipalities have declared Nynorsk to be their official written form of the Norwegian language.
History
{{Historical populations
|footnote = Source: Statistics NorwayProjected population – Statistics Norway
|shading = off
|1951|97714
|1961|99957
|1971|100933
|1981|105924
|1991|106614
|2001|107590
|2011|107742
}}
The county consisted of the two historic counties: Firdafylke (now the Fjordane region; Nordfjord-Sunnfjord) and Sygnafylke (now the Sogn region). These both were formed in the Middle Ages under the Gulating government. They were merged with Hordafylke (now Hordaland) and Sunnmørafylke (now Sunnmøre) to form the Bergenhus len in the late Middle Ages. The Bergenhus len was one of four len in Norway. It was administered from the Bergenhus Fortress in the city of Bergen.
On 19 February 1662, a royal decree changed the name to Bergenhus amt. The Sunnmøre region was moved to Romsdalen amt in 1689. Later, in 1763, the amt was divided in half creating: Nordre Bergenhus and Søndre Bergenhus (Northern and Southern Bergenhus). Later, on 1 January 1919, Nordre Bergenhus amt was renamed Sogn og Fjordane fylke during a period of time when many location names in Norway were changed. In 2017, the Norwegian government announced the merger of this county as well as Hordaland into a new county called Vestland.
Government
A county (fylke) is the chief local administrative area in Norway. The country is divided into 19 counties. A county is also an election area, with popular votes taking place every 4 years. The Sogn og Fjordane County Municipality was the government that oversaw the county. It was a group of 39 members who were elected to form a county council (Fylkesting). Heading the Fylkesting was the county mayor (fylkesordførar). The last county mayor for the Sogn og Fjordane County Municipality was Åshild Kjelsnes, the county mayor. She replaced Nils R. Sandal, who was county mayor from 2003 until 2011.
The county also had a County Governor (fylkesmann) who was the representative of the King and Government of Norway. Anne Karin Hamre was the last County Governor of Sogn og Fjordane. She replaced Oddvar Flæte, who was county governor from 1994 until 2011.
The municipalities of Sogn og Fjordane were divided among three district courts (tingrett''): Sogn, Fjordane, and Nordhordland. Sogn og Fjordane was also part of the Gulating Court of Appeal district based in Bergen.
Sogn District Court: Aurland, Balestrand, Leikanger, Luster, Lærdal, Sogndal, Vik, and Årdal
Fjordane District Court: Askvoll, Bremanger, Eid, Fjaler, Flora, Førde, Gaular, Gloppen, Hornindal, Hyllestad, Høyanger, Jølster, Naustdal, Selje, Solund, Stryn, and Vågsøy
Nordhordland District Court: Gulen (and the rest of the Nordhordland district of the county of Hordaland)
All of the municipalities of Sogn og Fjordane except Gulen and Solund were part of the Sogn og Fjordane police district. Gulen and Solund were part of the Hordaland police district.
Geography
It is mainly a rural area with a scattered population. Sogn og Fjordane includes the largest glacier in mainland Norway, Jostedalsbreen, in the Breheimen mountain range, and the deepest lake, Hornindalsvatnet. There are also many famous waterfalls located in the area. Ramnefjellsfossen (previously called Utigardfossen) is the tallest in Norway and third tallest in the world and Vettisfossen is one of Norway's highest waterfalls with a vertical drop of . Both are located in the Jotunheim mountains. Cruise ships visit Sogn og Fjordane all summer because of the unique vistas of high mountains and deep blue fjords.
The famous Nærøyfjord is located in the south of the county. This is a UNESCO listed fjord area. There are several archipelagos, including Bulandet, Bremangerlandet and islands around Florø. The westernmost point in Norway proper is Holmebåen in Solund municipality. The island of Unst, part of Shetland Islands is around west of Holmebåen.
The terrain changes quite rapidly with mostly smaller mountains on the coastline, gradually increasing to mountains reaching more than . Because of the steep rise in elevation and fjords cutting through the terrain, the amount of precipitation is very high. Low pressure systems come in from the west and meet the mountains (a phenomenon known as orographic lifting) and cause rain and snowfall.
Transport
Transport is made more difficult because of the fjords and the mountains. The fjords have to be crossed by ferries or rounded, often a large detour. There are four airports in the county, at Florø, Førde, Sandane and Sogndal. There is only one railway station, Flåm. The county contracts bus and boat companies for bus and boat routes in the county, under the new (2015) brand name Kringom.
Districts
The county is conventionally divided into three traditional districts. These are Sogn (in the south), Sunnfjord (in the centre), and Nordfjord (in the north). Sogn surrounds Sognefjorden from Solund on the offshore island of Sula in the North Sea to the village of Skjolden in Luster along Lustrafjorden, a branch of the Sognefjord. The total length is . The middle district of Sunnfjord actually has two main fjords: Førdefjorden and Dalsfjorden. The northern district surrounds Nordfjorden.
Municipalities
In 1837, the counties were divided into local administrative units, each with their own governments. The number and borders of these municipalities have changed over time, and before the dissolution of the county, there were 26 municipalities in Sogn og Fjordane. Originally the municipalities were the same as the old Church of Norway parishes.
Askvoll
Aurland
Årdal
Balestrand
Bremanger
Eid
Fjaler
Flora
Førde
Gaular
Gloppen
Gulen
Hornindal
Hyllestad
Høyanger
Jølster
Leikanger
Luster
Lærdal
Naustdal
Selje
Sogndal
Solund
Stryn
Vik
Vågsøy
Cities
Florø
Førde
Måløy
Parishes
Arnafjord
Askrova
Askvoll
Aurland
Bakka
Balestrand (Tjugum)
Batalden
Berle
Bjordal
Borgund
Old Borgund
Breim
Brekke
Bremanger
Bremangerpollen
Bru (Svanø)
Bygstad (Svanø)
Bulandet
Bø
Dale i Fjaler
Dale i Luster
Davik
Eid
Eikefjord
Ervik
Farnes
Feios (Rinde)
Fet
Fjaler (Ytre Holmedal)
Fjærland (Mundal)
Florø
Flåm
Folkestad
Fortun
Fresvik
Frøya
Førde
Gaular
Old Gaupne
Gaupne
Gimmestad
Old Gimmestad
Gjemmestad
Gloppen
Guddal
Gulen (Evindvik)
Hafslo
Hauge
Heggjabygda
Helgheim
Haukedalen
Hellevik
Hersvik
Hestad
Holmedal
Holsen
Hopperstad
Hornindal
Hove
Husøy (Husø)
Hyen
Hyllestad
Høyanger
Indre Holmedal, see Gaular
Innvik
Joranger
Jostedal
Jølster
Kaupanger
Kinn (Kinden)
Kirkebø, see Kyrkjebø
Kjølsdalen
Kvamsøy
Kyrkjebø
Lavik
Leikanger
Leikanger (Leganger) i Selje
Ljosheim
Loen
Luster (Lyster)
Lærdal
Midtgulen
Mjømna (Mjømen)
Mundal (Fjæreland)
Naustdal (Nøssedal)
Nedstryn
Nes
Nordal
Norddalsfjord
Nord-Vågsøy
Nordsida
Norum
Nærøy
Olden
Old Olden
Oppstryn
Ortnevik
Randabygd
Rinde
Rugsund
Sandane
Sande
Selje
Sogndal
Solund (Sulen)
Solvorn
Stavang
Stedje
Stongfjorden
Stryn (Innvik)
Stårheim
Sulen, see Solund
Svanøy
Svelgen
Sæle
Sør-VågsøySør-Vågsøy
Tjugum (Balestrand)
Totland
Tønjum
Undredal
Urnes
Utvik
Vangen
Vangsnes
Vassenden
Veitastrond
Vereid
Vereide
Vevring (Vefring)
Vik
Vik (Hopperstad, Hove)
Viksdalen
Vilnes
Værlandet
Ytre Holmedal, see Fjaler
Ølmheim
Øn
Ålfoten
Ålhus
Årdal
Villages
Arnafjord
Askvoll
Aurlandsvangen
Austreim
Bakka
Balestrand
Barekstadlandet
Barmen
Barmøya
Berle
Bjordal
Borgund
Brandsøy
Brekke
Bremanger
Bruland
Brulandet
Bryggja
Bygstad
Byrkjelo
Byrknes
Dale
Dalsøyra
Davik
Degnepoll
Deknepollen
Dingja
Eikefjord
Eimhjellen
Eivindvik
Egge
Ervik
Espedal
Feios
Fimreite
Fjærland
Flatraket
Flekke
Flo
Flåm
Fortun
Fresvik
Frønningen
Gaupne
Gimmestad
Grodås
Grov
Guddal
Gudvangen
Hafslo
Hardbakke
Haukedalen
Heggjabygda
Helgheim
Helle
Hermansverk
Hersvikbygda
Hestad
Holvik
Holmedal
Holsen
Hopland
Hovden
Hyen
Hyllestad
Håvik
Høyanger
Indre Offerdal
Indrevevring
Innvik
Instefjord
Isane
Jostedal
Kalvåg
Kandal
Kaupanger
Kjølsdalen
Kjørnes
Kolgrov
Kvalheim
Kvammen
Kvamsøy
Kyrkjebø
Langenes
Langhaugane
Lavik
Leikanger
Leikanger
Leirvik
Loen
Losnegard
Lote
Luster
Lærdalsøyri
Midtgulen
Mjømna
Mogrenda
Myrdal
Naustdal
Nedstryn
Nes
Nese
Norane
Norddalsfjord
Nordfjordeid
Nornes
Nordsida
Nyttingnes
Olden
Oppstryn
Ornes
Ortnevik
Randabygda
Raudeberg
Re
Reed
Refvik
Rognaldsvåg
Roset
Rugsund
Rutledal
Rygg
Sandane
Sande
Seimsdalen
Selje
Silda
Skei
Skjolden
Skorpa
Sogndalsfjøra
Solvorn
Stavang
Steinhovden
Stongfjorden
Straume
Stryn
Stårheim
Svanøya
Svelgen
Sørbøvågen
Sørstranda
Systrond
Tennebø
Totland
Tjugum
Tønjum
Undredal
Urnes
Utvik
Vadheim
Vangsnes
Vassenden
Vedvik
Veitastrond
Vereide
Vik
Vikøyri
Vågsvåg
Ytre Oppedal
Øvre Årdal
Ålfoten
Ålhus
Årdalstangen
Former Municipalities
Borgund
Breim
Brekke
Bru
Davik
Eikefjord
Florø
Hafslo
Innvik
Jostedal
Kinn
Kyrkjebø
Lavik
Lavik og Brekke
Nord-Vågsøy
Sør-Vågsøy
Vevring
Gallery
See also
List of villages in Sogn og Fjordane
List of churches in Sogn og Fjordane
References
External links
County web site
NRK County encyclopedia
Firda – Sogn og Fjordane's largest newspaper
forum.firda.no – Sogn og Fjordane's largest discussion group
Former counties of Norway
History of Vestland
2020 disestablishments in Norway
1763 establishments in Norway