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Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
is divided into 11 
administrative regions Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
, called counties (singular no, fylke, plural nb, fylker; nn, fylke from Old Norse: ''fylki'' from the word "folk", sme, fylka, sma, fylhke, smj, fylkka, fkv, fylkki) which until 1918 were known as '' amter''. The counties form the first-level administrative divisions of Norway and are further subdivided into 356  municipalities (''kommune'', pl. ''kommuner'' / ''kommunar''). The island territories of Svalbard and
Jan Mayen Jan Mayen () is a Norwegian volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean with no permanent population. It is long (southwest-northeast) and in area, partly covered by glaciers (an area of around the Beerenberg volcano). It has two parts: larger ...
are outside the county division and ruled directly at the national level. The capital
Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
is both a county and a municipality. In 2017, the Solberg government decided to abolish some of the counties and to merge them with other counties to form larger ones, reducing the number of counties from 19 to 11, which was implemented on 1 January 2020. This sparked popular opposition, with some calling for the reform to be reversed. The Storting voted to partly undo the reform on 14 June 2022, with Norway to have 15 counties from 1 January 2024. Three of the newly merged counties, namely Vestfold og Telemark, Viken Lars Roede,
Viken og Innlandet: Amatørmessige logoer og uhistoriske navn
" ''Aftenposten'', 11 January 2020
and
Troms og Finnmark Troms og Finnmark (; sme, Romsa ja Finnmárku ; fkv, Tromssa ja Finmarkku; fi, Tromssa ja Finnmark, lit. Troms and Finnmark in English), is a county in northern Norway that was established on 1 January 2020 as the result of a regional reform ...
, will be dissolved and the old counties they were created from will reemerge. The to-be-reestablished counties will see some minor border changes compared to when they were abolished, as some municipalities were merged across former county borders during the 2020 local government reform ( no).


List of counties

Below is a list of the Norwegian counties, with their current administrative centres. Note that the counties are administered both by appointees of the national government and to a lesser extent by their own elected bodies. The county numbers are from the official numbering system ISO 3166-2:NO, which originally was set up to follow the coastline from the Swedish border in the southeast to the Russian border in the northeast, but with the numbering has changed with county mergers. The island territories of Svalbard and
Jan Mayen Jan Mayen () is a Norwegian volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean with no permanent population. It is long (southwest-northeast) and in area, partly covered by glaciers (an area of around the Beerenberg volcano). It has two parts: larger ...
lie outside of the county system of Norway. Svalbard is administered by the
Governor of Svalbard The governor of Svalbard ( no, Sysselmesteren på Svalbard) represents the Norwegian government in exercising its sovereignty over the Svalbard archipelago (Spitsbergen). The position reports to the Norwegian Ministry of Justice, but it main ...
, and Jan Mayen is administered by the County Governor of Nordland (but not part of Nordland).


Responsibilities and significance

Every county has two main organisations, both with underlying organisations. # The county municipality (no: ''Fylkeskommune'') has a
county council A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries. Ireland The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Irel ...
(Norwegian: Fylkesting), whose members are elected by the inhabitants. The county municipality is responsible mainly for some medium level schools, public transport organisation, regional road planning, culture and some more areas. # The county governor (no: ''Fylkesmannen'') is an authority directly overseen by the Norwegian government. It surveills the municipalities and receives complaints from people over their actions. It also controls areas where the government needs local direct ruling outside the municipalities.


History


''Fylke'' (1st period)

From the consolidation to a single kingdom,
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
was divided into a number of geographic regions that each had its own legislative assembly or
Thing Thing or The Thing may refer to: Philosophy * An object * Broadly, an entity * Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant * Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focus ...
, such as Gulating ( Western Norway) and Frostating (
Trøndelag Trøndelag (; sma, Trööndelage) is a county in the central part of Norway. It was created in 1687, then named Trondhjem County ( no, Trondhjems Amt); in 1804 the county was split into Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag by the King of Denmar ...
). The second-order subdivision of these regions was into ''fylker'', such as '' Egdafylke'' and '' Hordafylke''. In 1914, the historical term ''fylke'' was brought into use again to replace the term
amt Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only in Germany, but formerly also common in other countries of Northern Europe. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to ...
introduced during the union with
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establishe ...
. Current day counties (fylker) often, but not necessarily, correspond to the historical areas.


''Fylke'' in the 10th-13th centuries

Counties (''folkland'') under the Borgarting, located in Viken with the seat at Sarpsborg: *'' Rånrike'' *'' Vingulmark'' *''
Vestfold Vestfold is a traditional region, a former county and a current electoral district in Eastern Norway. In 2020 the county became part of the much larger county of Vestfold og Telemark. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it bordered t ...
'' *'' Grenland'' Counties (first three ''fylke'', last two '' bilandskap'') under the Eidsivating, located in Oplandene with the seat at Eidsvoll: *''Raumafylke'' ( Glåmdalen, Romerike, Solør) *''Heinafylke'' ( Gjøvik, Hedmarken) *''Hadafylke'' ( Hadeland, Land, Toten) *'' Gudbrandsdal'' *'' Østerdal'' Counties under the Gulating, located in Vestlandet with the seat at Gulen: *'' Sunnmærafylke'' *''Firdafylke'' ( Nordfjord, Sunnfjord) *'' Sygnafylke'' *'' Valdres and Hallingdal'' *'' Hordafylke'' *'' Rygjafylke'' *'' Setesdal'' *'' Egdafylke'' Counties under the Frostating, located in
Trøndelag Trøndelag (; sma, Trööndelage) is a county in the central part of Norway. It was created in 1687, then named Trondhjem County ( no, Trondhjems Amt); in 1804 the county was split into Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag by the King of Denmar ...
with the seat at Frosta: *''Eynafylke'' *'' Sparbyggjafylke'' *'' Verdælafylke'' *''Skeynafylke'' *'' Orkdælafylke'' *'' Gauldælafylke'' *'' Stjordælafylke'' *'' Strindafylke'' *'' Naumdælafylke'' *'' Nordmærafylke'' *'' Romsdælafylke'' Counties not attached to a ''
thing Thing or The Thing may refer to: Philosophy * An object * Broadly, an entity * Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant * Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focus ...
'': *'' Jamtaland'' *'' Herjedalen'' *'' Håløygjafylke'' **'' Helgeland'' **'' Salten'' **''
Lofoten Lofoten () is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Lofoten has distinctive scenery with dramatic mountains and peaks, open sea and sheltered bays, beaches and untouched lands. There are two towns, Svolv ...
'' and '' Vesterålen'' **'' Trondenes'' Finnmark (including northern Troms), the
Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic archipelago, island group and an autonomous territory of the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. They are located north-northwest of Scotlan ...
, the Orkney Islands,
Shetland Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the ...
, the
Hebrides The Hebrides (; gd, Innse Gall, ; non, Suðreyjar, "southern isles") are an archipelago off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner and Outer Hebrid ...
, Isle of Man,
Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...
and
Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is ...
were Norwegian '' skattland'' ("taxed countries"), and did not belong to any known counties or assembly areas.


''Syssel''


''Syssel'' in 1300

From the end of the 12th century, Norway was divided into several ''syssel''. The head of the ''syssel'' was the ''syslemann'', who represented the king locally. The following shows a reconstruction of the different ''syssel'' in Norway c. 1300, including sub-''syssel'' where these seem established. *'' Elvesysle'' *'' Rånrike'' *'' Borgarsysle'' (two parts) *'' Romerike'' (two parts, "northern" and "southern") *''
Hedmark Hedmark () was a county in Norway before 1 January 2020, bordering Trøndelag to the north, Oppland to the west, Akershus to the south, and Sweden to the east. The county administration is in Hamar. Hedmark and Oppland counties were merg ...
'' (two parts, "northern" and "southern") *''
Østerdalen Østerdalen () is a valley and traditional district in Innlandet county, in Eastern Norway. This area typically is described as the large Glåma river valley as well as all its tributary valleys. It includes the municipalities Rendalen, Alvda ...
'' **''"north of Åmot"'' **''"south of Åmot"'' *'' Gudbrandsdalen'' **''"north of Ruste"'' **''"south of Ruste"'' *'' Hadeland'' (later '' Ringerike'', two parts, "northern" and "outer") *'' Valdres'' and '' Hallingdal'' (two parts) *'' Numedal'' and '' Telemark''? *'' Tverrdalane'' and '' Modum''? *''
Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
sysle'' (northern ''lut'' and western ''lut'') *'' Tønsbergsysle'' *'' Skiensysle'' *''Eastern part'' (later ''
Nedenes Nedenes is a village in Arendal Arendal () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Agder counties of Norway, county in southeastern Norway. Arendal belongs to the Districts of Norway, region of Southern Norway, Sørlandet. The ...
'') *'' Robyggjelag'' *'' Agder Midtsysla'' *'' Lista'' *'' Rygjafylke'' **''"north of the fjord"'' **''"south of the fjord"'' *'' Hordaland'' ('' Nordhordland''? and '' Sunnhordland''?) *'' Hardanger'' *'' Voss'' *'' Sogn'' (two parts?) *'' Sunnfjord'' *'' Nordfjord'' *'' Sunnmøre'' *'' Romsdal'' *'' Nordmøre''? **'' Nordmørafylke'' *''
Orkdal Orkdal is a former municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 2020 when it joined Orkland Municipality. It was part of the Orkdalen region. The administrative centre of the munici ...
'' *'' Gauldal'' *'' Strinda'' *'' Herjedalen'' *'' Jemtland'' *'' Stjørdal'' *'' Skogn'' *'' Verdal'' *'' Sparbu'' *'' Eynafylke'' *''Northern part''? (later '' Fosen'') *'' Namdalen'' **''"upper half"'' ('' Overhalla'') **''"lower half'' (later '' Njardøy'') *'' Hålogaland'' (two parts) *'' Troms''? *'' Finnmark''?


''Len''

From 1308, the term ''len'' (plural ''len'') in
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
signified an administrative region roughly equivalent to today's counties. The historic ''len'' was an important administrative entity during the period of Dano-Norwegian unification after their
amalgamation Amalgamation is the process of combining or uniting multiple entities into one form. Amalgamation, amalgam, and other derivatives may refer to: Mathematics and science * Amalgam (chemistry), the combination of mercury with another metal ** Pan am ...
as one state, which lasted for the period 1536–1814. At the beginning of the 16th century the political divisions were variable, but consistently included four main ''len'' and approximately 30 smaller sub-regions with varying connections to a main ''len''. Up to 1660 the four principal ''len'' were headquartered at the major fortresses Bohus Fortress,
Akershus Fortress Akershus Fortress ( no, Akershus Festning, ) or Akershus Castle ( no, Akershus slott ) is a medieval castle in the Norwegian capital Oslo that was built to protect and provide a royal residence for the city. Since the Middle Ages the fortress ha ...
, Bergenhus Fortress and the fortified city of
Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, an ...
. The sub-regions corresponded to the church districts for the
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
church in Norway.


''Len'' in 1536

* Båhus len (later termed Bohuslän after Denmark-Norway ceded it to Sweden by the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658) * Akershus len * Trondheim len * Bergenhus len (which included
Northern Norway Northern Norway ( nb, Nord-Norge, , nn, Nord-Noreg; se, Davvi-Norga) is a geographical region of Norway, consisting of the two northernmost counties Nordland and Troms og Finnmark, in total about 35% of the Norwegian mainland. Some of the la ...
) These four principal ''len'' were in the 1530s divided into approximately 30 smaller regions. From that point forward through the beginning of the 17th century the number of subsidiary ''len'' was reduced, while the composition of the principal ''len'' became more stable.


''Len'' in 1660

From 1660 Norway had nine principal ''len'' comprising 17 subsidiary ''len'': * * * * * * Bergenhus len * * * ''Len'' written as ''län'' continues to be used as the administrative equivalent of county in Sweden to this day. Each ''len'' was governed by a ''lenman''.


''Amt''

With the royal decree of 19 February 1662, each ''len'' was designated an ''amt'' (plural ''amt'') and the ''lenmann'' was titled ''
amtmann __NOTOC__ The ''Amtmann'' or ''Ammann'' (in Switzerland) was an official in German-speaking countries of Europe and in some of the Nordic countries from the time of the Middle Ages whose office was akin to that of a bailiff. He was the most se ...
'', from German ''Amt'' (office), reflecting the bias of the Danish court of that period.


''Amt'' in 1671

After 1671 Norway was divided into four principal ''amt'' or ''stiftsamt'' and there were nine subordinate ''amt'': *
Akershus amt Akershus () is a traditional region and current electoral district in Norway, with Oslo as its main city and traditional capital. It is named after the Akershus Fortress in Oslo. From the middle ages to 1919, Akershus was a fief and main county ...
** Smålenene amt ** Brunla amt * Agdesiden amt ** Bratsberg amt **
Stavanger amt Stavanger (, , US usually , ) is a city and municipality in Norway. It is the fourth largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the administrative center of Rogaland county. T ...
*
Bergenhus amt Bergenhus len was an administrative division of the Kingdom of Norway that existed from 1503 to 1662, with the Bergenhus Fortress in Bergen as its administrative center Norwegian administrative division. The ''len'' was changed to an ''amt'' (distr ...
** Halsnøy klostergods **
Hardanger amt Hardanger is a traditional district in the western part of Norway, dominated by the Hardangerfjord and its inner branches of the Sørfjorden and the Eid Fjord. It consists of the municipalities of Ullensvang, Eidfjord, Ulvik and Kvam, a ...
** Nordlandene amt *
Trondheim amt Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...
** Romsdalen amt ** Vardøhus amt


''Amt'' in 1730

From 1730 Norway had the following ''amt'': * Vardøhus amt * Tromsø amt * Nordlands amt *
Nordre Trondhjems amt ''Nordre'' (Northern), formerly known as ''Haramsnytt'' (The Haram News), is a local Norwegian newspaper covering events in the northern part of the municipality of Ålesund in Møre og Romsdal county. History The newspaper was established as ''Ha ...
* Søndre Trondhjems amt * Romsdalen amt * Nordre Bergenhus amt *
Søndre Bergenhus amt Hordaland () was a Counties of Norway, county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark, and Rogaland counties. Hordaland was the third largest county, after Akershus and Oslo, by population. The county government was the Hordala ...
*
Stavanger amt Stavanger (, , US usually , ) is a city and municipality in Norway. It is the fourth largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the administrative center of Rogaland county. T ...
*
Lister og Mandals amt Lister or Lyster may refer to: Names * Lister (surname), also Lyster and Litster * Lyster Kirkpatrick (1885–1921), Australian rules footballer * Lyster Hoxie Dewey (1865–1944), American botanist * Joseph Lister (1827–1912), British physicia ...
*
Nedenes amt Nedenes is a village in Arendal municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located in the southern part of Arendal, just north of the municipal border with Grimstad. The Norwegian County Road 420 runs through the village heading north t ...
* Bratsberg amt *
Buskerud amt Buskerud () is a former 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 Har ...
* Oplandenes amt * Hedemarkens amt *
Akershus amt Akershus () is a traditional region and current electoral district in Norway, with Oslo as its main city and traditional capital. It is named after the Akershus Fortress in Oslo. From the middle ages to 1919, Akershus was a fief and main county ...
* Smaalenenes amt At this time there were also two counties (grevskap) controlled by actual
count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New Yor ...
s, together forming what is now
Vestfold Vestfold is a traditional region, a former county and a current electoral district in Eastern Norway. In 2020 the county became part of the much larger county of Vestfold og Telemark. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it bordered t ...
county: * Laurvigen county *
Jarlsberg county Jarlsberg was a former countship that forms a part of today's Vestfold county in Norway. The former countships of Jarlsberg and Larvik were merged into a county in 1821. Jarlsberg and Larvik's County (''Jarlsberg og Larviks amt'') were renamed ...


''Amt'' in 1760

In 1760 Norway had the following ''stiftamt'' and ''amt'': * Akershus stiftamt ** Opplands amt **
Akershus amt Akershus () is a traditional region and current electoral district in Norway, with Oslo as its main city and traditional capital. It is named after the Akershus Fortress in Oslo. From the middle ages to 1919, Akershus was a fief and main county ...
** Smålenenes amt ** Laurvigen county **
Jarlsberg county Jarlsberg was a former countship that forms a part of today's Vestfold county in Norway. The former countships of Jarlsberg and Larvik were merged into a county in 1821. Jarlsberg and Larvik's County (''Jarlsberg og Larviks amt'') were renamed ...
** Bratsberg amt (eastern half) * Agdesiden stiftamt **Bratsberg amt (western half) **
Nedenes amt Nedenes is a village in Arendal municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located in the southern part of Arendal, just north of the municipal border with Grimstad. The Norwegian County Road 420 runs through the village heading north t ...
** Lister and Mandal amt **
Stavanger amt Stavanger (, , US usually , ) is a city and municipality in Norway. It is the fourth largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the administrative center of Rogaland county. T ...
*
Bergenhus stiftamt Bergenhus is a borough of the city of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. This borough encompasses the city centre and is the most urbanized area of the whole city. The borough has a population (2014) of 40,606. This gives Bergenhus a populatio ...
**
Romsdal amt Romsdal is a traditional district in the Norwegian county Møre og Romsdal, located between Nordmøre and Sunnmøre. The district of Romsdal comprises Aukra, Fræna, Midsund, Molde, Nesset, Rauma, Sandøy, and Vestnes. It is named after t ...
(southern half) *
Trondheim stiftamt Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most pop ...
**Romsdal amt (northern half) ** Nordlands amt ** Vardøhus amt


''Fylke'' (2nd period)

From 1919 each ''amt'' was renamed a ''fylke'' (plural ''fylke(r)'') (county) and the ''amtmann'' was now titled ''fylkesmann'' (county governor). * Østfold ''fylke'' * Akershus ''fylke'' *
Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
''fylke'' *
Hedmark Hedmark () was a county in Norway before 1 January 2020, bordering Trøndelag to the north, Oppland to the west, Akershus to the south, and Sweden to the east. The county administration is in Hamar. Hedmark and Oppland counties were merg ...
''fylke'' *
Oppland Oppland is a former county in Norway which existed from 1781 until its dissolution on 1 January 2020. The old Oppland county bordered the counties of Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. Th ...
''fylke'' * Buskerud ''fylke'' *
Vestfold Vestfold is a traditional region, a former county and a current electoral district in Eastern Norway. In 2020 the county became part of the much larger county of Vestfold og Telemark. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it bordered t ...
''fylke'' * Telemark ''fylke'' * Aust-Agder ''fylke'' * Vest-Agder ''fylke'' *
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 admin ...
''fylke'' *
Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula o ...
''fylke'', merged into Hordaland fylke in 1972 * Hordaland ''fylke'' * Sogn og Fjordane ''fylke'' * Møre og Romsdal ''fylke'' * Sør-Trøndelag ''fylke'', merged into Trøndelag ''fylke'' in 2018 * Nord-Trøndelag ''fylke'', merged into Trøndelag ''fylke'' in 2018 *
Trøndelag Trøndelag (; sma, Trööndelage) is a county in the central part of Norway. It was created in 1687, then named Trondhjem County ( no, Trondhjems Amt); in 1804 the county was split into Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag by the King of Denmar ...
''fylke'', created in 2018 *
Nordland Nordland (; smj, Nordlánnda, sma, Nordlaante, sme, Nordlánda, en, Northland) is a county in Norway in the Northern Norway region, the least populous of all 11 counties, bordering Troms og Finnmark in the north, Trøndelag in the south, ...
''fylke'' * Troms ''fylke'' * Finnmark ''fylke'' The county numbers are from the official numbering system ISO 3166-2:NO, which originally was set up to follow the coastline from the Swedish border in the southeast to the Russian border in the northeast, but the numbering has changed with county mergers. The number 13, 16 and 17 were dropped, and the number 50 was added to account for changes over the years. The lack of a county number 13 is due to the city of
Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula o ...
no longer being its own county, and is unrelated to fear of the number 13. In 2018, Sør-Trøndelag was merged with Nord-Trøndelag into the new county of
Trøndelag Trøndelag (; sma, Trööndelage) is a county in the central part of Norway. It was created in 1687, then named Trondhjem County ( no, Trondhjems Amt); in 1804 the county was split into Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag by the King of Denmar ...
, and several followed.


''Fylke'' (3rd period)

In 2017 the Norwegian government announced the merge of the existing 19 fylker into 11 new fylker by 2020. As a result, several government responsibilities were transferred to the new regions. ; New fylker *
Troms og Finnmark Troms og Finnmark (; sme, Romsa ja Finnmárku ; fkv, Tromssa ja Finmarkku; fi, Tromssa ja Finnmark, lit. Troms and Finnmark in English), is a county in northern Norway that was established on 1 January 2020 as the result of a regional reform ...
, by merging Finnmark and Troms counties in 2020. *
Nordland Nordland (; smj, Nordlánnda, sma, Nordlaante, sme, Nordlánda, en, Northland) is a county in Norway in the Northern Norway region, the least populous of all 11 counties, bordering Troms og Finnmark in the north, Trøndelag in the south, ...
, no change, same as Nordland county. *
Trøndelag Trøndelag (; sma, Trööndelage) is a county in the central part of Norway. It was created in 1687, then named Trondhjem County ( no, Trondhjems Amt); in 1804 the county was split into Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag by the King of Denmar ...
, by merging Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag counties in 2018. * Møre og Romsdal, no change, same as Møre og Romsdal county. *
Vestland Vestland is a county in Norway established on 1 January 2020. The county is located in Western Norway and it is centred around the city of Bergen, Norway's second largest city. The administrative centre of the county is the city of Bergen, whe ...
, by merging Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane counties in 2020. *
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 admin ...
, no change, same as Rogaland county. * Agder, by merging Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder counties in 2020. * Vestfold og Telemark, by merging Vestfold and Telemark counties in 2020. *
Innlandet Innlandet is a county in Norway. It was created on 1 January 2020 with the merger of the old counties of Oppland and Hedmark (the municipalities of Jevnaker and Lunner were transferred to the neighboring county of Viken on the same date). The n ...
, by merging Hedmark and Oppland counties in 2020. * Viken, by merging Akershus, Buskerud, and Østfold counties in 2020. *
Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
, no change, same as Oslo county.


See also

* Municipalities of Norway * Regions of Norway * Traditional districts of Norway * Metropolitan regions of Norway *
Subdivisions of the Nordic countries The subdivisions of the Nordic countries are similar given the countries' shared culture and history. Denmark *Denmark proper **5 regions () **98 municipalities () *2 autonomous insular overseas dependencies **Faroe Islands ***6 regions ***30 ...
* Lists of County Governors of Norway


References


Footnotes


Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Counties Of Norway Subdivisions of Norway Counties Norway 1 Counties, Norway Norway geography-related lists 21st-century disestablishments in Norway