Hordaland () was a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

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 ...

, bordering

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 c ...

Buskerud 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 ...

Telemark Telemark is a traditional region, a former county, and a current electoral district in southern Norway. In 2020, Telemark merged with the former county of Vestfold to form the county of Vestfold og Telemark. Telemark borders the traditional ...

, and

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 ...

counties. Hordaland was the third largest county, after

Akershus 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 ...

and

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 ...

, by population. The county government was the Hordaland County Municipality, which is located in

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 ...

. Before 1972, the city of Bergen was its own separate county, apart from Hordaland. On 1 January 2020, the county was merged with neighbouring

county, to form the new

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 ...

county.

Name and symbols

Name

Hordaland (

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...

: ''Hǫrðaland'') is the old name of the region which was revived in 1919. The first element is the plural

genitive case In grammar, the genitive case ( abbreviated ) is the grammatical case that marks a word, usually a noun, as modifying another word, also usually a noun—thus indicating an attributive relationship of one noun to the other noun. A genitive can ...

of ''hǫrðar'', the name of an old Germanic tribe (see Charudes). The last element is ''land'' which means "land" or "region" in the Norwegian language. Until 1919 the name of the county was ''

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 ...

'' which meant "(the) southern (part of) Bergenhus

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 ...

". (The old ''Bergenhus amt'' was created in 1662 and was divided into Northern and Southern parts in 1763.)

Flag

Hordaland's flag shows two golden axes and a crown in red. The flag is a banner of the

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in it ...

derived from the old seal of the guild of St. Olav from Onarheim in Tysnes municipality. This seal was used by the delegates of Sunnhordland in 1344 on the document to install king

Haakon V of Norway Haakon V Magnusson (10 April 1270 – 8 May 1319) ( non, Hákon Magnússon; no, Håkon Magnusson, label= Modern Norwegian) was king of Norway from 1299 until 1319. Biography Haakon was the younger surviving son of Magnus the Lawmender, Ki ...

. It was thus the oldest symbol used for the region and adapted as the arms and flag in 1961. The symbols refer to the patron saint of the guild,

Saint Olav Olaf II Haraldsson ( – 29 July 1030), later known as Saint Olaf (and traditionally as St. Olave), was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. Son of Harald Grenske, a petty king in Vestfold, Norway, he was posthumously given the title '' Rex Per ...

, King of Norway, whose symbol is an axe.

Coat of arms

The

coat-of-arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in i ...

were officially granted on 1 December 1961. They were designed by Magnus Hardeland, but the general design had been originally used in the Sunnhordland region during the 14th century. In the early 20th century, leaders of the county began using the old arms as a symbol for the county once again. The arms are on a red background and consist of two golden axes that are crossed with a golden

crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

above them.

History

Hordaland county had been around for more than one thousand years. In the 7th century, the area was made up of many

petty kingdom A petty kingdom is a kingdom described as minor or "petty" (from the French 'petit' meaning small) by contrast to an empire or unified kingdom that either preceded or succeeded it (e.g. the numerous kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England unified into ...

s under the Gulating and was known as ''Hordafylke'' from around the year 900. In the early 16th century, Norway was divided into four ''len''. The Bergenhus len was headquartered in

and encompassed much of western and northern Norway. In 1662, the ''lens'' were replaced by amts. ''Bergenhus amt'' originally consisted of the present-day areas of Hordaland,

, and

Sunnmøre Sunnmøre (, en, South- Møre) is the southernmost traditional district of the western Norwegian county of Møre og Romsdal. Its main city is Ålesund. The region comprises the municipalities ( no, kommuner) of Giske, Hareid, Herøy, Norddal, ...

and the far northern Nordlandene amt was subordinate to Bergenhus. In the 1680s, Nordlandene and Sunnmøre were split from Bergenhus. In 1763, the ''amt'' was divided into northern and southern parts: ''Nordre Bergenhus amt'' and ''Søndre Bergenhus amt''. When the amt was split, the present day municipality of

Gulen is a municipality in the southwestern part of Vestland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Eivindvik. Other villages in Gulen include Brekke, Byrkne ...

was split with the southern part ending up in Søndre Bergenhus amt. In 1773, the border was re-drawn so that all of Gulen was located in the northern part. Søndre Bergenhus amt was renamed ''Hordaland fylke'' in 1919. The city of

was classified as a city-county ''(byamt)'' from 1831 to 1972. During that time in 1915, the municipality of Årstad was annexed into Bergen. In 1972, the neighbouring municipalities of Arna, Fana, Laksevåg and

Åsane Åsane is a borough of the city of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. The borough makes up the northern part of the city, north of the city centre. Åsane is connected to downtown Bergen by the E16/ E39 highway. The E16 highway continues on t ...

were annexed into the city of Bergen. Also at that same time, the city of Bergen lost its county status, and became a part of Hordaland county.

Government

A county ''(fylke)'' is the chief local administrative area in

. The whole country is divided into 19 counties. A county is also an election area, with popular votes taking place every 4 years. In Hordaland, the government of the county was the Hordaland County Municipality. It included 57 members elected to form 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 ...

''(Fylkesting)''. Heading the ''Fylkesting'' was the county mayor ''(fylkesordførar)''. The last county mayor for the Hordaland County Municipality was

Anne Gine Hestetun Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

. The county also had a County Governor ''(fylkesmann)'' who was the representative of the

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the ...

and

Government of Norway The politics of Norway take place in the framework of a parliamentary, representative democratic constitutional monarchy. Executive power is exercised by the Council of State, the cabinet, led by the prime minister of Norway. Legislative power ...

. Lars Sponheim was the last County Governor of Hordaland. The municipalities in Hordaland were divided among four district courts ''(tingrett)'': Nordhordland, Sunnhordland,

, and

Hardanger 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, and ...

. Hordaland was also part of the

Gulating Court of Appeal The Gulating Court of Appeal ( no, Gulating lagmannsrett) is one of six courts of appeal in the Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the city of Bergen. The court has jurisdiction over the counties of Vestland and Rogaland plus Sirdal Munic ...

district based in Bergen. :no:Hordaland * Nordhordland District Court: Askøy,

Austevoll Austevoll is a municipality and an archipelago in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Midthordland in Western Norway. The administrative centre is the village of Storebø on the island of Huftarøy. Other villa ...

, Austrheim, Fedje, Fjell, Fusa,

Lindås Lindås is a former municipality in the Nordhordland district in the old Hordaland county, Norway. It existed from 1838 until its dissolution on 1 January 2020 when it was merged into the new Alver Municipality. The administrative centre of th ...

, Masfjorden, Meland, Modalen, Os, Osterøy, Radøy,

Samnanger Samnanger () is a municipality in the Midhordland region of Vestland county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Tysse. Other main villages in the municipality include Haga and Bjørkheim in Nordbygda. The ...

, Sund, Vaksdal,

Voss Voss () is a municipality and a traditional district in Vestland county, Norway. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen. Other villages include Bolstadøyri, Borstrondi, Evanger, Kvitheim, Mjølfjell, ...

, Øygarden, and

(Gulen was actually in neighbouring

county) * Sunnhordland District Court:

Bømlo Bømlo is a municipality in the southwestern part of Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnhordland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Svortland. Other villages in Bømlo inclu ...

Etne Etne is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnhordland, although it is also sometimes considered to be part of the district of Haugaland. The administrative centre of the municipality is th ...

Fitjar Fitjar () is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The municipality is located in the traditional district of Sunnhordland. Fitjar municipality includes the northern part of the island of Stord and the hundreds of surrounding islands, mos ...

Kvinnherad Kvinnherad is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnhordland, along the Hardangerfjorden. The municipality was the 5th in size in former Hordaland county. The administrative centre of the ...

Stord Stord is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnhordland. Stord is sometimes called "Norway in miniature" since it has such a variety of landscapes: coastline, fjords, forests, agricultural ...

, Sveio and Tysnes * Bergen District Court: the city of

* Hardanger District Court: Eidfjord,

Granvin Granvin is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county, 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 o ...

Jondal Jondal is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1863 until its dissolution in 2020 when it became part of Ullensvang Municipality in Vestland county. It was located on the Folgefonna peninsu ...

Kvam Kvam is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The municipality is located along the Hardangerfjorden in the traditional district of Hardanger. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Norheimsund. Other larger sett ...

Odda Odda () is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1913 until its dissolution in 2020 when it was merged into Ullensvang Municipality in Vestland county. It was located in southeastern Hordaland c ...

Ullensvang Ullensvang is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Hardanger. The administrative centre is the town of Odda. Some of the notable villages in the municipality include Lofthus, Utne, Vikebygd ...

and Ulvik Most of the municipalities in Hordaland were part of the Hordaland

police district Police district is a form of division of a geographical area patrolled by a police force. The 1885 ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' stated: Police forces using this format include: * Chicago Police Department * Baltimore Police Department * York R ...

and

Solund Solund is a municipality in the county of Vestland, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. Solund is the westernmost island municipality in Norway. Holmebåen on the island of Steinsøy is the westernmost point in all of Nor ...

county were also part of the Hordaland police district.

and Sveio were a part of the ''" Haugaland and Sunnhordland"'' police district, along with eight other municipalities in

county.

Geography

Hordaland is semi-circular in shape. It is located on the western coast of Norway, split from southwest to northeast by the long, deep Hardangerfjorden, one of

's main

fjord In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Icela ...

s and a great tourist attraction. About half of the National park of Hardangervidda is in this county. The county also includes many well-known

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in severa ...

s, such as Vøringsfossen and Stykkjedalsfossen. It also includes the Folgefonna and Hardangerjøkulen

glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such a ...

s. More than 60% of the inhabitants live in

and the surrounding area. Other urban or semi-urban centres include Leirvik,

and

Municipalities

# Askøy #

# Austrheim #

# Eidfjord #

# Fedje #

# Fjell # Fusa #

# Masfjorden # Meland # Modalen #

# Os # Osterøy # Øygarden # Radøy #

# Sund # Sveio # Tysnes #

# Ulvik # Vaksdal #

Districts

* Haugaland * Mauranger * Midhordland * Nordhordland * Stril *

Strilelandet Strilelandet is a loosely defined district in Vestland county, Norway. It is normally defined as Nordhordland and Midhordland except for Bergen. It has traditionally been used as a term within Bergen to describe people who came from the surroun ...

* Sunnhordland *

Cities

* Leirvik *

Parishes

Alversund Alversund is a village in Alver municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located on the mainland of the Lindås peninsula, along the shore of the Alverstraumen strait. The village sits between the villages of Alverstraumen (acr ...

* Arna * Ask * Askøy *

* Austrheim * Bekkjarvik *

Bergsdalen Bergsdalen is a river valley in Vaksdal Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The long valley begins at the lake Hamlagrøvatnet on the border of the municipalities of Vaksdal, Voss, and Kvam. The valley then runs to the northwest along the ...

Birkeland Birkeland may refer to: Places *Birkeland, Agder, the administrative centre of Birkenes municipality in Agder county, Norway *Birkeland Church, a church in the city of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway * Birkeland, Vestland, a village in Austevoll ...

* Biskopshavn * Bjoastrand *

Blomvåg Blomvåg is a village in Øygarden municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located in the central part of the island of Blomøyna, surrounding inner part of the Blomvågen fjord. The Blomvåg Church was built in this village in 1 ...

* Bremnes * Bruvik *

* Old Bømlo * Bønes *

Dale Dale or dales may refer to: Locations * Dale (landform), an open valley * Dale (place name element) Geography ;Australia * The Dales (Christmas Island), in the Indian Ocean ;Canada * Dale, Ontario ;Ethiopia *Dale (woreda), district ;Norway *D ...

Eid Eid as a name may refer to: Islamic holidays An Eid is a Muslim religious festival: * ''Eid Milad un Nabi'', alternate name for Mawlid (, "Birth of the Prophet"), the date of observance of the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad * Eid al ...

* Eidfjord * Old Eidfjord * Eidsvåg * Eksingedal * Emigrant * Erdal * Etne * Evanger * Fana * Fedje * Finnås *

* Fjelberg * Fjell * Fjæra * Foldnes * Førde *

Fridalen Fridalen is a neighborhood in the borough of Årstad in the city of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. The neighborhood lies at the foot of mount Ulriken, between the neighborhoods of Haukeland and Landås. The main attractions in Fridalen inclu ...

* Frøyset * Fusa * Fyllingsdalen * Gjerde *

Gjerstad Gjerstad is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Agder counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is located in the Districts of Norway, traditional region of Sørlandet, in the southeastern part of the county, along the border with T ...

* Grindheim * Haga *

Hamre Hamre may refer to: Places * Hamre Township, Beltrami County, Minnesota, a civil township in Minnesota, United States *Hamre, Osterøy, a village in Osterøy municipality in Vestland county, Norway *Hamre (municipality), a former municipality in Ve ...

* Hatlestrand * Haus * Herdla (Herlø) * Hjelme * Old Hjelme * Holdhus * Holmedal *

Holy Cross Holy Cross or Saint Cross may refer to: * the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus * Christian cross, a frequently used religious symbol of Christianity * True Cross, supposed remnants of the actual cross upon which Jesus was crucified * Feast ...

* Hordabø (Bøe) *

Hosanger Hosanger is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1964. The municipality was located in what is now parts of Alver Municipality and Osterøy Municipality in Ve ...

* Hundvin * Hundvåkøy * Husnes * Hålandsdal *

Kausland Kausland is a village in Øygarden municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located on the southern part of the island of Sotra Sotra or Store Sotra is the name of a large island in Øygarden Municipality in Vestland county, No ...

* Kinsarvik * Knarvik * Kvam *

* Laksevåg * Landro * Landås *

* Loddefjord * Lygra * Lykling *

Manger __NOTOC__ A manger or trough is a rack for fodder, or a structure or feeder used to hold food for animals. The word comes from the Old French ''mangier'' (meaning "to eat"), from Latin ''mandere'' (meaning "to chew"). Mangers are mostly used in ...

* Masfjorden * Meland * Mjelde * Mo *

Moster Moster is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1916 until 1963, when it was merged into the new, larger municipality of Bømlo. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village ...

* Old Moster * Myking *

Møkster Møkster is an island in Austevoll municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The island lies in an archipelago and it sits north of the islands of Litla Kalsøya, Stolmen, and Selbjørn; west of the islands of Drøna and Rostøya; and south o ...

* Nesheim *

Nore Neset Church Nore Neset Church ( no, Nore Neset kyrkje) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Bjørnafjorden Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Hagavik, just west of the municipal centre of Osøyro. It is one of th ...

* Norheimsund * Nygård * Nykirken * Nysæter *

* Olsvik * Onarheim * Opdal (Uggdal) * Oppheim * Os *

Ostereidet Ostereidet is a village in Alver municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located along the Osterfjorden in eastern Alver. The European route E39 highway runs through the village. Ostereidet is one of the larger settlements in e ...

* Raundalen * Reksteren * Røldal (before 1848 in Rogaland) * Salhus *

Sandnes Sandnes () is a city and municipality in Rogaland, Norway. It lies immediately south of Stavanger, the 4th largest city in Norway and together, the Stavanger/Sandnes area is the third-largest urban area in Norway. The urban city of Sandnes lie ...

Sandvik Sandvik AB is a Swedish multinational engineering company specializing in metal cutting, digital and additive manufacturing, mining and construction, stainless and special steel alloys, and industrial heating. The company was founded in Sweden ...

* Seim * Skare * Skjold *

Skånevik Skånevik is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1965. It included the land surrounding both sides of the Skånevikfjorden and its smaller branches: the Åkraf ...

Slettebakken Slettebakken is a neighborhood in the borough of Årstad in Bergen. It has approximately 7,514 residents and covers 112 km² of land and 0.04 km² of freshwater. The neighborhood is bordered by Minde to the west, Kronstad to the north, Landås ...

* Solheim, Bergen * Solheim, Masfjorden *

St James's St James's is a central district in the City of Westminster, London, forming part of the West End. In the 17th century the area developed as a residential location for the British aristocracy, and around the 19th century was the focus of the de ...

* St George's * St John's * St Mark's * St Mary's * Stamnes *

* Store-Kalsøy * Storetveit * Strandebarm *

Strandvik Strandvik is a village in the municipality of Bjørnafjorden in Vestland county, Norway. The village lies on the northern shore of the Bjørnafjorden, about east of Osøyro (across the fjord) and about the same distance southeast of the village ...

* Strudshavn *

Strusshamn Strusshamn is an urban village in the municipality of Askøy in Vestland county, Norway. The village lies along the Byfjorden on the southern coast of the island of Askøy, just west of the large urban village of Kleppestø. Strusshamn is one of ...

* Stødle * Støle (Strødle) * Sund * Sundvor * Sveio * Sæbø * Sælen * Søreide *

Takvam Takvam is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Andreas Takvam (born 1993), Norwegian volleyball player *Magnus Takvam (born 1952), Norwegian journalist *Marie Takvam (1926–2008), Norwegian poet, novelist, writer of children's book ...

* Tveit * Tysnes *

Tyssedal Tyssedal is a village in Ullensvang municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located on the shore of the Sørfjorden about north of the town of Odda. Tyssedal is located in an environment in a valley between the fjord to the wes ...

* Uggdal *

* Ulvik * Uppheim *

Uskedalen Uskedal or Uskedalen is a village in Kvinnherad municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located in a small valley along the southern shore of the Hardangerfjorden, about southwest of the village of Dimmelsvik and about east of t ...

* Utne * Vaksdal * Valen * Valen *

Valestrand Valestrand is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1868 until its dissolution in 1964. It was located on a peninsula on the southern shore of the Bømlafjorden inside the present-day municipa ...

* Varaldsøy * Vikw * Vikebygd *

Vikøy Vikøy is a village in Kvam municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located on the shore of the Hardangerfjorden, about south of the municipal centre of Norheimsund. The village has a population (2019) of 369 and a populat ...

* Vinje *

* Vossestrand *

Ytre Arna Ytre Arna is a settlement in the borough of Arna in the municipality of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. Ytre Arna is principally associated with ''A/S Arne Fabrikker'', the country's first mechanised cotton mill. Ytre Arna Church () is also l ...

* Ytrebygda * Ænes * Ølen * Ølve *

Øystese Øystese is a village in the municipality of Kvam in Vestland county, Norway. It is located along the Hardangerfjord about east of the municipal centre of Norheimsund. Norwegian County Road 7 passes through the village. The village had a po ...

* Åkra (Åkre) *

Ålvik Ålvik is a village in the municipality of Kvam in Vestland county, Norway. The village "urban area" consists of the settlements of Ytre Ålvik og Indre Ålvik (outer and inner Ålvik) and Vikadal. The settlements are located on either side of ...

* Årstad *

Villages

Abbedisso Abbedisso is a small village in the municipality of Askøy in Vestland county, Norway. It is located along the Herdlefjorden near the northwestern tip of the island of Askøy. The village of Io lies directly to the north on the island of Ho ...

Algrøyna Algrøyna or Algrøy is an island in Øygarden Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The island lies just west of the large island of Sotra and north of the small island of Lokøyna. There are a series of bridges connecting it to the islan ...

* Alsåker *

Alveim Alveim is a village in Øygarden municipality in northwestern Vestland county, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northern ...

* Alver * Alverstraumen * Ask *

Askeland, Lindås Askeland is a village in Alver municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located about north of the village of Ostereidet. It sits on a small peninsula along the Hindnesfjorden, a branch off the main Austfjorden. It used to be ...

* Askeland, Radøy * Auklandshamn (Økland) * Austbygdi *

Austevollhella Austevollshella or Austevoll is a village in Austevoll municipality, Norway. Austevollshella is located on the southeastern coast of the island of Hundvåko. The Austevoll Bridge, which connects Hundvåko and Huftarøy islands, is located at Aus ...

Austmarka Austmarka is a village in Alver Municipality (formerly Radøy Municipality) in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located on the southern end of the island of Radøy, about east of the village of Sæbø and about north of the village of Al ...

* Austrepollen * Austrheim * Bakkasund * Bekkjarvik *

* Bolstadøyri * Borstrondi * Botnen * Breistein * Bru (Strandebarm) * Bruvik * Bøvågen * Dale (Dalekvam) * Dalegarden * Dimmelsvik *

Djønno Djønno is a small village on the Oksen Peninsula in the municipality of Ullensvang in Norway's Hardanger district, in Vestland county. Geography Djønno lies near the sea on the west side of the Eid Fjord, about south of the ferry station in ...

* Eidfjord * Eidsvik *

Eikelandsosen Eikelandsosen is a village in the municipality of Bjørnafjorden in Vestland county, Norway. It is located at the end of the Eikelandsfjorden, a small arm off the main Fusafjorden. The village sits to the southeast of the village of Holmefjord, ...

Eitrheim Eitrheim is a village in Ullensvang municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The industrial village is located on a small peninsula near the southern shore of the Sørfjorden, just 3 kilometers (1.9mi) north of the town of Odda. Since 2003, ...

* Erdal * Espeland * Etnesjøen (Etne) * Evanger * Fanahammeren (Fana) * Fedje * Finse *

* Fjelberg * Fjell * Fjæra * Flatkvål *

Flesland Flesland is a village in the borough of Ytrebygda in the municipality of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. It sits on the western coast of the Bergen Peninsula, about southwest of the city centre of Bergen. It is the site of Bergen Airport, Fle ...

* Foldnes *

Fotlandsvåg Fotlandsvåg is a village in Osterøy municipality in Vestland county, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost por ...

* Frekhaug * Fusa * Fyllingsdalen * Førde i Hordaland * Gjermundshamn Ferry Port * Gjetingsdalen *

* Grov * Haga * Hagavik * Haljem *

Hammarsland Hammarsland () is a village in Øygarden municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located on the island of Sotra, just east of the village of Skogsvåg. The village has a population (2019) of 929 and a population density Populat ...

* Hanevik * Hatlestrand * Haugland * Haukanes * Haus *

Havrå Havrå or Havre (sometimes Havretunet or Havråtunet) is a cluster farm along the southern shore of the island of Osterøy in Osterøy municipality, Vestland county, Norway. Havrå is one of the last and best preserved of the common farm clu ...

* Helle * Hernar *

Herøysund Herøysund is a village in Kvinnherad municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located on the southeastern shore of the Hardangerfjorden, about half-way between the villages of Husnes (to the south) and Uskedal (to the north). The ...

* Hjartås * Hjellestad * Holdhus * Holme * Holmefjord *

Horda Horda () is a locality situated in Värnamo Municipality, Jönköping County, Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom ...

* Hundvin * Husa * Husavik * Husnes * Hylkje * Høylandsbygda * Indre Arna * Indre Ålvik * Io *

Isdalstø Isdalstø or Isdalsstø is a village in Alver Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village lies along the southern end of the Radfjorden between the villages of Alversund and Knarvik Knarvik (or Knarrviki) is the administrative centre ...

* Kaland *

* Kinsarvik * Kjøkkelvik * Kleppestø *

Klokkarvik Klokkarvik is a village in Øygarden municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located on the southeastern part of the island of Sotra, approximately 40 minutes outside the city of Bergen. It lies along the coast of Sotra, at the ...

* Knappskog * Knarrevik * Knarrevik (Knarvrika) * Kolbeinsvik * Kolltveit *

Krokeidet Krokeidet is a suburban village in the borough of Fana in the municipality of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. It is located near the end of a small peninsula between the Lysefjorden and Fanafjorden, about south of the city centre of Bergen. ...

* Krossneset * Kvitheim * Kysnesstranda * Laksevåg * Landro * Langevåg *

* Litlabø * Loddefjord * Lofthus *

Lonevåg Lonevåg is the administrative centre of Osterøy municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located on the northern coast of the island of Osterøy, at the end of the long Lonevågen fjord, which branches off the main Osterfjorden ...

* Luro * Lykling *

* Masfjordnes *

Mathopen Mathopen is a suburban village in the borough of Laksevåg in the municipality of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. It lies along the Grimstadfjorden, about southwest of the city centre of Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city ...

* Meland * Milde * Misje * Mo (Modalen) * Mongstad *

* Mosterhamn *

Møvik Møvik or Møvig is a neighbourhood in the city of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. The neighborhood is located in the borough of Vågsbygd and in the district of Voiebyen. It's located in the southeast part of the borough along the shore. I ...

Mundheim Mundheim is a small village in the municipality of Kvam in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the southern part of the municipality, along the Hardangerfjorden, just northwest of the island of Varaldsøy. The village sits at the junc ...

* Nedre Vinjo * Nesheim *

Nesttun Nesttun is an urban settlement in the borough of Fana in the municipality of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. It is located approximately south of the city centre. It was the centre of the old Fana municipality, which merged with Bergen in 1 ...

* Nord-Huglo * Nordrepollen * Nordvik * Norheimsund * Onarheim *

Osa Osa or OSA may refer to: Places * Osa Peninsula, a peninsula in Costa Rica * Osa (canton), a canton in the province of Puntarenas in Costa Rica * Osa Conservation Area, an administrative area in Costa Rica * Osa, India, a village in Allahabad, I ...

Osøyro Osøyro is the administrative centre of Bjørnafjorden municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village lies on the southwestern part of the Bergen Peninsula, along the western shore of the Fusafjorden, about south of the city centre of ...

* Reksteren *

Ringøy Ringøy is a small village in the municipality of Eidfjord in Hordaland county, Norway. The settlement lies on the south side of the Eid Fjord, an inner branch of the Hardanger Fjord. The ferry quay at Ringøy served the ferry connection to ...

* Rong * Rosendal *

Rossland Rossland may refer to: Places *Rossland, British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada **Rossland City, provincial electoral district around Rossland, British Columbia (1903–1912) ** Rossland (electoral district), provincial electoral district aroun ...

Rostøy Rostøya or Rostøy is an island in Austevoll municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located north of the island of Drøna and west of the island of Huftarøy. The village of Kolbeinsvik lies about south of Rostøya. The island is con ...

Rubbestadneset Rubbestadneset is a village in Bømlo municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located on a peninsula on the eastern side of the island of Bømlo, about east of the municipal centre of Svortland. The Stokksundet strait lies to ...

* Røldal * Sagvåg * Salhus * Seim *

Sekkingstad Sekkingstad is a village in Øygarden municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is situated on the west side of the island of Store Sotra. Sekkingstad is the site of a fish factory, which exports fish to countries such as Russia and Japan. The ...

* Seljestad * Skare (Skarde) *

Skjelviki Skjelviki is a small village in the municipality of Askøy in Vestland county, Norway. It is located along the Herdlefjorden on the northern shore of the island of Askøy. It lies just north of the larger village of Hanevik. History Skjelviki ...

Skogsvåg Skogsvågen or Skogsvåg is a village in Øygarden municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located on the eastern coast of the island of Sotra in the northern part of the municipality, just northeast of the village of Hammarsland ...

* Sletta *

Stalheim Stalheim is a village in the municipality Voss in Vestland county, Norway. The small village lies along the European route E16 highway in the northeastern part of the municipality. The village sits at a high point in the inner part of the Nær ...

Stamneshella Stamneshella or Stamnes is a village in Vaksdal municipality, Vestland county, Norway. It is located along the northern part of the Veafjorden, at the entrance to the Vikafjorden. The village is an old church site, with records showing a church ...

* Stanghelle * Steine *

Storebø Storebø is the administrative centre and largest village in Austevoll municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located on the northern part of the island of Huftarøy, just south of the village of Birkeland and northwest of the v ...

* Straume *

* Sundal * Sunde i Sunnhordland * Sveio *

Svortland Svortland or Bremnes is the administrative centre of Bømlo municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located in the north-central part of the island of Bømlo, about west of the village of Rubbestadneset. The village surrounds th ...

Sylta Sylta is a village situated in Upplands-Bro Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of S ...

* Sæbø (Sæbøvågen) * Sæbøvik * Søfteland * Søre Øyane * Sør-Huglo * Søvik *

Toska Toska is an island in Alver Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The island lies just west of the island of Radøy in the Hjeltefjorden, at the entrance to the Radfjorden. A road connection from the village of Manger on Radøy island to ...

* Trengereid *

Tunes Tunes may refer to: Places and jurisdictions * Tunes (Silves), a parish in Portugal * Tunes, Norway, a village in Norway * Tunes, Tunisia, now Tunis, eponymous capital city of Tunisia ** Tunes (see), a suppressed Latin Catholic titular bishopri ...

* Turøyna *

Tveitevåg Tveitevåg is a village in Askøy municipality in Vestland county, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portio ...

* Tysse *

* Tælavåg * Tørvikbygd * Uggdal * Uggdalseidet * Ulvik * Uskedal * Utne * Utsylta * Utåker * Valen *

* Valestrandfossen * Valevåg * Vaksdal * Varaldsøy * Vikadal *

Vikavågen Vikavågen is a village in Øygarden municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village lies on the southeastern coast of the island of Toftøyna. The village has a population (2019) of 656 and a population density Population density (in ag ...

* Vikebygd *

* Vinnes * Vossevangen * Våga * Våge * Våge *

* Ytre Ålvik * Ænes * Ølve * Øvre Eidfjord *

* Ågotnes * Åkra *

Årland Årland is a village in Austevoll municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located on the southern part of the island of Stolmen Stolmen is an island in Austevoll municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The island lies in ...

Årås Årås is the administrative centre of Austrheim municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located in the central part of the island of Fosnøyna Fosnøyna or Fosnøy is an island in the municipality of Austrheim in Vestland cou ...

Former municipalities

* Arna * Bergen landdistrikt * Bremnes * Bruvik *

* Evanger * Fana *

Finnås Finnås is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county, Norway. The municipality, which existed from 1838 until 1916, was located in the traditional district of Sunnhordland. Originally, the municipality encompassed all of the Bømlo ( ...

* Fjelberg *

* Haus * Herdla * Hjelme * Hordabø *

* Hålandsdal * Kinsarvik * Laksevåg *

* Mosterøy * Røldal *

* Strandebarm *

* Sæbø *

* Varaldsøy * Vikebygd * Vossestrand * Ølen * Årstad *

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Hordaland county is

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

with: *

Lower Normandy Lower Normandy (french: Basse-Normandie, ; nrf, Basse-Normaundie) is a former administrative region of France. On 1 January 2016, Lower and Upper Normandy merged becoming one region called Normandy. Geography The region included three departme ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

Kaunas Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Tra ...

, Lithuania *

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

Orkney Islands Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) no ...

Northern Isles The Northern Isles ( sco, Northren Isles; gd, Na h-Eileanan a Tuath; non, Norðreyjar; nrn, Nordøjar) are a pair of archipelagos off the north coast of mainland Scotland, comprising Orkney and Shetland. They are part of Scotland, as are th ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

Christmas Tree

Since 1949 Hordaland has given a Christmas tree to the Scottish Capital city of

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

this is to remember the help given to

Norwegians Norwegians ( no, nordmenn) are a North Germanic ethnic group and nation native to Norway, where they form the vast majority of the population. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegians are descended from the ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

Scots Scots usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: * Scots language, a language of the West Germanic language family native to Scotland * Scots people, a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland * Scoti, a Latin na ...

however since 2008 the tree has been sourced in

but has remained a gift from the people of Hordaland.

Notable residents

* Ole Bull (1810–1880), composer, violinist *

Tore Eikeland Tore is a Scandinavian masculine name. It is derived from the Old Norse name ''Thórir'', which is composed of ''thorr'' which means thunder, and ''arr'' which means warrior. So Thunder Warrior or Thor's Warrior. The most famous person by this n ...

(1990–2011), politician *

Edvard Grieg Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the foremost Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of ...

(1843–1907), composer * Nordahl Grieg (1902–1943), writer *

C. J. Hambro Carl Joachim Hambro (5 January 1885 – 15 December 1964) was a Norwegian journalist, author and leading politician representing the Conservative Party. A ten-term member of the Parliament of Norway, Hambro served as President of the Parliament f ...

(1885–1964), politician * Julius Christopher Hammer (1798–1877). priest and politician *

Ludvig Holberg Ludvig Holberg, Baron of Holberg (3 December 1684 – 28 January 1754) was a writer, essayist, philosopher, historian and playwright born in Bergen, Norway, during the time of the Dano-Norwegian dual monarchy. He was influenced by Humanism, ...

(1684–1754), writer *

Leif Andreas Larsen Leif Andreas Larsen DSO, DSC, CGM, DSM and Bar (9 January 1906 – 12 October 1990), popularly known as "Shetlands Larsen", was a highly decorated Norwegian sailor. He was arguably the most famous of the men who operated the Shetland bus esca ...

("Shetlands-Larsen") (1906–1990), military officer in World War II * Christian Michelsen (1857–1925), politician * Johan Sebastian Welhaven (1807–1873), writer * Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll (1991-presents), DJ, musician * Alan Olav Walker (1997- presents), DJ, musician

References

External links

County web site

Map of Hordaland
{{Authority control Former counties of Norway History of Vestland 2020 disestablishments in Norway States and territories disestablished in 2020