Vest-Agder (; "West Agder") was one of 18 counties (''fylker'') in Norway up until 1 January 2020, when it was merged with

Aust-Agder Aust-Agder (, en, "East Agder") was a county (''fylke'') in Norway until 1 January 2020, when it was merged with Vest-Agder to form Agder county. In 2002, there were 102,945 inhabitants, which was 2.2% of Norway's population. Its area was . The ...

to form Agder county. In 2016, there were 182,701 inhabitants, around 3.5% of the total population of Norway. Its area was about . The county administration was located in its largest city, Kristiansand. Vest-Agder was a major source of timber for Dutch and later English shipping from the 16th century onwards. Historically, the area exported timber, wooden products, salmon,

herring Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans, i ...

, ships, and later nickel, paper, and ferrous and silica alloys. Compared to other counties of Norway, today's exports-intensive industry produces shipping and offshore equipment ( National Oilwell Varco), cranes ( Cargotec), ships (

Umoe Mandal Umoe Mandal AS is a shipbuilding company in the Ulltveit-Moe Group. Their shipyards are based at Mandal in Norway. Founded in 1989 as Kværner Båtservice, later Kværner Mandal, and known as Umoe Mandal since 2000, the company specialises in hig ...

, Flekkefjord Slip), wind turbine equipment, nickel (

Glencore Glencore plc is a Swiss multinational commodity trading and mining company with headquarters in Baar, Switzerland. Glencore's oil and gas head office is in London and its registered office is in Saint Helier, Jersey. The current company was c ...

), and solar industry

microsilica Silica fume, also known as microsilica, (CAS number 69012-64-2, EINECS number 273-761-1) is an amorphous (non-crystalline) polymorph of silicon dioxide, silica. It is an ultrafine powder collected as a by-product of the silicon and ferrosilicon a ...

(

Elkem Elkem is a company that produces silicones, silicon, alloys for the foundry industry, carbon and microsilica, and other materials. Elkem was founded in 1904, has more than 7,000 employees and fields 30 production sites worldwide. Elkem has an oper ...

). A major tourist attraction is

Kristiansand Dyrepark The Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park ( no, Kristiansand Dyrepark) is a zoological garden and amusement park situated in of Kristiansand, Norway. It is Norway's most frequently visited attraction, covering an area of . Established in 1966, it ha ...

. Vest-Agder grew to political prominence with the decision of King Christian IV to establish Kristiansand as a key naval base, trading centre, and bishopric in

1641 Events January–March * January 4 – The stratovolcano Mount Parker in the Philippines) has a major eruption. * January 18 – Pau Claris proclaims the Catalan Republic. * February 16 – King Charles I of England giv ...

, forcing urban citizens and merchants from all over Agder to settle in the city. The county had large-scale emigration to North America from the

1850s The 1850s (pronounced "eighteen-fifties") was a decade of the Gregorian calendar that began on January 1, 1850, and ended on December 31, 1859. It was a very turbulent decade, as wars such as the Crimean War, shifted and shook European politic ...

onwards.

General information

Name

The meaning of the name is "(the) western (part of) Agder". ''Lister og Mandal

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 ...

'' was created on 1 January 1662 and it consisted of the two old

len Len or LEN may refer to: People and fictional characters * Len (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Lén, a character from Irish mythology * Alex Len (born 1993), Ukrainian basketball player * Mr. Len, American hip hop DJ *Le ...

s of '' Lister'' and

Mandal A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

. This name continued until 1 January 1919, when the name was changed to Vest-Agder.

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 12 December 1958. They show an oak tree in yellow on a green background, representing the historic rich nature and oak woods in the area.

Geography

Vest-Agder is the western and southernmost part of the current county of Agder, extending inland from the North Sea and its arm, the Skagerrak, to the southern fringes of Setesdalen, surrounded by the mountain range

Setesdalsheiene Setesdalsheiene () is the collective term for the mountains to the west and east of the Setesdalen valley in Agder county in Southern Norway. The river Otra flows through the valley between the mountains. This area is primarily located in the mu ...

. It includes the southernmost point of the entire country, Pysen island south of

, and the southernmost part of continental Norway, Lindesnes. It has a very broken and hilly surface. From the coast there are six valleys that stretch north into the county: Audnedalen,

Lyngdalen Lyngdalen is a valley in Agder county, Norway. The long valley runs north-south through the municipalities of Hægebostad and Lyngdal. The valley follows the river Lygna from the mountain plateaus in northern Hægebostad to the Lyngdalsfjorden, ...

, Kvinesdalen,

Mandalen Mandalen is a river valley in Agder county, Norway. The long valley runs from the lake Øre in Åseral municipality south through the municipality of Lindesnes and it ends at the sea at the town of Mandal in the south. The river Mandalselva ...

, Sirdalen, and Otradalen (which continues into Aust-Agder where it is called Setesdalen). Most of the habitation lies along the coast, including the towns Kristiansand,

, Flekkefjord, and Farsund. About 31 fjords are located there. The northern portion is mountainous and sparsely settled, while the central upland moors are used for pasturing of cattle and sheep. Since the

Gulf Stream The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension the North Atlantic Current, North Atlantic Drift, is a warm and swift Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida a ...

touches the coast of Vest-Agder, it is also called "the Norwegian Riviera", and Agder as a whole is also called "The California of Norway".

History

The oldest ever remains of a 8,000+ year old human in Norway has been found at Søgne, she endured an almost exclusively marine diet. In Kristiansand, a ''Sarup''-style Neolithic funeral site from 3,400 BC has been excavated. Just before and after the onset of the common era, the region was uniquely rich in sites dedicated to the God Ull (Ullr), and also had a semi-urban settlement at Oddernes (Kristiansand). Norway's first possible all-national king,

Halvdan Svarte Halfdan the Black (Old Norse: ''Halfdanr Svarti''; fl. c. 9th century) was a king of Vestfold. He belonged to the House of Yngling and was the father of Harald Fairhair, the first king of a unified Norway. In sagas According to '' Heimskringla'' ...

, was raised probably in the Kvinesdal valley at a matrimonial manor, his mother was presumably the daughter of King Harald of Agder. He was followed by his son King Harald Fairhair, who had his easternmost manor at Kongsgård near Kristiansand. Churches are known since Viking ages. Vest-Agder was not particularly preeminent in the later Viking and Medieval Ages.

(Vesterrisør) and Kristiansand (Ottrunes) had semi-urban trading centers from the 1300s onwards, but did not enjoy urban economic privileges until the 1632 (Mandal) and 1641 (Kristiansand). A general lack of agricultural fertility made the region remaining a relatively poor part of Norway through the centuries. In the 16th century, Dutch

merchant vessel A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are us ...

s began to visit ports in southern Norway to purchase salmon and other goods. Soon thereafter the export of timber began, as oak from southern Norway was exceptionally well suited for shipbuilding. As the Netherlands developed in the 17th century, it began to suffer from a severe labor shortage, and many families from Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder emigrated to the Netherlands, especially the coastal areas. In the 19th century, emigration to the United States started. One of the most important causes of this emigration was the emergence of

steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

s. While Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder historically had very strong positions in the manufacture and repair of sailing ships, the shift to steamships was poorly utilised and resulted in a cyclical slope for the shipbuilding and shipping industries. Emigration to the United States was a means of escaping from the high unemployment that followed. Many Americans returning to the county after Norway became prosperous. This feature is particularly predominant in Kvinesdal and Farsund in the west, which maintains strong cultural links with the United States. During World War II the area had substantial fortifications and German personnel, with major bases and airfields in Lista, Mandal and Kristiansand.

Batterie Vara Kristiansand Cannon Museum is a museum at Møvik, 8 kilometers west of the town centre of Kristiansand, Norway. The museum has collected authentic equipment from a former military installation. The name The coastal artillery fortress wa ...

near Kristiansand was constructed as one out of two 40 cm coastal artillery forts covering the Skagerrak Sea in conjunction with a similar fort in northern Denmark. After the war, Kristiansand grew considerably whereas other cities lost much of their relative economic and demographic importance.

Municipalities

On 1 January 1838, all the counties were divided into local administrative units each with their own governments (see

formannskapsdistrikt () is the name for Norwegian local self-government districts that were legally enacted on 1 January 1838. This system of municipalities was created in a bill approved by the Parliament of Norway and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January ...

). The number and borders of these municipalities were based on the parishes of the

Church of Norway The Church of Norway ( nb, Den norske kirke, nn, Den norske kyrkja, se, Norgga girku, sma, Nöörjen gærhkoe) is an evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. The church b ...

. Over time the number and locations of these have changed, and at present there are 15 municipalities in Vest-Agder. The municipality of Åseral was part of the neighboring county of

Nedenes 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 ...

until 1880, when it was moved to Vest-Agder.

Municipalities before 2020

Cities

Alleen Alleen or Lyngdal is a town which is the administrative centre of the municipality of Lyngdal in Agder county, Norway. It lies along the east side of the river Lygna, just north of the head of the Rosfjorden and northeast of the head of the Lyngd ...

* Farsund * Flekkefjord * Kristiansand *

Lyngdal is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Lister. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Alleen. Some of the main villages in Lyngdal include Austad, Byremo, Fleseland, Hæ� ...

Parishes

* Austad * Bakke *

Bjelland Bjelland is a village in Lindesnes municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located along the river Mandalselva, about southeast of the village of Byremo (in Lyngdal) and about west of the village of Hægeland (in Vennesla). The vil ...

* Eiken (Egen) * Farsund * Feda *

Finsland Finsland or Finnsland is a village in Kristiansand municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located about northwest of Nodeland and about southeast of the village of Bjelland. The village is very small and it is located in a very ru ...

Fjotland Fjotland is a village in Kvinesdal municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located in the northern part of the Kvinesdalen valley on the northeast side of the lake Fjotlandsvatnet. Fjotland is about southeast of the village of Ha ...

* Flekkefjord * Flekkerøy * Frelseren *

Greipstad Greipstad is a former municipality in the old Vest-Agder county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1913 until its dissolution in 1964 when it became part of Songdalen municipality. The administrative centre of the municipality was the vi ...

* Grim Church, Grim * Grindheim Church (Agder), Grindheim (Grindum) * Gyland Church, Gyland * Halse (Halsaa) * Harkmark Church, Harkmark * Haughom Chapel, Haughom * Hellemyr Church, Hellemyr * Herad Church (Agder), Herad (Herred) * Hidra Church, Hidra (Hitterø) * Holum Church, Holum (Holme) * Hægebostad Church, Hægebostad (Øvre Kvinesdal) * Hægeland Church, Hægeland (Heggeland) * Hånes Church, Hånes * Justvik Church, Justvik * Konsmo Church, Konsmo * Korshamn Chapel, Korshamn * Kristiansand Cathedral, Kristiansand * * Kvinesdal Church, Kvinesdal * Kvævemoen Chapel, Kvævemoen * Kvås Church, Kvås (Qvås) * Laudal Church, Laudal * Liknes, see Kvinesdal * Lista (Vanse) * Ljosland Chapel, Ljosland * Lund Church (Agder), Lund * Lunde Church (Agder), Lunde * Lyngdal Church (Agder), Lyngdal * Mandal Church, Mandal * Nes * Nord-Audnedal * Netlandsnes Chapel, Netlandsnes * Oddernes Church, Oddernes * Randesund Church, Randesund * Sirdal * Spangereid Church, Spangereid * Spind Church, Spind * Søgne Church, Søgne * Old Søgne Church, Old Søgne * Søm Church, Søm * Sør-Audnedal * Tonstad Church, Tonstad * Torridal Church, Torridal * Tveit Church (Agder), Tveit * Valle, Norway, Valle * Vanse Church, Vanse * Vennesla Church, Vennesla * Vestbygda Chapel, Vestbygda * Vigmostad Church, Vigmostad * Voie Church, Voie * Vågsbygd Church, Vågsbygd * Øvrebø Church, Øvrebø * Øvre Sirdal * Øyslebø Church, Øyslebø * Åknes Chapel, Åknes * Åseral Church, Åseral * Flekkefjord Branch (LDS, 1899–1904) * Kristiansand Branch (LDS, 1856–1912) * Kristiansand (Katolske Apostoliske, 1896–1925)

Villages

* Andabeløy * Aukland, Torridal, Aukland * Austad, Lyngdal, Austad * Ausvika * Tingvatn, Birkeland * Bjelland * Bjørnestad * Breland * Brennåsen * Eik, Vest-Agder, Eik * Eiken, Vest-Agder, Eiken * Eikerapen * Feda * Finsland * Fjotland * Fleseland * Grindheim * Grovane * Gyland * Haddeland, Vest-Agder, Haddeland * Harkmark * Heddeland * Homstean * Hægeland * Hæåk * Høllen, Lindesnes, Høllen * Høllen * Hånes * Ime * Justvik, Justvik (Gjusvik) * Kilen, Vest-Agder, Kilen * Kirkehavn * Knaben * Koland * Konsmo * Korshamn * Krossen * Kvås * Kyrkjebygda * Langenes, Vest-Agder, Langenes * Laudal * Liknes * Ljosland * Lohne, Norway, Lohne * Loshavn * Lunde, Sirdal * Lunde, Vest-Agder, Lunde * Mosby, Norway, Mosby * Mushom * Nodeland * Nodelandsheia * Ny-Hellesund * Ore, Farsund, Ore * Randesund * Rasvåg * Røyknes * Sande, Vest-Agder, Sande * Skarpengland * Skofteland * Skomrak * Sira, Norway, Sira * Sirnes * Skålevik * Snartemo * Storekvina * Strai * Svenevig * Svenevik * Tangvall * Tingvatn * Tonstad * Trysnes * Tveit * Vanse * Ve, Norway, Ve * Vedderheia * Vennesla (village), Vennesla * Vestbygd, Vest-Agder, Vestbygd * Vigeland, Norway, Vigeland * Vigmostad * Volleberg * Øvre Eikeland * Øvrebø * Øyslebø * Åknes, Vest-Agder, Åknes * Ålefjær * Ålo * Åna-Sira * Åros, Søgne, Åros * Åvik

Former Municipalities

* Austad (municipality), Austad * Bakke, Norway, Bakke * Bjelland (municipality), Bjelland * Bjelland og Grindum * Eiken, Norway, Eiken * Feda (municipality), Feda * Finsland (municipality), Finsland * Fjotland (municipality), Fjotland * Greipstad * Grindheim * Gyland (municipality), Gyland * Halse og Harkmark * Herad * Hidra, Vest-Agder, Hidra * Holum * Hægeland (municipality), Hægeland * Konsmo (municipality), Konsmo * Kvås (municipality), Kvås * Laudal (municipality), Laudal * Lista * Nes, Vest-Agder, Nes * Nes og Hitterø * Nord-Audnedal * Oddernes (municipality), Oddernes * Randesund (municipality), Randesund * Spangereid * Spind * Sør-Audnedal * Tonstad (municipality), Tonstad * Tveit (municipality), Tveit * Undal * Vigmostad * Øvre Sirdal * Øvrebø (municipality), Øvrebø * Øvrebø og Hægeland * Øyslebø (municipality), Øyslebø * Øyslebø og Laudal

Notable residents

:People from Vest-Agder *Sofus Arctander (1845-1924), Liberal politician, Prime Minister for a brief period in 1905. *Bernt Balchen (1899-1973), aeronaut, WWII pilot, polar navigator, military officer. *Jens Bjørneboe (1920-1976), author and playwright. *Camilla Collett (Wergeland) (1813-1895), author, writer, feminist, emancipator. *Bjøro Håland, country & western musician. *Bjarne Lingås (1933-2011), heavyweight boxer, amateur (198, 14 losses) and professional (14, 2 losses). *Rolf Løvland, musician, composer, director, twice winning European Song Contest. *Herman Wedel Major (1814-1854, born in Ireland), regarded as the founder of modern psychiatry in Norway. *Svein Mathisen (1952-2011), football player for IK Start, Hibernian, and Norway. *Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway (1973-), Crown Princess of Norway. *Jørgen Moe (1813-1882), writer, folklorist (Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, Asbjørnsen og Moe), poet, bishop of Kristiansand. *Nicolai Tangen (1966), hedgefund investor, CEO of the Norwegian Soveregin Wealth Fund (NBIM) since 2020. *Christian Rynning-Tønnesen (1959-), business leader, CEO of Norske Skog, Statkraft. *Emanuel Vigeland (1875-1948), artist, sculptor, painter, creator of Vigeland Park in Oslo. *Gustav Vigeland (1869-1945), artist, sculptor, painter. *Henrik Wergeland (1808-1845), author, writer, playwright, educator, national archivar, bureaucrat, emancipator.

References

External links

* *
Vest-Agder fylkeskommune

Vest-Agder: Norway's southernmost county
{{Authority control Vest-Agder, Former counties of Norway 2020 disestablishments in Norway States and territories disestablished in 2020