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Coordinates: 58°34′59″N 7°34′59″E / 58.583, 7.583

Vest-Agder fylke
—  County  —
Vest-Agder våpen
Coat of arms
Vest-Agder kart
Vest-Agder within Norway
Country Norway
County Vest-Agder
Region Sørlandet
County ID NO-10
Official language form Neutral
Demonym Vestegde [1]
Administrative centre Kristiansand
Government
 • Governor Ann-Kristin Olsen
  (since 1998)
 • County Mayor Thore Westermoen
  Kristelig Folkeparti
  (since 2003)
Area(#15 in Norway, 2.19% of Norway's land area)
 • Total 7,276 km2 (2,809 sq mi)
 • Land 6,677 km2 (2,578 sq mi)
Population (2008)
 • Total 166,976
 • Density 24/km2 (60/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years) 7.8 %
 • Rank in Norway 14 (3.50% of nation)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Income (per capita) 137,000 NOK
GDP (per capita) 219,928 NOK (2001)
National Rank: 14 (2.27% of nation)
Website www.vaf.no
Data from Statistics Norway

About this sound Vest-Agder  (West Agder) is a county in Norway, bordering Rogaland to the west and Aust-Agder to the east. In 2002 there were 157,851 inhabitants, which is 3.4% of the total population in Norway. Its area is 7,281 km2 (2,811 sq mi). The county administration is located in Kristiansand.

Shipping, commerce and recreation are the main industries here. Compared to other counties of Norway, Vest-Agder is noted for having the highest level of foreign exports. Another international dimension linked to the county is the large-scale emigration to North America that took place from the 1850s and onwards, which resulted in many Americans returning to the county after Norway became prosperous. This feature is particularly predominant in Kvinesdal and Farsund, which maintains strong cultural links with the United States.

General information[]

Name[]

The meaning of the name is "(the) western (part of) Agder". See also: Aust-Agder

Lister og Mandal amt was created on 1 January 1662 and it consisted of the two old lens of Lister (now Lista) and Mandal. 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 rich nature in the area.[2]

Geography[]

Vest-Agder is the southernmost county in Norway, extending inland from the North Sea and its arm, the Skagerrak, to the southern fringes of Setesdalen, surrounded by the mountain range Setesdalsheiene. It includes the southernmost point of the entire country, Pysen island south of Mandal, 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, Kvinesdalen, Mandalen, 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, Mandal, 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 touches the coast of Vest-Agder, it is also called "the Norwegian Riviera".

History[]

Historical population
Year Pop. ±%
1951 96,942
1961 109,083 +12.5%
1971 124,171 +13.8%
1981 136,718 +10.1%
1991 145,091 +6.1%
2001 156,878 +8.1%
2011 172,408 +9.9%
2021? 197,664 +14.6%
2031? 219,898 +11.2%
Source: Statistics Norway[3].
Religion in Vest-Agder[4][5]
religion percent
Christianity
  
85.66%
Islam
  
1.29%
Buddhism
  
0.33%
Other
  
12.72%

In the 16th century, Dutch merchant vessels 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 18th century, it began to suffer from a severe labor shortage, and many families from Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder emigrated to the Netherlands.

In the 19th century, emigration to the United States started. One of the most important causes of this emigration was the emergence of steamships. While Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder had historically had very strong positions in the manufacture and repair of sailing ships, the change to steam resulted in very hard times for this industry. Emigration to the United States was a means of escaping from the high unemployment that followed.[6]

Municipalities[]

On 1 January 1838, all the counties were divided into local administrative units each with their own governments (see formannskapsdistrikt). The number and borders of these municipalities were based on the parishes of the Church of Norway. 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 until 1880, when it was moved to Vest-Agder.[7]

VestAgder-kommuner

Municipalities in Vest-Agder

Rank Name Inhabitants Area km²
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 Kristiansand kommune Kristiansand &&&&&&&&&&081295.&&&&&081,295 &&&&&&&&&&&&0261.&&&&&0261
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 Mandal kommune Mandal &&&&&&&&&&014696.&&&&&014,696 &&&&&&&&&&&&0212.&&&&&0212
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 Vennesla kommune Vennesla &&&&&&&&&&013116.&&&&&013,116 &&&&&&&&&&&&0363.&&&&&0363
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 Søgne kommune Søgne &&&&&&&&&&010509.&&&&&010,509 &&&&&&&&&&&&0144.&&&&&0144
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 Farsund kommune Farsund &&&&&&&&&&&09310.&&&&&09,310 &&&&&&&&&&&&0252.&&&&&0252
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 Flekkefjord kommune Flekkefjord &&&&&&&&&&&09003.&&&&&09,003 &&&&&&&&&&&&0482.&&&&&0482
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 Lyngdal kommune Lyngdal &&&&&&&&&&&07739.&&&&&07,739 &&&&&&&&&&&&0372.&&&&&0372
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 Songdalen kommune Songdalen &&&&&&&&&&&05940.&&&&&05,940 &&&&&&&&&&&&0207.&&&&&0207
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 Kvinesdal kommune Kvinesdal &&&&&&&&&&&05776.&&&&&05,776 &&&&&&&&&&&&0893.&&&&&0893
&&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010 Lindesnes kommune Lindesnes &&&&&&&&&&&04661.&&&&&04,661 &&&&&&&&&&&&0299.&&&&&0299
&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 Marnardal kommune Marnardal &&&&&&&&&&&02231.&&&&&02,231 &&&&&&&&&&&&0379.&&&&&0379
&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012 Sirdal kommune Sirdal &&&&&&&&&&&01790.&&&&&01,790 &&&&&&&&&&&01555.&&&&&01,555
&&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013 Audnedal kommune Audnedal &&&&&&&&&&&01670.&&&&&01,670 &&&&&&&&&&&&0251.&&&&&0251
&&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014 Hægebostad kommune Hægebostad &&&&&&&&&&&01624.&&&&&01,624 &&&&&&&&&&&&0426.&&&&&0426
&&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015 Åseral kommune Åseral &&&&&&&&&&&&0917.&&&&&0917 &&&&&&&&&&&&0801.&&&&&0801
Total Vest-Agder &&&&&&&&&0170377.&&&&&0170,377 &&&&&&&&&&&07281.&&&&&07,281

See also[]

  • Aust-Agder
  • Sørlandet
  • Agder
  • Former municipalities of Vest-Agder

External links[]

References[]


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Vest-Agder. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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