Regions of Norway

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A geopolitical map of Norway, exhibiting its 19 first-order subnational divisions (fylker or "counties") with Svalbard and Jan Mayen. Each of the country's regions is uniquely coloured.

Norway is divided into five major regions (landsdeler), which consist of counties as follows:

Nord-Norge (also: Nord-Noreg)
- Finnmark
- Troms
- Nordland
Trøndelag
- Nord-Trøndelag
- Sør-Trøndelag
Vestlandet
Sørlandet
- Vest-Agder
- Aust-Agder
Østlandet (also: Austlandet)
- Telemark
- Buskerud
- Hedmark
- Oppland
- Akershus
- Oslo (city)
- Vestfold
- Østfold

The division into regions is, by convention, based on geographical and also dialectical differences, but it also follows the county borders approximately. Other regions exist for various purposes of government. Administratively, the traditional regions as listed above play less of a role – the major administrative units are at county level.

The region Midt-Norge (Midt-Noreg) is often used as a synonym to Trøndelag, but Midt-Norge also normally includes the parts of Møre og Romsdal that belong to the diocese of Nidaros (approximately Nordmøre and Romsdal, but not Sunnmøre). Occasionally, Rogaland, or parts of Rogaland, is grouped with Sørlandet instead of Vestlandet.

Svalbard is not a county and is not usually considered part of Nord-Norge. The governor of Svalbard (sysselmannen) reports to the Department of Justice, whereas the county governors (fylkesmenn) report to the Department of Administration. Also Jan Mayen is an integrated geographical body of Norway. Since 1995 it has been administered by the county governor (fylkesmann) of Nordland.

Bouvet Island in the south Atlantic Ocean, Queen Maud Land and Peter I Island in Antarctica are Norwegian dependencies.