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Buskerud

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Buskerud (Urban East Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈbʉ̂skərʉː] ⓘ) is a county and a current electoral district in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Innlandet, Vestland, Telemark and Vestfold. The region extends from the Oslofjord and Drammensfjorden in the southeast to Hardangervidda mountain range in the northwest. The county administration was in modern times located in Drammen.[2] Buskerud was merged with Akershus and Østfold into the newly created Viken County on 1 January 2020.[3] On 23 February 2022, the Viken County Council voted in a 49 against 38 decision to submit an application to the Norwegian government for a county demerger.[4] Due to this, Buskerud (except the area forming the defunct municipalities of Røyken and Hurum) was re-established in 2024.

Buskerud
County
Buskerud fylke
Flag of Buskerud
Flag
Coat of arms of Buskerud
Coat of arms
Buskerud within Norway
Buskerud within Norway
Coordinates: 60°30′00″N 09°30′00″E / 60.50000°N 9.50000°E / 60.50000; 9.50000
CountryNorway
RegionØstlandet
County IDNO-33
Administrative centreDrammen
Government
 • GovernorKirsti Kolle Grøndahl
  Arbeiderpartiet
  (1999–2020)
 • County mayorTore Opdal Hansen
  Conservative Party
  (2024–)[1]
Area
 • Total14,908 km2 (5,756 sq mi)
 • Land13,794 km2 (5,326 sq mi)
 • Rank#12 in Norway, 4.53% of Norway's land area
Population
 (30 September 2019)
 • Total284,955 Increase
 • Rank8 (5.29% of country)
 • Density18/km2 (50/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years)
6.7 %
DemonymBuskerudfolk
Time zoneUTC+01 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02 (CEST)
Official language formNeutral
Income (per capita)155,400 NOK
GDP (per capita)227,626 NOK (2001)
GDP national rank7 (3.57% of country)
Websitewww.bfk.no
Data from Statistics Norway

Etymology

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The county was named after the old manor Buskerud (Old Norse: Biskupsruð) (Biskopsrøysa) located on the west side of the Drammen River in Åmot, Modum municipality. The first element is the genitive case of biskup, 'bishop' (referring to the Bishop of Hamar), the last element is ruð n 'clearing, farm'. The farm was one of the largest in Buskerud, and the original name of the farm (before it became a benefice) was probably Modum. At the time of the Reformation (c. 1536–39) the farm became property of the Crown at which time the farm then served as the residence of the king's bailiffs until 1668.[5][6][7]

Geography

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Buskerud extended from Hurum at the Oslofjord to the Halling mountains and Hardanger. The county was conventionally divided into traditional districts. These were Hallingdal, Numedal, Ringerike, Lower Buskerud, which was originally part of Vestfold, and Western Vingulmark.

Hallingdal consisted of Flå, Nes, Gol, Hemsedal, Ål and Hol.[8] Numedal consisted of Flesberg, Rollag and Nore og Uvdal.[9] Ringerike consisted of Hole, Krødsherad, Modum, Ringerike and Sigdal. Western Vingulmark consisted of Hurum and Røyken.[10][11] Lower Buskerud consisted of Drammen, Hurum, Kongsberg, Lier, Nedre Eiker, Røyken and Øvre Eiker. The district was merged from parts that belonged to Vestfold and Vingulmark.[12]

Buskerud's western part was a mountainous plateau with forested valleys and high, grassy pastures; its eastern part contains a lowland basin with many lakes and streams. Tyrifjorden and Krøderen were the biggest lakes. Numedalslågen, the third longest river in Norway, starting in Hordaland, ran through Buskerud unto Vestfold where it reached the sea, while river Begna sweeps into lake Sperillen.

Mountains

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History

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Historical population
YearPop.±%
1951156,220—    
1961168,351+7.8%
1971198,852+18.1%
1981214,571+7.9%
1991225,261+5.0%
2001238,833+6.0%
2011261,110+9.3%
2021?300,142+14.9%
2031?332,808+10.9%
Source: Statistics Norway.[13]
Religion in Buskerud[14][15]
religion percent
Christianity
 
 83.01%
Islam
 
 3.14%
Buddhism
 
 0.31%
Other
 
 13.54%

Buskerud was separated from Akershus as an amt of its own in 1685, but the amt was smaller than today. It then consisted of the present districts Eiker, Hallingdal, and Ringerike. The area of the present municipalities of Flesberg, Hurum, Kongsberg, Lier, Nore og Uvdal, Rollag and Røyken were transferred from Akershus amt to Buskerud amt in 1760. The name Buskeruds amt was changed to Buskerud fylke in 1919. The municipality of Skoger was transferred from Vestfold to Buskerud in 1964.[16]

The area Ringerike may once have been a small kingdom. During the 10th century, Norway's kings Olaf Tryggvason and Olaf Haraldsson grew up at Bønsnes in Ringerike. In the valley of Numedal, silver was mined in Kongsberg from the 17th century until discontinued in 1957. Weapons industry had been developed in Kongsberg from 1814, and various high tech industry companies now represent the town's major employers. At Modum there was also Blaafarveværket, a cobalt pigment production works (Blue Colour Works).[17]

Economy

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Winter in Blefjell

Today, agriculture, lumber, wood-pulp mills and other related industries are the county's main economic activities; ample hydroelectric power is produced by the rivers Begna (Begnaelva) and Rands (Randselva) . Buskerud has also a large forested area. Substantial income is derived from high tech industries located in Kongsberg. Other significant income comes from the cabin areas in northern Buskerud.[18][19]

Coat of arms

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Buskerud's coat of arms were adopted in April 1966. It features a blue bear whose colours are symbolic of the blue colour works. The silver background of Buskerud's coat of arms represents the silver industry in Kongsberg.

Number of minorities (1st and 2nd gen.)
in Buskerud by country of origin in 2017[20]
Nationality Population (2017)
  Poland 8,259
  Turkey 2,975
  Lithuania 2,961
  Iraq 2,293
  Afghanistan 1,928
  Somalia 1,874
  Sweden 1,842
  India 1,662
  Pakistan 1,641
  Denmark 1,638
  Kosovo 1,499
  Germany 1,482
  Iran 1,327
  Eritrea 1,211
  Bosnia-Herzegovina 1,206
  Vietnam 1,193
  Thailand 1,095
  Syria 1,043
  Russia 1,040
  Philippines 956

Notable people from Buskerud

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Sports figures

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Entertainers

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Politicians

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Municipalities

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Municipalities in Buskerud
Rank Name Inhabitants[21] Area km2
1   Drammen 62,566 136
2   Ringerike 28,806 1,437
3   Kongsberg 27,817 761
4   Lier 23,267 283
5   Nedre Eiker 22,687 116
6   Røyken 18,894 112
7   Øvre Eiker 16,616 421
8   Modum 12,911 468
9   Hurum 9,045 156
10   Hole 5,976 135
11   Ål 4,672 1,083
12   Gol 4,479 517
13   Hol 4,422 1,669
14   Sigdal 3,514 813
15   Nes 3,420 776
16   Flesberg 2,578 542
17   Nore og Uvdal 2,514 2,281
18   Krødsherad 2,117 341
19   Hemsedal 2,087 715
20   Rollag 1,390 484
21   Flå 998 674
Total   Buskerud 257,673 12,336

Districts

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Main page: Category:Districts of Buskerud

Cities

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Main article: list of towns and cities in Norway

Parishes

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  • Bakke
  • Bragernes
  • Dagali
  • Drammen
  • Efteløt
  • Eggedal
  • Eiker
  • Fiskum
  • Flesberg
  • Flå
  • Frogner
  • Gol
  • Haug, see Eiker
  • Haug i Norderhov
  • Hedenstad
  • Heggen
  • Hemsedal
  • Hol
  • Hole
  • Holmen
  • Holmsbu
  • Hurum
  • Hval
  • Hønefoss
  • Jondalen
  • Komnes
  • Kongsberg
  • Krødsherad (Krydsherred)
  • Lier
  • Lunder
  • Lyngdal
  • Modum
  • Nedre Eiker
  • Nes (i Hallingdal)
  • Nes (i Ådal)
  • Norderhov
  • Nore
  • Nykirke
  • Opdal
  • Rollag
  • Røyken
  • Sandsvær
  • Sigdal (Holem)
  • Snarum
  • Sollihøgda
  • Strømsø
  • Svene
  • Sylling
  • Tangen
  • Torpo
  • Tranby
  • Tuft
  • Tyristrand
  • Uvdal
  • Veggli
  • Viker
  • Ytre Ådal
  • Ådal
  • Ål
  • Drammen Branch (LDS, 1854-1952)
  • Drammen (Den Katolske Apostoliske Menighet, 1877-1935)
  • Drammen and Oslo (Den Katolske Apostoliske Menighet, 1872-1932)
  • Hurum Branch (LDS, 1855-1867)
  • Kongsberg Branch (LDS, 1939-1948* )

Villages

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Main article: list of villages in Buskerud

Former municipalities

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Main article: list of former municipalities of Norway
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  •  
    Blaafarveværket in Modum
  •  
    Hokksund Station
  •  
    Frogner Rectory in Lier
  •  
    Hønefoss Church in Ringerike, burned down 2007.

References

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  1. ^ "Fylkesordfører - Buskerud fylkeskommune". Buskerud. August 23, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  2. ^ Geir Thorsnæs. "Buskerud". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  3. ^ "Prop. 84 S". Norwegian Government. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Fylkestinget har vedtatt søknad om fylkesdeling". Viken County. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  5. ^ Einar Sørensen. "Buskerud gård på Modum". historieboka. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  6. ^ Geir Thorsnæs. "Buskerud hovedgård". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  7. ^ "Buskerud, Modum herad". Matrikkelutkastet av 1950. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  8. ^ Geir Thorsnæs. "Hallingdal". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  9. ^ Geir Thorsnæs. "Numedal". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  10. ^ Per G. Norseng. "Vestfold – gammelt navn". Store norske leksikon. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  11. ^ Svein Askheim. "Vingulmark". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  12. ^ Munch, Peter Andreas (1849). Historisk-geographisk beskrivelse over kongeriget Norge (Noregsveldi) i middelalderen. W. Gram. pp. 5–7.
  13. ^ Projected population - Statistics Norway
  14. ^ Statistics Norway - Church of Norway.
  15. ^ Statistics Norway - Members of religious and life stance communities outside the Church of Norway, by religion/life stance. County. 2006-2010 Archived November 2, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ Geir Thorsnæs. "Ringerike, Hallingdal, Eiker og Buskeruds amt". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  17. ^ Ingolf Jarle Rui. "Modum Blaafarveværk". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  18. ^ Geir Thorsnæs. "Begna". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  19. ^ Asbjørn Vinjar. "Randselva". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  20. ^ "Immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents, by immigration category, country background and percentages of the population". ssb.no. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  21. ^ Statistisk Sentralbyrå (1 January 2010). "www.ssb.no".
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Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Buskerud.
 
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