Jæren | |
|---|---|
 One of the many beaches along the Jæren coastline. | |
 Jæren | |
| Coordinates:58°43′N05°45′E / 58.717°N 5.750°E /58.717; 5.750 | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Rogaland |
| Region | Vestlandet |
| Adm. Center | Stavanger |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,642 km2 (634 sq mi) |
| Population (2014) | |
• Total | 309,142 |
| • Density | 188.3/km2 (487.6/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Jærbu |
Jæren is atraditional district inRogaland county,Norway. The other districts in Rogaland areDalane,Ryfylke, andHaugalandet. Jæren is one of the 15 districts that compriseWestern Norway.
At about 700 square kilometres (270 sq mi), Jæren is the largest flat lowland area inNorway, stretching from the municipality ofRandaberg in the north toHå in the south. It includes the wholeStavanger Peninsula and the mainland area at its base. The coast is flat compared to the rest of the mountainous Norwegian coast, and it has sandy beaches along most of the coastline. The largest urban area in Jæren is the adjoining cities ofStavanger/Sandnes (pop. 210,874 in 2015).[1][2]
The petroleum industry around Stavanger is an important part of the economy of Jæren, with the headquarters of the country's largest oil companyEquinor being located in Jæren, as well regional offices of international companies likeExxonMobil,Eni,Shell,ConocoPhillips,BP,Schlumberger,Halliburton,Baker Hughes, and several others. Jæren is also one of the most importantagricultural areas of Norway, with a long crop period and varied and well-developed livestock production. Industry here is also strongly connected to the farming industry, with one of the largest producers of agricultural machines in the world,Kverneland Group, located inTime andKlepp.
TheOld Norse form of the name wasJaðarr[ˈjɑðɑrː]. The name is identical with the wordjaðarr which means "edge" or "brim". Several farms in Norway (around 30) have the same name. The name refers to the 60 km long coastline stretching fromBrusand in the south toTungenes in the north.
Jæren is the largest flat lowland area in Norway. It comprises the coastline from theStavanger Peninsula near the mouth of the greatBoknafjorden all the way, south nearly toEgersund. Unlike most of the Norwegian coastline, there are very few offshore islands and fewfjords cutting into the shoreline.[2]Jærens rev (Jæren's reef) is a partly stony sandbar which extends almost 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) to the west in front of the Revtangen headland in Klepp municipality, the westernmost point of Jæren.[3]
The geographical region of Jæren has eight municipalities:[2]
| Nr. | Coat of arms | Name | Population | Area | Pop. density |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Randaberg | 10,737 | 25 | 429 |
| 2 |  | Stavanger | 132,644 | 71 | 1868 |
| 3 |  | Sola | 26,096 | 69 | 378 |
| 4 |  | Sandnes | 74,820 | 304 | 246 |
| 5 |  | Klepp | 18,970 | 113 | 168 |
| 6 |  | Hå | 18,591 | 258 | 72 |
| 7 |  | Time | 18,572 | 183 | 101 |
| 8 |  | Gjesdal | 11,853 | 618 | 19 |
The geographical region of Jæren constitutes the above-mentioned municipalities, but the description of Jæren varies. Legally speaking, theJæren District Court constitutes only the municipalities ofSandnes,Gjesdal,Forsand,Klepp,Time, andHå. Some areas not traditionally in the area included in the district, and other areas are part of theStavanger District Court.
Religiously speaking, theJæren deanery constitutes the churches in the municipalities of Hå, Klepp, Time, and Gjesdal. Geographically speaking, the municipality of Gjesdal lies in the transition between Jæren andDalane districts, but it is traditionally considered to be part of Jæren.
Confusion over the extent of the district is added by the fact that in everyday language, the nameJæren for most people does not include the towns of Stavanger and Sandnes but only the more rural area to the south.
Media related toJæren at Wikimedia Commons
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