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Western Norway Vestlandet (Norwegian) | |
|---|---|
 | |
.svg) | |
| Country | Norway |
| County capitals | Bergen Molde Stavanger |
| Counties (fylker,fylke) | Møre og Romsdal Vestland Rogaland |
| Area | |
• Total | 58,582 km2 (22,619 sq mi) |
| • Land | 55,411 km2 (21,394 sq mi) |
| Population (2020 est.) | |
• Total | 1,505,200 |
| • Density | 26/km2 (67/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Vestlending |
| Nominal GDP (2013) | $57 billion |
| Nominal GDP per capita (2013) | $41,000 |
| Website | Vestlandsrådet |
Western Norway (Bokmål:Vestlandet, Vest-Norge;Nynorsk:Vestlandet, Vest-Noreg) is theregion along the Atlantic coast of southernNorway. It consists of thecountiesRogaland,Vestland, andMøre og Romsdal. The region has no official or political-administrative function. The region has a population of approximately 1.4 million people. The largest city isBergen and the second-largest isStavanger. Historically the regions ofAgder,Vest-Telemark,Hallingdal,Valdres, and northern parts ofGudbrandsdal have been included in Western Norway.[1][2]
Western Norway, as well as other parts of historical regions of Norway, shares a common history withDenmark, theFaroe Islands andIceland and to a lesser extent theNetherlands and Britain. For example, theIcelandic horse is a close relative of theFjord horse and both theFaroese andIcelandic languages are based on the Old West Norse.
In earlyNorse times, people from Western Norway became settlers at theWestern Isles in theNorthern Atlantic,Orkney,Shetland, theFaroe Islands andIceland. During theViking Age settlements were made at theHebrides,Man andIreland proper.
In early modern times, Western Norway experienced much emigration to theUnited States,Canada, and to a lesser extent to theUnited Kingdom. This applies particularly to the US states ofMinnesota,North andSouth Dakota,Wisconsin,Montana, and the Canadian province ofManitoba. TheIcelandic andFaroese people, and many people in theBritish Isles, are descendants ofNorsemen andVikings who emigrated from Western Norway during theViking Age. On the other hand, thousands of Western Norwegians are descendants ofDutch andGerman traders who arrived in the 16th and the 17th centuries, especially in Bergen.[3]
Vestland is also the name of a county consisting of two former counties, viz. Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane.[4] The two counties were re-merged after having been split in 1763 (then calledSøndre Bergenhus andNordre Bergenhus, respectively).
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Norway's history begins on the west coast, particularly inRogaland. Excavations and rock art tells us that it was inRogaland that the first humans settled in Norway, when the ice retreated after thelast ice age ca. 10,000 years ago. There are many artifacts from theStone Age inRogaland. The preliminary oldest traces of humans are found in a settlement onGalta,Rennesøy, near the ferry terminalMortavika and Vista inRandaberg Municipality. In the beginning there has been sure short visits by people from the south who hunted along the coast. It is thought that people came fromDoggerland, the North Sea land area between Denmark and England, which disappeared when the ice retreated and sea levels rose. The people who lived there must now find a new land. Some retreated south again, while a few passed theNorwegian Trench (which was considerably smaller than now) in its hunt for deer and the new country.[citation needed]
The region includes most of the scope of the oldGulating, which was founded around the year 900. The Gulating Act divided the country into the Western counties, which consisted of the formersmåkongedømmene that existed in the area before the unification of the 800's and then was converted to jarle judge. These were Sunnmørafylke (Sunnmøre), Firda County (Fjordane), Sygna County (Sogn), Hordafylke (Hordaland), Rygjafylke (Rogaland) and Egdafylke (Agder).[5]
Harald Hairfair united Norway and parts of Sweden west of Lake Vänern and Götaälv in the 9th century from his Castle Avaldsnes on Karmöy at Haugesund. Norway was named from the Way North by seafaring.
Before themillennium, iron was introduced and used in agriculture, and there was a shortage of land tocultivate. In the same period, the kings' power increased, and large tax claims caused many to seek freedom and fortune abroad. Many emigrated, and looting became an alternative source of income. Effective boats and weapons made theVikings feared among contemporary Christian Europeans. But the images ofVikings as bloodthirsty plunderers are not always representative. TheVikings were involved in a wealthy merchant trade, not only in Europe but also including theByzantine Empire and the Baghdad Caliphate.
HistoricallyVikings are often introduced with the Viking attack onLindisfarne in 793, when they really made their mark in European history. The era ends with theBattle of Stamford Bridge in 1066.Vikings' seaworthiness and wanderlust resulted in new areas being developed. Norwegian settlers moved into theNorth Sea westward toIceland, theFaroe Islands,Greenland,Shetland,Orkney,Isle of Man and theHebrides.Settlements were established in the southeast corner of Ireland including inDublin,Waterford andWexford. Norwegians settled along the northwest area of England, principally in the area of modern-dayCumbria. The NorwegianVikings also discoveredVinland, present-day America, long beforeChristopher Columbus.
Christianity became the dominant religion in Norway in the 11th century, but the religion was probably known amongNorwegians already in the 7th century. WhileEastern Norway was introduced to Christianity by missionaries and monks from Germany andFriesland, Western Norway was mainly introduced to the religion by English, Scottish, Irish people andVikings who had converted to Christianity.Norse paganism existed in some areas in Western Norway until being totally replaced by Christianity by the 13th century. The coastal areas were the first to be introduced to the new faith, and then the inland areas. Churches were established throughout the country.
The main source of information about the settlement period inIceland is the Book of Settlements (Landnámabók), written in the 12th century, which gives a detailed account of the first settlers. According to this book, Western Norwegian sailors accidentally discovered the country. A few voyages of exploration were made soon after that and then the settlement started.Ingólfur Arnarson was said to be the first settler. He was a chieftain from Norway, arriving inIceland with his family and dependents in 874. He built his farm inReykjavík, the site of the present capital. During the next 60 years or so,Viking settlers fromScandinavia and also fromNorse colonies in theBritish Isles—Ireland,Scotland and theScottish Isles—settled in the country. There was therefore aCeltic element among the first inhabitants. Thesettlement of Iceland may also be viewed in the context of the generalViking expansion of the period, plausibly linked to population pressure in Western Norway and increasing scarcity of farming land.
It has thus left few traces in the archaeological record, nor has it contributed more than a handful of words to theIcelandic language, which was aScandinavian dialect, more or less identical with theViking AgeNorse spoken in Western Norway, theFaroes,Shetland,Orkney, etc. Today it is estimated that 60% of the Icelandic population are descendants of people from Western Norway.[6]
For a century emigration was a central aspect of Norwegian history and more than 800,000Norwegians emigrated to the United States. The first organized group of emigrants leftStavanger on the sloopRestoration on 4 July 1825. In 1837,Ægir leftBergen as the first ship with emigrants fromHordaland.
The Emigration Center of Western Norway is a memorial to those who left and to their descendants. The emigrant archives now include 96,000 names of emigrants from the two counties ofHordaland andSogn og Fjordane up to 1924. This has been possible thanks to the work of many years by Jahn Sjursen, who has also collected books and other publications, pictures and objects related to Norwegian emigrants in the United States. He officially donated his collections to the Emigration Center at the opening in 1997. The Center continues to receive publications and objects for its collection. Via the internet we are linked to the national digital records of emigrants from Norway to the United States that have been developed by theUniversity of Bergen and the Bergen Public Archives. The center's Emigrant Church was originally the Brampton Lutheran Church inSargent County, North Dakota, built by Norwegian emigrants at the turn of the 19th century. The Brampton congregation was formed 1 July 1908. and 22 June 1996, the congregation donated their fully furnished church to the Emigration Center. It was taken down, transported toSletta and reconstructed there by volunteers fromRadøy. The church was reconsecrated by the Bishop ofBjørgvin, Ole Danholt Hagesæther, 6 July 1997.[7]
| Continent | Europe |
|---|---|
| Region | Northern Europe |
| Area | |
| • Total | 58,582 km2 (22,619 sq mi) |
| Coastline | 26,592 km (16,524 mi) |
| Borders | Norway |
| Highest point | Store Skagastølstind 2405 m |
| Lowest point | North Sea 0 m |
| Largest lake | Blåsjø 84,48 km2 |
Western Norway is the third largestregion in Norway by area. It covers an area of 58,582 km2 (22,619 sq mi).
The United Kingdom and theFaroe Islands lie to the west across the North Sea, while Denmark lies south of its southern tip across theNorth Sea. It is 675 km (419 mi) from the Faroe Islands to Western Norway whileUnst in theShetland Islands is about 300 km (190 mi) away. Western Norway has a 26,592 km (16,524 mi) long coastline.
The southern part of the region is calledJæren. This is one of the major agricultural areas in Norway. Farms in other areas of Western Norway are often small. The total area of agricultural in Western Norway is 2 650 square kilometers, which is 5.3% of the total area in the region.
Western Norway is highly mountainous; in less than 10 kilometers from theSognefjord, there are peaks that are over 2000 meters in height. The highest point isStore Skagastølstind (also known as Storen), which is 2,405 meters high. It is situated on the border betweenLuster Municipality andÅrdal Municipality and is part of theHurrungane range. The summit is a destination for mountaineers but is fairly difficult. First ascent byWilliam Cecil Slingsby on 21 July 1876. There are a number of different routes, the most common being Heftye's renne (Heftye'scouloir). Another route of ascent is via Andrew's renne (Andrew'scouloir), first ascentA. W. Andrews and party in 1899. Store Skagastølstind and the mountaineering of the late 19th century in Norway is traditionally linked to the historical hotel Turtagrø.
There are many fjords in Western Norway,Hardangerfjorden,Boknafjorden andSognefjorden are the longest. TheSognefjord (Sognefjorden) is thelargestfjord in Norway, and the second longest in the world, afterScoresby Sund onGreenland. Located inVestland county it stretches 205 km (127 mi) inland to the small village ofSkjolden.
Providing the most spectacularfjord and mountain scenery in Norway, the region has been a tourist mecca for centuries. Except for theJæren plain located at the extreme southern end of the region, Vestlandet is mountainous, with theJotunheim Mountains and theHardanger Plateau being the highest areas. TheJostedals Glacier, the largest glacier in Europe, is located in the north-central part of the region, while Hardanger Icecap (Hardangerjøkulen) and theFolgefonna Glacier are smaller ice fields in the south. Norway's longest fjord,Sogn Fjord (205 km [127 mi]), located in the central part of the region, nearly divides Vestlandet in two; farther southHardanger Fjord stretches inland for 179 km (111 mi). Many waterfalls flow into the fjords, with theSyv Systre,Toka Gorge, andVørings Falls (Vøringsfossen) among the best known. The rugged coastline is protected by thousands of offshore islands in a nearly continuous line. Occasionally, the northern parts ofMøre og Romsdal are considered to be part ofTrøndelag.
Map references:Europe
Area:
total:58,582 km2
Area – comparative:slightly larger thanCroatia, but slightly smaller thanWest Virginia.
Coastline:26,592 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:10 nmi (18.5 km; 11.5 mi)
continental shelf:200 nmi (370.4 km; 230.2 mi)
exclusive economic zone:200 nmi (370.4 km; 230.2 mi)
territorial sea:12 nmi (22.2 km; 13.8 mi)
Rivers running westward acquired tremendous erosive power. Following fracture lines marking weaknesses in the Earth's crust, they dug out gorges and canyons that knifed deep into the jagged coast. To the east the land sloped more gently, and broader valleys were formed. During repeated periods of glaciation in theGreat Ice Age of the Quaternary Period (i.e., about the last 2.6 million years), the scouring action of glaciers tonguing down the V-shaped valleys that were then part of the landscape created the magnificent U-shaped drownedfjords that now grace the western coast of Norway. Enormous masses ofsoil,gravel, andstone were also carried by glacial action as far south as present-day Denmark andnorthern Germany. Thebedrock, exposed in about 40 percent of the area, was scoured and polished by the movements of these materials.
From the southernmost point a swelling complex of ranges, collectively calledLangfjellene, runs northward to divideeastern Norway, or Østlandet, from western Norway. The narrow coastal zone of Vestlandet has many islands, and steep-walled, narrow fjords cut deep into the interior mountain region. The major exception is the wideJæren Plain, south ofStavanger.
Glaciation and other forces wore down the surface and created thicksandstone,conglomerate, andlimestone deposits known assparagmite. Numerous extensive areas called peneplains, whose relief has been largely eroded away, also were formed. Remains of these include theHardanger Plateau—1,100 m (3,600 ft) above sea level—Europe's largest mountain plateau, covering about 6,500 km2 (2,500 sq mi).
Glaciated; mostly high plateaus andrugged mountains broken by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented by fjords. Frozen ground all-year can also be found in the higher mountain areas.Numerous glaciers are still found in Western Norway.
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:North Sea 0 m
highest point:Store Skagastølstind 2,405 m
The fjords of western Norway formed in connection to the east-ward tilting of much of Norway during theCenozoic uplift of the Scandinavian Mountains. This uplift, that occurred long before theQuaternary glaciations, enabled rivers toincise deeply thePaleic relief.[8][9] A study ofSognefjord suggest that the fluvial and glacial erosion that made the fjords has followedstructuralweaknesses in thecrust. Theheadvalleys in particular seem to located at structural weakness zones.[10] Western Norway bears some resemblance to otherpassive margins at lower latitudes likeeastern Australia. In both cases a table land is dissected by valleys forming agreat escarpment. The main differences is that in Norway valley and fjord bottoms have been widened by glacier erosion, valley sides steepened, and the outer regions of valleys straightened, also by glacier erosion.[11]
Thedeglaciation patterns of theBergen andNordfjord–Sunnmøre areas in western Norway are described and correlated. In theBergen area the coast was first deglaciated at 12,600 B.P., with a succeeding re-advance into theNorth Sea around 12,200 B.P. Later, during the Allerød, the inland ice retreated at least 50 km, but nearly reached the sea again during theYounger Dryas re-advance, ending at 10,000 B.P.Sunnmøre was ice-free during an interstadial 28,000–38,000 B.P. Later the inland ice reached the sea. The final deglaciation is poorly dated inSunnmøre, while further south inNordfjord, it started slightly before 12,300 B.P., followed by a major retreat. No large re-advance of the inland ice occurred during theYounger Dryas. However, in theSunnmøre–Nordfjord area many localglaciers formed outside the inland ice during theYounger Dryas. Limnic sediments outside one such cirqueglacier have been cored and dated, proving that theglacier did not exist at 12,300–11,000 B.P., and that it was formed and disappeared in the time interval 11,000–10,000 B.P. (Younger Dryas). The erosion rate of the cirqueglacier was 0.9 mm/year.
Western Norway has similar flora and fauna as the rest of Norway, but there are some major differences. While almost allred deer in Norway are found here, there are fewmoose. Reindeer are a common sight on the Hardangervidda and in other large mountain areas. The whole of the Hardangervidda is above thetree line. Its alpine climate means that many species ofArctic animals and plants are found here, further south than anywhere else in Europe. Its wildreindeer herds are among the largest in the world, with some 15,000 animals recorded in 1996 and about 8,000 in 2008. They migrate across the plateau during the year, moving from their winter grazing lands on the east side of the Hardangervidda, where they graze onlichen, to their breeding grounds in the more fertile west of the plateau.
30,000 years ago glaciers covered vast areas of theNorthern Hemisphere. As so much water was trapped on land, in the form of glacial ice, the sea lay 120 metres below its present level. This meant that theNorth Sea was dry land, a treeless tundra, with long, winding rivers, endless stretches of boggy land and wide, sandy heaths. Only as far south as the Mediterranean and theBlack Sea were there any forests.
As the climate slowly improved and theScandinavian peninsula rose from the grip of the ice, plants and animals started to invade the new territory. As soon as there was dry land the first plants took root and with them came animals, birds and insects. The first of these were theArctic animals such as wildreindeer,Arctic fox andwolverine (glutton), who followed the edge of the glacier up to the mountains. The trees came later, accompanied by a rich flora and fauna including bears,elk,marten, fox,hare,European beaver andotter.
This influx reached its climax around 3000 BC when the climate improved considerably, giving rise to the postglacial period of warmth. The average temperature rose 3 degrees. This may not sound very much, but in the mountains the tree line rises about 100 metres up the mountainside for each degree M so the consequences were dramatic. Most of the mountains of Western Norway which today occupy about three quarters of the land mass M became covered with dense forests of pine and birch. The glaciers had thawed and vanished, and extensive oak forests, not unlike those we see today in Central Europe, spread over the low-lying land. Life was hard for the animals and plants in the high mountains, as they were pressed up towards the highest peaks, which rose like islands from a sea of forest.
Along the west coast the winter is mild and snowfalls rare. Here are a number of the plants which cannot tolerate frost, for example the starhyacinth (scilla verna) and the purpleheather (erica purpurea), which are otherwise only found in England, Ireland and further south. A little further inland we come upon the species which can withstand short periods of frost and snow in winter. These are found both a little further north, and in the fjords. Typical examples are thefoxglove (digitalis purpurea) and theholly (ilex aquifolium), which in Norway grow only in the southwest.
Western Norway is one of the wettest regions in Europe, withprecipitation in the mountains near the coast of about 3,500 mm per year on average, and exceeding 5,000 mm in peak years. In Bergen city the average precipitation is 2,250 mm per year [1]. The wetclimate is partly due to theGulf Stream, which also gives this region a milder winter than other parts of Norway, with rain being more common than snow in the winter.
Late June to early August is when summer is at its peak. This is when the weather is at its most stable and warmest with sunny, long and bright days. It is not unusual with temperatures reaching 25 °C (77 °F) and above.
During the course of September the landscape is painted in golden colours. Red clusters of rowan berries hang on naked branches. Autumn also means harvest time along the fjords.
Gales, rain and cloud are likely along the west coast and the rainfall is frequent and heavy. Thanks to the warmingGulf Stream, the Norwegian fjords enjoy a relatively mild climate and remain virtually ice-free even during the winter. Wintertime, usually from November, turns the mountain areas of Western Norway into highly favourable skiing conditions.
During springtime the most amazing colours burst forth to honour the warmth of the rising sun. Orchards of flowering fruit trees can be seen along theHardangerfjord in May.
Western Norway is rich in natural resources. TodayStavanger is the oil capital of Norway. Before petroleum, fishing and agriculture were the most important economic activities in Western Norway. Some areas of Western Norway such asJæren,Karmøy,Vindafjord,Voss,Sunnfjord andHustadvika comprise a rich agricultural area. The inland fjord areas ofHardanger are sheltered, with rich fruit districts specializing in apples and cherries.
Stavanger Municipality is a leading industrial area in Western Norway.Ålesund Municipality contains many engineering firms, and the bulk of Norway's furniture industry.
Along the coast fishing plays the same role that forestry does elsewhere. At the same time, it forms the basis of a large fish-processing industry and offers seasonal employment for many farmers. Of all fishermen only half fish as their sole occupation. Most vessels are owned by the fishermen themselves, the necessary crew members being paid by shares of gross income in a continuation of a centuries-old tradition of the sea. A critical problem is how to avoid depleting the fish resources while maintaining the volume. About half the catch goes into fish meal and oil, but some is processed for human consumption in freezing plants. In the northwest the city ofÅlesund thrives on fishing. Ålesund is one of the world's largest and most important ports forcod.
By the mid-1990s Norway had become the world's second largest oil exporter (behindSaudi Arabia). The first commercially important discovery of petroleum on Norway's continental shelf was made at theEkofisk field in theNorth Sea late in 1969, just as foreign oil companies were about to give up after four years of exploratory drilling. Intensified exploration increased reserves faster than production. Nevertheless, by the mid-1990s about half of export earnings and nearly one-tenth of government revenues came from offshore oil and gas, and these revenues continued to increase as the end of the century approached. It was estimated that the high rate of oil production could be sustained at least into the second decade of the 21st century, while that of natural gas was projected to increase dramatically and be sustained much longer.
More than one-fourth of the huge investment made in Norwegian offshore operations by the mid-1990s went toward the development of theTroll gas field just west ofBergen, one of the largest offshore gas fields ever found. Its development ranked as one of the world's largest energy projects. With a water displacement of one million tons and a height of nearly 1,550 feet (475 m), theTroll A platform was the tallest concrete structure ever moved when it was towed into place in 1995. Gas deliveries from the Troll field made Norway a leading supplier of natural gas to continental Europe.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1769 | 193,259 | — |
| 1801 | 230,053 | +19.0% |
| 1855 | 392,588 | +70.7% |
| 1900 | 560,765 | +42.8% |
| 1950 | 811,411 | +44.7% |
| 1960 | 887,537 | +9.4% |
| 1970 | 961,676 | +8.4% |
| 1980 | 1,033,902 | +7.5% |
| 1990 | 1,089,763 | +5.4% |
| 2000 | 1,159,176 | +6.4% |
| 2010 | 1,263,464 | +9.0% |
| 2020? | 1,397,393 | +10.6% |
| 2030? | 1,525,853 | +9.2% |
| Source:Statistics Norway[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][1]. | ||
Western Norway has one of the fastest-growing regions of Norway: in 2009 its rate of population growth was 1.44%, while that of the country as a whole was 1.20%. The population on 1 January 2010 was 1,263,464. 37.7% of the population lived inHordaland, 33.8% inRogaland, 19.8% inMøre og Romsdal, and 8.4% inSogn og Fjordane. 60% of the population was under 40 years old, and 30% was under the age of 20. Many of the historical immigrants in Western Norway came from countries likeScotland, England, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Sweden, and Western Norway is still the region which has received the most immigration from the Western world.
| Year old | 0–14 | 15–64 | 65– | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population[20] | 251,499 | 830,712 | 181,253 | 1,263,464 |
| Percent (%)[20] | 19.9 | 65.8 | 14.3 | 100 |
| Country of origin |  Norway | Immigrants | Eastern Europe | Asia | Western Europe | Africa | Nordic countries | Latin America | North America | Oceania | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population[21] | 1,148,324 | 115,140 | 35,913 | 33,154 | 16,726 | 11,085 | 10,103 | 5,082 | 2,588 | 489 | 1,263,464 |
Western Norway is also notable for the extensive use of theNynorsk variant of theNorwegian language: Most Nynorsk users (87%) live in Western Norway. Nevertheless, a majority (56%) of the inhabitants of the region useBokmål, as it predominates in the cities. InSogn og Fjordane, outside of the larger cities the use of Nynorsk is nearly universal (97%), and the users of Nynorsk are also a majority (54%) inMøre og Romsdal. But inHordaland andRogaland users of Nynorsk are a minority (42% and 26%, respectively). These percentages would be higher if the numbers excluded the northern areas of Møre og Romsdal and the southern areas of Rogaland. Every municipality in Sogn og Fjordane, Sunnmøre (exceptÅlesund Municipality), Hordaland (exceptBergen Municipality andAskøy Municipality) and Ryfylke (exceptStrand Municipality andKvitsøy Municipality) has selected Nynorsk as the official written language form.
In many cases Nynorsk is more similar to Icelandic than Bokmål:
Christianity is the largest religion of the region, as in the rest of Norway. 1,050,559 people are members of theChurch of Norway. There are also 55,621 members in other Christian churches. Islam has 11,655 adherents in Western Norway. Buddhism has 2,452 members. 1,557 are fromBaháʼí Faith, Judaism,Sikhism and other related religions. Religion is often more important for inhabitants of Western Norway than elsewhere in the country.
The nameBible Belt has been applied historically to theSouthern and Western parts of Norway. The region thus defined included most of Western Norway, especiallyRogaland,Møre og Romsdal and some parts ofHordaland. In these areas the conservative branch of theChurch of Norway has a stronghold and the members usually associate themselves to Indremisjonen (Inner Mission). There are also numerousPentecostals and members of theFree Churches, but these movements are also strongly represented in the rest of the country. The Bible Belt in Norway traditionally reflects the support for theChristian Democratic Party. However, especially since the first decade of the 21st century, conservative Christians unhappy with the more liberal development of the party have increasingly turned to theProgress Party.[24][25] Notably absent from the Bible Belt are larger cities likeBergen andStavanger, where many people identify themselves as non-religious or with other religions.
Several locations are occasionally referred to as the "Buckle of the Bible Belt":
Bergen has one university, theUniversity of Bergen, and one university college,Bergen University College, with a total of 22,000 students and 3,600 staff. With approximately 16,000 students and 3,000 staff,[26] the University of Bergen (Norwegian:Universitetet i Bergen) is the third largest university in Norway, after theUniversity of Oslo and theNorwegian University of Science and Technology. Although it was founded as late as 1946, academic activity had been taking place atBergen Museum since 1825. The university's academic profile focuses onmarine research and co-operation withdeveloping countries.[27] In 2002, the university was awarded three national centres of excellence inclimate research,petroleum research andmedieval studies.[28] In December 2004, billionaireTrond Mohn donated 250 million NOK to the university asresearch funding.[29] In addition, he has given the university several individual gifts of 50 million NOK.[30][31]Bergen University College (Norwegian:Høgskolen i Bergen) is one of 24state-owned university colleges in Norway. As of 2007, it has approximately 6,000 students and 600 staff.[32] The university college offers studies directed towards specific professions. The college is organised in 3 faculties: the Faculty of Education, the Faculty of Engineering, and the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences.
TheNorwegian School of Economics and Business Administration (Norwegian:Norges Handelshøyskole) is a leading school of business and economics in Norway.Finn E. Kydland, the most recent (2004) of three Norwegian laureates of theEconomy Nobel Prize,[33] has studied and lectured at the school. The school has approximately 2,700 students and 350 staff.[34] As the result of a resolution passed by the Norwegianstorting in 1917, the school was founded in 1936 as the firstbusiness school in Norway. As of 2007, the school's MSc programme is ranked by theFinancial Times as the 36th best in Europe.[35] TheBergen School of Architecture (Bergen Arkitekt Skole), founded in 1986 by architectSvein Hatløy, has alternative programs, with graduates like3RW arkitekter and Tommie Wilhemsen. TheBergen National Academy of the Arts (Kunsthøgskolen i Bergen, approximately 300 students and 100 staff)[36] is one of the two independent institutions of higher learning in the visual arts and design in Norway. Students can take a three-year bachelor's degree and a two-year master's degree in the following areas: Visual Art,Interior Architecture, Furniture Design, Room Design, Visual Communications, Photography, Printmaking, Ceramics and Textiles. TheNaval Academy (Sjøkrigsskolen) of theRoyal Norwegian Navy is located at Laksevåg in Bergen.
Stavanger has several schools for the expatriate community including the British International School of Stavanger[37] and the International School of Stavanger.[38] Stavanger has one university, theUniversity of Stavanger with about 8,000 students. The university was formerly auniversity college. It was granted status as University on 1 January 2005.[39] The population of Stavanger has a high percentage of university educated persons, with 31.3% of those above the age of 16 having higher education, compared to the national average of 24.2% (2006 figures).[40]
Traditionally there was only one university in Western Norway, located inBergen (1948). Since 2005 any college offering five master programs and four doctoral programs can title itself a university, leading to theStavanger University College converting to a university.
The public universities of Western Norway are:
Currently there are no private universities in Western Norway, althoughBI Norwegian Business School in Bergen and Stavanger have tried to advance to a full university.
There are one public and three private specialised universities in Western Norway, each functioning as a national competence centre for the field they represent.
The public specialised universities in Western Norway are:
The private specialised universities are:
The 7 university colleges in Western Norway are responsible for regional education of primarily bachelor level education within the fields ofnursing,teaching,business management, engineering and information technology, though most colleges also offer a number of other educations as well.
The public university colleges in Western Norway consist of:
Western Norway is famous for much of the cuisine in Norway. In its traditional form is based largely on the raw materials readily available in Norway and its mountains, wilderness and coast. It differs in many respects from its continental counterparts with a stronger focus ongame and fish.
Modern Norwegian cuisine, although still strongly influenced by its traditional background, now bears the marks of globalization:Pastas,pizzas and the like are as common asmeatballs andcod as staple foods, and urban restaurants sport the same selection one would expect to find in any western European city.
Lamb's meat andmutton is popular in autumn, mainly used infårikål (mutton stew with cabbage).Pinnekjøtt, cured and sometimes smoked mutton ribs that is steamed for several hours, is traditionally served as Christmas dinner in the western parts of Norway. Another Western specialty issmalahove, a smoked lamb's head.
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Music based on traditional Norwegian form usually includes minor or modal scales (sometimes mixed with major scales), making a sober and haunting sound. Pure major keydance music forms also exist. Prior to the 18th century, there is scant written record of what kind of music was played in Norway, but there is a largeaural tradition. In 1380, Norway had come under Danish rule, and thus had no royal house or nobility of its own; as a result, for 450 years, Norway did not participate as much in the musical development which occurred in royal (or "cultured") circles throughout the rest of Europe. Religious and traditional (folk) music were dominant throughout this era in rural areas, though again scant records exist to document their nature. In the last half of the 20th century, Norway, like many other countries in the world, underwent aroots revival that saw indigenous music being revived.
The violinistOle Bull (1810–1880) fromBergen was the first major Norwegian musician. He became world-famous starting in about 1834, and was known as theNordicPaganini.
From about 1831, traditional Norwegian music began to influence the classical scene, especially throughOle Bull, who befriended the traditionalHardanger fiddle playerMyllarguten and through the friendship gained better understanding of traditional music. Bull himself started playing theHardanger fiddle, and was the first to present folk tunes to the public in urban areas. He also saw to that Myllarguten played with him in concert, presenting a rural traditional musician to an urban audience for the very first time, in February 1849, at the very height of Norwegianromantic nationalism. This later inspiredEdvard Grieg to look for folk musical sources. But urban audiences were slow to gain an appreciation and understanding of traditional (rural) music.
Vamp is a band fromHaugesund, which was started in 1991. The band's musical profile is a mix of Norwegian folk music, Celtic music and rock.
Leif Ove Andsnes, a pianist fromKarmøy Municipality is one of the most famous pianist in the world.[citation needed]
Western Norway is famous for many writers.Ludvig Holberg was one of them. He was born inBergen, but he moved toCopenhagen when he was young. He was influenced byHumanism, theEnlightenment and theBaroque. Other notable writers from Western Norway includeAlexander Kielland,Arne Garborg,Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson,Arnulf Øverland,Jon Fosse andInger Hagerup.
Football is a popular sports in Western Norway, like the rest of the country. The first football-team in Norway was probably started by abuekorps inBergen,Nygaards Bataljonen, in 1883.
In the early Middle Ages,stave churches were constructed throughout Norway. Many of them remain to this day and represent Norway's most important contribution to architectural history. A fine example is The Stave Church atUrnes which is now on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Another notable example of wooden architecture is theBryggen Wharf in Bergen, consisting of a row of narrow wooden structures along the quayside. At the beginning of the 20th century, the city ofÅlesund was rebuilt in theArt Nouveau style. The 1930s, when functionalism dominated, became a strong period for Norwegian architecture, but it is only in recent decades that Norwegian architects have truly achieved international renown.
Kitty Kielland, the sister toA. Kielland andNikolai Astrup are famous painters from Western Norway.Brudeferden i Hardanger is the best known art from Western Norway. This is painted by the Norwegian paintersAdolph Tidemand andHans Gude.
Of the 26 airports in Western Norway,[41] 15 are public,[42] and 11 are operated by the state-ownedAvinor.[43]Two airports have more than one million passengers annually.[42] 41,089,675 passengers passed through Norwegian airports in 2007, of which 13,397,458 were international.[42]
The regional airport service was introduced in the 1960s, with 30 airports being served byshort take-off and landing aircraft.[42] These are located mainly inSogn og Fjordane, in areas with long distances to large cities and with too little traffic to support commercial flights. The airports, which typically have an 800 metres (2,600 ft) runway, are run by Avinor, while the airplanes are operated based on subsidizedpublic service obligation contracts with the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications.[44][45] By far the largest contractor isWiderøe with their fleet ofde Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft,[46] but alsoDanish Air Transport,Lufttransport andKato Air have won bids.[47]
The main long-haul network consists of lines fromBergen Municipality eastwards toVoss Municipality and over the mountains toOslo and a line connectingStavanger toOslo viaKristiansand. There is also a line fromÅndalsnes inRomsdal toOslo. In Bergen there is afunicular and alight rail line. There are also plans for a light rail system further south in the region of Nord-Jæren.
The most important national routes are part of theEuropean route scheme, and the most prominent are theE39 going north–south through the entire region. National and county roads are managed by theNorwegian Public Roads Administration.[48]
TheE39 road passes through the cities, connecting fromTrondheim toAalborg. TheE16 road to Oslo passes through theLærdalstunnelen, the longest road tunnel in the world.[49]
Fast ferries operate many places where fjords and islands make it quicker to follow the waterways than the roads; some small islands are served bywater buses. Public transport by ship transported eight million passengers 273 million passenger kilometers in 2007 in whole the country.[50] TheCoastal Express (known as Hurtigruten) operates dailycruiseferries from Bergen toKirkenes, calling at 35 ports.[51] International cruiseferries operate from Bergen and Stavanger to the United Kingdom and Denmark.[52][53]
The petroleum and natural gas production on theNorwegian continental shelf uses pipelines to transport produce to processing plants on mainland Norway and other European countries; total length is 9,481 kilometres (5,891 mi).[41] The government-ownedGassco operates all natural gas pipelines; in 2006, 88 billion cubic meters were transported, or 15% of European consumption[54]
Vestlandet andSørlandet have always been the two regions of Norway with the greatest preponderance of non-socialist voters. The election in 2007 gave the non-socialist parliamentary parties 65.4% of the vote against the socialist parties' 29.7%. The government party had collected 39.5% against 55.6% parliamentary opposition.
The election in 2007 had the following vote distribution:[55]
The elections from 2001 to 2009 had the following vote distribution:
| Party | 2009–2013 | 2005–2009 | 2001–2005 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norwegian Labour Party | 13 | 11 | 8 |
| Progress Party | 12 | 9 | 7 |
| Conservative Party of Norway | 8 | 6 | 10 |
| Centre Party | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Christian Democratic Party | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| Socialist Left Party | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Liberal Party of Norway | 0 | 4 | 1 |
Western Norway has 22 cities/towns. Three of the cities in Western Norway,Bergen,Stavanger, andSandnes, are among the ten most populous cities in the country. Cities and towns in the region in descending order by population:
These aretraditional districts that only partially coincide with present-day administrative divisions. Arranged from North to South.
| Coat of arms | County | Adm. center | Largest city | Population (2021)[56] | Area (km2) | Density | Mayor | Party | Governor | Language form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Vestland | Bergen | Bergen | 638,821 | 34,062 | 18,76 | Anne Gine Hestetun | Labour Party | Lars Sponheim | Nynorsk |
 | Rogaland | Stavanger | Stavanger | 482,645 | 9,377 | 51,47 | Solveig Ege Tengesdal | Christian Democratic Party | Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa | Bokmål |
 | Møre og Romsdal | Molde | Ålesund | 265,544 | 15,121 | 17,56 | Jon Aasen | Labour Party | Lodve Solholm | Nynorsk |
| Total | 1,373,151 | 58,560 km2 | 23,45/km2 |
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West Norway travel guide from Wikivoyage
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