Hordaland () was a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark, and Rogaland counties. Hordaland was the third largest county, after Akershus and Oslo, by population. The county government was the Hordaland County Municipality, which is located in Bergen. Before 1972, the city of Bergen was its own separate county, apart from Hordaland. On 1 January 2020, the county was merged with neighbouring Sogn og Fjordane county, to form the new Vestland county.

Name and symbols

Name

Hordaland () is the old name of the region which was revived in 1919. The meaning of the first element is unknown. The last element is which means 'land' or 'region' in the Norwegian language.

Until 1919 the name of the county was which meant '(the) southern (part of) Bergenhus amt'. (The old was created in 1662 and was divided into Northern and Southern parts in 1763.)

Flag

thumb|left|The flag of Hordaland

Hordaland's flag shows two axes and a crown in gold on a red field. The flag is a banner of the coat of arms derived from the old seal of the guild of St. Olav from Onarheim in Tysnes Municipality. This seal was used by the delegates of Sunnhordland in 1344 on the document to install king Haakon V of Norway. It was thus the oldest symbol used for the region and adapted as the arms and flag in 1961. The symbols refer to the patron saint of the guild, Saint Olav, King of Norway, whose symbol is an axe.

Coat of arms

The coat-of-arms were officially granted on 1 December 1961. They were designed by Magnus Hardeland, but the general design had been originally used in the Sunnhordland region during the 14th century. In the early 20th century, leaders of the county began using the old arms as a symbol for the county once again. The arms are on a red background and consist of two golden axes that are crossed with a golden crown above them.

History

Hordaland county had been around for more than one thousand years. In the 7th century, the area was made up of many petty kingdoms under the Gulating and was known as Hordafylke from around the year 900. In the early 16th century, Norway was divided into four len. The Bergenhus len was headquartered in Bergen and encompassed much of western and northern Norway.

  • Nordhordland District Court: Askøy, Austevoll, Austrheim, Fedje, Fjell, Fusa, Lindås, Masfjorden, Meland, Modalen, Os, Osterøy, Radøy, Samnanger, Sund, Vaksdal, Voss, Øygarden, and Gulen (Gulen was actually in neighbouring Sogn og Fjordane county)
  • Sunnhordland District Court: Bømlo, Etne, Fitjar, Kvinnherad, Stord, Sveio, and Tysnes
  • Bergen District Court: the city of Bergen
  • Hardanger District Court: Eidfjord, Granvin, Jondal, Kvam, Odda, Ullensvang, and Ulvik

Most of the municipalities in Hordaland were part of the Hordaland police district. Gulen Municipality and Solund Municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county were also part of the Hordaland police district. Bømlo, Etne, Fitjar, Stord and Sveio were a part of the "Haugaland and Sunnhordland" police district, along with eight other municipalities in Rogaland county.

  • Strilelandet
  • Sunnhordland
  • Voss

Cities

  • Bergen
  • Leirvik
  • Odda

Parishes

  • Alversund
  • Arna
  • Ask
  • Askøy
  • Austevoll
  • Austrheim
  • Bekkjarvik
  • Bergen
  • Bergsdalen
  • Birkeland
  • Biskopshavn
  • Bjoastrand
  • Blomvåg
  • Bremnes
  • Bruvik
  • Bømlo
  • Old Bømlo
  • Bønes
  • Dale
  • Eid
  • Eidfjord
  • Old Eidfjord
  • Eidsvåg
  • Eksingedal
  • Emigrant
  • Erdal
  • Etne
  • Evanger
  • Fana
  • Fedje
  • Finnås
  • Fitjar
  • Fjelberg
  • Fjell
  • Fjæra
  • Foldnes
  • Førde
  • Fridalen
  • Frøyset
  • Fusa
  • Fyllingsdalen
  • Gjerde
  • Gjerstad
  • Granvin
  • Grindheim
  • Haga
  • Hamre
  • Hatlestrand
  • Haus
  • Herdla (Herlø)
  • Hjelme
  • Old Hjelme
  • Holdhus
  • Holmedal
  • Holy Cross
  • Hordabø (Bøe)
  • Hosanger
  • Hundvin
  • Hundvåkøy
  • Husnes
  • Hålandsdal
  • Jondal
  • Kausland
  • Kinsarvik
  • Knarvik
  • Kvam
  • Kvinnherad
  • Laksevåg
  • Landro
  • Landås
  • Lindås
  • Loddefjord
  • Lygra
  • Lykling
  • Manger
  • Masfjorden
  • Meland
  • Mjelde
  • Mo
  • Moster
  • Old Moster
  • Myking
  • Møkster
  • Nesheim
  • Nore Neset Church
  • Norheimsund
  • Nygård
  • Nykirken
  • Nysæter
  • Odda
  • Olsvik
  • Onarheim
  • Opdal (Uggdal)
  • Oppheim
  • Os
  • Ostereidet
  • Raundalen
  • Reksteren
  • Røldal (before 1848 in Rogaland)
  • Salhus
  • Samnanger
  • Sandnes
  • Sandvik
  • Seim
  • Skare
  • Skjold
  • Skånevik
  • Slettebakken
  • Solheim, Bergen
  • Solheim, Masfjorden
  • St James's
  • St George's
  • St John's
  • St Mark's
  • St Mary's
  • Stamnes
  • Stord
  • Store-Kalsøy
  • Storetveit
  • Strandebarm
  • Strandvik
  • Strudshavn
  • Strusshamn
  • Stødle
  • Støle (Strødle)
  • Sund
  • Sundvor
  • Sveio
  • Sæbø
  • Sælen
  • Søreide
  • Takvam
  • Tveit
  • Tysnes
  • Tyssedal
  • Uggdal
  • Ullensvang
  • Ulvik
  • Uppheim
  • Uskedalen
  • Utne
  • Vaksdal
  • Valen
  • Valen
  • Valestrand
  • Varaldsøy
  • Vike
  • Vikebygd
  • Vikøy
  • Vinje
  • Voss
  • Vossestrand
  • Ytre Arna
  • Ytrebygda
  • Ænes
  • Ølen
  • Ølve
  • Øystese
  • Åkra (Åkre)
  • Ålvik
  • Årstad
  • Åsane

Villages

  • Abbedisso
  • Algrøyna
  • Alsåker
  • Alveim
  • Alver
  • Alverstraumen
  • Ask
  • Askeland, Lindås
  • Askeland, Radøy
  • Auklandshamn (Økland)
  • Austbygdi
  • Austevollhella
  • Austmarka
  • Austrepollen
  • Austrheim
  • Bakkasund
  • Bekkjarvik
  • Birkeland
  • Blomvåg
  • Bolstadøyri
  • Borstrondi
  • Botnen
  • Breistein
  • Bru (Strandebarm)
  • Bruvik
  • Bøvågen
  • Dale (Dalekvam)
  • Dalegarden
  • Dimmelsvik
  • Djønno
  • Eidfjord
  • Eidsvik
  • Eikelandsosen
  • Eitrheim
  • Erdal
  • Espeland
  • Etnesjøen (Etne)
  • Evanger
  • Fanahammeren (Fana)
  • Fedje
  • Finse
  • Fitjar
  • Fjelberg
  • Fjell
  • Fjæra
  • Flatkvål
  • Flesland
  • Foldnes
  • Fotlandsvåg
  • Frekhaug
  • Fusa
  • Fyllingsdalen
  • Førde i Hordaland
  • Gjermundshamn Ferry Port
  • Gjetingsdalen
  • Granvin
  • Grov
  • Haga
  • Hagavik
  • Haljem
  • Hammarsland
  • Hamre
  • Hanevik
  • Hatlestrand
  • Haugland
  • Haukanes
  • Haus
  • Havrå
  • Helle
  • Hernar
  • Herøysund
  • Hjartås
  • Hjellestad
  • Holdhus
  • Holme
  • Holmefjord
  • Horda
  • Hosanger
  • Hundvin
  • Husa
  • Husavik
  • Husnes
  • Hylkje
  • Høylandsbygda
  • Indre Arna
  • Indre Ålvik
  • Io
  • Isdalstø
  • Jondal
  • Kaland
  • Kausland
  • Kinsarvik
  • Kjøkkelvik
  • Kleppestø
  • Klokkarvik
  • Knappskog
  • Knarrevik
  • Knarrevik (Knarvrika)
  • Kolbeinsvik
  • Kolltveit
  • Krokeidet
  • Krossneset
  • Kvitheim
  • Kysnesstranda
  • Laksevåg
  • Landro
  • Langevåg
  • Lindås
  • Litlabø
  • Loddefjord
  • Lofthus
  • Lonevåg
  • Luro
  • Lykling
  • Manger
  • Masfjordnes
  • Mathopen
  • Meland
  • Milde
  • Misje
  • Mo (Modalen)
  • Mongstad
  • Moster
  • Mosterhamn
  • Møvik
  • Mundheim
  • Møkster
  • Nedre Vinjo
  • Nesheim
  • Nesttun
  • Nord-Huglo
  • Nordrepollen
  • Nordvik
  • Norheimsund
  • Onarheim
  • Osa
  • Ostereidet
  • Osøyro
  • Reksteren
  • Ringøy
  • Rong
  • Rosendal
  • Rossland
  • Rostøy
  • Rubbestadneset
  • Røldal
  • Sagvåg
  • Salhus
  • Seim
  • Sekkingstad
  • Seljestad
  • Skare (Skarde)
  • Skjelviki
  • Skogsvåg
  • Skånevik
  • Sletta
  • Stalheim
  • Stamneshella
  • Stanghelle
  • Steine
  • Storebø
  • Strandvik
  • Straume
  • Strusshamn
  • Sunndal
  • Sunde i Sunnhordland
  • Sveio
  • Svortland
  • Sylta
  • Sæbø (Sæbøvågen)
  • Sæbøvik
  • Søfteland
  • Søre Øyane
  • Sør-Huglo
  • Søvik
  • Toska
  • Trengereid
  • Tunes
  • Turøyna
  • Tveitevåg
  • Tysse
  • Tyssedal
  • Tælavåg
  • Tørvikbygd
  • Uggdal
  • Uggdalseidet
  • Ulvik
  • Uskedal
  • Utne
  • Utsylta
  • Utåker
  • Valen
  • Valestrand
  • Valestrandfossen
  • Valevåg
  • Vaksdal
  • Varaldsøy
  • Vikadal
  • Vikavågen
  • Vikebygd
  • Vikøy
  • Vinnes
  • Vossevangen
  • Våga
  • Våge
  • Våge
  • Ytre Arna
  • Ytre Ålvik
  • Ænes
  • Ølve
  • Øvre Eidfjord
  • Øystese
  • Ågotnes
  • Åkra
  • Årland
  • Årland
  • Årås

Former municipalities

  • Alversund Municipality
  • Arna Municipality
  • Bergen landdistrikt
  • Bremnes Municipality
  • Bruvik Municipality
  • Eid Municipality
  • Evanger Municipality
  • Fana Municipality
  • Finnås Municipality
  • Fjelberg Municipality
  • Hamre Municipality
  • Haus Municipality
  • Herdla Municipality
  • Hjelme Municipality
  • Hordabø Municipality
  • Hosanger Municipality
  • Hålandsdal Municipality
  • Kinsarvik Municipality
  • Laksevåg Municipality
  • Manger Municipality
  • Moster Municipality
  • Mosterøy Municipality
  • Røldal Municipality
  • Skånevik Municipality
  • Strandebarm Municipality
  • Strandvik Municipality
  • Sæbø Municipality
  • Valestrand Municipality
  • Varaldsøy Municipality
  • Vikebygd Municipality
  • Vossestrand Municipality
  • Ølen Municipality
  • Årstad Municipality
  • Åsane Municipality

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Hordaland county is twinned with:

  • Orkney Islands, Northern Isles, Scotland

Christmas Tree

Since 1949 Hordaland has given a Christmas tree to the Scottish Capital city of Edinburgh this is to remember the help given to Norwegians during World War II by Scots however since 2008 the tree has been sourced in Scotland but has remained a gift from the people of Hordaland.

Notable people

  • Ole Bull (1810–1880), a composer and violinist
  • Tore Eikeland (1990–2011), a politician
  • Edvard Grieg (1843–1907), a composer
  • Nordahl Grieg (1902–1943), a writer
  • C. J. Hambro (1885–1964), a politician
  • Julius Christopher Hammer (1798–1877), a priest and politician
  • Ludvig Holberg (1684–1754), a writer
  • Leif Andreas Larsen ("Shetlands-Larsen") (1906–1990), a military officer in World War II
  • Christian Michelsen (1857–1925), a politician
  • Johan Sebastian Welhaven (1807–1873), a writer
  • Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll (1991-presents), a DJ and musician
  • Alan Olav Walker (1997- presents), a DJ and musician

References

  • County web site
  • Map of Hordaland