Subdivisions of Norway

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A geopolitical map of Norway, exhibiting its 19 first-order subnational divisions (fylker or "counties") with Svalbard and Jan Mayen

Norway's elongated shape, numerous geographical barriers, and distributed population barriers has led to a number of conventions for it subdivisions. These have changed somewhat over time, and various reforms are under continuous consideration.

The political administration of Norway takes place at three levels:

Kingdom, covering all of metropolitan Norway and its insular possessions Svalbard and Jan Mayen. Whereas Svalbard is subject to international treaties and is administered separately, Jan Mayen was integrated into Nordland county on the mainland in 1995.
Counties, known in Norwegian as fylker (singular fylke), of which there are 19. These derive in part from divisions that preceded Norway's constitution in 1814 and independence in 1905.
Municipalities, known in Norwegian as kommuner (singular kommune) of which there are 431. Municipalities include cities (bykommuner), regular municipalities, and the special category of bergstader (mining towns) that comprise Kongsberg and Røros

As infrastructure for travel and communication has improved over the years, the benefits of consolidation are under ongoing discussion. The number of municipalities has decreased from 744 in the early 1960s to today's number, and more mergers are planned. Similarly, the political responsibilities of the counties has been decreased, and there is talk of combining them into 5-9 regions by 2010.

In addition, there are a number of informal subdivisions that sometimes also play a political role:

Regions, known in Norway as landsdeler (singular landsdel), of which there are five: Nord Norge, Østlandet, Sørlandet, Trøndelag, and Vestlandet.
Districts, typically organized by common language, culture, or geographical barriers. There is no fixed number, as the boundaries are interpreted in subjective ways.
In cities there are often city sections, known as bydeler, and even suburban communities such as Bærum are organized into such sections.
Rural communities also have informal subdivisions, including tettsteder - concentrations of commercial activity similar to villages, and clusters of farms known variously as grender, or by their names.
Norwegian meteorologists often employ subdivisions that are distinct from any other use, typically that reflect observed weather patterns

Subdivisions of Norway

See also