Buskerud

Infobox Fylke
name = Buskerud
idnumber = 06
capital = Drammen
mayor = Roger Ryberg
mayor_date = 2007
mayor_party = Arbeiderpartiet
governor = Kirsti Kolle Grøndahl
governor_date = 1999
governor_party = Arbeiderpartiet
region = Østlandet
arearank = 12
area = 14910
arealand = 13797
areapercent = 4.53
population_as_of = 2008
populationrank = 8
population = 253,006
populationpercent = 5.29
populationdensity = 18
populationincrease = 6.7
gdp_as_of = 2001
gdprank = 7
gdp = 54,474
gdppercent = 3.57
gdpcapita = 227,626
incomecapita = 155,400


munwebpage = www.bfk.no
language = Neutral
demonym = Buskerudfolk

Audio|Buskerud.ogg|Buskerud is a county in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark, and Vestfold. The county administration is located in Drammen.

Geography

Buskerud extends from Hurum at the Oslofjord to the Halling mountains and Hardanger. The county is conventionally divided into traditional districts. These are Eiker, Ringerike, Numedal and Hallingdal. Hønefoss is the district capital of Ringerike. Its western part is 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 are the biggest lakes. Numedalslågen, the third longest river in Norway, starting in Hordaland, runs through Buskerud unto Vestfold where it reaches the sea, while river Begna sweeps into lake Sperillen.

History

Buskerud was separated from Akershus as an amt of its own in 1685, but the area of this one it was smaller than today. (It then consisted of the present municipalities of Flå, Gol, Hemsedal, Hol, Hole, Krødsherad, Modum, Nedre Eiker, Nes, Ringerike, Sigdal, Øvre Eiker and Ål.) 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.

The area Ringerike may once have been a small kingdom. During the 10th century, Norway's kings Olav Trygvason and Olav Haraldsson grew up at Bønsnes in Ringerike. In the Numedal valley, silver has been mined in Kongsberg from the 17th century but was 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 once was a Cobalt pigment production works ("Blaafarveværket", "The Blue-Color Works").

Economy

Today, agriculture, lumbering, wood-pulp mills, and industry are the county's main economic activities; ample hydroelectric power is produced by Begna and Rands rivers.

The name

The county is named after the old farm Buskerud (Norse "Biskupsruð") in Modum, since this was the seat of the bailiffs in old time (until 1668). The first element is the genitive case of "biskup" m 'bishop', the last element is "ruð" n 'clearing, farm'. (The farm originally belonged to the bishop of Oslo.)

Coat of arms

Buskerud's coat of arms (created in April, 1966) features a blue bear whose coloring is symbolic of the Blue-Color Works. The silver background of Buskerud's coat of arms represents the silver industry in Kongsberg.

Municipalities

Buskerud County has a total of 21 municipalities:

External links

* [http://www.buskerud-f.kommune.no/ Buskerud Fylkeskommune]