Vest-Agder
It is the southernmost county in Norway, extending inland from the North Sea and its arm, the Skagerrak, to the southern fringes of Setesdalen, surrounded by the mountain range Setesdalsheiene. It includes the southernmost point of the entire country, Pysen island south of Mandal, and the southernmost part of continental Norway, Lindesnes. It has a very broken and hilly surface.
Most of the habitation lies along the coast, including the towns Kristiansand, Mandal, Flekkefjord, and Farsund. Some 31 fjords are located there. Shipping, commerce and recreation are the main industries. As the Gulf Stream touches the coast of West Agder, it is also called "the Norwegian Riviera".
The northern portion is mountainous and sparsely settled, while the central upland moors are used for pasturing of cattle and sheep.
General information
Name
The meaning of the name is "(the) western (part of) Agder". Before 1919, the name of the county was Lister og Mandal amt. The amt was created in 1662 and it consisted of the two old lens of Lister (now Lista) and Mandal.Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 12 December 1958. They show an oak tree in yellow on a green background, representing the rich nature in the area.Municipalities
In 1837, the counties were divided into local administrative units each with their own governments. The number and borders of these municipalities have changed over time, and at present there are 15 municipalities in Vest-Agder.| Municipalities of Vest-Agder | |
|---|---|
| Key | |
See also
External links
References
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Monday October 06, 2008 at 05:41:28 PDT (GMT -0700)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
