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{{Politics of Norway}} |
{{Politics of Norway}} |
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[[Norway]]'s elongated shape, its numerous internal geographical barriers and the often widely dispersed and separated settlements are all factors that have strongly influenced the structure of the country's administrative subdivisions. This structure has varied over time and is subject to continuous review. In 2017, the government decided to abolish some of the counties and to merge them with other counties to form larger ones, reducing the number of counties from 19 to 11, which was implemented on 1 January 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/kommunesammenslaaing/dette-er-norges-nye-regioner/a/23931222/|title=Dette er Norges nye regioner|website=vg.no|date=21 February 2017 |access-date=28 April 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180309233258/https://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/kommunesammenslaaing/dette-er-norges-nye-regioner/a/23931222/|archive-date=9 March 2018}}</ref> Following protests, the new government decided to abolish three of the new counties in 2022, and re-establish seven of the old ones. Taking effect on 1 January 2024 there are fifteen counties in Norway. |
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[[Norway]]'s elongated shape, numerous geographical barriers, and distributed population barriers has led to a number of conventions for its subdivisions. These have changed somewhat over time, and various reforms are under continuous consideration. |
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==Formal subdivisions== |
==Formal subdivisions== |
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There are three levels of political administration in Norway: |
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⚫ | * The Kingdom, covering all of [[metropolitan regions of Norway|Metropolitan Norway]], including its integral overseas areas of [[Svalbard]] and [[Jan Mayen]]. Whereas Svalbard is subject to an international treaty with some limits to Norwegian sovereignty, [[Jan Mayen]] shares county governor (''fylkesmann'') with [[Nordland]] county. |
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The political administration of Norway takes place at three levels: |
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* The [[Counties of Norway|Counties]], known in Norwegian as ''fylker'' (singular ''fylke''), of which there are 15. These derive in part from divisions that preceded Norway's constitution in 1814 and independence in 1905. The counties also function as [[electoral district|constituencies]] in elections for [[Stortinget|Parliament]]. |
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⚫ | * Kingdom, covering all of metropolitan Norway including its integral overseas areas of [[Svalbard]] and [[Jan Mayen]]. Whereas Svalbard is subject to an international treaty with some limits to Norwegian sovereignty, [[Jan Mayen]] shares county governor (fylkesmann) with [[Nordland]] county. |
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* [[ |
* The [[list of municipalities of Norway|Municipalities]], known in Norwegian as ''kommuner'' (singular ''kommune'') of which there are 356. In addition the [[Longyearbyen]] local authority has some similarities to a municipality. |
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* [[Municipalities of Norway|Municipalities]], known in Norwegian as ''kommuner'' (singular ''kommune'') of which there are 430.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ks.no/templates/Page.aspx?id=46423|title= Kristiansund + Frei = Sant |accessdate =2008-01-09|publisher=www.ks.no|language=Norwegian| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20080220195046/http://www.ks.no/templates/Page.aspx?id=46423| archivedate= 20 February 2008 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> In addition the [[Longyearbyen]] local authority has some similarieties with a municipality. |
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* External [[Dependencies of Norway|dependencies]] |
* External [[Dependencies of Norway|dependencies]] |
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As infrastructure for travel and communication has improved over the years, the benefits of consolidation |
As the infrastructure for travel and communication has improved over the years,so the benefits of further consolidation have remained under review. The number of municipalities has decreased from 744 in the early 1960s to today's 442, and more mergers are planned. Similarly, the political responsibilities of the counties have decreased, and there was talk earlier of combining them into 5–9 regions by 2010. Although those specific plans did not come to fruition, a similar scheme is again under consideration in 2018.<ref>[https://www.regjeringen.no/no/tema/kommuner-og-regioner/kommunereform/regionreform/id2477186/ Notwegian government website: ''Regionreform''] (in Norwegian)</ref> |
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Within the government administration, there are a few exceptions to the county |
Within the government administration, there are a few exceptions to the county subdivisions: |
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* The [[Courts of Justice of Norway|Norwegian court system]] is divided into six appellate districts. |
* The [[Courts of Justice of Norway|Norwegian court system]] is divided into six appellate districts. |
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* The state [[Church of Norway]] is divided into eleven dioceses. |
* The state [[Church of Norway]] is divided into eleven dioceses. |
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* The [[ |
* The [[Sami Parliament of Norway#Elections|13 constituencies]] for elections to the [[Sami Parliament of Norway|Sámi Parliament of Norway]], which is a part of the Norwegian state apparatus, do not follow the county borders – sometimes encompassing several counties. They do, however, follow municipality borders. |
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===County=== |
===County=== |
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====County municipality==== |
====County municipality==== |
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{{Main|County municipality (Norway)}} |
{{Main|County municipality (Norway)}} |
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[[File: |
[[File:Fylkesinndeling2024 original.webp|275px|thumb|right|A geopolitical map of Counties in Norway, exhibiting its 15 first-order [[administrative division|subnational divisions]] (''fylker'' or "counties")]] |
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A county municipality ({{lang-no|Fylkeskommune}}) is the public elected body that is responsible for certain public administrative and service tasks within a [[Counties of Norway|county]]. Each county is governed as a county municipality, with the exception of [[Oslo]], which is both a municipality and a county municipality. The main responsibility of the county municipalities are [[education in Norway|upper secondary schools]], [[dental care]], [[public transport]], [[road|county roads]], [[culture]], [[cultural heritage management]], [[land use planning]] and business development. |
A county municipality ({{lang-no|Fylkeskommune}}) is the public elected body that is responsible for certain public administrative and service tasks within a [[Counties of Norway|county]]. Each county is governed as a county municipality, with the exception of [[Oslo]], which is both a municipality and a county municipality. The main responsibility of the county municipalities are [[education in Norway|upper secondary schools]], [[Dentistry|dental care]], [[public transport]], [[road|county roads]], [[culture]], [[cultural heritage management]], [[land use planning]] and business development. |
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The main body of each county municipality is the [[County council (Norway)|county council]] (''fylkesting''), elected by direct election by all legal residents every fourth year. The county councils typically have 30-50 members and meet about six times a year. They are divided into standing committees and an executive board (''fylkesutvalg''), that meet considerably more often. Both the council and executive board are led by the [[Chairman of the County Council]] or County Mayor (''fylkesordfører''). |
The main body of each county municipality is the [[County council (Norway)|county council]] (''fylkesting''), elected by direct election by all legal residents every fourth year. The county councils typically have 30-50 members and meet about six times a year. They are divided into standing committees and an executive board (''fylkesutvalg''), that meet considerably more often. Both the council and executive board are led by the [[Chairman of the County Council]] or County Mayor (''fylkesordfører''). |
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The [[Government of Norway|national government]], formally [[Norwegian monarchy|the King]], is represented in each county by a county governor ({{lang-no|[[ |
The [[Government of Norway|national government]], formally [[Norwegian monarchy|the King]], is represented in each county by a county governor ({{lang-no|[[Statsforvalter]]}}). This office mainly functions as a supervising authority over the county and municipality administrations, and their decisions can be appealed to him. |
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===Municipality=== |
===Municipality=== |
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===Integral territories=== |
===Integral territories=== |
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{{multiple image |
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| image1 = Svalbard (Norway) CIA map.gif |
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| height1 = 280 |
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| image2 = Jan Mayen (Norway) map.gif |
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| height2 = 300 |
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| caption1 = Svalbard |
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| caption2 = Jan Mayen |
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}} |
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{{main|Svalbard and Jan Mayen}} |
{{main|Svalbard and Jan Mayen}} |
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Both [[Svalbard]] and [[Jan Mayen]] are "part of the Kingdom of Norway", although they are not allocated to a particular county and have not been declared as dependencies.<ref>{{cite book |last=Arlov |first=Thor B. |title=A short history of Svalbard |year=1994 |url=http://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2007032002001 |publisher=[[Norwegian Polar Institute]] |location=Oslo |isbn=82-90307-55-1 |page=68}}</ref> |
Both [[Svalbard]] and [[Jan Mayen]] are "part of the Kingdom of Norway", although they are not allocated to a particular county and have not been declared as dependencies.<ref>{{cite book |last=Arlov |first=Thor B. |title=A short history of Svalbard |year=1994 |url=http://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2007032002001 |publisher=[[Norwegian Polar Institute]] |location=Oslo |isbn=82-90307-55-1 |page=68}}</ref> Svalbard and Jan Mayen is administered outside of the ''fylker'' system. |
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==Dependencies== |
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{{ |
{{Main|Dependencies of Norway}} |
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Norway has three [[dependent territories]] ({{lang-no|biland}}), all uninhabited and located in the [[Southern Hemisphere]]. [[Bouvet Island]] is a [[Subantarctic]] island in the [[South Atlantic Ocean]].<ref name=cia>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov |
Norway has three [[dependent territory|dependent territories]] ({{lang-no|biland}}), all uninhabited and located in the [[Southern Hemisphere]]. [[Bouvet Island]] is a [[Subantarctic]] island in the [[Atlantic Ocean|South Atlantic Ocean]].<ref name=cia>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/bouvet-island/ |title=Svalbard |work=[[The World Factbook]] |publisher=[[Central Intelligence Agency]] |date=11 April 2012 |access-date=25 April 2012}}</ref> ''[[Queen Maud Land]]'' is a sector of [[Antarctica]] which spans between 20° west and 45° east.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.npolar.no/no/antarktis/dronning-maud-land.html|publisher=[[Norwegian Polar Institute]]|access-date=10 May 2011|language=no|title=Dronning Maud Land|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120721073332/http://www.npolar.no/no/antarktis/dronning-maud-land.html|archive-date=21 July 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[Peter I Island]]'' is a volcanic island located {{convert|450|km}} off the coast of [[Ellsworth Land]] of continental Antarctica.<ref name=miljostatus>{{Cite web|title=Peter I Øy |url=http://www.miljostatus.no/Tema/Polaromradene/Antarktis/Peter-I-Oy/ |publisher=[[Norwegian Climate and Pollution Agency]] |access-date=29 August 2011 |archive-date=28 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928140534/http://www.miljostatus.no/Tema/Polaromradene/Antarktis/Peter-I-Oy/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Both Peter I Island and Queen Maud Land are south of 60°S and are thus part of the [[Antarctic Treaty System]]. While the treaty states that the claims are not affected by the treaty, only the other countries with claims recognize Norwegian sovereignty on the island.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Antarctic Treaty|url=http://www.ats.aq/e/ats.htm|publisher=[[Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty]]|access-date=29 August 2011|archive-date=15 April 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080415053303/http://www.ats.aq/e/ats.htm}}</ref> The dependencies are administration by the Polar Affairs Department of the [[Ministry of Justice and the Police (Norway)|Ministry of Justice and the Police]] in Oslo.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Polar Affairs Department |url=http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/jd/About-the-Ministry-of-Justice-and-the-Po/Organization/Departments/The-Polar-Affairs-Department.html?id=1447 |publisher=[[Norwegian Ministry of the Environment]] |access-date=29 August 2011 |archive-date=8 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110808221333/http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/jd/About-the-Ministry-of-Justice-and-the-Po/Organization/Departments/The-Polar-Affairs-Department.html?id=1447 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Norwegian [[criminal law]], [[private law]] and [[procedural law]] applies to the dependencies, in addition to other laws that explicitly state they are valid on the island.<ref name=ld>{{Cite web|title=Lov om Bouvet-øya, Peter I's øy og Dronning Maud Land m.m. (bilandsloven)|url=http://www.lovdata.no/all/tl-19300227-003-0.html#1|publisher=Lovdata|access-date=29 August 2011|archive-date=2 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202231248/http://www.lovdata.no/all/tl-19300227-003-0.html#1|url-status=dead|language=no}}</ref> |
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==Informal subdivisions== |
==Informal subdivisions== |
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[[File:Norway municipalities 2012 blank.svg|thumb|Municipalities and counties of Norway]] |
[[File:Norway municipalities 2012 blank.svg|thumb|Municipalities and counties of Norway]] |
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===Regions=== |
===Regions=== |
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{{main|Regions of Norway}} |
{{main|Regions of Norway}} |
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Norway is generally divided into five regions ({{lang-no|landsdel}}), which largely represent areas with a common language and culture: [[Northern Norway]], [[Trøndelag]], [[Western Norway]], [[Southern Norway]] and [[Eastern Norway]]. Regions hold no official status in the government, but is used for organizing some public organizations, including the [[Norwegian Public Roads Administration]] and the [[regional health authority|regional health authorities]]. [[Central Norway]] is a region which consists of [[Trøndelag]] and [[Møre og Romsdal]]. Trøndelag and Northern Norway is collectively known as [[Nordenfjells]]. [[Sápmi (area)|Sápmi]] is an area which spans into Sweden, Finland and Russia and is defined as the "homeland" of the [[Sami people|Sami]]. The [[Norwegian Meteorological Institute]] uses different regions, corresponding to the weather patterns. |
Norway is generally divided into five regions ({{lang-no|landsdel}}), which largely represent areas with a common language and culture: [[Northern Norway]], [[Trøndelag]], [[Western Norway]], [[Southern Norway]] and [[Eastern Norway]]. Regions hold no official status in the government, but is used for organizing some public organizations, including the [[Norwegian Public Roads Administration]] and the [[regional health authority (Norway)|regional health authorities]]. [[Central Norway]] is a region which consists of [[Trøndelag]] and [[Møre og Romsdal]]. Trøndelag and Northern Norway is collectively known as [[Nordenfjells]]. [[Sápmi (area)|Sápmi]] is an area which spans into Sweden, Finland and Russia and is defined as the "homeland" of the [[Sami people|Sami]]. The [[Norwegian Meteorological Institute]] uses different regions, corresponding to the weather patterns. |
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{|class="wikitable |
{|class="wikitable" |
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|+ List of regions |
|+ List of regions |
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|- |
|- |
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|- |
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! span=row | [[Trøndelag]] |
! span=row | [[Trøndelag]] |
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| [[ |
| [[Trøndelag]] |
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|- |
|- |
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! span=row | [[Western Norway]] |
! span=row | [[Western Norway]] |
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| [[Møre og Romsdal]], [[ |
| [[Møre og Romsdal]], [[Vestland]], [[Rogaland]] |
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|- |
|- |
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! span=row | [[Southern Norway]] |
! span=row | [[Southern Norway]] |
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| |
|[[Agder]] |
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|- |
|- |
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! span=row | [[Eastern Norway]] |
! span=row | [[Eastern Norway]] |
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| [[Oslo]], [[Akershus]], [[ |
| [[Oslo]], [[Akershus]], [[Buskerud]], [[Østfold]], [[Vestfold]], [[Telemark]], [[Innlandet]] |
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===Settlements and rural areas=== |
===Settlements and rural areas=== |
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[[Statistics Norway]] |
[[Statistics Norway]] uses the term "settlement" for any collection of at least 200 people who live close together. Outside of these there may be rural areas which have an unofficial border. Sometimes these are defined by school districts. Cities are often divided into boroughs, which may or may not have{{clarify|date=January 2020}} |
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==History== |
==History== |
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[[File:Norwegian Regions.jpg|thumb|Regions in Norway before 2019]] |
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[[Formannskapsdistrikt|Municipal independence]] was established in 1838. The introduction of self-government in rural districts was a major political change. The [[Norwegian farm culture]] (''bondekultur'') that emerged came to serve as a symbol of national resistance to the forced [[Union between Sweden and Norway|union with Sweden]]. The legislation of 1837 gave both the towns and the rural areas the same institutions: a minor change for the town, but a major advance for the rural communities. |
[[Formannskapsdistrikt|Municipal independence]] was established in 1838. The introduction of self-government in rural districts was a major political change. The [[Norwegian farm culture]] (''bondekultur'') that emerged came to serve as a symbol of national resistance to the forced [[Union between Sweden and Norway|union with Sweden]]. The legislation of 1837 gave both the towns and the rural areas the same institutions: a minor change for the town, but a major advance for the rural communities. |
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The composition and |
The composition and number of municipalities, their functions, and the existence and functions of the counties are being continuously debated. However, there are currently no plans for reform. |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (January 2020)
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Constitution |
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Government |
Parliament |
Recent elections
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Local government |
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Norway's elongated shape, its numerous internal geographical barriers and the often widely dispersed and separated settlements are all factors that have strongly influenced the structure of the country's administrative subdivisions. This structure has varied over time and is subject to continuous review. In 2017, the government decided to abolish some of the counties and to merge them with other counties to form larger ones, reducing the number of counties from 19 to 11, which was implemented on 1 January 2020.[1] Following protests, the new government decided to abolish three of the new counties in 2022, and re-establish seven of the old ones. Taking effect on 1 January 2024 there are fifteen counties in Norway.
There are three levels of political administration in Norway:
As the infrastructure for travel and communication has improved over the years, so the benefits of further consolidation have remained under review. The number of municipalities has decreased from 744 in the early 1960s to today's 442, and more mergers are planned. Similarly, the political responsibilities of the counties have decreased, and there was talk earlier of combining them into 5–9 regions by 2010. Although those specific plans did not come to fruition, a similar scheme is again under consideration in 2018.[2]
Within the government administration, there are a few exceptions to the county subdivisions:
A county municipality (Norwegian: Fylkeskommune) is the public elected body that is responsible for certain public administrative and service tasks within a county. Each county is governed as a county municipality, with the exception of Oslo, which is both a municipality and a county municipality. The main responsibility of the county municipalities are upper secondary schools, dental care, public transport, county roads, culture, cultural heritage management, land use planning and business development.
The main body of each county municipality is the county council (fylkesting), elected by direct election by all legal residents every fourth year. The county councils typically have 30-50 members and meet about six times a year. They are divided into standing committees and an executive board (fylkesutvalg), that meet considerably more often. Both the council and executive board are led by the Chairman of the County Council or County Mayor (fylkesordfører).
The national government, formally the King, is represented in each county by a county governor (Norwegian: Statsforvalter). This office mainly functions as a supervising authority over the county and municipality administrations, and their decisions can be appealed to him.
Municipalities are the atomic unit of local government and are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, some social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. Law enforcement and church services are provided at a national level in Norway. The main body of each municipality is the municipality council (kommunestyre), elected by direct election by all legal residents every fourth year.
Three municipalities, Oslo, Bergen and Stavanger, are divided into boroughs. In Oslo and Stavanger, they elect their own political council.[citation needed] They are part of the municipal organization, but have a certain amount of influence in issues regarding health, education and naming.
Both Svalbard and Jan Mayen are "part of the Kingdom of Norway", although they are not allocated to a particular county and have not been declared as dependencies.[3] Svalbard and Jan Mayen is administered outside of the fylker system.
Norway has three dependent territories (Norwegian: biland), all uninhabited and located in the Southern Hemisphere. Bouvet Island is a Subantarctic island in the South Atlantic Ocean.[4] Queen Maud Land is a sector of Antarctica which spans between 20° west and 45° east.[5] Peter I Island is a volcanic island located 450 kilometres (280 mi) off the coast of Ellsworth Land of continental Antarctica.[6] Both Peter I Island and Queen Maud Land are south of 60°S and are thus part of the Antarctic Treaty System. While the treaty states that the claims are not affected by the treaty, only the other countries with claims recognize Norwegian sovereignty on the island.[7] The dependencies are administration by the Polar Affairs Department of the Ministry of Justice and the Police in Oslo.[8] Norwegian criminal law, private law and procedural law applies to the dependencies, in addition to other laws that explicitly state they are valid on the island.[9]
Norway is generally divided into five regions (Norwegian: landsdel), which largely represent areas with a common language and culture: Northern Norway, Trøndelag, Western Norway, Southern Norway and Eastern Norway. Regions hold no official status in the government, but is used for organizing some public organizations, including the Norwegian Public Roads Administration and the regional health authorities. Central Norway is a region which consists of Trøndelag and Møre og Romsdal. Trøndelag and Northern Norway is collectively known as Nordenfjells. Sápmi is an area which spans into Sweden, Finland and Russia and is defined as the "homeland" of the Sami. The Norwegian Meteorological Institute uses different regions, corresponding to the weather patterns.
Region | Counties |
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Northern Norway | Nordland, Troms, Finnmark |
Trøndelag | Trøndelag |
Western Norway | Møre og Romsdal, Vestland, Rogaland |
Southern Norway | Agder |
Eastern Norway | Oslo, Akershus, Buskerud, Østfold, Vestfold, Telemark, Innlandet |
Districts (Norwegian: distrikt) represent an unofficial area organized by common language, culture or geographical barriers. Their boundaries are subjective and some areas may be regarded as belonging to multiple districts. Districts are larger than municipalities and smaller than counties, although some districts may span across county borders. Some districts form a hierarchy where a district can be subdivided into multiple lesser districts.
Statistics Norway uses the term "settlement" for any collection of at least 200 people who live close together. Outside of these there may be rural areas which have an unofficial border. Sometimes these are defined by school districts. Cities are often divided into boroughs, which may or may not have[clarification needed]
Municipal independence was established in 1838. The introduction of self-government in rural districts was a major political change. The Norwegian farm culture (bondekultur) that emerged came to serve as a symbol of national resistance to the forced union with Sweden. The legislation of 1837 gave both the towns and the rural areas the same institutions: a minor change for the town, but a major advance for the rural communities.
The composition and number of municipalities, their functions, and the existence and functions of the counties are being continuously debated. However, there are currently no plans for reform.
Norway articles
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