Akershus
Encyclopedia
Geography
The county is conventionally divided into the traditional districts FolloFollo
Follo is one of three districts in the county of Akershus, Norway. It is located between Oslo and Østfold and includes the southwestern part of the county's area east of Oslo, namely the municipalities Frogn, Oppegård, Ski, Vestby, Ås, Nesodden, and Enebakk...
and Romerike
Romerike
Romerike is a traditional district located north-east of Oslo, in what is today south-eastern Norway. It consists of the Akershus municipalities Fet, Lørenskog, Nittedal, Rælingen, Skedsmo, Sørum and Aurskog-Høland in the southern end , and Ullensaker, Gjerdrum, Nannestad, Nes, Eidsvoll and Hurdal...
, which fill the vast part of the county, as well as the small exclave west of Oslo that consists of Asker
Asker
Asker is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Viken traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Asker. The municipality is a suburb of Oslo, the national capital...
and Bærum
Bærum
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the west coast of the city....
. This resulted after the transfer of the great municipality of Aker
Aker, Norway
Aker is a former municipality in Akershus, which lends its name to a municipality and a county in Norway. The name originally belonged to a farm which was located near the current Old Aker Church...
(surrounding Oslo) from Akershus county to Oslo in 1948.
Embracing numerous suburbs of Oslo, notably Bærum, Akershus is one of the most densely populated areas in the country. The main national railway lines into Oslo run through Akershus with many junctions and stations such as Asker, Sandvika
Sandvika
is the administrative centre of the municipality of Bærum in Norway. It was declared a city by the municipal council in Bærum on 4 June 2003.Sandvika is situated approximately west of Oslo. It is the main transportation hub for Western Bærum, and has a combined bus and railway station. Sandvika is...
, Ski and Lillestrøm
Lillestrøm
' is a city in the municipality of Skedsmo, Akershus, Norway. The municipal administration is located in Lillestrøm.Facilities in Lillestrøm include hotels, Norway trade fairs, a brand new cinema, a mall, Lillestrøm torv, restaurants, a high speed commuter train that reaches both Oslo and...
. Akershus includes some of the lake Mjøsa
Mjøsa
Mjøsa is Norway's largest lake, as well as one of the deepest lakes in Norway and in Europe as a whole, after Hornindalsvatnet. It is located in the southern part of Norway, about 100 km north of Oslo...
and some of the river Glomma
Glomma
The Glomma or Glåma is the longest and largest river in Norway. The long river has a drainage basin that covers a full 13% of Norway's area, all in the southern part of Norway.-Geography:...
.
The county also includes the historical place Eidsvoll, 48 km north of Oslo, in which the National assembly ratified the Norwegian constitution in 1814. South of Eidsvoll is the international airport of Oslo Airport
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen is the principal airport serving Oslo, Norway. It acts as the main domestic hub and international airport for Norway, and the second-busiest airport in the Nordic countries. A hub for Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian Air Shuttle, and a focus city for Widerøe, it is...
at Gardermoen. The estate of the crown prince is located in Asker.
Infrastructure
The county has a major international airport, the Oslo Airport, GardermoenOslo Airport, Gardermoen
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen is the principal airport serving Oslo, Norway. It acts as the main domestic hub and international airport for Norway, and the second-busiest airport in the Nordic countries. A hub for Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian Air Shuttle, and a focus city for Widerøe, it is...
. It also has two hospitals, Akershus University Hospital
Akershus University Hospital
The Akershus University Hospital is a Norwegian public university hospital located in the Lørenskog municipality, in the county of Akershus, east of the Norwegian capital Oslo. It is one of four university hospitals affiliated with the University of Oslo...
and Sunnaas Hospital
Sunnaas Hospital
Sunnaas Hospital is a hospital in Nesodden and a health trust under Helse Sør-Øst. Sunnaas is the country's largest specialised hospital in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Patient services cover a wide range of illnesses and options. Some of these include cancer services, brain injuries after...
.
The main road from continental Europe, E6
European route E6
European route E 6 is the designation for the main north-south road in Norway, and the west coast of Sweden, running from the southern tip of Sweden, at Trelleborg, into Norway and through almost all of the country north to Finnmark. The route ends close to the Norwegian border with Russia...
enters Akershus in the south the south, and runs through eastern Oslo, further to Gardermoen and into Hedmark county
Hedmark
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Akershus. The county administration is in Hamar.Hedmark makes up the northeastern part of Østlandet, the southeastern part of the country. It includes a long part of the borderline with Sweden, Dalarna County and Värmland County. The...
on the eastern shores of lake Mjøsa
Mjøsa
Mjøsa is Norway's largest lake, as well as one of the deepest lakes in Norway and in Europe as a whole, after Hornindalsvatnet. It is located in the southern part of Norway, about 100 km north of Oslo...
.
E18
European route E18
European route E18 runs from Craigavon in the United Kingdom to Saint Petersburg in Russia, passing through Norway, Sweden, and Finland. It is about 1,890 km in length.-United Kingdom:...
enters Akershus in the south-east, merges for a short stretch with E6 at Vinterbro in Ås
Ås
Ås is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Follo traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ås...
, before running under central Oslo. E18 then turns south-west through Bærum
Bærum
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the west coast of the city....
and Asker
Asker
Asker is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Viken traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Asker. The municipality is a suburb of Oslo, the national capital...
before entering Buskerud county
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:...
north of Drammen
Drammen
Drammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...
.
E18
European route E16
European route E 16 is the designation of a main west-east road through Northern Ireland, Scotland and Norway, from Derry to Oslo, via Glasgow, Edinburgh, previously by ferry to Bergen, Voss, through the Gudvanga Tunnel, Lærdal, through the Lærdal Tunnel, over Filefjell to Fagernes, Hønefoss,...
runs from the intersection with E18 in Sandvika into Buskerud county west of Sollihøgda
Sollihøgda
Sollihøgda is a village in Hole municipality, in the county of Buskerud, Norway. It is situated near the border with the municipality of Bærum, in the county of Akershus, 28 km from Oslo....
.
All main railways out of Oslo runs through Akershus:
- South-west: Drammensbanen
- South-east: ØstfoldbanenØstfoldbanenThe Østfold Line is a standard gauge railway line that runs between Oslo, Norway, and the Swedish border at Kornsjø. Running through Follo and Østfold, it has both a Western and Eastern Line between Ski and Sarpsborg. The line opened in 1879 as the Smaalenene Line .The line is , while the Eastern...
as two separate railways
- North: GjøvikbanenGjøvikbanenThe Gjøvik Line is a Norwegian railway line between Oslo and Gjøvik. It was originally named the North Line and ran between Grefsen and Røykenvik. The line was completed to Gjøvik in 1902...
- North-east: HovedbanenHovedbanenThe Hoved Line is a railway line in Norway which runs between Oslo and Eidsvoll. The line is owned by the Norwegian National Rail Administration.-History:...
, GardermobanenGardermobanenThe Gardermoen Line is a high-speed railway line between Oslo and Eidsvoll, Norway, running past Lillestrøm and Oslo Airport, Gardermoen. The line is long and replaced the older Hoved Line as the main line north-east of Oslo...
and DovrebanenDovrebanenThe Dovre Line is the main line of the Norwegian railway system between Oslo and Trondheim. The 64 km section south of Eidsvoll has been replaced by the Gardermo Line, the only high-speed line in the country. The line between Eidsvoll and Dombås is from old times the Eidsvoll–Dombås Line. The line...
- East: KongsvingerbanenKongsvingerbanenThe Kongsvinger Line is a railway line between the towns of Lillestrøm and Kongsvinger in Norway and onwards to Charlottenberg in Sweden. The railway was opened on 3 October 1862 and is Norway's second standard gauge line . It was electrified in 1951...
History
Akershus became a fief in the 16th century, and then also included the current counties of HedmarkHedmark
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Akershus. The county administration is in Hamar.Hedmark makes up the northeastern part of Østlandet, the southeastern part of the country. It includes a long part of the borderline with Sweden, Dalarna County and Värmland County. The...
, Oppland
Oppland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The county administration is in Lillehammer. Oppland is, together with Hedmark, one of the only two landlocked counties of Norway....
, Buskerud
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:...
and Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, as well as the municipalities of Askim
Askim
is a town and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Askim. Askim was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 ....
, Eidsberg
Eidsberg
Eidsberg is a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Mysen. Neighboring municipalities are Rakkestad, Askim, Skiptvet, Trøgstad, and Marker in Østfold, and Aurskog-Høland in Akershus....
and Trøgstad
Trøgstad
Trøgstad is a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Skjønhaug. The municipality is divided into the parishes of Trøgstad and Båstad...
in the county of Østfold
Østfold
is a county in southeastern Norway, bordering Akershus and southwestern Sweden , while Buskerud and Vestfold is on the other side of the bay. The seat of the county administration is Sarpsborg, and Fredrikstad is the largest city.Many manufacturing facilities are situated here. Moss and...
. In 1662 Akershus became an Amt, and in 1685 Buskerud was separated from Akershus and became an Amt of its own. In 1768 Hedmark and Oppland were also separated from Akershus to become Oplandenes Amt (and Askim, Eidsberg and Trøgstad were transferred to Østfold). In 1842 the city of Christiania (Oslo) was made a separate Amt as well. In 1919 the term Amt was changed to Fylke. In 1948 Aker
Aker, Norway
Aker is a former municipality in Akershus, which lends its name to a municipality and a county in Norway. The name originally belonged to a farm which was located near the current Old Aker Church...
, the greatest and the most populous municipality of Akershus, was transferred to county of Oslo.
The name
The county is named after Akershus FortressAkershus Fortress
Akershus Fortress or Akershus Castle is a medieval castle that was built to protect Oslo, the capital of Norway. It has also been used as a prison.- Construction :...
. The fortress was built in 1299, and the meaning of the name is "the (fortified) house of (the district) Aker". The name is somewhat misleading nowadays, since the fortress is now outside Akershus (it is in Oslo county since 1842). In fact, the administration of Akershus sits outside the county as well, in the center of Oslo.
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1987). It shows a gableGable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
from Akershus fortress.
Municipalities
|
|