Akershus
Akershus is a
county in
Norway, bordering
Hedmark,
Oppland,
Buskerud,
Oslo and
Østfold. It has a short border with
Sweden (
Värmland). Akershus is the second largest county in population after Oslo, with more than half a million inhabitants. The county is named after
Akershus Fortress. The county administration is in Oslo, which is not part of the county per se.
Akershus includes some of the lake
Mjøsa and some of the river
Glomma. 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, Ski and
Lillestrøm.
The county also includes the historical place Eidsvoll, 48 km north of Oslo, in which the National assembly voted the Norwegian constitution in 1814. South of Eidsvoll is the international airport of
Oslo Airport at Gardermoen. The estate of the crown prince is situated in Asker.
Akershus became a fief in the
16th century, and did then also include the current counties of
Hedmark,
Oppland,
Buskerud and
Oslo, as well as the municipalities of
Askim,
Eidsberg and
Trøgstad in the county of
Østfold. 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 in
1842 Christiania (Oslo) was made a separate
Amt as well. In
1919 the name
Amt was changed to
Fylke.
The county is conventionally divided into traditional districts. These are
Follo and
Romerike.
Asker and
Bærum are western exclaves of the county, which became the result after the transfering of the great municipality of
Aker (surrounding Oslo) from Akershus county to Oslo county in
1948.
|
Municipalities of Akershus. |
*
Asker*
Aurskog-Høland*
Bærum*
Eidsvoll*
Enebakk*
Fet*
Frogn*
Gjerdrum*
Hurdal*
Lørenskog*
Nannestad*
Nes*
Nesodden*
Nittedal*
Oppegård*
Rælingen*
Skedsmo*
Ski*
Sørum*
Ullensaker*
Vestby*
Ås*
Akershus county website
