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Sogn og Fjordane
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The name Sogn og
Fjordane was created in 1919. The first element is the name of
the region Sogn. The last element is the plural form of fjord -
referring to the two regions Nordfjord and Sunnfjord.
Until 1919 the name of the county was Nordre Bergenhus amt -
with the meaning '(the) northern (part of) Bergenhus amt'. (The
old Bergenhus amt, created in 1662, was divided in 1763.) |
Geography
It is mainly a rural
area with scattered population. It includes the biggest glacier
in mainland Norway, Jostedalsbreen, and the deepest lake,
Hornindalsvatnet. There are many famous waterfalls located in
the area, including Ramnefjellsfossen (previously called
Utigardfossen), the tallest in Norway, and third tallest in the
World; Vettisfossen, one of Norway's highest waterfalls, with a
vertical drop of 275 m, is located in the Jotunheim mountains.
Cruise ships visit the district all summer, because of the
unique vistas of high mountains and deep blue fjords. |
Culture
Although Sogn og
Fjordane has some industry, predominantly hydroelectricity and
aluminium, it is predominantly agricultural. The terrain changes
quite rapidly with mostly smaller mountains on the coastline,
gradually increasing to mountains reaching almost 8000 feet.
Because of the steep rise in elevation, and fjords cutting
through the terrain, the amount of precipitation is very high.
Low pressure systems come in from the west and meet the
mountains (a phenomenon known as orographic lifting) and cause
rain and snowfall. Sogn og Fjordane is also home to the Urnes
stave church, which is listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site. |
Districts
The county is
conventionally divided into traditional districts. These are
Sogn, Sunnfjord and Nordfjord. Sogn surrounds Sognefjorden. Its
length, from Solund on the offshore island of Sula in the North
Sea to Skjolden, at the head of its longest branch, the
Lustrafjorden, is 204 km. |
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