Rogaland

Rogaland is a county in Western Norway, bordering the North Sea to the west and the counties of Vestland to the north, Telemark to the east and Agder to the east and southeast. Per 1. January 2024, it had a population of 499,417 people.

The administrative centre of the county is the city of Stavanger, which is one of the largest cities in Norway.

Etymology
Rogaland is the region's Old Norse name, which was revived in modern times. During Denmark's rule of Norway until the year 1814, the county was named Stavanger amt, after the large city of Stavanger. The first element is the plural genitive case of rygir which is probably referring to the name of an old Germanic tribe (see Rugians). The last element is land which means "land" or "region". In Old Norse times, the region was called Rygjafylki.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms is modern; it was granted on 11 January 1974. The arms are blue with a white or silver pointed cross in the centre. The cross is based on the old stone cross in Sola, the oldest national monument in Norway. It was erected in memory of Erling Skjalgsson after his death in 1028. This type of cross was very common in medieval Norway.

Geography
Rogaland is mainly a coastal region with fjords, beaches, and islands, the principal island being Karmøy. The vast Boknafjorden is the largest bay, with many fjords branching off from it.

Stavanger/Sandnes, the third-largest urban area of Norway, is also a central area for the Norwegian petroleum industry. The area includes the large cities of Stavanger and Sandnes. The municipalities Randaberg, and Sola is also in close proximity. Together, this conurbation is ranked above the city Trondheim in population rankings in Norway.

There are also other cities/towns in Rogaland other than Stavanger and Sandnes. They include Haugesund, Egersund, Sauda, Jørpeland, Bryne, Kopervik, Åkrehamn, and Skudeneshavn.

Karmøy has large deposits of copper (some from the Visnes mine was used in the construction of the Statue of Liberty). Sokndal has large deposits of ilmenite. Rogaland is the most important region for oil and gas exploration in Norway, and the Jæren district in Rogaland is one of the country's most important agricultural districts.

History
There are remains in Rogaland from the earliest times, such as the excavations in a cave at Viste in Randaberg (Svarthola). These include the find of a skeleton of a boy from the Stone Age. Various archeological finds stem from the following times, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. Many crosses in Irish style have been found. Rogaland was called Rygjafylke in the Viking Age. Before Harald Fairhair and the Battle of Hafrsfjord, it was a petty kingdom. The Rugians were a tribe possibly connected with Rogaland.

Culture and tourism
A series of festivals and congresses of international fame and profile are arranged, such as The Chamber Music Festival, The Maijazz Festival, The Gladmat (lit. happy food) Festival, and The ONS event, which has been held in Stavanger every second year since 1974. The ONS is a major international conference and exhibition with focus on oil and gas, and other topics from the petroleum industry. The Concert Hall and Music Complex at Bjergsted and the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra provide important inspiration in the Norwegian musical environment. Another annual event in Stavanger is The World Tour Beach Volleyball. During this tournament, the downtown is converted into a beach volleyball arena.

Rogaland is home to many natural wonders, like Prekestolen, Kjerag and Gloppedalsura. In Stavanger, there is an archeological museum with many artifacts from early history in Rogaland. An Iron Age farm at Ullandhaug in Stavanger is reconstructed on the original farm site dating back to 350–500 AD. The Viking Farm is a museum at Karmøy.

Government
A county (fylke) is the chief local administrative area in Norway. The whole country is divided into 11 counties. A county is also an election area, with popular votes taking place every 4 years. In Rogaland, the government of the county is the Rogaland County Municipality. It includes 47 members who are elected to form a county council (Fylkesting). Heading the Fylkesting is the county mayor (fylkesordførar). Since 2020, the Rogaland County Municipality has been led by Marianne Chesak, the county mayor.

The county also has a County Governor (fylkesmann) who is the representative of the King and Government of Norway. Bent Høie is the incumbent governor, in office since 1 November 2021.

The municipalities in Rogaland are divided among several district courts (tingrett): Dalane District Court, Haugaland District Court, Jæren District Court, and Stavanger District Court. All of these courts are subordinate to the Gulating Court of Appeal district based in Bergen.

Municipalities
Rogaland County has a total of 23 municipalities:

Districts

 * Dalane
 * Haugaland
 * Jæren
 * Ryfylke

Cities

 * Bryne
 * Egersund
 * Haugesund
 * Jørpeland
 * Kopervik
 * Sauda
 * Sandnes
 * Skudeneshavn
 * Stavanger
 * Åkrehamn

Parishes

 * Askøy (Askø)
 * Avaldsnes
 * Bjerkreim
 * Bokn (Bukken)
 * Bore
 * Bø
 * Domkirken, Stavanger
 * Egersund
 * Erfjord
 * Falnes
 * Ferkingstad
 * Finnøy (Hesby)
 * Fister
 * Forsand (Fossan)
 * Frue, see Hetland
 * Førdesfjorden
 * Gjestal
 * Haugesund
 * Hausken
 * Helleland
 * Hesby
 * Heskestad
 * Hetland
 * Hjelmeland
 * Hvidingsø
 * Høgsfjord
 * Høle
 * Høyland
 * Hå
 * Håland
 * Imsland
 * Jelsa (Jelsø)
 * Klepp
 * Kopervik
 * Kvitsøy (Hvidingsø)
 * Lund
 * Lye
 * Madla
 * Malle, see Madla
 * Mosterøy
 * Nedstrand (Hinderå)
 * Norheim
 * Nærbø
 * Nærem
 * Ogna
 * Orre
 * Randaberg (Randeberg)
 * Rennesøy
 * Riska (Riskekvernen)
 * Røldal (in Hordaland after 1848)
 * Sand
 * Sandeid
 * Sandnes
 * Sankt Johannes, Stavanger
 * Sankt Petri, Stavanger
 * Saude (Sauda)
 * Sjernarøy
 * Skjold
 * Skudenes
 * Skudeneshavn
 * Skåre
 * Sokndal
 * Sola (Sole)
 * Soma
 * Stavanger
 * Strand
 * Suldal
 * Sørbø
 * Talgøy (Talgje)
 * Tananger
 * Time (Lye)
 * Tjora
 * Torvastad (Torvestad)
 * Tysvær
 * Utsira
 * Utstein Kloster
 * Varhaug
 * Vats
 * Vedavågen
 * Vikedal
 * Vår Frue, see Hetland
 * Åkra
 * Åkra (old)
 * Åna-Sira
 * Årdal
 * Egersund Branch (LDS, 1899–1913)
 * Haugesund Branch (LDS, 1905–1950)
 * Stavanger Branch (LDS, 1850–1938)
 * Stavanger (Dissentermenigheter: Stavanger, Klepp, and Haugesund 1859–1903)
 * Stavanger (Vennenes Samfund- Quakers, 1821–1951)

Villages

 * Aksdal
 * Amdal
 * Askje
 * Åkrehamn
 * Åmøy
 * Avaldsnes
 * Bjerkreim
 * Bjoa
 * Bore
 * Bru
 * Brusand
 * Dirdal
 * Dueland
 * Eik
 * Eike
 * Erfjord
 * Ferkingstad
 * Feøy
 * Figgjo
 * Fiskå
 * Fister
 * Fogn
 * Forsand
 * Foss-Eikeland
 * Frafjord
 * Føresvik
 * Førre
 * Gjesdal
 * Gilja
 * Grinde
 * Grødem
 * Hauge i Dalane
 * Hellandsbygd
 * Helleland
 * Hellvik
 * Hervik
 * Hesby
 * Heskestad
 * Hestnes
 * Hindaråvåg
 * Hjelmelandsvågen
 * Hommersåk
 * Hundvåg
 * Hæen
 * Høle
 * Hålandsmarka
 * Hålandsosen
 * Idse
 * Imslandsjøen
 * Innbjoa
 * Jelsa
 * Judaberg
 * Jøsenfjorden
 * Klepp stasjon
 * Kleppe
 * Krossberg
 * Kvernaland
 * Li
 * Lyefjell
 * Lysebotn
 * Marvik
 * Moi
 * Mossige
 * Nedstrand
 * Nesflaten
 * Norheim
 * Nærbø
 * Oanes
 * Obrestad
 * Ogna
 * Oltedal
 * Orre
 * Pollestad
 * Randaberg
 * Rekefjord
 * Røvær
 * Sand i Ryfylke
 * Sandeid
 * Sandve
 * Saudasjøen
 * Sirevåg
 * Sjernarøyane
 * Skjold
 * Skjoldastraumen
 * Sogndalsstrand
 * Solakrossen
 * Stenebyen
 * Stronda
 * Suldalsosen
 * Susort
 * Sviland
 * Sør-Hidle
 * Sørbø
 * Sørnes
 * Talgje
 * Tau
 * Torvastad
 * Tysværvåg
 * Undheim
 * Varhaug
 * Vassøy
 * Vatne i Sandnes
 * Vatne i Vindafjord
 * Veavågen
 * Verdalen
 * Vigrestad
 * Vikebygd
 * Vikedal
 * Vikeså
 * Vikevåg
 * Visnes
 * Voll
 * Vormedal
 * Yrke
 * Ydstebøhamn
 * Ølensjøen
 * Ølensvåg (Ølsvågen)
 * Øvrebygd
 * Ålgård
 * Åna-Sira
 * Årdal i Ryfylke

Former municipalities

 * Avaldsnes
 * Egersund
 * Erfjord
 * Finnøy
 * Fister
 * Forsand
 * Helleland
 * Heskestad
 * Hetland
 * Hjelmeland og Fister
 * Høle
 * Høyland
 * Håland
 * Imsland
 * Jelsa
 * Kopervik
 * Madla
 * Nedstrand
 * Nærbø
 * Ogna
 * Rennesøy
 * Sand
 * Sandeid
 * Sjernarøy
 * Skjold
 * Skudenes
 * Skudeneshavn
 * Skåre
 * Sogndal
 * Stangaland
 * Torvastad
 * Vats
 * Varhaug
 * Vikedal
 * Ølen
 * Åkra
 * Årdal

Higher Education

 * University of Stavanger
 * VID Specialized University (campus Stavanger)
 * Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL)]

Demographics
Total population:

In popular culture
Rogaland is a playable region within Norway in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, called Rygjafylke in the game. It is also the homeland of the game’s main character, Eivor Varinsdottir.