Vestland is a county in Norway . The county is located in Western Norway , and its administrative centre is Bergen , where the executive and political leadership is based. The County Governor is based in Hermansverk . Vestland is one of two counties in Norway that have Nynorsk as their official written language form.
77-635: Frønningen is a village in Lærdal Municipality in Vestland county, Norway . It is located in the far northwestern corner of the municipality, east of where the Aurlandsfjorden empties into the main Sognefjorden . Prior to 1992, this area was a part of the old Leikanger Municipality , but on 1 January 1992 it was transferred to Lærdal Municipality. Frønningen only had 17 inhabitants in 2001, and there
154-412: A growth rate of 1.8%. Ninety-six percent of the population lives in urban areas. As of 2002, the average gross income for men above the age of 17 is 426,000 Norwegian krone (NOK), the average gross income for women above the age of 17 is NOK 238,000, with the total average gross income being NOK 330,000. In 2007, there were 104.6 men for every 100 women in the age group of 20–39. 22.8% of
231-406: A mild winter climate, though with significant precipitation. From December to March, Bergen can, in rare cases, be up to 20 °C (36 °F) warmer than Oslo, even though both cities are at about 60° North. In summer however, Bergen is several degrees cooler than Oslo due to the same maritime effects. The Gulf Stream keeps the sea relatively warm, considering the latitude, and the mountains protect
308-465: A non-Western immigrant background in Bergen. In 2006, this figure had increased to 14,630, so the non-Western immigrant population in Bergen was five times higher than in 1986. This is a slightly slower growth than the national average, which has sextupled during the same period. Also in relation to the total population in Bergen, the proportion of non-Westerns increased significantly. In 1986, the proportion of
385-444: A part of Hordaland county. The city is an international centre for aquaculture, shipping, the offshore petroleum industry and subsea technology, and a national centre for higher education, media, tourism and finance. Bergen Port is Norway's busiest in terms of both freight and passengers, with over 300 cruise ship calls a year bringing nearly a half a million passengers to Bergen, a number that has doubled in 10 years. Almost half of
462-507: A separate county on the same date, and Bergen is now a municipality , in the county of Vestland . The city's history is marked by numerous great fires. In 1198, the Bagler faction set fire to the city in connection with a battle against the Birkebeiner faction during the civil war. In 1248, Holmen and Sverresborg burned, and 11 churches were destroyed. In 1413 another fire struck
539-494: A similar form existed where the local administrations had less power than previously. (Pertaining to the table above: The acreage figures include fresh water and uninhabited mountain areas, except: 1 The borough Bergenhus is 8.73 km (3.37 sq mi), the rest is water and uninhabited mountain areas. 2 The borough Årstad is 8.47 km (3.27 sq mi), the rest is water and uninhabited mountain areas.) Former borough: Sentrum Sentrum (literally, "Centre")
616-504: A transition from tar covered houses, as well as the remaining log houses , to painted and some brick-covered wooden buildings. The last half of the 19th century saw a period of rapid expansion and modernisation. The fire of 1855 west of Torgallmenningen led to the development of regularly sized city blocks in this area of the city centre. The city limits were expanded in 1876, and Nygård , Møhlenpris and Sandviken were urbanized with large-scale construction of city blocks housing both
693-703: A vertical drop of 275 m (902 ft). Both are located in the Jotunheim mountains. Outside of the Bergen metropolitan area, the county is mostly a rural area with a scattered population. Cruise ships visit Vestland all summer because of the unique vistas of high mountains and deep blue fjords. The famous Nærøyfjord is located in the south of the county. This is a UNESCO listed fjord area. There are several archipelagos, including Øygarden , Austevoll , Bulandet , Bremangerlandet , and Kinn . The westernmost point in Norway proper
770-459: Is berg (n.) or bjǫrg (n.), which translates as 'mountain(s)'. The last element is vin (f.), which means a new settlement where there used to be a pasture or meadow. Bergen is often called "the city among the seven mountains". The playwright Ludvig Holberg , inspired by the seven hills of Rome , decided that his home town must be blessed with a corresponding seven mountains, though locals debate which seven they are. In 1918, there
847-468: Is Holmebåen in Solund municipality. The island of Unst , part of Shetland Islands is around 300 km (190 mi) west of Holmebåen. The terrain changes quite rapidly with mostly smaller mountains on the coastline, gradually increasing to mountains reaching more than 2,000 m (6,600 ft). Because of the steep rise in elevation and fjords cutting through the terrain, the amount of precipitation
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#1732883810420924-494: Is Bergen's highest mountain, at 987 metres (3,238 ft) above mean sea level . Bergen is far enough north that during clear nights at the solstice, there is borderline civil daylight in spite of the sun having set. Bergen is sheltered from the North Sea by the islands Askøy , Holsnøy (the municipality of Meland ) and Sotra (the municipalities of Fjell and Sund ). Bergen borders the municipalities Alver and Osterøy to
1001-401: Is a large white painted wooden building that is one and a half storeys, built in 1901 by landowner Bjarnhard Rumohr. The house has an H-shaped floor plan. The building is located right on the bay, with a terraced garden down to the fjord. This Vestland location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Vestland Vestland was created on 1 January 2020, when
1078-519: Is also well known in Norway for the Isdal Woman ( Norwegian : Isdalskvinnen ), an unidentified person who was found dead at Isdalen ("Ice Valley") on 29 November 1970. The unsolved case encouraged international speculation over the years and it remains one of the most profound mysteries in recent Norwegian history. The rural municipalities of Arna , Fana , Laksevåg , and Åsane were merged with Bergen on 1 January 1972. The city lost its status as
1155-471: Is divided into eight boroughs, as seen on the map to the right. Clockwise, starting with the northernmost, the boroughs are Åsane , Arna , Fana , Ytrebygda , Fyllingsdalen , Laksevåg , Årstad and Bergenhus . The city centre is located in Bergenhus . Parts of Fana, Ytrebygda, Åsane and Arna are not part of the Bergen urban area, explaining why the municipality has approximately 20,000 more inhabitants than
1232-505: Is named after him. Bergen retained its monopoly of trade with northern Norway until 1789. The Bergen stock exchange, the Bergen børs , was established in 1813. Bergen was separated from Hordaland as a county of its own in 1831. It was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt ). The rural municipality of Bergen landdistrikt was merged with Bergen on 1 January 1877. The rural municipality of Årstad
1309-471: Is no outside road connection. The only access to Frønningen is by a ferry that goes between the three villages of Kaupanger , Frønningen, and Gudvangen . Local painters such as Knut Rumohr have become nationally known, and today Frønningen has a gallery with his art. Frønningen is the site of Frønningen-godset , an historic manor . It was sold in 1651 to a cleric from Bergen , the magister Peder Nilssøn Lem, whose mother owned large forests and farms in
1386-551: Is pronounced in English / ˈ b ɜːr ɡ ən / or / ˈ b ɛər ɡ ən / and in Norwegian [ˈbæ̀rɡn̩] (in the local dialect [ˈbæ̂ʁɡɛn] ). The Old Norse forms of the name were Bergvin [ˈberɡˌwin] and Bjǫrgvin [ˈbjɔrɡˌwin] (and in Icelandic and Faroese the city is still called Björgvin ). The first element
1463-604: Is the largest denomination in Bergen, with 201,006 (79.74%) registered adherents in 2012. Bergen is the seat of the Diocese of Bjørgvin with Bergen Cathedral as its centrepiece, while St John's Church is the city's most prominent. As of 2012, the state church is followed by 52,059 irreligious, 4,947 members of various Protestant free churches , 3,873 actively registered Catholics, 2,707 registered Muslims, 816 registered Hindus, 255 registered Russian Orthodox and 147 registered Oriental Orthodox . The city centre of Bergen lies in
1540-657: Is the oldest school in Bergen and was founded by Pope Adrian IV in 1153. The " Bergen School of Meteorology " was developed at the Geophysical Institute beginning in 1917, the Norwegian School of Economics was founded in 1936, and the University of Bergen in 1946. The University of Bergen has 16,000 students and 3,000 staff, making it the third-largest educational institution in Norway. Research in Bergen dates back to activity at Bergen Museum in 1825, although
1617-408: 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. The Vestland County Municipality is the elected administration of the county. It is led by the county council ( Norwegian : fylkesting ) of 65 members. Heading the county council is the county mayor ( Norwegian : fylkesordførar ). Since 2020,
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#17328838104201694-693: The Bergen School of Architecture , the Bergen National Academy of the Arts , located in the city centre with 300 students, and the Norwegian Naval Academy located in Laksevåg. The Norwegian Institute of Marine Research has been located in Bergen since 1900. It provides research and advice relating to ecosystems and aquaculture. It has a staff of 700 people. In August 2004, Time magazine named
1771-528: The Gulating Court of Appeal district based in Bergen. Vestland is not an electoral district for elections to the Storting , as Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane remain as separate districts. Vestland County has a total of 43 municipalities: Bergen Bergen ( Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈbæ̀rɡn̩] ), historically Bjørgvin , is a city and municipality in Vestland county on
1848-547: The Hardangervidda National Park is in the county. It also includes the Jostedal , Folgefonna , and Hardangerjøkulen glaciers . The county also includes many well-known waterfalls , such as Vøringsfossen , Brudesløret and Stykkjedalsfossen . Ramnefjellsfossen (previously called Utigardfossen) is the tallest in Norway and third tallest in the world and Vettisfossen is one of Norway's highest waterfalls with
1925-429: The west coast of Norway . As of 2022 , its population was roughly 289,330. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway after the national capital Oslo . The municipality covers 465 square kilometres (180 sq mi) and is located on the peninsula of Bergenshalvøyen . The city centre and northern neighbourhoods are on Byfjorden , 'the city fjord'. The city is surrounded by mountains, causing Bergen to be called
2002-410: The "city of seven mountains ". Many of the extra-municipal suburbs are on islands. Bergen is the administrative centre of Vestland county. The city consists of eight boroughs: Arna , Bergenhus , Fana , Fyllingsdalen , Laksevåg , Ytrebygda , Årstad , and Åsane . Trading in Bergen may have started as early as the 1020s. According to tradition, the city was founded in 1070 by King Olav Kyrre and
2079-520: The 15th century, the city was attacked several times by the Victual Brothers , and in 1429 they succeeded in burning the royal castle and much of the city. In 1665, the city's harbour was the site of the Battle of Vågen , when an English naval flotilla attacked a Dutch merchant and treasure fleet supported by the city's garrison. Accidental fires sometimes got out of control, and one in 1702 reduced most of
2156-558: The German occupation, the Dutch cargo ship Voorbode anchored off the Bergenhus Fortress , loaded with over 120 tons of explosives, and blew up, killing at least 150 people and damaging historic buildings. The city was subject to some Allied bombing raids , aimed at German naval installations in the harbour. Some of these caused Norwegian civilian casualties numbering about 100. Bergen
2233-537: The Hanseatic League, finally closed. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Bergen was involved in the Atlantic slave trade . Bergen-based slave trader Jørgen Thormøhlen , the largest shipowner in Norway, was the main owner of the slave ship Cornelia , which made two slave-trading voyages in 1673 and 1674 respectively; he also developed the city's industrial sector, particularly in the neighbourhood of Møhlenpris , which
2310-554: The Nordlandene amt was separated around that time as well. In 1763, the amt was divided into northern and southern parts: Nordre Bergenhus amt and Søndre Bergenhus amt . When the amt was split, the present day municipality of Gulen was split with the southern part ending up in Søndre Bergenhus amt. In 1773, the border was re-drawn so that all of Gulen was located in the northern part. On 1 January 1919, Nordre Bergenhus amt
2387-504: The capital city were lost to Oslo during the reign of King Haakon V (1299–1319). In the middle of the 14th century, North German merchants, who had already been present in substantial numbers since the 13th century, founded one of the four Kontore of the Hanseatic League at Bryggen in Bergen. The principal export traded from Bergen was dried cod from the northern Norwegian coast, which started c. 1100 . The city
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2464-533: The city from cold winds from the north, north-east and east. The city of Bergen was traditionally thought to have been founded by king Olav Kyrre , son of Harald Hardråde in 1070 AD, four years after the Viking Age in England ended with the Battle of Stamford Bridge . Modern research has, however, discovered that a trading settlement had already been established in the 1020s or 1030s. Bergen gradually assumed
2541-452: The city is caused by orographic lift , sometimes causing more than two months of consecutive rainy days. The city is therefore considered the rainiest city in Europe, although it is not the wettest "place" on the continent. Bergen's weather is much warmer than the city's latitude (60.4° N) might suggest. Temperatures below −10 °C (14 °F) are rare. Summer temperatures sometimes reach
2618-464: The city of Bergen . In 1662, the lens were replaced by amts . On 19 February 1662, a royal decree changed the name to Bergenhus amt . The new Bergenhus amt originally consisted of the present-day areas of Vestland and the Sunnmøre region of Møre og Romsdal , plus the far northern Nordlandene amt was subordinate to Bergenhus amt. The Sunnmøre region was transferred to Romsdalen amt in 1689 and
2695-570: The city of Bergen. Also at that same time, the city of Bergen lost its county status, and became a part of Hordaland county once again. On 1 January 2020, Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane counties were merged back together once again, forming Vestland county. Vestland is located on the western coast of Norway . It is split up by several long, deep fjords including the Nordfjorden , Sognefjorden , and Hardangerfjorden , some of Norway 's most notable fjords and great tourist attractions. About half of
2772-511: The city one of Europe's 14 "secret capitals" where Bergen's capital reign is acknowledged within maritime businesses and activities such as aquaculture and marine research , with the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) (the second-largest oceanography research centre in Europe) as a leading institution. Some of the world's largest aquaculture companies, such as Mowi and Lerøy are headquartered in
2849-500: The city, and 14 churches were destroyed. In 1428 the city was plundered by the Victual Brothers , and in 1455, Hanseatic merchants were responsible for burning down Munkeliv Abbey . In 1476, Bryggen burned down in a fire started by a drunk trader. In 1582, another fire hit the city centre and Strandsiden . In 1675, 105 buildings burned down in Øvregaten . In 1686 another great fire hit Strandsiden , destroying 231 city blocks and 218 boathouses. The greatest fire in history
2926-420: The city. The municipality has had a parliamentary government since 2000. Up until then, Bergen had been governed by the city council ( formannskap ). The government now consists of seven government members called commissioners, and is appointed by the city council, the supreme authority of the city. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party . Bergen
3003-476: The city. Shipowners based in Bergen control a significant portion of the Norwegian merchant fleet, including shipowners such as Wilson , Odfjell and Gearbulk . The city has a large presence of financial institutions. Banks Sbanken and Sparebanken Vest are headquartered in the city. The Norwegian branches of insurance companies Tryg , DNB Livsforsikring and Nordea Liv are headquartered in Bergen, along with
3080-776: The county mayor of Vestland County Municipality has been Jon Askeland . The county also has a county governor ( Norwegian : statsforvaltar ) who is the representative of the King and Government of Norway . Lars Sponheim is the current County Governor of Vestland and this office is based in Hermansverk . The municipalities in Vestland are divided among several district courts ( Norwegian : tingrett ): Nordhordland District Court , Sunnhordland District Court , Bergen District Court , Hardanger District Court , and Sogn og Fjordane District Court . All of these courts are subordinate to
3157-415: The fire of 1955, when a large number of the buildings burned to the ground. Instead of being demolished, the remaining buildings were restored and accompanied by reconstructions of some of the burned buildings. Demolition of old buildings and occasionally whole city blocks is still taking place, the most recent major example being the 2007 razing of Jonsvollskvartalet at Nøstet. Billboards are banned in
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3234-618: The former counties of Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane were merged. Vestland county is a newly created county, but it has been inhabited for millennia. The area was made up of many petty kingdoms under the Gulating during the Middle Ages . The northern part was the known as Firdafylke (now the Fjordane region; Nordfjord-Sunnfjord), the central are was known as Sygnafylke (now the Sogn region), and
3311-404: The function of capital of Norway in the early 13th century, as the first city where a rudimentary central administration was established. The city's cathedral was the site of the first royal coronation in Norway in the 1150s, and continued to host royal coronations throughout the 13th century. Bergenhus fortress dates from the 1240s and guards the entrance to the harbour in Bergen. The functions of
3388-569: The large industrial activity in the area. The workers' homes in this area were poorly built, and little remains after large-scale redevelopment in the 1960s–1980s. After Årstad became a part of Bergen in 1916, a development plan was applied to the new area. Few city blocks akin to those in Nygård and Møhlenpris were planned. Many of the worker class built their own homes, and many small, detached apartment buildings were built. After World War II, Bergen had again run short of land to build on, and, contrary to
3465-409: The last overnight freeze (low below 0 °C (32.0 °F)) in spring is April 4 and average date for first freeze in autumn is November 7 giving a frost-free season of 216 days. Extreme temperatures are also quite rare in the city. The highest temperature ever recorded was 33.4 °C (92.1 °F) on 26 July 2019, beating the previous record from 2018 at 32.6 °C (90.7 °F) degrees, and
3542-548: The lowest was −16.3 °C (2.7 °F) in January 1987. The city is quite cloudy year round, although old sunshine hours data might have caused an underestimate of sunshine hours, due to the city's mountainside location. A new sun recorder was established at Bergen Airport, Flesland (a location with less terrain obscuring the sun) in December 2015, and this recorded an average of 1,596 hours of sun annually during 2016–2022. As of
3619-453: The majority of the population lives in relatively sparsely populated residential areas built after 1950. While some are dominated by apartment buildings and modern terraced houses (e.g. Fyllingsdalen ), others are dominated by single-family homes . The oldest part of Bergen is the area around the bay of Vågen in the city centre. Originally centred on the bay's eastern side, Bergen eventually expanded west and southwards. Few buildings from
3696-589: The neighboring area. He then further extended his properties in the area. His great-grandson Hans Sørensen Lem was the first of the family who moved here and actually lived on Frønningen, when he moved here about 1740. The estate was owned by the Lem family until 1889, when it was taken over by Bjarnhard Rumohr, who was a relative of the last Lem. Frønningen has since belonged to the Rumohr family and it currently covers about 62,000 hectares (150,000 acres) of forest. The main building
3773-420: The north, Vaksdal and Samnanger to the east, Os ( Bjørnafjorden ) and Austevoll to the south, and Øygarden and Askøy to the west. Bergen has an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb , Trewartha : Dolk ), with mild summers and cool winters. Rainfall is plentiful in all seasons, along with intermittent snowfall during winter, which often melts quickly. The exceptionally plentiful precipitation that defines
3850-546: The northern fishermen who each summer sailed to Bergen. The Hansa community resented Scottish merchants who settled in Bergen, and on 9 November 1523 several Scottish households were targeted by German residents. Today, Bergen's old quayside, Bryggen , is on UNESCO 's list of World Heritage Sites . In 1349, the Black Death was brought to Norway by an English ship arriving in Bergen. Later outbreaks occurred in 1618, 1629 and 1637, on each occasion taking about 3,000 lives. In
3927-416: The oldest period remain, the most significant being St Mary's Church from the 12th century. For several hundred years, the extent of the city remained almost constant. The population was stagnant, and the city limits were narrow. In 1702, seven-eighths of the city burned. Most of the old buildings of Bergen, including Bryggen (which was rebuilt in a mediaeval style), were built after the fire. The fire marked
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#17328838104204004-605: The original plans, many large apartment buildings were built in Landås in the 1950s and 1960s. Bergen acquired Fyllingsdalen from Fana municipality in 1955. Like similar areas in Oslo (e.g. Lambertseter ), Fyllingsdalen was developed into a modern suburb with large apartment buildings, mid-rises , and some single-family homes, in the 1960s and 1970s. Similar developments took place beyond Bergen's city limits, for example in Loddefjord . At
4081-502: The passengers are German or British. The city's main football team is SK Brann and a unique tradition of the city is the buekorps , which are traditional marching neighbourhood youth organisations. Natives speak a distinct dialect, known as Bergensk . The city features Bergen Airport, Flesland and Bergen Light Rail , and is the terminus of the Bergen Line . Four large bridges connect Bergen to its suburban municipalities. Bergen has
4158-458: The period 1993–2008 increased by 119.7%, while the ethnic Norwegian population grew by 8.1% during the same period. The national average is 138.0% and 4.2%. The immigrant population has thus accounted for 43.6% of Bergen's population growth and 60.8% of Norway's population growth during the period 1993–2008, compared with 84.5% in Oslo. The immigrant population in Bergen has changed a lot since 1970. As of 1 January 1986, there were 2,870 people with
4235-481: The plans was carried out in its original form; the Marken and Stølen redevelopment plans were discarded and that of Nordnes only carried out in the area that had been most damaged by war. The city council of Bergen had in 1964 voted to demolish the entirety of Marken, however, the decision proved to be highly controversial and the decision was reversed in 1974. Bryggen was under threat of being wholly or partly demolished after
4312-466: The poor and the wealthy. Their architecture is influenced by a variety of styles; historicism , classicism and Art Nouveau . The wealthy built villas between Møhlenpris and Nygård, and on the side of Mount Fløyen; these areas were also added to Bergen in 1876. Simultaneously, an urbanization process was taking place in Solheimsviken in Årstad, at that time outside the Bergen municipality, centred on
4389-523: The population were under 17 years of age, while 4.5% were 80 and above. The immigrant population (those with two foreign-born parents) in Bergen, includes 42,169 individuals with backgrounds from more than 200 countries representing 15.5% of the city's population (2014). Of these, 50.2% have background from Europe, 28.9% from Asia, 13.1% from Africa, 5.5% from Latin America, 1.9% from North America, and 0.4% from Oceania. The immigrant population in Bergen in
4466-418: The quays, Bryggen , is a World Heritage Site. The city was hit by numerous fires over the years. The Bergen School of Meteorology was developed at the Geophysical Institute starting in 1917, the Norwegian School of Economics was founded in 1936, and the University of Bergen in 1946. From 1831 to 1972, Bergen was its own county . In 1972 the municipality absorbed four surrounding municipalities and became
4543-490: The same time as planned city expansion took place inside Bergen, its extra-municipal suburbs also grew rapidly. Wealthy citizens of Bergen had been living in Fana since the 19th century, but as the city expanded it became more convenient to settle in the municipality. Similar processes took place in Åsane and Laksevåg. Most of the homes in these areas are detached row houses , single family homes or small apartment buildings. After
4620-403: The southern part was known as Hordafylke . In the early 16th century, Norway was divided into four len . The Bergenhus len was headquartered in Bergen and encompassed much of western and northern Norway including Firdafylke , Sygnafylke , Hordafylke , and Sunnmørafylke (in the present day Møre og Romsdal county). The new Bergenhus len was administered from the Bergenhus Fortress in
4697-719: The start of 2022 , the municipality had a population of 286,930, making the population density 599 people per km . Urban areas outside the city limits, as defined by Statistics Norway , consist of Indre Arna (6,536 residents on 1 January 2012), Fanahammeren (3,690), Ytre Arna (2,626), Hylkje (2,277) and Espeland (2,182). As of 2007, people of Norwegian origin (those who have two parents born in Norway) make up 84.5% of Bergen's residents. In addition, 8.1% were first or second generation immigrants of Western background and 7.4% were first or second generation immigrants of non-Western background. The population grew by 4,549 people in 2009,
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#17328838104204774-553: The surrounding municipalities were merged with Bergen in 1972, expansion has continued in largely the same manner, although the municipality encourages condensing near commercial centres, future Bergen Light Rail stations, and elsewhere. As part of the modernisation wave of the 1950s and 1960s, and due to damage caused by World War II, the city government ambitiously planned redevelopment of many areas in central Bergen. The plans involved demolition of several neighbourhoods of wooden houses, namely Nordnes , Marken, and Stølen. None of
4851-629: The total population in the municipality of non-Western background was 3.6%. In January 2006, people with a non-Western immigrant background accounted for 6 percent of the population in Bergen. The share of Western immigrants has remained stable at around 2% in the period. The number of Poles in Bergen rose from 697 in 2006 to 3,128 in 2010. As of 2022, immigrants of non-Western origin and their children enumerated 30,540, and made up an estimated 11% of Bergen's population. Immigrants of Western origin and their children enumerated 22,954, and made up an estimated 9% of Bergen's population. The Church of Norway
4928-576: The town to ashes. Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, Bergen remained one of the largest cities in Scandinavia , and it was Norway's biggest city until the 1830s, being overtaken by the capital city of Oslo . From around 1600, the Hanseatic dominance of the city's trade gradually declined in favour of Norwegian merchants (often of Hanseatic ancestry), and in the 1750s, the Kontor , or major trading post of
5005-781: The university was not founded until 1946. The university has a broad range of courses and research in academic fields and three national centres of excellence, in climate research , petroleum research and medieval studies . The main campus is located in the city centre. The university co-operates with Haukeland University Hospital within medical research. The Chr. Michelsen Institute is an independent research foundation established in 1930 focusing on human rights and development issues. The Western Norway University of Applied Sciences , which has its main campus in Kronstad , has 16,000 students and 1800 staff. It focuses on professional education, such as teaching, healthcare and engineering. The college
5082-556: The upper 20s, although temperatures over 30 °C were previously only seen a few days each decade. The growing season in Bergen is exceptionally long for its latitude, more than 200 days. Its mild winters and proximity to the Gulf Stream provide the city with a plant hardiness zone of 8b and 9a depending on location; this zone is much more common below 50°N even in Europe, with cities as far south as Bordeaux , Thessaloniki and Istanbul falling into this category. The average date for
5159-481: The urban area is on or close to a fjord or bay, although the urban area has several mountains. The city centre is surrounded by the Seven Mountains , although there is disagreement as to which of the nine mountains constitute these. Ulriken , Fløyen , Løvstakken and Damsgårdsfjellet are always included as well as three of Lyderhorn , Sandviksfjellet , Blåmanen , Rundemanen and Kolbeinsvarden . Gullfjellet
5236-403: The urban area. Local borough administrations have varied since Bergen's expansion in 1972. From 1974, each borough had a politically chosen administration. From 1989, Bergen was divided into 12 health and social districts, each locally administered. From 2000 to 2004, the former organizational form with eight politically chosen local administrations was again in use and from 2008 through to 2010,
5313-402: The west of the municipality, facing the fjord of Byfjorden . It is among a group of mountains known as the Seven Mountains , although the number is a matter of definition. From here, the urban area of Bergen extends to the north, west and south, and to its east is a large mountain massif. Outside the city centre and the surrounding neighbourhoods (i.e. Årstad , inner Laksevåg and Sandviken ),
5390-647: Was a borough (with the same name as a present-day neighbourhood ). The borough was numbered 01 , and its perimeter was from Store Lungegårdsvann and Strømmen along Puddefjorden around Nordnes and over to Skuteviken, up Mt. Fløyen east of Langelivannet, on to Skansemyren and over Forskjønnelsen to Store Lungegårdsvann, south of the railroad tracks. The population of the (now defunct) borough, numbered in 1994 more than 18,000 people. There are 64 elementary schools, 18 lower secondary schools and 20 upper secondary schools in Bergen, as well as 11 combined elementary and lower secondary schools. Bergen Cathedral School
5467-457: Was a campaign to reintroduce the Norse form Bjørgvin as the name of the city. This was turned down – but as a compromise, the name of the diocese was changed to Bjørgvin bispedømme . Bergen occupies most of the peninsula of Bergenshalvøyen in the district of Midthordland in mid-western Hordaland. The municipality covers an area of 465 square kilometres (180 square miles). Most of
5544-400: Was created through amalgamation in 1994; campuses are spread around town but will be co-located at Kronstad . The Norwegian School of Economics is located in outer Sandviken and is the leading business school in Norway, having produced three Economy Nobel Prize laureates. The school has more than 3,000 students and approximately 400 staff. Other tertiary education institutions include
5621-448: Was granted a monopoly for trade from the north of Norway by King Håkon Håkonsson (1217–1263). Stockfish was the main reason that the city became one of North Europe's largest centres for trade. By the late 14th century, Bergen had established itself as the centre of the trade in Norway. The Hanseatic merchants lived in their own separate quarter of the town, where Middle Low German was used, enjoying exclusive rights to trade with
5698-464: Was in 1702, when 90% of the city was burned to ashes. In 1751, there was a great fire at Vågsbunnen . In 1756, yet another fire at Strandsiden burned down 1,500 buildings, and further great fires hit Strandsiden in 1771 and 1901. In 1916, 300 buildings burned down in the city centre including the Swan pharmacy , the oldest pharmacy in Norway, and in 1955 parts of Bryggen burned down. Bergen
5775-472: Was merged with Bergen on 1 July 1915. During World War II, Bergen was occupied on the first day of the German invasion on 9 April 1940, after a brief fight between German ships and the Norwegian coastal artillery . The Norwegian resistance movement groups in Bergen were Saborg , Milorg , " Theta-gruppen " , Sivorg , Stein-organisasjonen and the Communist Party. On 20 April 1944, during
5852-439: Was named Bjørgvin, 'the green meadow among the mountains'. It served as Norway's capital in the 13th century, and from the end of the 13th century became a bureau city of the Hanseatic League . Until 1789, Bergen enjoyed exclusive rights to mediate trade between Northern Norway and abroad, and it was the largest city in Norway until the 1830s when it was overtaken by the capital, Christiania (now known as Oslo ). What remains of
5929-484: Was renamed Sogn og Fjordane fylke and Søndre Bergenhus amt was renamed Hordaland fylke during a period of time when many location names in Norway were changed. The city of Bergen was removed from the Bergenhus amt in 1831 and it was classified as a city-county (byamt) from 1831 to 1972. During that time in 1915, the municipality of Årstad was annexed into Bergen. In 1972, the neighbouring municipalities of Arna , Fana , Laksevåg and Åsane were annexed into
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