| Buskerud is a county in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark, and Vestfold. The county administration is located
in Drammen.
Buskerud fylke
|
|
 |
| County |
NO-06 |
| Region |
Østlandet |
| Administrative centre |
Drammen |
| County mayor |
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Area
- Total
- Percentage |
Ranked 12
14,910 km²
4.53 % |
Population
- Total (2004)
- Percentage
- Change (10 years)
- Density |
Ranked 8
242,331
5.29 %
6.7 %
18/km² |
Gross Regional Product
- Total (2001)
- Percentage
- GRP/capita |
Ranked 7
54,474 million NOK
3.57 %
227,626 NOK |
Buskerud extends from Hurum at the Oslofjord to the Halling mountains and Hardanger. Its western
part is a mountaneous plateau with forested valleys and high, grassy pastures; its eastern part contains a lowland basin with
many lakes and streams. Tyrifjorden and Krøderen are the biggest lakes. Numedalslågen, the third longest river in Norway, starting in Hordaland, runs through Buskerud unto Vestfold where it reaches the sea, while river Begna sweeps into lake
Sperillen.
The area Ringerike may once have been a small kingdom. During the 10th century, Norway's kings Olav Trygvasson and Olav Haraldsson grew up at Bønsnes in Ringerike. Hønefoss
is the district capital of Ringerike. In the Numedal valley, silver has been mined in Kongsberg from the 17th century but
was discontinued in 1957. Weapons industry had been developed in Kongsberg from 1814, and various high tech industry companies
now represent the town's major employers. At Modum there once was a Cobalt pigment production works
(Blaafarveværket, "The Blue-Color Works"). Buskerud's coat of arms (created in April, 1966) features a blue bear whose coloring is symbolic of the Blue-Color Works.
The silver background of Buskerud's coat of arms represents the silver industry in Kongsberg.
Today, agriculture, lumbering, wood-pulp mills, and industry are the county's main economic activities; ample hydroelectric
power is produced by Begna and Rands rivers.
Municipalities
External Links
Buskerud
Fylkeskommune (http://www.buskerud-f.kommune.no/)
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