Aust-Agder

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Former county of Norway

title: "Aust-Agder" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["aust-agder", "former-counties-of-norway", "2020-disestablishments-in-norway", "states-and-territories-disestablished-in-2020"] description: "Former county of Norway" topic_path: "geography/norway" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aust-Agder" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Former county of Norway ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox kommune"]

FieldValue
nameAust-Agder
fylkeyes
formeryes
image_skylineVegår.jpg
image_captionThe lake Vegår in 2001
idnumber09
countyAust-Agder
districtSouthern Norway
capitalArendal
established1685
precededAgdesiden
disestablished1 Jan 2020
succeededAgder county
demonymAustegde
languageNeutral
county_mayorGro Bråten
county_mayor_partyAp
county_mayor_as_of2017-2019
governorSvein Ytterdahl
governor_partyAp
governor_as_of2016-2019
area_total_km29158
area_land_km28353
area_water_km2805
population_as_of30 September 2019
population_total118,127
population_density_km2auto
population_increase4.3
income_per_capita135,700
income_year2001
GDP208,275
GDP_year2001
GDP_rank18
GDP_rank_percent1.4
coordinates
::

|name = Aust-Agder |fylke = yes |former = yes |native_name = |native_name_lang = |other_name = |official_name = |image_skyline = Vegår.jpg |image_caption = The lake Vegår in 2001 |idnumber = 09 |county = Aust-Agder |district = Southern Norway |capital = Arendal |established = 1685 |preceded = Agdesiden |disestablished = 1 Jan 2020 |succeeded = Agder county |demonym = Austegde |language = Neutral |coatofarms = |flag = |webpage = |county_mayor = Gro Bråten |county_mayor_party = Ap |county_mayor_as_of = 2017-2019 |governor = Svein Ytterdahl |governor_party = Ap |governor_as_of = 2016-2019 |area_rank = |area_total_km2 = 9158 |area_land_km2 = 8353 |area_water_km2 = 805 |area_water_percent = |population_as_of = 30 September 2019 |population_rank = |population_total = 118,127 |population_density_km2 = auto |population_increase = 4.3 |income_per_capita = 135,700 |income_year = 2001 |GDP = 208,275 |GDP_year = 2001 |GDP_rank = 18 |GDP_rank_percent = 1.4 |coordinates =

Aust-Agder (, ) was a county (fylke) in Norway from 1 January 1919 to 31 December 2019, after it was merged with Vest-Agder to form Agder county. In 2002, there were 102,945 inhabitants, which was 2.2% of Norway's population. Its area was 9212 km2. The county's administrative center was the town of Arendal.

The county, located along the Skagerrak coast, extended from Gjernestangen at Risør to the Kvåsefjorden in Lillesand. The inner parts of the area included Setesdalsheiene and Austheiene. Most of the population lives near the coast; about 78% of the county's inhabitants live in the five coastal municipalities of Arendal, Grimstad, Lillesand, Tvedestrand, and Risør. The rest of the county is sparsely populated. Tourism is important, as Arendal and the other coastal towns are popular attractions.

The county includes the larger islands of Tromøya, Hisøya, Justøya, and Sandøya. The interior of the county encompasses the traditional district of Setesdal, through which the river Otra flows to the coast.

In 2017, the Parliament of Norway voted to merge Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder counties into one large region, Agder, effective 1 January 2020.

The county was part of the Aust-Agder District Court and the Church of Norway Diocese of Agder og Telemark.

Name

The meaning of the name is "(the) eastern (part of) Agder", since the word aust is the Nynorsk form of "east".

Until 1919, the name of the county was Nedenes amt. The amt was named after the old Nedenes farm (Norse Niðarnes), since this was the seat of the amtmann (County Governor). The first element is the genitive case of the river name Nið (now called Nidelva) and the last element is nes which means "headland". The meaning of the river name is unknown.

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 12 December 1958. It shows two horizontal golden bars on a red background. They symbolize the lumber trade and the recovery of iron ore that was important for Aust-Agder's growth. There are two bars to represent the two areas of the county: inland and coastal.

Municipalities

Main article: Municipalities of Aust-Agder

The system of municipalities, or kommuner, was established in Norway in 1837, based on previously existing parishes (see formannskapsdistrikt). Norway had been ceded to Sweden by Denmark in 1814, at which it promptly rebelled and won the right of self-rule, though nominally part of Sweden. In 1905, Norway declared total independence. Meanwhile, as the years progressed, the municipalities did not remain the same, but new ones were formed, old ones broken up, and land was transferred. Since the 1990s, Aust-Agder has been divided into 15 municipalities:

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Aust-Agder-kommuner.png" caption="Map of the municipalities in the county"] ::

::data[format=table] | No. | Name | Adm. Center | Population | Area (km2) | Total | [[File:Aust-Agder våpen.svg|20px|Aust-Agder fylke]] Aust-Agder | Arendal | **** | **** | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 0901 | [[File:Risør komm.svg|20px|Risør kommune]] Risør | Risør | | | | | | | | | 0904 | [[File:Grimstad komm.svg|20px|Grimstad kommune]] Grimstad | Grimstad | | | | | | | | | 0906 | [[File:Arendal komm.svg|20px|Arendal kommune]] Arendal | Arendal | | | | | | | | | 0911 | [[File:Gjerstad komm.svg|20px|Gjerstad kommune]] Gjerstad | Gjerstad | | | | | | | | | 0912 | [[File:Vegårshei komm.svg|20px|Vegårshei kommune]] Vegårshei | Myra | | | | | | | | | 0914 | [[File:Tvedestrand komm.svg|20px|Tvedestrand kommune]] Tvedestrand | Tvedestrand | | | | | | | | | 0919 | [[File:Froland komm.svg|20px|Froland kommune]] Froland | Blakstad | | | | | | | | | 0926 | [[File:Lillesand komm.svg|20px|Lillesand kommune]] Lillesand | Lillesand | | | | | | | | | 0928 | [[File:Birkenes komm.svg|20px|Birkenes kommune]] Birkenes | Birkeland | | | | | | | | | 0929 | [[File:Åmli komm.svg|20px|Åmli kommune]] Åmli | Åmli | | | | | | | | | 0935 | [[File:Iveland komm.svg|20px|Iveland kommune]] Iveland | Birketveit | | | | | | | | | 0937 | [[File:Evje og Hornnes komm.svg|20px|Evje og Hornnes kommune]] Evje og Hornnes | Evje | | | | | | | | | 0938 | [[File:Bygland komm.svg|20px|Bygland kommune]] Bygland | Bygland | | | | | | | | | 0940 | [[File:Valle komm.svg|20px|Valle kommune]] Valle | Valle | | | | | | | | | 0941 | [[File:Bykle komm.svg|20px|Bylke kommune]] Bykle | Bykle | | | | | | | | ::

Cities

Main article: list of towns and cities in Norway

Parishes

Villages

Main article: list of villages in Aust-Agder

Former Municipalities

Main article: list of former municipalities of Norway#Aust-Agder

Population

|footnote = Source: Statistics Norway. |shading = off |1951|75811 |1961|77066 |1971|80839 |1981|90629 |1991|97314 |2001|102714 |2011|110048 |2021?|126092 |2031?|139982 |title=Religion in Aust-Agder |titlebar=#ddd |left1=religion |right1=percent |float=right |bars= Since the census of 1769, Aust-Agder has experienced a steady population growth: from 29,633 to 79,927 in 1900, and to 102,848 in 2001. There was significant emigration to the United States in the 19th century and early 20th century.

References

References

  1. "Om sammenslåingen". Agder fylkeskommune.
  2. (2025-10-28). "Agder og Telemark bispedømme".
  3. Rygh, Oluf. (1905). "Norske gaardnavne: Nedenes amt". W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri.
  4. "Fylkesvåpenet". Aust-Agder fylkeskommune.
  5. "Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen". Heraldry of the World.
  6. [https://archive.today/20120526193657/http://statbank.ssb.no/statistikkbanken/Default_FR.asp?PXSid=0&nvl=true&PLanguage=0&tilside=selecttable/hovedtabellHjem.asp&KortnavnWeb=folkfram Projected population - Statistics Norway]
  7. [https://archive.today/20120716151336/http://statbank.ssb.no/statistikkbanken/Default_FR.asp?PXSid=0&nvl=true&PLanguage=0&tilside=selecttable/hovedtabellHjem.asp&KortnavnWeb=kirke_kostra Statistics Norway - Church of Norway.]
  8. [http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/07/02/10/trosamf_en/tab-2010-12-13-02-en.html Statistics Norway - Members of religious and life stance communities outside the Church of Norway, by religion/life stance. County. 2006-2010]

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

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