Buskerud () is a county in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Innlandet, Vestland, Telemark and Vestfold. It extends from Oslofjord and Drammensfjord in the southeast to the Hardangervidda mountain range in the northwest. The administrative centre of the county is Drammen.
Buskerud was one of the three counties merged into Viken on 1 January 2020. On 23 February 2022, the Viken County Council voted 49–38 to submit an application to the Norwegian government for a demerger of itself. Due to this, Buskerud (except the area forming the defunct municipalities of Røyken and Hurum) was re-established in 2024.
Etymology The county was named after the old manor Buskerud () (Biskopsrøysa) located on the west side of the Drammen River in Åmot, Modum municipality. The first element is the genitive case of , 'bishop' (referring to the Bishop of Hamar), the last element is n 'clearing, farm'. The farm was one of the largest in Buskerud, and the original name of the farm (before it became a benefice) was probably Modum. At the time of the Reformation () the farm became property of the Crown at which time the farm then served as the residence of the king's bailiffs until 1668.
Geography Buskerud extended from Hurum at the Oslofjord to the Halling mountains and Hardanger. The county was conventionally divided into traditional districts. These were Hallingdal, Numedal, Ringerike, Lower Buskerud, which was originally part of Vestfold, and Western Vingulmark.
Hallingdal consisted of Flå, Nes, Gol, Hemsedal, Ål and Hol. Numedal consisted of Flesberg, Rollag and Nore og Uvdal. Ringerike consisted of Hole, Krødsherad, Modum, Ringerike and Sigdal. Western Vingulmark consisted of Hurum and Røyken. Lower Buskerud consisted of Drammen, Hurum, Kongsberg, Lier, Nedre Eiker, Røyken and Øvre Eiker. The district was merged from parts that belonged to Vestfold and Vingulmark.
Buskerud's western part was a mountainous plateau with forested valleys and high, grassy pastures; its eastern part contains a lowland basin with many lakes and streams. Tyrifjorden and Krøderen were the biggest lakes. Numedalslågen, the third longest river in Norway, starting in Hordaland, ran through Buskerud unto Vestfold where it reached the sea, while river Begna sweeps into lake Sperillen.
Mountains Haukefjellet Hestebottnuten Julsennuten Kyrkjebønosi Nystølsvarden Øljunuten Raggsteinnuten Skimtheia Storebottnosi Storegrønut Tyrvlesnuten Vargebreen
History
Buskerud was separated from Akershus as an amt of its own in 1685, but the amt was smaller than today. It then consisted of the present districts Eiker, Hallingdal, and Ringerike. The area of the present municipalities of Flesberg, Hurum, Kongsberg, Lier, Nore og Uvdal, Rollag and Røyken were transferred from Akershus amt to Buskerud amt in 1760. The name was changed to in 1919. The municipality of Skoger was transferred from Vestfold to Buskerud in 1964.
The area Ringerike may once have been a small kingdom. During the 10th century, Norway's kings Olaf Tryggvason and Olaf Haraldsson grew up at Bønsnes in Ringerike. In the valley of Numedal, silver was mined in Kongsberg from the 17th century until 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 was also , a cobalt pigment production works (Blue Colour Works).
Economy
Today, agriculture, lumber, wood-pulp mills and other related industries are the county's main economic activities; ample hydroelectric power is produced by the rivers Begna () and Rands () . Buskerud has also a large forested area. Substantial income is derived from high tech industries located in Kongsberg. Other significant income comes from the cabin areas in northern Buskerud. The company, Eneas Energy is based here.
Coat of arms Buskerud's coat of arms were adopted in April 1966. It features a blue bear whose colours are symbolic of the blue colour works. The silver background of Buskerud's coat of arms represents the silver industry in Kongsberg.
Notable people from Buskerud
Sports figures Frode Andresen, Ringerike Christer Basma, Røyken Dag Bjørndalen, Modum Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Modum Håvard Bøkko, Hol Kim Christiansen, Drammen Ole Gunnar Fidjestøl, Modum Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Hole Erik Hagen, Ringerike Anders Jacobsen, Ringerike Jørre Kjemperud, Modum Pål Gunnar Mikkelsplass, Nes Børre Næss, Kongsberg Sigurd Pettersen, Rollag Steinar Pettersen, Drammen Asbjørn Ruud, Kongsberg Birger Ruud, Kongsberg Sigmund Ruud, Kongsberg Strømsgodset, Gulskogen, Drammen Ådne Søndrål, Hol Martin Ødegaard, Drammen
Entertainers Sæbjørn Buttedahl, Lier Karin Fossum, Lier Morten Harket, Kongsberg Theodor Kittelsen, Sigdal Jonas Lie, Modum Jørgen Moe, Hole Anne Marie Ottersen, Kongsberg Olav Thon, Ål Christian Skredsvig, Sigdal Jonas Fjeld, Drammen Elin Sogn, Kongsberg Ørjan Burøe, Hol [Knud Bjørnson] [Bjørn Eriksen)
Politicians Thorbjørn Jagland, Drammen
Municipalities
Nr Name Inhabitants Area km2 3301 Drammen 104 487 317,68 303 Kongsberg 28 848 792,27 3305 Ringerike 31 581 1 555,10 3310 Hole 6 989 194,80 3312 Lier 28 470 301,33 3314 Øvre Eiker 20 779 456,76 3316 Modum 14 665 515,09 3318 Krødsherad 2 241 374,63 3320 Flå 1 115 704,48 3322 Nesbyen 3 301 809,64 3324 Gol 4 986 532,51 3326 Hemsedal 2 666 753,47 3328 Ål 5 007 1 171,29 3330 Hol 4 496 1 858,36 3332 Sigdal 3 526 842,15 3334 Flesberg 2 781 561,92 3336 Rollag 1 395 449,28 3338 Nore og Uvdal 2 486 2 502,33 Total Buskerud 269 819 14 693,87
Districts
Eiker Eggedal Hallingdal Hurumlandet Jondalen Numedal Ringerike Lower Buskerud Kjenner Klokkarstua
Cities
Drammen Hønefoss Kongsberg Hokksund
Parishes
Bakke Bragernes Dagali Drammen Efteløt Eggedal Eiker Fiskum Flesberg Flå Frogner Gol Haug, see Eiker Haug i Norderhov Hedenstad Heggen Hemsedal Hol Hole Holmen Holmsbu Hurum Hval Hønefoss Jondalen Komnes Kongsberg Krødsherad (Krydsherred) Lier Lunder Lyngdal Modum Nedre Eiker Nes (i Hallingdal) Nes (i Ådal) Norderhov Nore Nykirke Opdal Rollag Røyken Sandsvær Sigdal (Holem) Snarum Sollihøgda Strømsø Svene Sylling Tangen Torpo Tranby Tuft Tyristrand Uvdal Veggli Viker Ytre Ådal Ådal Ål Drammen Branch (LDS, 1854–1952) Drammen (Den Katolske Apostoliske Menighet, 1877–1935) Drammen and Oslo (Den Katolske Apostoliske Menighet, 1872–1932) Hurum Branch (LDS, 1855–1867) Kongsberg Branch (LDS, 1939–1948* )
Villages
Ask Askgrenda Burud Bødalen Båtstø Dagali Dagslett Darbu Dramdal Drolsum Efteløt Egge Filtvet Gardnos Geilo Geithus Gomnes Gulsvik Hagafoss Hallingby Haugastøl Haugsbygd Helgelandsmoen Hen Hennummarka Holmsbu Hovet Hønefoss Hval Hvittingfoss Hyggen Kjenner Klokkarstua Konnerud Krokstadelva Kroksund Krøderen Kvisla Lahell Lampeland Lierbyen Lierskogen Lierstranda Mjøndalen Midtbygda Nakkerud Nedre Eggedal Nes, Ådal Nesbyen Nore Noresund Nærsnes Oddevall Ormåsen Ovenstadlia Prestfoss Reistad Rollag Rødberg Sjåstad Skoger Skollenborg Skotselv Slemmestad Sokna Solbergelva Sollihøgda Spikkestad Steinberg Steinsåsen Storsand Sundvollen Svene Sylling Sysle Sætre Tofte Torpo Tronstad Tyristrand Ustaoset Uvdal Veggli Vestbygda Vestfossen Vik Vikersund Åmot Åros Åsa Åsbygda
Former municipalities
Eiker Gol og Hemsedal Hønefoss Norderhov Nore Sandsvær Skoger Strømm Strømsgodset Tyristrand Uvdal Ytre Sandsvær Øvre Sandsvær Ådal
Gallery
References
External links
Buskerud fylkeskommune, Hallingdal Ringerikes region Drammens region Vest region