Aust-Agder (Norwegian:[ˈæ̂ʉstˌɑɡdər]ⓘ, lit.'"East Agder"') was a county (fylke) in Norway from 1 January 1919 to 31 December 2019, after it was merged with Vest-Agder county to form the new Agder county. In 2002, there were 102,945 inhabitants, which was 2.2% of Norway's population. Its area was 9,212 square kilometres (3,557sqmi). The county's administrative center was the town of Arendal.
The county, located along the Skagerrak coast, extended from Gjernestangen in Risør Municipality to the Kvåsefjorden in Lillesand Municipality. The inner parts of the area included Setesdalsheiene and Austheiene mountain areas. Most of the population lived near the coast; about 78% of the county's inhabitants lived in the five coastal municipalities of Arendal, Grimstad, Lillesand, Tvedestrand, and Risør. The rest of the county was sparsely populated. Tourism was also important, as Arendal and the other coastal towns were popular attractions.
The county included the larger islands of Tromøya, Hisøya, Justøya, and Sandøya. The interior of the county encompassed the traditional district of Setesdal, through which the river Otra flows to the coast.
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 (Old 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.[6]
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was from modern times. They were granted on 12 December 1958. It showed two horizontal golden bars on a red background. They symbolized the lumber trade and the recovery of iron ore that was important for Aust-Agder's growth. There were two bars to represent the two areas of the county: inland and coastal.[7][8]
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.
Municipalities
The system of municipalities, or kommuner, was established in Norway on 1 January 1838, based on previously existing parishes (see formannskapsdistrikt law). 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. From the 1990s until its dissolution in 2020, Aust-Agder was divided into 15 municipalities:
