The country of Norway is historically divided into a number of districts . Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties and municipalities . The districts are defined by geographical features, often valleys , mountain ranges , fjords , plains, or coastlines, or combinations of the above. Many such regions were petty kingdoms up to the early Viking Age .
5-489: Dalane is a traditional district in the southwestern part of Norway , consisting of the municipalities of Lund , Sokndal , Eigersund , and Bjerkreim . Dalane is one of the 15 districts in Western Norway . It sits to the southeast of the very flat Jæren region and south of the moorland of Ryfylke . The 1,786-square-kilometre (690 sq mi) district has about 24,159 residents (as of 2014). Dalane has
10-548: A distinctive hilly, rugged, often treeless, bare, rocky land. There are numerous rivers and lakes, some of which are quite large. The rocky soil is very thin and is of poor quality compared to the fertile farmland in Jæren. The coastline is largely unprotected by any islands. The elevation of the land is low near the sea, while in the northern areas the mountains can reach heights of up to 900 metres (3,000 ft). The uplands of Dalane are often used for sheep grazing. Geographically,
15-657: The district they live in or come from, than the formal administrative unit(s) whose jurisdiction they fall under . A significant reason for this is that the districts, through their strong geographical limits, have historically delineated the region(s) within which one could travel without too much trouble or expenditure of time and money (on foot or skis , by horse/ox-drawn cart or sleigh or dog sled , or by one's own small rowing or sail boat). Thus, dialects and regional commonality in folk culture tended to correspond to those same geographical units, despite any division into administrative districts by authorities. In modern times
20-732: The southern part of Hå municipality fits with the landscape of Dalane, but that municipality is usually grouped with Jæren. The largest urban areas in Dalane are the town of Egersund and the villages of Moi in Lund, Hauge in Sokndal, and Vikeså in Bjerkreim. These four areas hold about 70% of the area's population (2013). There are also scattered settlements along the coast and in the large valleys inland. Districts of Norway A high percentage of Norwegians identify themselves more by
25-494: The whole country has become more closely connected, based on the following: A concrete display of the Norwegian habit of identifying themselves by district can be seen in the many regional costumes, called bunad , strictly connected to distinct districts across the country. Commonly, even city dwellers proudly mark their rural origins by wearing such a costume, from their ancestral landscape, at weddings, visits with members of
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