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 .
5-553: Vest-Telemark ( lit. ' West-Telemark ' ) is a traditional district in Norway. The 7,699-square-kilometre (2,973 sq mi) area comprises the western areas of the larger region known as Upper Telemark ( Norwegian : Øvre Telemark ) in Vestfold og Telemark county. The region consists of six municipalities: Fyresdal , Tokke , Vinje , Nissedal , Kviteseid , and Seljord . In 2020, there were 13,903 residents in
10-478: Is also the home of slalom (slalåm) skiing, Telemark skiing , and ski jumping (with its characteristic Telemark landing). "The Cradle of Modern Skiing" is found in Morgedal . Districts of Norway A high percentage of Norwegians identify themselves more by the district they live in or come from, than the formal administrative unit(s) whose jurisdiction they fall under . A significant reason for this
15-511: 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
20-556: The region. The area of Vest-Telemark was historically called Øvre Telemark vestfjelske . The region is known for its folk traditions within music, clothing, handcrafts, food, and architecture. The region is also distinctly marked by its dialects of Norwegian . This form of Norwegian is among those containing the most traces of the Old Norse language and grammar. This area uses the Nynorsk written form of Norwegian. Vest-Telemark
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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