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Drammen, Norway

Drammen kommune
Municipality
Downtown Drammen by night
Downtown Drammen by night
Coat of arms of Drammen kommune
Coat of arms
Official logo of Drammen kommune
Buskerud within
Norway
Drammen within Buskerud
Drammen within Buskerud
Coordinates: 59°44′16″N 10°12′18″E / 59.73778°N 10.20500°E / 59.73778; 10.20500Coordinates: 59°44′16″N 10°12′18″E / 59.73778°N 10.20500°E / 59.73778; 10.20500
Country Norway
County Buskerud
District Lower Buskerud
Administrative centre Drammen
Government
 • Mayor (2003) Tore Opdal Hansen (H)
Area
 • Total 137 km2 (53 sq mi)
 • Land 135 km2 (52 sq mi)
Area rank 366 in Norway
Population (2008)
 • Total 62,566
 • Rank 9 in Norway
 • Density 421/km2 (1,090/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years) 8.2 %
Demonym(s) Drammenser
Drammensar
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
ISO 3166 code NO-0602
Official language form Neutral
Website www.drammen.kommune.no
Data from Statistics Norway

Drammen is a city in Buskerud, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway. Drammen is the capital of the county of Buskerud.

There are more than 63 000 inhabitants in the municipality, but the city is the regional capital of an area with more than 150,000 inhabitants. Drammen and the surrounding communities are growing more than ever before. The city makes good use of the river and inland waterway called Drammensfjord, both for recreation, activities and housing. No city in the country has received as many awards for environmental and urban development as Drammen: 6 national and 2 international prizes since 2003.

The Old Norse form of the city's name was Drafn, and this was originally the name of the inner part of Drammensfjord. The fjord is, however, probably named after the river Drammenselva (Norse Drǫfn), and this again is derived from drǫfn f 'wave'. The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 17 November 1960. The arms are blue with a gray/silver column on top of a foundation of rocks. A key and a Viking sword are crossed in the middle forming an x. It is based upon the old seal dating from 1723 for Bragernes, one of the central parts of Drammen. The motto for Bragernes (in Latin) was In Fide Et Justitia Fortitudo (English: in faith and justice is strength), and the items in the seal are referring to this: key = faith, sword = justice, column on rocks = strength.

The municipality of Drammen was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The rural municipality of Skoger was merged with the municipality of Drammen on 1 January 1964 and was transferred from Vestfold county to Buskerud county at the same time. The city itself has 66 000 inhabitants, making it Norway's ninth largest.


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Wikipedia

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