Vest-Agder fylke | ||
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County | ||
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Vest-Agder within Norway |
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Country | Norway | |
County | Vest-Agder | |
Region | Sørlandet | |
County ID | NO-10 | |
Administrative centre | Kristiansand | |
Government | ||
• Governor | Ann-Kristin Olsen (1998–present) |
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• County mayor |
Thore Westermoen Kristelig Folkeparti (2003–present) |
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Area | ||
• Total | 7,276 km2 (2,809 sq mi) | |
• Land | 6,677 km2 (2,578 sq mi) | |
Area rank | #15 in Norway, 2.19% of Norway's land area | |
Population (2014) | ||
• Total | 177,906 | |
• Rank | 14 (3.50% of country) | |
• Density | 24/km2 (60/sq mi) | |
• Change (10 years) | 7.8 % | |
Demonym(s) | Vestegde | |
Time zone | CET (UTC+01) | |
• Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+02) | |
Official language form | Neutral | |
Income (per capita) | 137,000 NOK | |
GDP (per capita) | 219,928 NOK (2001) | |
GDP national rank | 14 (2.27% of country) | |
Website | www.vaf.no | |
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Coordinates: 58°34′59″N 7°34′59″E / 58.583°N 7.583°E
Vest-Agder [ˈvɛst ˈɑɡdər] (listen) (West Agder) is a county in Norway, bordering Rogaland to the west and Aust-Agder to the east. In 2002 there were 157,851 inhabitants, which is 3.4% of the total population in Norway. Its area is 7,281 km2 (2,811 sq mi). The county administration, and largest city is Kristiansand.
Shipping, commerce and recreation are the main industries here. Compared to other counties of Norway, Vest-Agder is noted for having the highest level of foreign exports. Another international dimension linked to the county is the large-scale emigration to North America that took place from the 1850s and onwards, which resulted in many Americans returning to the county after Norway became prosperous. This feature is particularly predominant in Kvinesdal and Farsund, which maintains strong cultural links with the United States.