Hardanger
Hardanger | |
|---|---|
View of Lofthus | |
Districts of Vestland: Hardanger | |
| Coordinates: 60°20′N 6°30′E / 60.333°N 6.500°E | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Vestland |
| Region | Western Norway |
| Largest settlement | Odda |
| Area | |
• Total | 6,266 km2 (2,419 sq mi) |
| Population (2009) | |
• Total | 22,810 |
| • Density | 3.640/km2 (9.428/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Harding |
Hardanger is a traditional district in Vestland county, Norway. The region is dominated by the Hardangerfjord and its inner branches of the Sørfjorden and the Eidfjorden. The district consists of Ullensvang Municipality, Eidfjord Municipality, Ulvik Municipality, and Kvam Municipality.
The area is dominated by the vast Hardangervidda plateau in the east and the large Folgefonna glacier on the central Folgefonna peninsula. The district was selected as the millennium site for the old Hordaland county.
In the early Viking Age, before Harald Fairhair, Hardanger was a petty kingdom with its capital at Kinsarvik.