Fylker

Fylker, or counties, are the main regional administrative units in Norway. They form the intermediate level of government between municipalities and the central state, coordinating tasks that span multiple municipalities. Each fylke has a fylkeskommune (county municipality) with a fylkesting (county council) elected by residents. The council appoints an executive led by a fylkesordfører, and the county administration is headed by a fylkesrådmann. The central government is represented in each county by a statsforvalter, who oversees the implementation of national policies.

Responsibilities of fylker typically include upper secondary education, regional transport and infrastructure planning, and regional development. They also manage cultural affairs, libraries, museums, and the safeguarding of cultural heritage, in addition to coordinating environmental and land-use planning within their borders. The county level is designed to complement municipalities, which handle local services such as primary education, local planning, and social services.

History: The term fylke began to be used in the early 20th century, replacing the older system of amt in 1919 as part of language and administrative reforms. In the 2010s and 2020s, Norway undertook a regional reform that reduced the number of counties from 19 to 11, merging several counties to create larger administrative regions. Since these reforms, fylker function as the main regional layer between municipalities and the national government, with responsibilities defined by national law and delegated to the counties.