Matriklen

Matriklen is a cadastral register used to document land parcels, boundaries, ownership, and property identifiers. The term appears in Nordic languages, and in practice it refers to the official land registry that underpins property rights, location, size, and legal encumbrances. The register serves as a foundational source for real estate transactions, taxation, planning, and public administration.

In Norway, Matrikkelen is the national cadastral registry managed by the Norwegian Mapping Authority (Kartverket). It consolidates historical cadastral information into a unified system, linking each property to its farm and unit numbers and to address data. The data are used by public authorities, surveyors, developers, and citizens, and updates occur with property changes, subdivisions, mergers, or administrative decisions. Access is provided through official portals, subject to privacy protections for individuals.

The concept and name are echoed in other Nordic countries, where similar cadastre registers exist under forms such as Matrikel or matriklen. While the exact scope and governance vary by country, the underlying purpose remains the documentation of land parcels, boundaries, ownership, and identifiers to support administration, taxation, land use planning, and property transfers.

Historically, cadastres emerged to support taxation, property rights, and governance. Over time, many systems were standardized and digitized to improve accuracy and accessibility. Today, Matrikkelen and comparable registers are maintained as dynamic, public resources, continually updated to reflect changes in land ownership, development, and regulation.