fjerntliggende

Fjerntliggende is a Norwegian adjective meaning distant or remote, used to describe places that lie far from major population centers or customary reference points. The word combines fjern, meaning distant, with ligge, meaning to lie (in its participle form liggende), yielding the sense of “lying far away.”

It is widely used in geography, travel writing, and regional planning to denote locations such as fjerntliggende øyer (remote islands) or fjerntliggende fjellområder (remote mountain areas). The term is relative: a place considered fjerntliggende from Oslo may be more accessible from nearby towns, illustrating how context shapes the meaning.

Remote areas face practical challenges including limited transport connections, higher costs for goods and services, restricted communications infrastructure, and difficulties in recruiting and retaining healthcare and education personnel. These factors, together with natural beauty, unique ecosystems, or traditional cultures, can attract tourism or justify targeted public investments aimed at maintaining regional viability.

Fjerntliggende appears frequently in policy discussions and media, and may carry evaluative nuance depending on the tone. Related terms include avsidesliggende (outlying) and perifert (peripheral).