fylkes

Fylke is the Norwegian term for a county, a regional administrative unit that sits between municipalities and the central government. Counties coordinate regional planning and development, support and fund secondary education and certain health and public transport initiatives, and oversee cultural and environmental programs. The exact responsibilities can vary over time and between counties, but the fylke serves as the main tier for regional governance in Norway.

Governing bodies and representation are twofold. Counties have an elected regional assembly, the fylkesting, which sets policy for the county and oversees the county administration. An executive leader, known as the fylkesordfører, chairs the assembly. The state is represented at the county level by a county governor, historically called fylkesmann and more recently referred to as statsforvalter, who ensures national interests are implemented locally.

In Norway, municipalities handle local services such as primary education, local roads, and social services, while fylker coordinate services that span multiple municipalities and require regional planning. A major administrative reform reduced the number of counties from 19 to 11, with effect from 1 January 2020. The current counties are Oslo, Viken, Innlandet, Vestfold og Telemark, Agder, Rogaland, Vestland, Trøndelag, Nordland, Troms og Finnmark, and Møre og Romsdal.

The counties vary in size, population, and geography, reflecting historical and geographic differences across Norway. The term fylke and its institutions have evolved with reforms, but continue to function as the primary regional layer in the Norwegian governmental structure.