From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Telemark is a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien.

Telemark fylke

County	NO-08
Region	Østlandet
Administrative centre	Skien
County mayor	Gunn Marit Helgesen (H)
Area  - Total  - Percentage	Ranked 10 15,299 km² 4.55 %
Population  - Total (2004)  - Percentage  - Change (10 years)  - Density	Ranked 13 166,124 3.63 % 1.8 % 12/km²
Gross Regional Product  - Total (2001)  - Percentage  - GRP/capita	Ranked 12 36,345 million NOK 2.38 % 219,404 NOK

The county is located in southeastern Norway, extending from Hardangervidda to the Skagerrak coast. The coastline extends from Langesundsfjorden to Gjernestangen at the border to Aust-Agder. Telemark has a very broken and heterogeneous landscape, including many hills and valleys.

The largest population centres are Skien, Porsgrunn, Notodden, Rjukan and Kragerø. Other important places are Stathelle, Ulefoss, Brevik, Langesund, Bø, Fyresdal and Vinje.

The Norse form of the name was Þelamörk. The first element is the genitive plural case of þelir, the name of an old Germanic tribe. The last element is mörk f 'woodland, borderland'. (See also Hedmark and Finnmark.)

Until 1919 the county was called Bratsberg amt. The amt was named after the farm Bratsberg (Norse Brattsberg), since this was the seat of the amtmann ('governor'). The first element is the genitive case of brattr m 'steep mountain', the last element is berg n 'mountain'. (The name is referring to a steep mountainside behind the farm.)

Telemark loaned its name to Telemark skiing, a style invented by Sondre Norheim.

The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1970). It shows an old type of battle axe, significant for the county.

Some old historians used to believe that in the early Viking Age, before Harald Fairhair, Telemark was a petty kingdom. This is, however, unfounded.

The film The Heroes of Telemark is loosely based on the Norwegian heavy water sabotage, a raid on a heavy water plant at Rjukan during World War II. Ray Mears made a documentary titled The Real Heroes of Telemark as a response to the inaccuracies of the film, giving an account more focused on the outdoor skills that were required for the operation (spending months in remote cabins).

Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.

Notable people from Telemark

• Hallvard Graatop (c.1400–1475), from Drangedal lead rebellion against Danish rule in 1438.
• Myllarguten (1801 - 1872), legendary fiddler from Sauherad
• Aasmund Olavsson Vinje (1818–1870), author from Vinje.
• Sondre Norheim (1825–1897), father of skiing from Morgedal in Kviteseid
• August Cappelen (1827 - 1852), national romantic painter from Skien.
• Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906), author from Skien
• Theodor Kittelsen (1857 - 1914), artist from Kragerø
• Vidkun Quisling (1887–1945), politician, quisling from Fyresdal
• Aslaug Vaa (1889–1965), author from Rauland
• Tarjei Vesaas (1897–1970), author from Vinje
• Anne Grimdalen (1899–1961), sculptor from Skafså in Tokke
• Eivind Groven (1901–1977), composer from Lårdal in Tokke
• Klaus Egge (1906–1979), composer from Gransherad in Notodden
• Hans Herbjørnsrud (1938–), author from Heddal in Notodden
• Tor Åge Bringsværd (1939–), author from Skien
• Agnes Buen Garnås (1946-), folk singer from Bø.
• Gisle Kverndokk (1967-), composer from Skien
• Odd Nordstoga (1972-), musician from Vinje.
• Arve Moen Bergset (1972 -), folk singer from Vinje
• Tommy Svindal Larsen (1973-), footballer from Skien

The county is conventionally divided into traditional districts. These are Grenland, Vest-Telemark, Midt-Telemark, Øst-Telemark and Vestmar.

Telemark County has a total of 18 municipalities:

1. Bamble
2. Bø
3. Drangedal
4. Fyresdal
5. Hjartdal
6. Kragerø
7. Kviteseid
8. Nissedal
9. Nome
10. Notodden
11. Porsgrunn
12. Sauherad
13. Seljord
14. Siljan
15. Skien
16. Tinn
17. Tokke
18. Vinje

• Homepage of Telemark County
• County map
• Rjukan lag av Norske Redningshunder, K9 saves lives
• The reality behind the movie

Counties of Norway
Akershus | Aust-Agder | Buskerud | Finnmark | Hedmark | Hordaland | Møre og Romsdal | Nordland | Nord-Trøndelag | Oppland | Oslo | Østfold | Rogaland | Sogn og Fjordane | Sør-Trøndelag | Telemark | Troms | Vest-Agder | Vestfold