- published: 01 Jun 2012
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Buskerud (help·info) is a county in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark, and Vestfold. The county administration is located in Drammen.
Buskerud extends from Hurum at the Oslofjord to the Halling mountains and Hardanger. The county is conventionally divided into traditional districts. These are Eiker, Ringerike, Numedal and Hallingdal. Hønefoss is the district capital of Ringerike. Drammen and its vicinity (Røyken, Lier and Hurum) is often considered a separate district, but is also at times considered part of the Eiker district. Buskerud's western part is a mountainous plateau with forested valleys and high, grassy pastures; its eastern part contains a lowland basin with many lakes and streams. Tyrifjorden and Krøderen are the biggest lakes. Numedalslågen, the third longest river in Norway, starting in Hordaland, runs through Buskerud unto Vestfold where it reaches the sea, while river Begna sweeps into lake Sperillen.
Buskerud was separated from Akershus as an amt of its own in 1685, but the area of this one it was smaller than today. (It then consisted of the present municipalities of Flå, Gol, Hemsedal, Hol, Hole, Krødsherad, Modum, Nedre Eiker, Nes, Ringerike, Sigdal, Øvre Eiker and Ål.) The area of the present municipalities of Flesberg, Hurum, Kongsberg, Lier, Nore og Uvdal, Rollag and Røyken were transferred from Akershus amt to Buskerud amt in 1760. The name Buskeruds amt was changed to Buskerud fylke in 1919. The municipality of Skoger was transferred from Vestfold to Buskerud in 1964.