Rogaland (help·info) is a county in Western Norway, bordering Hordaland, Telemark, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder. It is the center of the Norwegian petroleum industry, and as a result of this, Rogaland has the lowest unemployment rate of any county in Norway, 1.1%. Rogaland has a fertility rate of 2.18 children per woman, which is the highest in the country, and one of the highest in Europe.
Rogaland is the Norse name of the region – revived in modern times. Until 1919 the name of the county was Stavanger amt. It has been argued that the first element is the plural genitive case of rygir, the name of an old Germanic tribe (see Rugians). The last element is land n 'land, region'. In Norse times the region was alternatively called Rygjafylki (see Ryfylke).
See also Hordaland.
The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1974). It shows the old stone cross in Sola, erected in memory of Erling Skjalgsson after his death in 1028.
Rogaland is mainly a coastal region with fjords, beaches, and islands, the principal island being Karmøy. Boknafjorden is the largest bay, with many fjords branching off from it.