Hardanger | |
|---|---|
 Lofthus | |
 Districts of Vestland: Hardanger | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Vestland |
| Region | Western Norway |
| Adm. Center | Odda (town) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6,266 km2 (2,419 sq mi) |
| Population (2009) | |
| • Total | 22,810 |
| • Density | 3.6/km2 (9.4/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Harding |
Hardanger is a traditional district in the western part of Norway, dominated by the Hardangerfjord and its inner branches of the Sørfjorden and the Eid Fjord. It consists of the municipalities of Ullensvang, Eidfjord, Ulvik and Kvam, and is located inside the county of Vestland.
The area is dominated by the vast Hardangervidda plateau in the east and the large Folgefonna glacier on the central Folgefonna peninsula. The district was selected as the millennium site for the old Hordaland county.
In the early Viking Age, before Harald Fairhair, Hardanger was a petty kingdom with its capital at Kinsarvik.[citation needed]