Marka, Oslo

Bydel Marka
Borough
Winter scenery at lake Øyangen, Krokskogen, Oslomarka
Winter scenery at lake Øyangen, Krokskogen, Oslomarka
Coat of arms of Bydel Marka
Coat of arms
Location of Bydel Marka
CountryNorway
CityOslo
Area
 • Total
301.1 km2 (116.3 sq mi)
Population
 (2020[1])
 • Total
1,610
 • Density5.35/km2 (13.9/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-030117
Websiteoslo.kommune.no

Marka is the name of the forested and hilly areas surrounding Oslo, Norway. It includes areas within the municipality of Oslo, but also large areas in Hole, Ringerike in Buskerud county and Jevnaker, Lunner, Nittedal, Bærum, Asker, and other municipalities in Akershus county. The name is actually just the finite form of mark (Norse mǫrk f) 'woodland, forest'. (See also Finnmark, Hedmark, Telemark, Marker and Aremark.)[2]

Though not designated a borough of Oslo, it is a major recreational area for the population of Oslo, and development in the area is for the most part prohibited. Despite being used frequently by many inhabitants of Oslo, especially at weekends, the fauna of marka includes species such as lynx, wolf, beaver, moose and roe deer.

Oslomarka is the collective term usually used for all the recreational areas, comprising the contiguous areas of forest and open fields, around Oslo. Marka is the administrative name for the part of it that lies inside the city limits. Neighboring municipalities (most of which lie in Viken) do not have the same kind of administrative division as Oslo, and thus do not have any separate administrative arrangement for their parts of the area. The area within Oslo municipality is divided into two parts. The population and agricultural areas of Marka are located mainly in two valleys, Sørkedalen and Maridalen.

Map of Oslomarka

Oslomarka is further divided into:

Of these, Vestmarka, Kjekstadmarka, Romeriksåsene, Follomarka and Sørmarka lie almost entirely outside the city limits.

60°01′06″N 10°42′02″E / 60.0182°N 10.7006°E / 60.0182; 10.7006

  1. ^ Municipality of Oslo (2020). "Befolkningen etter bydel, kjønn og aldersgrupper 1.1.2020" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  2. ^ Knut Are Tvedt. "Oslomarka". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  3. ^ Svein Askheim. "Kjekstadmarka". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  4. ^ Svein Askheim. "Romeriksåsene". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  5. ^ Knut Are Tvedt. "Sørmarka". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved September 15, 2016.