Rogaland

Rogaland 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 have a fertility rate at 2.18 children per women, 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).