{{for|the newspaper|Ryfylke (newspaper)}} {{Infobox settlement <!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions --> | name = Ryfylke | settlement_type = [[Districts of Norway|District]] | image_skyline = Lysebotn Lysefjord 2004 2.jpg | image_caption = View of the Lysefjorden | image_map = Kommuner_og_distrikter_i_Rogaland.svg | map_caption = {{legend|yellow|Ryfylke}} | area_total_km2 = 4546 | population_total = 33511 | population_as_of = 2015 | population_density_km2 = auto | population_demonym = Ryfylkebu | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = [[Norway]] | subdivision_type1 = [[Counties of Norway|County]] | subdivision_name1 = [[Rogaland]] | subdivision_type2 = [[Regions of Norway|Region]] | subdivision_name2 = [[Western Norway|Vestlandet]] | coordinates = {{coord|59.2275|6.2472|display=inline,title}} }}
'''Ryfylke'''<ref name="name">{{Cite web |title=Informasjon om stadnamn |url=https://stadnamn.kartverket.no/fakta/813263 |access-date=2026-02-04|website=Norgeskart |publisher=[[Norwegian Mapping Authority|Kartverket]] |language=no}}</ref> is a [[Districts of Norway|traditional district]] in the northeastern part of [[Rogaland]] county, [[Norway]]. The {{convert|4546|km2|adj=on}} district, encompassing about 60% of the county's area is located northeast of the city of [[Stavanger (city)|Stavanger]] and east of the city of [[Haugesund (town)|Haugesund]]. It includes the mainland, which is northeast and east of the [[Boknafjorden]] and east of the [[Høgsfjorden]]. It also consists of the islands on the south side of the Boknafjorden. To the east, Ryfylke borders the districts of [[Setesdal]] and [[Sirdal Municipality|Sirdal]], to the south is [[Jæren]], and to the west is [[Haugaland]]et. Ryfylke is one of the 15 districts in [[Western Norway]].<ref name="snl">{{cite web|url=https://snl.no/Ryfylke|title=Ryfylke|author=Store norske leksikon|author-link=Store norske leksikon|language=no|access-date=2016-02-10}}</ref>
Ryfylke comprises the contemporary municipalities of [[Sauda Municipality|Sauda]], [[Suldal Municipality|Suldal]], [[Hjelmeland Municipality|Hjelmeland]], [[Strand Municipality|Strand]], [[Kvitsøy Municipality|Kvitsøy]], the eastern island portion of [[Stavanger Municipality|Stavanger]], the eastern part of [[Sandnes Municipality|Sandnes]], and the eastern part of [[Gjesdal Municipality|Gjesdal]]. There are no large cities in Ryfylke, but there are two large towns: [[Sauda (town)|Sauda]] and [[Jørpeland]].
Scenic attractions include the [[Lysefjord]] with the mountains of [[Preikestolen]] ("Pulpit Rock") and [[Kjerag]]. The landscape of Ryfylke is characterized by high mountains in the interior; the highest and wildest are located in the north and are formed by hard, [[igneous rock]].<ref name="snl" />
At Haukalivatnet Lake (near Lysefjorden), there is a distinct end moraine presumably created by a prehistoric glacier. This moraine led professor [[Jens Esmark]] (in 1824) to formulate the theory of an [[ice age]] over Scandinavia and other parts of the world. Esmark believed that climate change due to changes in Earth's orbit caused the ice ages.<ref>Hestmark, G. (2018). [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/bor.12260 Jens Esmark's mountain glacier traverse 1823− the key to his discovery of Ice Ages]. ''Boreas'', 47(1), 1-10.</ref>
==Etymology== {{see also|Rogaland#Etymology|label 1=Name of Rogaland county}}
The [[Old Norse]] form of the name was ''Rygjafylki''. The first element is the [[genitive]] [[plural]] of ''rygir'', which means "person that eats rye", and the last element is ''[[fylke]]'', which means "people" and has the same origin as German ''volk''.<ref name="snl" />
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.stavanger-web.com/touristinfo/lysebotn.htm/ Lysefjord and Lysebotn] *[http://www.ryfylke.com/ Destination Ryfylke] *[http://www.fjell-touren.de/RYFYLKE.HTM Map hiking] *[http://www.ryfylkemuseet.no/ Ryfylkemuseeet The Ryfylke Museum]
{{Rogaland}} [[Category:Districts of Rogaland]] [[Category:Sauda Municipality]] [[Category:Suldal Municipality]] [[Category:Hjelmeland Municipality]] [[Category:Strand Municipality]] [[Category:Sandnes]] [[Category:Stavanger]] [[Category:Kvitsøy Municipality]]