# Ryfylke

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For the newspaper, see [Ryfylke (newspaper)](/source/Ryfylke_(newspaper)).

District in Rogaland, Norway

Ryfylke District View of the Lysefjorden Ryfylke Coordinates: 59°13′39″N 6°14′50″E / 59.2275°N 6.2472°E / 59.2275; 6.2472 Country Norway County Rogaland Region Vestlandet Area • Total 4,546 km2 (1,755 sq mi) Population (2015) • Total 33,511 • Density 7.372/km2 (19.09/sq mi) Demonym Ryfylkebu

**Ryfylke**[1] is a [traditional district](/source/Districts_of_Norway) in the northeastern part of [Rogaland](/source/Rogaland) county, [Norway](/source/Norway). The 4,546-square-kilometre (1,755 sq mi) district, encompassing about 60% of the county's area is located northeast of the city of [Stavanger](/source/Stavanger_(city)) and east of the city of [Haugesund](/source/Haugesund_(town)). It includes the mainland, which is northeast and east of the [Boknafjorden](/source/Boknafjorden) and east of the [Høgsfjorden](/source/H%C3%B8gsfjorden). It also consists of the islands on the south side of the Boknafjorden. To the east, Ryfylke borders the districts of [Setesdal](/source/Setesdal) and [Sirdal](/source/Sirdal_Municipality), to the south is [Jæren](/source/J%C3%A6ren), and to the west is [Haugalandet](/source/Haugaland). Ryfylke is one of the 15 districts in [Western Norway](/source/Western_Norway).[2]

Ryfylke comprises the contemporary municipalities of [Sauda](/source/Sauda_Municipality), [Suldal](/source/Suldal_Municipality), [Hjelmeland](/source/Hjelmeland_Municipality), [Strand](/source/Strand_Municipality), [Kvitsøy](/source/Kvits%C3%B8y_Municipality), the eastern island portion of [Stavanger](/source/Stavanger_Municipality), the eastern part of [Sandnes](/source/Sandnes_Municipality), and the eastern part of [Gjesdal](/source/Gjesdal_Municipality). There are no large cities in Ryfylke, but there are two large towns: [Sauda](/source/Sauda_(town)) and [Jørpeland](/source/J%C3%B8rpeland).

Scenic attractions include the [Lysefjord](/source/Lysefjord) with the mountains of [Preikestolen](/source/Preikestolen) ("Pulpit Rock") and [Kjerag](/source/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](/source/Igneous_rock).[2]

At Haukalivatnet Lake (near Lysefjorden), there is a distinct end moraine presumably created by a prehistoric glacier. This moraine led professor [Jens Esmark](/source/Jens_Esmark) (in 1824) to formulate the theory of an [ice age](/source/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.[3]

## Etymology

See also: [Name of Rogaland county](/source/Rogaland#Etymology)

The [Old Norse](/source/Old_Norse) form of the name was *Rygjafylki*. The first element is the [genitive](/source/Genitive) [plural](/source/Plural) of *rygir*, which means "person that eats rye", and the last element is *[fylke](/source/Fylke)*, which means "people" and has the same origin as German *volk*.[2]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-name_1-0)** ["Informasjon om stadnamn"](https://stadnamn.kartverket.no/fakta/813263). *Norgeskart* (in Norwegian). [Kartverket](/source/Norwegian_Mapping_Authority). Retrieved 2026-02-04.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-snl_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-snl_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-snl_2-2) [Store norske leksikon](/source/Store_norske_leksikon). ["Ryfylke"](https://snl.no/Ryfylke) (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2016-02-10.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Hestmark, G. (2018). [Jens Esmark's mountain glacier traverse 1823− the key to his discovery of Ice Ages](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/bor.12260). *Boreas*, 47(1), 1-10.

## External links

- [Lysefjord and Lysebotn](http://www.stavanger-web.com/touristinfo/lysebotn.htm/)

- [Destination Ryfylke](http://www.ryfylke.com/)

- [Map hiking](http://www.fjell-touren.de/RYFYLKE.HTM)

- [Ryfylkemuseeet The Ryfylke Museum](http://www.ryfylkemuseet.no/)

v t e Rogaland county, Norway Main article: Rogaland Capital: Stavanger County government: Rogaland County Municipality County lists: County Governors Villages Churches Towns and cities Stavanger (1125) Egersund (1798) Haugesund (1854) Skudeneshavn (1857–1964, 1996) Sandnes (1860) Kopervik (1866–1964, 1996) Jørpeland (1998) Sauda (1999) Bryne (2001) Åkrehamn (2002) Sogndal (former; 1798–1944) Municipalities Dalane Bjerkreim Eigersund Lund Sokndal Haugaland Bokn Haugesund Karmøy Tysvær Utsira Vindafjord Jæren Gjesdal Hå Klepp Randaberg Sandnes Sola Stavanger Time Ryfylke Hjelmeland Kvitsøy Sauda Strand Suldal Former Municipalities in Rogaland Avaldsnes (1838–1965) Egersund (1838–1964) Erfjord (1914–1965) Finnøy (1838–2020) Fister (1884–1965) Forsand (1871–2020) Helleland (1838–1965) Heskestad (1838–1965) Hetland (1838–1965) Høle (1865–1965) Høyland (1838–1965) Håland (1838–1930) Imsland (1923–1965) Jelsa (1838–1965) Kopervik (1866–1964) Madla (1930–1965) Mosterøy (1884–1965) Nedstrand (1838–1965) Nærbø (1894–1964) Ogna (1839–1964) Rennesøy (1838–2020) Sand (1859–1965) Sandeid (1923–1965) Sjernarøy (1868–1965) Skjold (1838–1965) Skudenes (1838–1965) Skudeneshavn (1858–1965) Skåre (1881–1958) Sogndal (1845–1944) Stangaland (1909–1965) Torvastad (1838–1965) Vats (1891–1965) Varhaug (1894–1964) Vikedal (1838–1965) Ølen (1916–2006) Åkra (1892–1965) Årdal (1859–1965)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ryfylke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryfylke) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryfylke?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.