Vest-Telemark

{{Short description|District in Telemark, Norway}}

{{Infobox settlement

| name = Vest-Telemark

| other_name = Øvre Telemark vestfjelske (historic)

| settlement_type = District

| image_skyline = Bora 2007.jpg

| image_caption = The river Bora in Vinje on the border to Vestland

| image_map = Vest-Telemark.svg

| map_caption =

| coordinates = {{coord|59.4653|8.0200|type:landmark_region:NO-38|display=title, inline}}

| population_demonym = Teledøl
Telemarking{{cite web|url=http://www.sprakradet.no/sprakhjelp/Skriverad/navn-pa-steder-og-personer/Innbyggjarnamn/|website=sprakradet.no|title=Innbyggjarnamn}}

| population_footnotes =

| population_total = 13903

| population_as_of = 2020

| population_density_km2 = auto

| area_total_km2 = 7699

| area_footnotes = {{Cite web |last=Statistisk sentralbyrå |author-link=Statistics Norway |title=09280: Area of land and fresh water (km²) (M) |url=https://www.ssb.no/en/statbank/table/09280/ |language=Norwegian}}

| subdivision_type = Country

| subdivision_name = Norway

| subdivision_type1 = County

| subdivision_name1 = Vestfold og Telemark

| subdivision_type2 = Region

| subdivision_name2 = Østlandet

|module = {{Historical populations

|source = Statistics Norway{{Cite web |last=Statistisk sentralbyrå |author-link=Statistics Norway |title=Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M) |url=https://www.ssb.no/en/statbank/table/06913/ |language=Norwegian}}

|shading = off

|width = 100%

|graph-pos = bottom

|1951|16375

|1960|17037

|1970|15846

|1980|15746

|1990|15706

|2000|14770

|2010|14251

|2020|13903

}} }}

Vest-Telemark ({{lit|West-Telemark}}) is a traditional district in Norway. The {{convert|7699|km2|adj=on}} area comprises the western areas of the larger region known as Upper Telemark ({{langx|no|Øvre Telemark}}) in Vestfold og Telemark county. The region consists of six municipalities: Fyresdal, Tokke, Vinje, Nissedal, Kviteseid, and Seljord. In 2020, there were 13,903 residents in the region. The area of Vest-Telemark was historically called {{lang|no|Øvre Telemark vestfjelske}}.{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Vest-Telemark |encyclopedia=Store norske leksikon |publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget |url=https://snl.no/Vest-Telemark |date=2021-03-17 |editor-last=Bolstad |editor-first=Erik |language=no |accessdate=2023-01-08}}

The region is known for its folk traditions within music, clothing, handcrafts, food, and architecture. The region is also distinctly marked by its dialects of Norwegian. This form of Norwegian is among those containing the most traces of the Old Norse language and grammar. This area uses the Nynorsk written form of Norwegian.

Vest-Telemark is also the home of slalom (slalåm) skiing, Telemark skiing, and ski jumping (with its characteristic Telemark landing). "The Cradle of Modern Skiing" is found in Morgedal.