FOREWORD 
The right of possession to landed property in Norway 
The major part of the land is in private possession 
and is divided into ca. 345 000 registered estates, 
where each in juridical sence is a separate judicial 
object. 
Of land not in private possession there are different 
categories: 
State common lands 
Parish common lands 
Private common lands 
State mountain regions 
Other lands in public possession. 
In most cases the home fields are in separate 
property, but may be divided in several separate 
strips. 
The arrangement of the rights of possession to 
the hill and forest pastures may vary a good deal. 
The major part has now become separate property, 
but still is much joint — property where each owner 
has certain privileges as users, e.g. to the wood, but 
the land itself is not shared between the farms or 
owners. Such arrangements of joint — property exist 
in numerous variations 
An estimation of the area which will be mapped 
in the new series of plans in scale 1 : 5000 and 
1 : 10000, gives half of the total area of the country, 
or ca. 160000 km?. The great majority of the above 
mentioned number of registered estates lies within 
this area, and most of the area which is not going 
to be mapped belongs to the different categories of 
common lands, state regions and great joint — pro- 
perty areas. 
The mapping area is divided in nearly 345 000 units, 
and each of them may consist of several strips. The 
recording of the corner — points of all these bounda- 
ries for graphical plotting and a land register will 
require a considerable amount of time and expense. 
Property boundaries, the marking of the corner 
points and the require for mapping 
The boundaries of the estate units are either artifi- 
cial or natural, and may be more or less accurately set 
in the field. 
The law of land reallotment from 22. December 
1950 requires that artificial boundaries are distinctly 
and permanently marked. The marking may be done 
by bolts or crosses carved in stone, and often two 
others in addition, standing one at each side as 
*witnesses". Previously were the boundaries in many 
cases, especially between the home fields, marked by 
fences. These are, however, expensive in maintenance, 
and are now less used. 
Where the boundaries are not juridically estab- 
lished, are they in forests usually marked by crosses in 
trees. These are not permanent and will sooner or 
later cause uncertainty about the boundary. 
Natural boundaries will follow rivers, brooks, out- 
lines of lakes or other topographical features. 
This great number of boundaries with variable 
quality in their marking, may be very difficult to keep 
in order and to recover in the field only by means 
of descriptions and measures. The importance of 
getting a plan series with the boundaries completely 
mapped, and later properly maintained, is therefore 
invaluable. 
By previous methods of surveying such a mapping 
program was insuperable. But with the high photo- 
grammetric mapping capasity the country has got, 
primarily owing to the private firms, is it now a reality, 
and the work has already been going on for a few 
years.