cirkumferens (av cirkum og lat. 'føre'), omkrets, omfang. I kjøpstadsprivilegienes tid var byens lovbestemte oppland begrenset av en cirkumferens innenfor hvilken byen hadde monopol på handelen. Cirkumferens ble i vår eldre bergrett brukt om det område der innehaveren av et bergverksprivilegium hadde enerett til å skjerpe og rett til å kreve tømmer og trekull m.m. levert av bøndene til en «billig» pris.
Rundt det første store malmfunn ved Storwartz, ble det trukket en sirkel med radius fire gamle norske mil (45,2 km.). Innenfor denne sirkelen - cirkumferensen - fikk Røros Kobberverk kontroll med skog, vann, malmer, mineraler - og all arbeidskraft.
Røros Mining Town and the Circumference (Norway) (extension of “Røros Mining Town”) The history of the town of Røros is linked to the copper mines. Established in the 17th century, they were exploited for 333 years until 1977. Completely rebuilt after its destruction by Swedish troops in 1679, Røros contains some 80 wooden one- and two-storey houses and a smelting house. Many of these buildings have preserved their blackened wooden façades, giving the town a medieval appearance. The site was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1980. The extension is a serial site and comprises the Town and its industrial-rural cultural landscapes; Femundshytta, a smelter with its associated area; and the Winter Transport Route. Surrounded by a buffer zone, coincident with the area of privileges (the Circumference) granted to the mining enterprise by the Danish-Norwegian Crown (1646), the property illustrates the establishment and flourishing of a lasting culture based on copper mining in a remote region with a harsh climate. Kilde: UNESCO
