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Kristiansand
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HistoryAs indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040. The first settlements near the modern city were located further down the river, in or near what is today the borough of Lund, and at Flekkerøy, an island outside the city centre.
Kristiansand was formally founded by King Christian IV in 1641. It was created as a market town to encourage growth in a strategically significant area, providing a local economic base for construction of fortifications and population for defense of the area. The centre of Kristiansand, in layout essentially unchanged since the 17th century, is called "Kvadraturen" due to its square gridline of streets.
The city experienced its first major town fire in 1734, when large parts of the city was destroyed.
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HistoryAs indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040. The first settlements near the modern city were located further down the river, in or near what is today the borough of Lund, and at Flekkerøy, an island outside the city centre.
Kristiansand was formally founded by King Christian IV in 1641. It was created as a market town to encourage growth in a strategically significant area, providing a local economic base for construction of fortifications and population for defense of the area. The centre of Kristiansand, in layout essentially unchanged since the 17th century, is called "Kvadraturen" due to its square gridline of streets.
The city experienced its first major town fire in 1734, when large parts of the city was destroyed. Kristiansand grew into a major port during the 18th century, both due to its expanding ship building industry and its trade fleet. The city burned again in 1892. As a neutral trade port, the economy of Kristiansand thrived during World War I, but the growth stagnated due to political decisions and the Great Depression of the late 1920s and 1930s.
Kristiansand was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The rural municipalities of Oddernes, Randesund and Tveit were merged with Kristiansand January 1, 1965.
CultureThe zoological garden, Kristiansand Dyrepark (Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park) just east of the city, has a wide selection of animals in, for the most part, natural habitats. This includes animals such as wolves, tigers and the lynx.
Each year in July, Kristiansand is the site of the Quart Festival, a multi-day music festival - the largest of its kind in Norway. Kristiansand is home to Agder Theatre.
Economy and transport
Kristiansand is connected to continental Europe by air and sea. The local airport, Kjevik, is located 12 km (7 miles) east of the city and has routes to European and Norwegian cities. From the city centre, the ferry harbour has routes to Hirtshals and Hanstholm. There are also buses and trains that connect Kristiansand to other Norwegian cities.
Kristiansand has major shipbuilding and repair facilities that support Norway's North Sea oil industry. Near Kristiansand there is the static inverter plant of the HVDC Cross-Skagerak.
Geography and climate
Kristiansand and the Agder counties usually have a lot of summer sunshine compared to most of Norway. There may be heavy snowfall in winter with south-southeasterly winds (snow record at Kjevik is 170 cm), but the snow rarely stays long at the coast; see climate. In the summer most locals go to the Fish Market and Hamresanden Beach which is located near Kjevik airport (about 10 mins from the city centre). People from Denmark, Sweden, Germany, the UK and other European countries also visit this beach in the summer during their travels. Many of these travellers also enjoy fishing in the many rivers that surround the city.
EducationThe University of Agder's largest campus is located in Kristiansand; the university itself has about 8,000 students. Formerly a university college, it was granted status as a university on September 1, 2007. Study programs include business and economics, engineering and technology, the humanities, mathematics, nursing, teacher education, as well as fine arts.
Kristiansand is also home of one of the Norwegian School of Management's campuses, in addition to The Gimlekollen School of Journalism and Communication, which offers degrees in journalism and communication.
In 2006, 27% of those above 16 years in Kristiansand had higher education, compared to the national average of 24.2%.
Famous people from Kristiansand- Bernt Balchen (1899 – 1973), Norwegian-American aviator born in Tveit
- Jens Bjørneboe (1920 – 1976), painter, dramatist, essayist and novelist born in Kristiansand.
- Valdemar Knudsen (1819 – 1898), pioneered sugar cane production in Hawaii.
- HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit (1973 –), born and raised in Kristiansand.
- Lars Nedland (1976 –), vocalist, percussionist and keyboardist in a variety of Norwegian black metal and avant-garde bands
- Andreas Thorkildsen (1982 –), olympic gold medalist, javelin.
- Henrik Wergeland (1808 – 1845), poet
- Holger Hott Johansen (1974 – ), world champion in Orienteering
- Bjarte Breiteig (1974 - ), Author
- Siri Tollerød , Model
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