Kristiansand

 Kristiansand is a city and municipality, and the capital of the county of Vest-Agder, Norway and of the geographical region (landsdel) of Southern Norway (Norwegian: Sørlandet, lit. "the southern land"), the Skagerrak coast of southern Norway consisting of the two counties Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder. Kristiansand municipality is the 6th largest in Norway with a population of 78,919 as of 1 January 2008. The Kristiansand urban area, entirely located in the municipality, had a population of 64,930 on 1 January 2006, and is thus the 8th largest urban area in Norway.

As 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 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 (Denmark) and Hanstholm (Denmark). Road connections goes via E18 east to Arendal and Oslo, via E39 west to Mandal and Stavanger, and highway 9 north to Vennesla, Setesdal and Haukeli. The Sørlandsbanen railway has station in downtown Kristiansand which is a terminus station, were trains has to change direction. Trains go east to Oslo and west to Stavanger.