Kristiansand Region

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Kristiansand Region
Kristiansandsregionen
Storyby- og byregioner i Norge.svg
Kristiansandregionen marked in green in the far southern tip of Norway
Coordinates: 58°36′N7°48′E / 58.6°N 7.8°E / 58.6; 7.8 Coordinates: 58°36′N7°48′E / 58.6°N 7.8°E / 58.6; 7.8
Country Norway
Urban centre Kristiansand
County (fylke) Agder
Area
  Total3,088.76 km2 (1,192.58 sq mi)
Population
 (2019)
  Total166,830
  Density54/km2 (140/sq mi)
Website www.rkrs.no

Kristiansand Region (Norwegian : Kristiansandregionen) is a statistical metropolitan region in Agder county in southern Norway. It is centered on the city of Kristiansand. The region consist of six municipalities in the centre of Southern Norway. Vennesla, Iveland, and Birkenes are inland municipalities while Kristiansand, Lindesnes, and Lillesand are coastal municipalities. Kristiansand is the largest municipality in population in the region. [1]

Contents

Municipalities

The following municipalities are part of this region: [2]

NrMunicipalityMapCoat of armsAdm. centerPopulation [3] Area
km² [4]
Language
4204 Kristiansand
Kristiansand kommune NO 4204 Kristiansand.svg
Kristiansand kommune
Kristiansand kommune Kristiansand komm.svg
Kristiansand kommune
Kristiansand 111,458643.71 Bokmål
4205 Lindesnes
Lindesnes kommune NO 4205 Lindesnes.svg
Lindesnes kommune
Lindesnes kommune Lindesnes komm (2020).svg
Lindesnes kommune
Mandal 23,046934.32 Bokmål
4215 Lillesand
Lillesand kommune NO 4215 Lillesand.svg
Lillesand kommune
Lillesand kommune Lillesand komm.svg
Lillesand kommune
Lillesand 11,075190.41Bokmål
4216 Birkenes
Birkenes kommune NO 4216 Birkenes.svg
Birkenes kommune
Birkenes kommune Birkenes komm.svg
Birkenes kommune
Birkeland 5,205674.20Neutral
4218 Iveland
Iveland kommune NO 4218 Iveland.svg
Iveland kommune
Iveland kommune Iveland komm.svg
Iveland kommune
Birketveit 1,331261.64Neutral
4223 Vennesla
Vennesla kommune NO 4223 Vennesla.svg
Vennesla kommune
Vennesla kommune Vennesla komm.svg
Vennesla kommune
Vennesla 14,715384.48Neutral

Geography

The Kristiansand region lies along the southern coast of Norway, centered around the city of Kristiansand. The region borders the Lister Region to the west, the region of Setesdal to the northwest (with Evje as the administrative centre), and Østre Agder to the northeast (with Arendal as the administrative centre).

Urban areas

Tangvall, the administrative centre in Sogne Tangvall.png
Tangvall, the administrative centre in Søgne

The city of Kristiansand is the main urban area for the Kristiansand region. The borough Kvadraturen is the city downtown centrum and administrative centre for Kristiansand municipality. The borough has a population of 5,750 and is the least populated borough in Kristiansand. Vest-Agder County's government building is also located in Kristiansand.

Other larger urban areas in the region include the village of Vennesla which is the administrative centre of Vennesla municipality, and it has a population of nearly 13,000. Nodeland is the administrative centre for Songdalen municipality, and it has a population of about 3,500. Søgne municipality's administrative centre is Tangvall (also referred to as Søgne). Tangvall is located right next to the European route E39 highway. It has nearly 10,000 residents. Lillesand municipality's administrative centre is the town of Lillesand which has a population of about 7,500. Birkeland, the administrative centre of Birkenes municipality, has a population of almost 3,000.

Cities and towns

Kristiansand Bystranda, Kristiansand.png
Kristiansand

Cities and towns in Norway are designated with this special status by the government. City status in Norway has no special benefits anymore, but historically it did. Cities and towns in Norway are called byer. Other urban areas without that status are called tettsteder which roughly translates as village in English. Kristiansand and Lillesand are the only cities/towns in the region. [1]

Villages and suburbs

Nodelandsheia in Songdalen Nodelandsheia.png
Nodelandsheia in Songdalen

Some of the larger villages and suburban areas in the region include Hægeland and Skarpengland in Vennesla; Finsland, Brennåsen, Volleberg, and Nodeland, Vedderheia, Høllen, Åros, and Langenes in Kristiansand; and Engesland, Herefoss, Oggevatn, and Vegusdal in Birkenes. Lillesand has the village areas of Kroksteinåsen, Borkedalen, and Møglestu.

Kristiansand municipality also has some large suburban areas in some part-boroughs of the boroughs, like in Vågsbygd has larger suburban areas like Voiebyen, Slettheitoppen in Slettheia, Åsane and the island Flekkerøy. Grim has one large suburban area: Hellemyr. Mosby and Strai is smaller suburbs farer away from the city. At Lund, Gimlekollen and Justvik is the larger suburban areas while Gimlevang, Sødal, Hamreheia and Kuholmen is smaller suburbs in the Lund borough. And in Oddernes is Hånes, Søm and Hamresanden, Brattvollshei at Tveit, Tømmerstø, Dvergsnes, Odderhei and Holte at Randesund. [5]

Transportation

Airports

The only publicly open airport in the region is Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik, it had about 1 million travelers in 2014.

Railroads

There are three open train stations in the region; Kristiansand Station, Vennesla Station, and Nodeland Station which all operate on the Sørlandsbanen railway. Nodeland Station gets trains from Stavanger Station to Kristiansand which at selective hours continues to Oslo Central Station. Vennesla Station gets train traffic from Oslo to Kristiansand which at selective hours continues to Stavanger.

Roads

E18 in Kristiansand with the exit to Vennesla E18.jpg
E18 in Kristiansand with the exit to Vennesla

The European route E18 highway is the main road for eastern Kristiansand and Lillesand, it is highway from Kristiansand, through Lillesand towards Arendal. It has four lanes to Grimstad and two lanes from Grimstad to Arendal. E18 continues through Aust-Agder and on to Oslo. The European route E39 highway is the main road for western Kristiansand, lower Songdalen, and Søgne. It is highway from downtown Kristiansand to Hellemyr, and from Brennåsen in Songdalen, to Tangvall in Søgne. E39 continues through Vest-Agder and on to Stavanger.

Norwegian National Road 9 is a national road from downtown Kristiansand through Vennesla municipality and the villages of Øvrebø and Hægeland. The road continues north to Evje and the Setesdalen valley. Norwegian National Road 41 is a national road from Timeneskrysset in Kristiansand through Tveit and on through the municipality Birkenes.

Norwegian County Road 461 is the main road from E39 to Nodeland and through Songdalen municipality. Norwegian County Road 405 is the main road from R9 to the town Vennesla. Norwegian County Road 454 is the main road from R9 to Øvrebø. Norwegian National Road 456 is the main road from E39 through Tangvall and Langenes in Søgne, it continues through the borough of Vågsbygd and ends with a highway tunnel from Vågsbygd to Hannevika where it meets E39 again. Norwegian County Road 402 goes from E18 in Lillesand to Birkeland.

Education

In the region, there are high schools in Kristiansand, Lillesand, Søgne, Vennesla, and Øvrebø. In Kristiansand, there is also a cathedral high school. The University of Agder is located in Kristiansand. There are also folk high schools such as the Agder Folkehøgskole in Søgne and NLA Mediehøgskolen Gimlekollen in Kristiansand.

See also

Related Research Articles

Vest-Agder Former county (fylke) of Norway

Vest-Agder was one of 18 counties (fylker) in Norway up until 1 January 2020, when it was merged with Aust-Agder to form Agder county. In 2016, there were 182,701 inhabitants, around 3.5% of the total population of Norway. Its area was about 7,277 square kilometres (2,810 sq mi). The county administration was located in its largest city, Kristiansand.

Vennesla Municipality in Agder, Norway

Vennesla is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sørlandet. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vennesla. Other villages in Vennesla include Grovane, Hægeland, Homstean, Mushom, Øvre Eikeland, Øvrebø, Røyknes, and Skarpengland. Vennesla lies about 17 kilometres (11 mi) north of the city of Kristiansand in the Otra river valley.

Søgne Former municipality in Vest-Agder, Norway

Søgne is a former municipality in the old Vest-Agder county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until 2020 when it was merged with the municipalities of Songdalen and Kristiansand into the "new" Kristiansand municipality in what is now Agder county. It was located in the traditional district of Sørlandet, just outside of the city of Kristiansand. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village of Tangvall. Other villages in Søgne include Ausviga, Eig, Høllen, Langenes, Lohne, Lunde, Ny-Hellesund, Trysnes, Vedderheia, Ålo, and Åros.

Songdalen Former municipality in Vest-Agder, Norway

Songdalen is a former municipality in the old Vest-Agder county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1964 until 2020 when it was merged with Søgne and Kristiansand municipalities to form a new, much larger Kristiansand municipality in what is now Agder county. It was located in the traditional district of Sørlandet, just outside of the city of Kristiansand. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village of Nodeland. Other villages in the municipality included Brennåsen, Finsland, Kilen, Nodelandsheia, and Volleberg. The Sørlandsbanen railway line ran through the municipality, stopping at Nodeland Station. The European route E39 highway also ran through the southern part of the municipality.

Kristiansand City & Municipality in Norway

Kristiansand is a seaside resort city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth largest and the municipality the sixth largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporation of the municipalities of Søgne and Songdalen into the greater Kristiansand municipality. In addition to the city itself, Statistics Norway counts four other densely populated areas in the municipality: Skålevik in Flekkerøy with a population of 3,526 in the Vågsbygd borough, Strai with a population of 1,636 in the Grim borough, Justvik with a population of 1,803 in the Lund borough, and Tveit with a population of 1,396 in the Oddernes borough. Kristiansand is divided into five boroughs: Grim, which is located northwest in Kristiansand with a population of 15,000; Kvadraturen, which is the centre and downtown Kristiansand with a population of 5,200; Lund, the second largest borough; Søgne, with a population of around 12,000 and incorporated into the municipality of Kristiansand as of January 2020; Oddernes, a borough located in the west; and Vågsbygd, the largest borough with a population of 36,000, located in the southwest.

Southern Norway Region of Norway

Southern Norway is the geographical region (landsdel) along the Skagerrak coast of southern Norway. The region is an informal description since it does not have any governmental function. It roughly corresponds to the old petty kingdom of Agder as well as the two former counties of Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder. From New Year 2020, the two counties have been merged into one county, Agder. The total combined area of Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder counties is 16,493 square kilometres (6,368 sq mi). The name is relatively new, having first been used in Norway around 1900.

Nodeland Village in Southern Norway, Norway

Nodeland is a village in Kristiansand municipality in Agder county, Norway. Nodeland was the administrative centre of former Songdalen municipality which was merged into Kristiansand in 2020. The village is located about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) northwest of the city center of Kristiansand. The village is the main urban area of Songdalen area, surrounded by several smaller villages such as Nodelandsheia, Brennåsen, Volleberg, and Hortemo.

Volleberg Village in Southern Norway, Norway

Volleberg is a village in Kristiansand municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located along the river Songdalselva, in former Songdalen municipality, right on the border with former Søgne municipality. The European route E39 highway passes by the village on its way from Nodeland and Brennåsen about 1 to 2 kilometres to the north and Tangvall about 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) to the south. The 0.32-square-kilometre (79-acre) village has a population (2016) of 560 which gives the village a population density of 1,750 inhabitants per square kilometre (4,500/sq mi). The village is primarily a residential community with people working in the nearby urban areas of Kristiansand and Søgne.

Øvrebø og Hægeland Former municipality in Vest-Agder, Norway

Øvrebø og Hægeland is a former municipality that was located in the old Vest-Agder county in Norway. The 303-square-kilometre (117 sq mi) municipality existed from 1865 until its dissolution in 1896. It was located in the northern part of the present-day municipality of Vennesla, to the west of the Otra river. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village of Øvrebø, where Øvrebø Church is located.

Oddernes Borough of Kristiansand in Southern Norway, Norway

Oddernes is a borough in the city of Kristiansand which lies in the municipality of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. The borough covers eastern Kristiansand on the east side of the Topdalsfjorden and the Varodd Bridge. The borough includes the former municipalities of Randesund and Tveit. There was a municipality of Oddernes from 1838 until 1965, but its boundaries were very different from those of the present-day borough.

Bussen Trafikkselskap was a Norwegian bus company that operated the yellow city bus in Kristiansand and surrounding areas Vennesla, Søgne and Songdalen. The company had about 300 employees and operates on contract with Agder Kollektivtrafikk. Nettbuss Sør took over the local buses in Kristiansand 01.01.2011.

Kristiansand District Court

Kristiansand District Court is a district court located in the town of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. The court serves the southern part of the county which includes the municipalities of Kristiansand, Bykle, Valle, Bygland, Evje og Hornnes, Iveland, Vennesla, Birkenes, Lillesand, Lindesnes, and Åseral. The court is subordinate to the Agder Court of Appeal. This court employs a chief judge, 11 other judges, 4 assistant judges, and 23 prosecutors.

Vågsbygd Borough of Kristiansand in Southern Norway, Norway

Vågsbygd is a borough and disrict in the city of Kristiansand which lies in the municipality of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. It is the largest borough and district in Kristiansand. Until 1965, Vågsbygd was a part of Oddernes municipality. The borough includes the districts of Flekkerøy, Voiebyen, Vågsbygd/Augland, and Slettheia. The Kristiansand Cannon Museum on Kroodden is an authentic fortress from World War II.

Lund (Kristiansand) Borough of Kristiansand in Southern Norway, Norway

Lund is a borough and district in the city of Kristiansand which lies in the municipality of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. It is the second largest borough in the city after Vågsbygd. In 2015, the population was about 30,000. Lund is divided into 4 districts: Lund (centrum), Gimlekollen, Justvik, and Ålefjær.

Norwegian County Road 456

Norwegian County Road 456 (Fv456) is a Norwegian county road in Vest-Agder, Norway. The road takes over for European route E39 in Hannevika, Kristiansand, in to the borough Vågsbygd. Therefore this part is called the Vågsbygdporten and goes through a tunnel under Slettheia. The road continues south through Vågsbygd and goes west when it comes to Voiebyen. It then goes past Bråvann and into Søgne municipality. In Søgne, the road goes through Langenes and is therefore called Langenesveien or Langenessletta. County Road 456 goes past places like the church in Søgne and the only high school in Søgne. The road ends in Søgne centrum, Tangvall. It leads through the centre and stops with E39 again.

40 / 42/50 are three local bus lines in Kristiansand, Norway to Søgne. They all go from downtown Kristiansand to the centrum of Søgne and further in the municipality. 40 and 42 goes all day and evening, while line 50 only goes in the rush hours. Line 40 goes ten past the hour and line 42 ten past half. There are extra buses in the rush hours.

Brennåsen Village in Southern Norway, Norway

Brennåsen is a village in Kristiansand municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located along the river Songdalselva, about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) southeast of the village of Nodeland and about 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) north of the village of Volleberg. The European route E39 highway passes through Brennåsen as it travels between the cities of Kristiansand and Stavanger. The village was part of Songdalen municipality prior to 2020 when that municipality was dissolved.

Songdalselva

Songdalselva or Søgneelva or Songa is a river in Agder county, Norway. The 55.3-kilometre (34.4 mi) long river in the hills between Finsland in Kristiansand municipality and Hægeland in Vennesla municipality. The 209.4-square-kilometre (80.8 sq mi) catchment area is located between the Otra river and Mandalselva river watersheds. The river runs through the villages of Hortemo, Nodeland, Volleberg, Tangvall, Åros, and Høllen.

Øvrebø (municipality) Former municipality in Vest-Agder, Norway

Øvrebø is a former municipality that was located in the old Vest-Agder county in Norway. The municipality existed twice during the 19th and 20th centuries. Originally, from 1838 until 1865, the 398-square-kilometre (154 sq mi) municipality encompassed roughly the same boundaries as the present-day municipality of Vennesla. The second iteration of the municipality was only 109 square kilometres (42 sq mi) and it corresponded to the central part of present-day Vennesla municipality. The municipal centre was the village of Skarpengland. The small village of Øvrebø is located about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) west of Skarpengland, and this is where the Øvrebø Church is located.

References

  1. 1 2 "Vest-Agder fylkeskommune". vaf.no. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
  2. "Historie". Region Kristiansand. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
  3. "Kvartalsvise befolkningsendringer" (in Norwegian). Statistisk Sentralbyrå. 2014-01-14.
  4. "Arealstatistikk for Norge" (PDF). Statens kartverk. 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-04-09. Retrieved 2015-11-29.
  5. "Kristiansand Kommune". 2015.