Aust-Agder was a county (fylke) in Norway until 1 January 2020, when it was merged with Vest-Agder to form Agder county. In 2002, there were 102,945 inhabitants, which was 2.2% of Norway's population. Its area was 9,212 square kilometres (3,557 sq mi). The county's administrative center was the town of Arendal.
Arendal is a municipality in Agder county in southeastern Norway. Arendal belongs to the region of Sørlandet. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Arendal. Some of the notable villages in Arendal include Rykene, Eydehavn, Færvik, Strengereid, Kongshavn, Kilsund, Brattekleiv, Torsbudalen, Longum, Saltrød, Staubø, Vrengen, and Kolbjørnsvik. The offices of UNEP/GRID-Arendal are also located in the city of Arendal.
The coast of Norway is 100,915 km long and there have been a total of 212 lighthouses along it, but no more than 154 have ever been operational at the same time. The first, Lindesnes Lighthouse, opened in 1655; the newest Lighthouse, Anda, was finished in 1932.
Tromøy is a former municipality in the old Aust-Agder county in Norway. The 30-square-kilometre (12 sq mi) municipality existed from 1878 until its dissolution in 1992. The municipal area is now part of the municipality of Arendal in Agder county. The administrative centre was the village of Brekka, where the historic Tromøy Church is located. The municipality encompassed all of the island of Tromøya as well as many smaller surrounding islands such as Merdø, Gjesøya, Skilsøy, and Tromlingene.
Hisøy is a former municipality in the old Aust-Agder county in Norway. The 10-square-kilometre (3.9 sq mi) municipality existed from 1881 until 1992 when it was merged into the municipality of Arendal in what is now Agder county. At the time of its dissolution, it was the smallest municipality in the whole county. The municipality encompassed the islands of Hisøya, Gjervoldsøy, Havsøya, Ærøya, Store Torungen, Lille Torungen, and several other small, unpopulated islands. The administrative centre was the village of Kolbjørnsvik on Hisøya island.
Øyestad is a former municipality in the old Aust-Agder county in Norway. The 96-square-kilometre (37 sq mi) municipality existed from 1838 until 1992 when it was merged into the present-day municipality of Arendal which is now located in Agder county. At the time of its dissolution, the municipality of Øyestad encompassed most of the coastline between the towns of Grimstad and Arendal, along with the forested areas along the Nidelva river heading inland. Back in 1838, however, the municipality was far larger in size. The administrative centre was the village of Bjorbekk near the Bjorbekk Church.
Lindesnes Lighthouse is a coastal lighthouse at the southernmost tip of Norway, about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) southwest of the village of Høllen in Lindesnes municipality in Agder county. The present lighthouse was built in 1915, although the station was first built in 1656 to mark the entrance to the Skaggerak and the Baltic Sea from the North Sea. The current 16.1-metre (53 ft) tall lighthouse is cast iron with a granite foundation. The lighthouse is painted white, with a red top. The light sits at an elevation of 50.1 metres (164 ft) and it emits a fixed and flashing white light that is always on and it rotates between a low intensity and high intensity light every 20 seconds. The light comes from a first order Fresnel lens that can be seen for up to 17.7 nautical miles.
Ærøya is an unpopulated island in Arendal municipality in Agder county, Norway. The 0.12-square-kilometre (30-acre) island lies along the Skaggerak coast about 700 metres (2,300 ft) south of the larger island of Hisøya. The islands of Havsøya and Merdø lie to the northeast, the islands of Store Torungen and Lille Torungen lie to the southeast, and the island of Gjervoldsøy lies to the west.
Oksøy Lighthouse is a coastal lighthouse in the municipality of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. The lighthouse sits on the islet of Oksøy which is located in the Kristiansandsfjorden, just east of the island of Flekkerøya. The lighthouse marks the western side of the main shipping channel that leads inland to the port of the city of Kristiansand. The other lighthouse, which marks the eastern entrance, Grønningen Lighthouse, lies about 2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi) to the east. The lighthouse has a racon signal, emitting a morse code "O".
Odderøya Lighthouse is a coastal lighthouse located on the southwestern coast of the island of Odderøya in Kristiansand municipality in Agder county, Norway. The lighthouse was first built in 1832. The lighouse was replaced in 1874. That second lighthouse was deactivated in 1984 and a new, automated lighthouse was built adjacent to the historic one, which is still standing. The second Odderøya Lighthouse is listed and protected by law by the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage.
Saltholmen Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Lillesand municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located on a small island off the coast about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) southeast of the town of Lillesand. There has been a lighthouse here since 1882. The island are named Saltholmen. This name comes from the salt extraction industry established by Hans Nielsen Hauge that once was located there. The lighthouse is only accessible by boat and the site is open, but the building is not open to the public.
Ryvingen Lighthouse is a coastal lighthouse located on the 0.4-square-kilometre (99-acre) island of Låven in the North Sea. It is the southernmost lighthouse in Norway. It is located in the municipality of Lindesnes in Agder county. The island lies about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) southeast of the town of Mandal, marking the east side of the fjord leading to Mandal. The west side of the fjord is marked by the Hatholmen Lighthouse.
Lyngør Lighthouse is a coastal lighthouse located on the island of Kjeholmen in the Lyngør area in the municipality of Tvedestrand in Agder county, Norway. The lighthouse was established in 1879, and was listed as a protected site in 1997. It was automated in 2004, so no one is stationed there any longer.
Homborsund Lighthouse is a coastal lighthouse located on the island Store Grønningen in the municipality of Grimstad in Agder county, Norway. It sits about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) southeast of the village of Homborsund in the Eide area. It was established in 1879, and is listed as a protected cultural site. Homborsund Lighthouse was constructed the same year as Lyngør Lighthouse, and the two stations have similar designs. The station includes a livinghouse for two families, outhouse, boathouse and pier, in addition to the light. The light was automated in 1992, and the station was de-populated. Today it is open to the public for overnight stays and guidance. The surrounding area is a protected bird sanctuary.
Songvår Lighthouse is a coastal lighthouse in the municipality of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. The lighthouse sits on the island of Hellersøya, about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south of the village of Høllen. The lighthouse was first built in 1888, and in 1955 a new lighthouse was constructed. The lighthouse was closed in 2004 and replaced with a smaller automated light tower, just southeast of the existing lighthouse.
Rivingen Lighthouse is a coastal lighthouse in the municipality of Grimstad in Agder county, Norway. The lighthouse was first established in 1886 on a small island at the southern approach to the harbour of the town of Grimstad. The original lighthouse had an attached keeper's house, but in 1925 that lighthouse tower was closed and a new, much smaller tower was built about 23 metres (75 ft) to the north-northwest of the old tower.
Hisøya or Hisøy is an island in Agder county, Norway. The island has been part of the municipality of Arendal since 1992. The main village areas on the island are Kolbjørnsvik, His, Slåbervig, and Sandviga. The village of Kolbjørnsvik is located across the harbor from the town of Arendal. There are two bridges that connect Hisøya to the mainland: the Strøm Bridge on the northwest side of the island and the Vippa Bridge on the southwest side of the island. In 2015, the island was home to about 4,450 people giving it a population density of about 550 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,400/sq mi).
Sandvigodden Lighthouse is a coastal lighthouse in the municipality of Arendal in Agder county, Norway. The light is located on the southeast shore of the island of Hisøya on the edge of the village of Sandviga. The light marks the west side of the entrance to the Galtesundet strait, which leads north to the town of Arendal.
Store Torungen Lighthouse is a coastal lighthouse on the island of Store Torungen in the municipality of Arendal in Agder county, Norway. This lighthouse, together with the nearby Lille Torungen Lighthouse, mark the entrance from the Skaggerak through the outlying islands to the mainland town of Arendal. Both lighthouses were built in 1844 with the same specifications, making "twin" lighthouses marking the way to Arendal. The two lighthouses were put on the coat-of-arms for the local municipality of Hisøy in which the lighthouses were located. Over time, both lighthouses were replaced, and the only one still standing is the Lille Torungen Lighthouse, although it is no longer in use. The site of the Store Torungen Lighthouse is accessible only by boat. The island and site is open to the public, the tower is open daily during the summers, and the lighthouse keepers house is available to rent for overnight accommodations.
Stangholmen Lighthouse is a coastal lighthouse in the municipality of Risør in Agder county, Norway. The lighthouse marks the channel from the Skaggerak, through several islands to the mainland town of Risør which sits at the end of a peninsula between the Søndeledfjorden and the Sandnesfjorden. The lighthouse was first built in 1855 and in 1959, a new, automated light was constructed which is still in use to this day. The light is located on the small island of Stangholmen. It is only accessible by boat. The site is open to the public but the buildings are not.
