Vest-Agder[ˈvɛ̂stˌɑɡdər](listen)(West 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.
Kristiansand, historically spelled Christianssand and Christiansand, is a city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is the fifth largest city in Norway and the municipality is 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 new and revised municipality of greater Kristiansand. 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.
Kristiansand Region is a statistical metropolitan region in the counties of Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder in southern Norway. It is centered on the city of Kristiansand. The region consist of 6 municipalities in the centre of Southern Norway. Vennesla, Songdalen, and Birkenes are inland municipalities while Kristiansand, Søgne, and Lillesand are coastal municipalities. Kristiansand is the largest municipality in population in the region and Birkeland is the largest in area.
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.
The Diocese of Agder og Telemark is a diocese of the Church of Norway, covering the counties of Telemark, Aust-Agder, and Vest-Agder in Norway. The cathedral city is Kristiansand, Norway's fifth largest city. Kristiansand Cathedral serves as the seat of the presiding Bishop. The bishop since 2013 has been Stein Reinertsen. As of 1 January 2003, there were 347,324 members of the Church of Norway in the diocese.
Hospital of Southern Norway is the trust which runs the hospitals in the counties of Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder. The general hospitals in the Agder counties were joined together under one trust by the state, with Helse Sør-Øst as owner.
Kilden Performing Arts Centre is a theater and concert hall on Odderøya in Kristiansand, Norway. It houses Kilden Teater, Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra (KSO) and Opera Sør in a joint project never previously embarked upon. There is room for a variety of concerts and other forms of cultural expression.
Lillesand Town- and Maritime Museum is a museum of the cultural history of Lillesand. The museum is located in the town of Lillesand in the municipality of Lillesand in Agder county, Norway. The museum, established in 1970, was formerly a part of the AAKS, but starting in 2012 it was back under the control of Lillesand municipality. Anne Sophie Hoegh-Omdal has been employed as the museum director since 1 May 2010.
Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden, University of Agder is the only natural history museum on the Southern Coast of Norway, located in Kristiansand in Vest-Agder County.
The Southern Norway Art Museum is located in Kristiansand, Norway in the building that until 1970 hosted the Kristiansand Cathedral School.
Kristiansand Cathedral is a cathedral in Kristiansand municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the Kvadraturen area in the central part of the city of Kristiansand. The church is the main church for the Kristiansand domkirken parish and it is the seat of the Kristiansand arch-deanery within the Diocese of Agder og Telemark. The cathedral is also the seat of the Bishop of Agder and Telemark. The brick church was completed in 1885 and is one of the largest cathedrals in Norway. This cathedral is the fourth church and third cathedral to be located on this site over the centuries.
Vågsbygd is a borough and district in the city of Kristiansand in Vest-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.
Hellemyr is a district in the city of Kristiansand in Vest-Agder county, Norway. It has a population of 2,990. The district is located in the borough of Grim. The district of Tinnheia lies to the east, the district of Slettheia lies to the south, the district of Grim lies to the north, and the municipality of Songdalen lies to the west. Hellemyr is the last district to drive through before exiting Kristiansand via the European route E39 highway.
Tinnheia is a district in the city of Kristiansand in Vest-Agder county, Norway. The population is around 3,660 (2014). It is part of the borough of Grim, and it is generally populated with mostly apartment homes, with a high percentage of immigrants. West of Tinnheia is the district of Hellemyr, to the east is the district of Grim (centrum), and to the south is the district of Slettheia.
Grim is a borough in the city of Kristiansand in Vest-Agder county, Norway. The borough has a population of about 16,000 people and is the second least populated borough in Kristiansand. Grim is located in the northwestern part of the municipality, north of Vågsbygd borough, northwest of Kvadraturen borough, and west of Lund borough. Grim also borders Songdalen and Vennesla municipalities to the west and north, respectively.
Lund is a borough and district in the city of Kristiansand in Vest-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.
Kvadraturen is the city center of Kristiansand in Vest-Agder county, Norway, with a population of 6,750 (2015). The borough is made up of the centre together with the harbour to the south and the more rural district of "Eg" to the north. Kvadraturen is the administrative centre of the municipality of Kristiansand as well as the administrative centre of Vest-Agder county, but is far smaller in area than the other boroughs in the municipality, such as the borough of Grim to the north and west, and the borough of Lund to the east.
Posebyen is a neighbourhood in the city of Kristiansand in Vest-Agder county, Norway. Posebyen is located in the downtown borough of Kvadraturen, along the western shore of the river Otra. It consists mostly of large, white, wooden houses, many of which were left intact after the big city fire in 1892. Therefore, it forms the largest continuous collection of old wooden houses in any city in Northern Europe.
