Editing Kristiansand Region

{{update|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
| name                    = Kristiansand Region
| native_name             = Kristiansandsregionen
| native_name_lang        = no
| settlement_type         = [[Metropolitan Regions of Norway|Metropolitan Region (Metro)]]
| image_skyline           = 
| imagesize               = 
| image_caption           =
| nickname                = 
| motto                   = 
| image_map               = Storyby- og byregioner i Norge.svg
| mapsize                 = 
| map_alt                 = 
| map_caption             = Kristiansandregionen marked in green in the far southern tip of Norway
| coordinates             = {{coord|58.6|N|7.8|E|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint           = 
| coordinates_footnotes   = 
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = [[Norway]]
| subdivision_type1       = Urban centre
| subdivision_name1       = [[Kristiansand (town)|Kristiansand]]
| subdivision_type2       = [[Counties of Norway|County]] ({{lang|no|fylke}})
| subdivision_name2       = [[Agder]]
| seat_type               = 
| seat                    = 
| unit_pref               = 
| area_magnitude          = 
| area_footnotes          = 
| area_total_km2          = 3088.76
| area_land_km2           = 
| area_water_km2          = 
| elevation_footnotes     = 
| elevation_m             = 
| population_footnotes    = 
| population_total        = 166830
| population_as_of        = 2019
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_demonym      =
| population_note         = 
| timezone1               = 
| utc_offset1             = 
| timezone1_DST           = 
| utc_offset1_DST         = 
| website                 = {{url|https://www.rkrs.no/}}
| footnotes               = 
}}

'''Kristiansand Region''' ({{langx|no|Kristiansandregionen}}) is a statistical metropolitan region in [[Agder]] county in southern [[Norway]]. It is centered on the city of [[Kristiansand (town)|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.<ref name="VAF">{{Cite web|title = Vest-Agder fylkeskommune|url = http://vaf.no/|website = vaf.no|accessdate = 2015-12-05}}</ref>

==Municipalities==
The following municipalities are part of this region:<ref>{{cite web |title=Historie |url=https://www.rkrs.no/om-oss/historie/ |website=Region Kristiansand |access-date=2020-12-03 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Nr!!Municipality!!class="unsortable"|Map!!Coat of arms!!Adm. center!!Population<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ssb.no/164148/folkemengd-1.januar-og-endringane-hittil-i-%C3%A5r.heile-landet-fylke-og-kommunar|publisher=Statistisk Sentralbyrå|title=Kvartalsvise befolkningsendringer|date=2014-01-14|language=Norwegian}}</ref>!!Area<br /><small>km<sup>2</sup></small><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statkart.no/Documents/Fakta%20om%20Norge/Arealstatistikk_kommuner_2014.pdf|format=PDF|publisher=Statens kartverk|title=Arealstatistikk for Norge|year=2014|access-date=2015-11-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140409010707/http://www.statkart.no/Documents/Fakta%20om%20Norge/Arealstatistikk_kommuner_2014.pdf|archive-date=2014-04-09|url-status=dead}}</ref>!!Language
|----
|align="center"|4204
|[[Kristiansand]]
|align="center"|[[File:NO_4204 Kristiansand.svg|40px|center|Kristiansand kommune]]
|[[File:Kristiansand komm.svg|40px|center|Kristiansand kommune]]
|align="center"|[[Kristiansand (town)|Kristiansand]]
|align="right"|111,458
|align="right"|{{nts|643.71}}
|align="center"|[[Bokmål]]
|----
|align="center"|4205
|[[Lindesnes]]
|align="center"|[[File:NO_4205 Lindesnes.svg|40px|center|Lindesnes kommune]]
|[[File:Lindesnes komm (2020).svg|40px|center|Lindesnes kommune]]
|align="center"|[[Mandal, Norway|Mandal]]
|align="right"|23,046
|align="right"|{{nts|934.32}}
|align="center"|[[Bokmål]]
|----
|align="center"|4215
|[[Lillesand]]
|align="center"|[[File:NO_4215_Lillesand.svg|40px|center|Lillesand kommune]]
| [[File:Lillesand komm.svg|40px|center|Lillesand kommune]]
|align="center"|[[Lillesand (town)|Lillesand]]
|align="right"|11,075
|align="right"|{{nts|190.41}}
|align="center"|Bokmål
|----
|align="center"|4216
|[[Birkenes]]
|align="center"|[[File:NO_4216_Birkenes.svg|40px|center|Birkenes kommune]]
| [[File:Birkenes komm.svg|40px|center|Birkenes kommune]]
|align="center"|[[Birkeland, Agder|Birkeland]]
|align="right"| 5,205
|align="right"|{{nts|674.20}}
|align="center"|Neutral
|----
|align="center"|4218
|[[Iveland]]
|align="center"|[[File:NO_4218_Iveland.svg|40px|center|Iveland kommune]]
| [[File:Iveland komm.svg|40px|center|Iveland kommune]]
|align="center"|[[Birketveit]]
|align="right"| 1,331
|align="right"|{{nts|261.64}}
|align="center"|Neutral
|----
|align="center"|4223
|[[Vennesla]]
|align="center"|[[File:NO_4223_Vennesla.svg|40px|center|Vennesla kommune]]
| [[File:Vennesla komm.svg|40px|center|Vennesla kommune]]
|align="center"|[[Vennesla (village)|Vennesla]]
|align="right"|14,715
|align="right"|{{nts|384.48}}
|align="center"|Neutral
|}

== Geography ==
The Kristiansand region lies along the southern coast of Norway, centered around the city of [[Kristiansand (town)|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 (town)|Arendal]] as the administrative centre).

===Urban areas===
[[File:Tangvall.png|thumb|Tangvall, the administrative centre in Søgne]]
The city of [[Kristiansand (town)|Kristiansand]] is the main urban area for the Kristiansand region. The borough [[Kvadraturen (Kristiansand)|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 (village)|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 (town)|Lillesand]] which has a population of about 7,500. [[Birkeland, Aust-Agder|Birkeland]], the administrative centre of [[Birkenes]] municipality, has a population of almost 3,000.

=== Cities and towns ===
[[File:Bystranda, Kristiansand.png|thumb|213x213px|Kristiansand]]
Cities and towns in Norway are designated with this special status by the government. [[List of towns and cities in Norway|City status]] in Norway has no special benefits anymore, but historically it did. Cities and towns in Norway are called ''{{lang|no|byer}}''. Other urban areas without that status are called ''{{lang|no|tettsteder}}'' which roughly translates as village in English. [[Kristiansand (town)|Kristiansand]] and [[Lillesand (town)|Lillesand]] are the only cities/towns in the region.<ref name="VAF" />

===Villages and suburbs===
[[File:Nodelandsheia.png|thumb|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, Agder|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 (Kristiansand)|Åsane]] and the island [[Flekkerøy]]. [[Grim, Vest-Agder|Grim]] has one large suburban area: [[Hellemyr]]. [[Mosby, Norway|Mosby]] and [[Strai]] is smaller suburbs farer away from the city. At [[Lund, Kristiansand|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]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kristiansand.kommune.no/|title=Kristiansand Kommune|year=2015}}</ref>

== 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 ===
[[File:E18.jpg|thumb|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 County Road 456|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 school]]s such as the ''Agder Folkehøgskole'' in Søgne and ''NLA Mediehøgskolen Gimlekollen'' in Kristiansand.

== See also ==
*[[Metropolitan Regions of Norway]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.rkrs.no/ Region Kristiansand]
* [http://www.ssb.no/149690/folkemengde-og-kvartalsvise-befolkningsendringar.heile-landet-fylke-og-kommunar Statistics Norway Q3 2013]

{{Metropolitan areas of Southern Norway}}

[[Category:Kristiansand region| ]]
[[Category:Metropolitan regions of Norway]]
[[Category:Kristiansand]]
[[Category:Lillesand]]
[[Category:Birkenes]]
[[Category:Vennesla]]
[[Category:Iveland]]
[[Category:Lindesnes]]