Kristiansand (earlier Christianssand), is a city and municipality and the capital of the county of Vest-Agder, Norway.
By population, it is the fifth largest city of Norway, and the largest city in the geographical region of Sørlandet. As of January 1, 2006, the municipality had a population of 76,917. The Kristiansand region has a total population of 137,527.
Kristiansand was founded by King Christian IV, who in 1641 said the famous words "here the town shall stand".
It was created as a market town to encourage growth in this area of strategic significance, providing a local economic base for construction of fortifications and population for defense of the area. The centre of Kristiansand is called Kvadraturen due to its square gridline of streets.
The zoological garden, Kristiansand Dyrepark (Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park) just east of the city, has a wide selection of animals in, for the most part, natural habitats.
This includes animals such as wolves, tigers and the lynx. Due to the allocation of areas the combination of zoo and recreational park turns out surprisingly well.
Each year in July, Kristiansand is the site of the Quart Festival, a multi-day music festival - the largest of its kind in Norway.
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 town centre, the ferry harbour has routes to Hirtshals (Denmark) and Hanstholm (Denmark). There are also buses and trains that connect Kristiansand to other Norwegian cities.