Kragerø
Kragerø
| Kragerø kommune | |||
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| — Municipality — | |||
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| Coordinates: 58°53′13″N 9°20′49″E / 58.88694°N 9.34694°ECoordinates: 58°53′13″N 9°20′49″E / 58.88694°N 9.34694°E | |||
| Country | Norway | ||
| County | Telemark | ||
| District | Vestmar | ||
| Administrative centre | Kragerø | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor (2007) | Kåre Preben Hegland (H) | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 306 km2 (118.1 sq mi) | ||
| - Land | 289 km2 (111.6 sq mi) | ||
| Area rank | 272 in Norway | ||
| Population (2007) | |||
| - Total | 10,505 | ||
| - Rank | 96 in Norway | ||
| - Density | 37/km2 (95.8/sq mi) | ||
| - Change (10 years) | -3.2 % | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| ISO 3166 code | NO-0815 | ||
| Official language form | Neutral | ||
| Website | kragero.kommune.no | ||
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Kragerø (help·info) is a town and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vestmar. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kragerø.
The London-based newspaper The Independent, published an article on Kragerø stating that "When Norwegians want to get away from it all they head for Kragero. Forests, fjords and islands await them at the place where Edvard Munch found peace and relaxation." Edvard Munch fell in love with Kragerø in his time, and called it "The Pearl of the Coastal Towns" (Perlen blandt kystbyene). In 2002, The Independent published an article on the region's coastline saying that "It may not have many sandy beaches, but the coast of Norway offers sophistication and stunning scenery."
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General information
Name
The form Kragerø is a Danish language form of the name, established in the 17th Century. krager meaning crow(s) And ø meaning island. So Kragerø basically means crow island
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 28 January 1938. The arms are black with a silver galley in the center. Kragerø received town privileges in 1666, but was dependent on Skien until 1842. The town used a seal which was identical to that of Skien. The galley in the arms is derived from the fact that since 1666, Kragerø had to supply a galley with five guns to the King.
History
The town of Kragerø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). It includes 495 islands, islets, and skerries along with 4,000 leisure houses. There are also 190 freshwater lakes in the municipality. In the days of the sailing ships, Kragerø was one of Norway's largest port cities. The rural municipalities of Sannidal and Skåtøy were merged into the municipality of Kragerø on 1 January 1960.
Geography
Kragerø is the southernmost municipality in Telemark. To the southwest, it borders the municipality of Risør (in Aust-Agder county); to the west is Gjerstad (also in Aust-Agder county); to the northwest is Drangedal; and to the northeast is Bamble. Kragerø is popular among Norwegians (as well as foreigners) as a vacation destination during the summer, when the population swells considerably (approx. 250% increase).
Villages
Villages in Kragerø include Helle, Sannidal, Skåtøy, Jomfruland, and Portør.
Notable residents
- Christian Gierløff
- Per Hanson
- Theodor Kittelsen, artist
- Ole Myrvoll, professor and politician
- Ole Øisang, newspaper editor
- Nils Ørvik
- Helge Rykkja, author and politician
- Kjartan Eide, comedian
- Anton Martin Schweigaard, Norwegian jurist
- Geir Borgan Paulsen, IFBB Pro bodybuilder
- Alf Cranner, singer and composer
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
The following cities are twinned with Kragerø:
Visby, Gotland County, Sweden
Mariehamn, Åland Islands, Finland
Slagelse, Region Sjælland, Denmark
Valkeakoski, Western Finland, Finland
- ^ "Norway's seaside special". London: The Independent. 2004-04-24. http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/norways-seaside-special-560961.html. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- ^ Mulholland, Siobhan (2002-07-27). "Is this the coolest Riviera?". London: The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/is-this-the-coolest-riviera-649846.html. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- ^ Norske Kommunevåpen (1990). "Nye kommunevåbener i Norden". http://www.ngw.nl/int/nor/k/kragero.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
- ^ "Nordiske vennskapsbysamarbeidet". Kragerø kommune. http://www.kragero.kommune.no/telemark/kragero/kragerok.nsf/id/2EC6DE80631B0230C1256E6D00482039?OpenDocument. Retrieved 2009-01-17. (Norwegian)
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