Kristiansand [key], city (1995 pop. 68,618), capital of Vest-Agder co., S Norway, a commercial and passenger port on the Skagerrak. Manufactures include ships, textiles, metal and wood products, canned fish, and beer. The city was founded (1641) by Christian IV and became an episcopal see in 1682. Its Christiansholm Fortress (1662–72) now houses a restaurant. The Varodden Bridge (1956), one of the largest suspension bridges in N Europe, spans the nearby Randesund.
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