Stavanger - Overview
The “petroleum capital” of Norway, Stavanger is located in the south-west of the country on the North Sea. Many believe that the region of North-Jæren in which Stavanger is located is historically significant as an area of military and economic importance. The battle of Hafrsfjord where the first king of Norway Harald Fairhair, united the country in 872 was fought only 5km from Stavanger and thus gives weight to this belief. From the Stavanger bishopric was established in 1125 the town underwent significant urban growth and was a key market town from 1100 to 1300 AD. The reformation in the middle of the 16th century from Catholicism to Lutheranism marked the beginning of the decline of Stavanger with regard to its position as a religious centre, and when the bishopric was relocated to Kristiansand in the 17th century, Stavanger was left with no religious significance but received city status in 1425.
The economy of Stavanger was for many years driven by its maritime position and the main industries were ship building, fishing and canning, a trade which the city is now famous for and can still be experienced at the countries only canning museum. The industry was severely affected by the First and Second World Wars and Stavanger’s economy went into severe decline. Only in the 1960’s was Stavanger saved by the discovery in the Norwegian North Sea of vast supplies of crude oil. Located close to the oil fields the city is now flourishing and is home to the headquarters of the largest oil and gas company in the world; Statoil.
The thriving modern day Stavanger was established as a municipality in 1838 before merging with the two rural municipalities of Hetland and Madla in 1965. It has a population of 120,000 making it Norway’s fourth largest city, however the greater Stavanger area has a population closer to 300,000 so it is in fact the third largest metropolitan area in Norway. The city covers an area of approximately 70km2 and is struggling to find the space needed to expand for housing and industry; attempts to merge with the neighbouring municipality of Sandnes have not been well received.
Stavanger was given the honour of being one of the European Capitals of Culture in 2008 and for visitors in the city there are a great number of things to see and do with a wealth of museums and galleries to explore in and around the town for those interested in the history and culture of the area. For the more adventurous traveller there are many outdoor pursuits to get involved in throughout the year, from skiing and snowboarding in the winter, to surfing on one of the regions beautiful beaches in summer and hiking and trekking year round, there is something for everyone.
The main language spoken in Stavanger is Norwegian although the Sami language is spoken in parts of the country. Norway is not in the European Union and as such has its own currency, the Norwegian Kronor (NOK).