Bergen kommune
—  Municipality  —
Coat of arms Hordaland within Norway
Bergen within Hordaland
Coordinates: 60°22′16″N 5°24′30″E / 60.37111, 5.40833
Country	Norway
County	Hordaland
District	Midhordland
Municipality ID	NO-1201
Administrative centre	Bergen
Government
- Mayor (2007)	Gunnar Bakke (Frp)
Area (Nr. ||} Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions called counties ( fylker, singular fylke) and 430 municipalities ( kommuner, cf The coat of arms of Bergen consists of a wall with a gate that stands on golden hills Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional ||-||} Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties ( Norwegian: singular fylke, plural fylker ( Bokmål is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark, and Rogaland. Norway is divided into a number of traditional Districts Many districts have deep historical roots and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties Midhordland is a traditional district in the western part of Norway, consisting of the central portion of the county of Hordaland. ISO 3166-2NO is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to Norway. Gunnar Bakke (born 1959 is a politician from the Norwegian Progress Party (FrP the mayor of Bergen since October 2007 and the chairman of Hordaland The Progress Party ( Bokmål: Fremskrittspartiet, Nynorsk: Framstegspartiet, Norwegian abbreviation FrP is a Norwegian Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 215 in Norway)
- Total	465 km² (179. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 5 sq mi)
- Land	445 km² (171. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 8 sq mi)
Population (2007)
- Total	247 746
- Density	534/km² (1,383. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 1/sq mi)
- Change (10 years)	8. 0 %
- Rank in Norway	2
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Official language form	Neutral[1]
Demonym	Bergenser[2]
Data from Statistics Norway
Website: www.bergen.kommune.no

Bergen (help·info) is the second-largest city in Norway, a municipality, and a former county, in the county of Hordaland. Central European Time ( CET) is one of the names of the Time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+1 is used in the following locations Central European Time West Africa Time Western European Summer Time Daylight saving time ( DST Central European Summer Time ( CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+2 corresponds to the following Time zones Eastern European Time Egypt Standard Time Central Africa Time Norwegian ( norsk) is a North Germanic Language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language Norwegian ( norsk) is a North Germanic Language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place Berge may refer to the following locations Berge an Athenian colony in Thrace, north of Amphipolis Berge Vest-Agder Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional ||} Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions called counties ( fylker, singular fylke) and 430 municipalities ( kommuner, cf ||-||} Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties ( Norwegian: singular fylke, plural fylker ( Bokmål is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark, and Rogaland.

The Norwegian city of Bergen was separated from Hordaland as a county of its own in 1831. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional ^[3] It was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1838 ( MDCCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Formannskaps-distrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. The rural municipality of Bergen landdistrikt was merged with Bergen January 1, 1877. Bergen landdistrikt (Bergen rural district is a former municipality in Hordaland county Norway New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1877 ( MDCCCLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[4] The rural municipality of Årstad was merged with Bergen July 1, 1915. Årstad is a borough of the city of Bergen Norway, and a former municipality. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The rural municipalities of Arna, Fana, Laksevåg and Åsane were merged with Bergen January 1, 1972. Arna is a borough and Suburb of Bergen, Norway and a former municipality in Hordaland county Fana is a borough of the city of Bergen Norway and a former municipality in Hordaland county Laksevåg is a borough of the city of Bergen Norway. Laksevåg was separated from Askøy as a municipality of its own July 1 1918 Åsane is a borough of the city of Bergen, Norway, making up the north-western part of the city New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The city lost its status as a separate county the same date. ^[5] Bergen was Norway's biggest city until the 1830s,^[6] when it was passed by Oslo. (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway.

The city is located on the south-western coast of Norway, in the county of Hordaland, with its centre situated between a group of mountains known collectively as de syv fjell ("the seven mountains"), although the number of mountains is a matter of definition. Bergen is host to part of the country's large oil industry, as well as deep sea operations. Its harbours are used by everything from small pleasure vessels to cruise ships and cargo vessels, and is the base of many of the country's fishing vessels.

Bergen is an important cultural centre in its region and was one of nine European cities honoured with the title European Capital of Culture in 2000. The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one Calendar year during which it is given a chance to showcase its ^[7]

History

The city of Bergen, thought to have been founded by king Olav Kyrre, son of Harald Hardråde, in AD 1070,^[8] celebrated its 900th anniversary in 1970. Olaf III of Norway (c 1050-Håkeby 1093 also known as Olaf Haraldsson (son of Harald and Olav Kyrre (the peaceful or silent was king of Norway Harald Sigurdsson (1015 &ndash September 25, 1066) later given the epithet Hardraada ( Old Norse: Haraldr harðráði, roughly translated It is considered to have replaced Trondheim as Norway's capital in 1217, and that Oslo became de jure capital in 1299. (Trondhjem is a city and municipality in the county of Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. Towards the end of the 13th century, Bergen became one of the Hanseatic League's most important bureau cities. The Hanseatic League (also known as the Hansa) was an alliance of trading cities and their Guilds that established and maintained trade ^[9]

The main reason for Bergen's importance was the trade with dried cod from the northern Norwegian coast,^[10] which started around 1100 CE. By the late 1300s, Bergen had established itself as the center of the trade in Norway. ^[11] The Saxon Hanseatic merchants lived in their own separate quarter of town, where Middle Saxon (“Middle Low German”) was used, enjoying exclusive rights to trade with the northern fishermen that each summer sailed to Bergen. The Saxons or Saxon people were a Confederation of Old Germanic tribes. The Hanseatic League (also known as the Hansa) was an alliance of trading cities and their Guilds that established and maintained trade Middle Low German ( ISO 639 -3 code gml) is a Language that is the descendant of Old Saxon and is the ancestor of modern Low German. Low German or Low Saxon (in Germany: Plattdüütsch or Nedderdüütsch; in Netherlands: Nedersaksisch or Nederduuts ^[12] Today, Bergen's old quayside, Bryggen is on UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites. Bryggen ( Norwegian for the Wharf) also known as Tyskebryggen ( the German Wharf) is a series of Hanseatic commercial buildings lining United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex ^[13]

Hieronymus Scholeus impression of Bergen. The drawing was made in about 1580 and published in an atlas with drawings of many different cities (Civitaes orbis terrarum)^[14]

In 1349, the Black Death was introduced to Norway by the crew of an English ship arriving in Bergen. The Black Death, or the Black Plague, was one of the deadliest Pandemics in human history widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional ^[15] In the 15th century the city was several times attacked by the Victual Brothers,^[16] and in 1429 they succeeded in burning the royal castle and much of the city. The Victual Brothers resp Vitalians or Vitalian Brotherhood were a companionship of Privateers who later turned to piracy In 1536, the king was able to force the Saxon merchants to become Norwegian citizens or return home, heralding a decline in the Saxon influence. In 1665, the city's harbour was the site of the bloody Battle of Vågen, between English ships on the one side and Dutch ships supported by the city's garrison on the other. The Battle of Vågen was a naval battle between a Dutch merchant and treasure fleet and an English flotilla of warships in August 1665 as part of the Second Anglo-Dutch

Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, Bergen remained one of the largest cities in Scandinavia, and was Norway's biggest city until the 1830s,^[6] when Oslo became the biggest. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway. Bergen retained its monopoly of trade with Northern Norway until 1789. ^[17]

In 1916 parts of the city centre were destroyed by a devastating fire, the last of many such fires throughout the city's history. During World War II, the city was occupied on the first day of the German invasion on April 9, 1940, after a brief fight between German ships and Norwegian coastal artillery. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. On April 20, 1944, during the German occupation, the Dutch cargoship Voorbode anchored off the Bergenhus Fortress, loaded with over 120 tons of explosives, blew up, killing at least 150 people and damaging historic buildings. Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Dutch steam Trawler Voorbode was a fishing vessel until it was confiscated by the Germans during World War II and used for military transport Bergenhus fortress (Bergenhus festning is a fortress located in Bergen Norway. The city was subject to some allied bombing raids, aiming at German naval installations in the harbour. Some of these led to civilian casualties numbering over 100.

In 1972, Bergen was unified with neighbouring municipalities (Arna, Fana, Laksevåg and Åsane), abolishing its county status and getting its present boundaries. Population figures from 2007. By population By area By density See also List ^[5]

Toponymy

The Norse forms of the name were Bergvin and Bjørgvin. Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age The first element is berg (n) or bjørg (f), which translates to mountain. The last element is vin (f), which translates to pasture or meadow. The full meaning is then 'the meadow among the mountains'. ^[18] (A suitable name: Bergen is often called 'the city among the seven mountains'. )

There are about one thousand names in Norway composed with the element -vin, which are pronounced with the second tone. The only exception is the name Bergen (which is pronounced with the first tone). The cause of this is probably the German influence in the city.

In 1918, there was a campaign to reintroduce the Norse form Bjørgvin as the name of the city. This was turned down - but as a compromise the name of the diocese was changed to Bjørgvin bispedømme. Bjørgvin is a Diocese in the Church of Norway. It covers Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane. ^[19]

Panoramic view of Bryggen

Geography

See also: Geography of Norway

Ulriken, as seen from the centre of Bergen

Bergen municipality occupies the majority of the Bergen peninsula in mid-western Hordaland. Bryggen ( Norwegian for the Wharf) also known as Tyskebryggen ( the German Wharf) is a series of Hanseatic commercial buildings lining Norway is located in Northern Europe on the western and northern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula, bordering the North Sea in southwest is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark, and Rogaland. It is sheltered from the North Sea by the islands Askøy, Holsnøy (municipality Meland) and Sotra (municipalities Fjell and Sund). Askøy is an island and municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Holsnøy is an island in Meland municipality Hordaland county Norway. Meland is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Meland was separated from Alversund on 15 October 1923 Sotra is the name of two adjecent islands in the county of Hordaland, Norway, just west of Bergen. Fjell is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. The parish of Fjæld was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see Formannskapsdistrikt It is the administration centre of Hordaland, as well as the second-largest city in Norway and the largest in Western Norway. is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark, and Rogaland. Western Norway ( Norwegian: Vestlandet) is the region along the Atlantic coast of southern Norway. Bergen is the centre of the Bergen region, a statistical metropolitan area with a population of 356,633. Bergen Region is a statistical metropolitan region in the county of Hordaland in southwestern Norway. There are 16 statistical Metropolitan areas (" Byregioner " City Regions in Norway.

The municipality covers an area of 465 km². Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The population is 244,620,^[20] making the population density 534 people per km². Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume The population of the main urban area is 220,418. ^[21] The municipality also contains eight minor urban settlements with a total population of 17,213,^[21] with Indre Arna, situated in the borough Arna, being the largest with a population of 6,151 as of January 1, 2007. Arna is a borough and Suburb of Bergen, Norway and a former municipality in Hordaland county New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[21] Although not being geographically distant from the city centre, Arna is separated from it by mount Ulriken. Ulriken (643 metres above sea level is the highest of the seven mountains (in Norwegian De syv fjell) that surround Bergen Norway. Arna and the city centre are connected by a railway line; driving through Åsane or Nesttun is required if travelling by car or bus. Åsane is a borough of the city of Bergen, Norway, making up the north-western part of the city Nesttun is an urban centre and neighbourhood in the southern parts of the city of Bergen, Norway, located approximately 10  km south of the city centre

Bergen's city centre is situated between a group of mountains known collectively as de syv fjell ("the seven mountains"), describing the mountains Ulriken, Fløyen, Løvstakken and Damsgårdsfjellet, as well as three out of Lyderhorn, Sandviksfjellet, Blåmanen, Rundemanen, and Askøyfjellet. De syv fjell (which simply means The seven mountains) surround the city centre of Bergen, Norway. Ulriken (643 metres above sea level is the highest of the seven mountains (in Norwegian De syv fjell) that surround Bergen Norway. Fløyen or Fløyfjellet (originally written Fløien) is the most visited of the seven mountains that surround the city centre of Bergen, Løvstakken is one of De syv fjell, the seven mountains surrounding the city centre of Bergen, Norway. Damsgårdsfjellet is a mountain in Bergen Norway. See also De syv fjell Lyderhorn is a mountain in Bergen, Norway. It is one of " De syv fjell " the seven mountains surrounding the city centre and the starting location Sandviksfjellet is a mountain in Bergen Norway. See also De syv fjell Blåmanen is a mountain in Bergen Norway. See also De syv fjell Rundemanen is a mountain in Bergen Norway. See also De syv fjell Askøyfjellet is a mountain on the island and municipality of Askøy Norway. The first to name them "the seven mountains" might have been Ludvig Holberg,^[22] inspired by the seven hills of Rome. Ludvig Holberg Baron of Holberg ( December 3, 1684 – January 28, 1754) was a writer essayist philosopher historian and playwright born in The Seven Hills of Rome east of the river Tiber form the geographical heart of Rome, within the walls of the ancient city These seven mountains are, however, only a few of the mountains located within the borders of the Bergen municipality. Gullfjellet is the highest mountain in Bergen, at 987 metres above sea level. Gullfjellet, also called Gulfjellet, is the largest mountain in the municipality of Bergen, and lies on the border to the municipality Samnanger, Hordaland ^[23]

Bergen borders the municipalities Meland, Lindås and Osterøy to the north, Vaksdal and Samnanger to the east, Os and Austevoll to the south, and Sund, Fjell and Askøy to the west. Meland is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Meland was separated from Alversund on 15 October 1923 Lindås is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Osterøy is an island municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Midhordland. Samnanger is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Os is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Due to its proximity to Bergen, Os is experiencing strong population growth Austevoll is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Sund is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Sund covers the southern part of the island of Store Sotra, west of Fjell is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. The parish of Fjæld was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see Formannskapsdistrikt Askøy is an island and municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway.

Demographics

As of 2002, the average gross income for men above the age of 17 is 426,000 NOK, the average gross income for women above the age of 17 is 238,000 NOK, with the total average gross income being 330,000 NOK. Gross income is commonly defined as the amount of a Company 's or a Person 's income before all deductions or any taxpayer’s income except that which is specifically The krone ( sign: kr; code: NOK) is the Currency of Norway. The plural form is kroner. ^[24] In 2007, there were 104,6 men for every 100 women in the age group of 20-39. ^[24] 22,8% of the population were under 17 years of age, while 4,5% were 80 and above. 2,1% were first or second generation immigrants with Western backgrounds and 6,6% were first or second generation immigrants with non-Western backgrounds. First generation immigrant The term First generation Immigrant may be used to describe either of two classes of people An immigrant to a country The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings ^[24] The largest immigrant groups in Bergen today are Iraqi (1 443), Vietnamese (1 217), Chileans (1 197), Polish (1 184) and Sri Lankan Tamils (1 050).

Cityscape

The oldest remaining part of the city is on the north side of the bay of Vågen. Bryggen, the product of rebuilding after a fire in 1702, is in this area. Bryggen ( Norwegian for the Wharf) also known as Tyskebryggen ( the German Wharf) is a series of Hanseatic commercial buildings lining The buildings that form Bryggen were done in the style of the medieval buildings that stood on the site prior to the fire. ^[9] Saint Mary's Church is the oldest building in Bergen, parts of it dating from around 1130. ^[9] The altar piece of the church is the oldest ornament preserved. It dates back to the Hanseatic period, probably the 15th century, when the church was used by the German hanseats as their parish church. Much of the interior was replaced during a restoration of the church in the second half of the 18th century. ^[9]

Two other churches, the cathedral (Domkirken) and the Korskirken church are also medieval, although modified later. The Bergenhus fortress has several interesting buildings, notably Haakon's Hall, a royal hall dating from 1261,^[9] and the Rosenkrantz Tower, built around a medieval fortification in 1563. Bergenhus fortress (Bergenhus festning is a fortress located in Bergen Norway. Bergenhus fortress (Bergenhus festning is a fortress located in Bergen Norway. Bergenhus fortress (Bergenhus festning is a fortress located in Bergen Norway. ^[9]

View of Vågen and Nordnes from Fløyen. Nordnes is a Peninsula and Neighbourhood in the city centre of Bergen, Norway.

An open air fishmarket is located along the inner harbour of Vågen. Further south is the main shopping area, rebuilt after a fire in 1916 in art nouveau and functionalist style, around the main square Torgallmenningen. Torgallmenningen, Torgalmenningen, or Torvallmenningen, is the main square of Bergen, Norway. Several old quarters of white, wooden houses are scattered in and around the centre, most notably in Nordnes, Marken and Sandviken. Nordnes is a Peninsula and Neighbourhood in the city centre of Bergen, Norway. Nygårdshøyden is a quaint area with a large number of buildings dating from late 19th century, many with neoclassical facades. Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century both as a reaction against the Rococo Some parts of Bergen were rebuilt after World War II, rectifying damage due to bombing, the 1944 explosion accident, and thoughtless urban planning. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Dutch steam Trawler Voorbode was a fishing vessel until it was confiscated by the Germans during World War II and used for military transport ^[25] Whole blocks of old wooden houses have been demolished in the city centre, most recently in Nøstet and Krinkelkroken, due to a lack of maintenance of the buildings. ^[26]

Fløyen (320 metres above sea level)^[27] and Ulriken (643 metres above sea level)^[28] are connected to the city centre with a funicular and a cable car, respectively. A funicular, also known as a funicular railway, incline, inclined railway, inclined plane, or cliff railway, is a type of self-contained The mountains, as well as the areas that surround them, are popular hiking areas for locals as well as tourists. Several urban parks are present in the city centre, the largest being Nygårdsparken located between the neighbourhoods of Nygård and Møhlenpris. Nygårdsparken is a public Park located in the city centre of Bergen, Norway, between the neighbourhoods of Nygård and Møhlenpris

Bergen Aquarium, housing fish, marine invertebrates, seals and penguins, as well as reptiles and monkeys, is located at the tip of the Nordnes peninsula. Bergen Aquarium (Norwegian Akvariet i Bergen) is a Public aquarium in Norway.

Administration

Since 2000, the city of Bergen is governed by a city government (byråd) based on the principle of parliamentarism. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which ^[29] The government consists of 6 government members called commissioners, and is appointed by the city council, the supreme authority of the city. Since the local elections of 2007, the city has been ruled by a centre-right coalition of the Progress Party, the Christian People's Party and the Conservative Party, each with two commissioners. The Progress Party ( Bokmål: Fremskrittspartiet, Nynorsk: Framstegspartiet, Norwegian abbreviation FrP is a Norwegian The Christian Democratic Party ( Kristelig Folkeparti or Kristeleg Folkeparti, KrF is a Christian Democratic Norwegian Political party The Conservative Party ( Høyre, H meaning " right " is a Norwegian Political party. ^[30] The Progress Party member Gunnar Bakke is mayor,^[31] while conservative Monica Mæland is the leader of the city government,^[32] the most powerful political position in Bergen. Gunnar Bakke (born 1959 is a politician from the Norwegian Progress Party (FrP the mayor of Bergen since October 2007 and the chairman of Hordaland A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Monica Mæland (born 1968 is a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party.

2007 elections

The 2007 city council elections were held on September 10. The Conservative Party ( Høyre, H meaning " right " is a Norwegian Political party. The Norwegian Labour Party ( Norwegian: Det norske arbeiderparti ( DNA) or Arbeiderpartiet ( AP) is a Social democratic The Progress Party ( Bokmål: Fremskrittspartiet, Nynorsk: Framstegspartiet, Norwegian abbreviation FrP is a Norwegian The Socialist Left Party ( Sosialistisk Venstreparti or SV is a Norwegian Political party founded in 1975 The Christian Democratic Party ( Kristelig Folkeparti or Kristeleg Folkeparti, KrF is a Christian Democratic Norwegian Political party The Liberal Party of Norway (Venstre V meaning "left" is a social liberal Political party in Norway. Raud Valallianse/Rød Valgallianse ( RV) or Red Electoral Alliance (1973-2007 was an alliance of left wing groups formed into a Norwegian political party to promote The Centre Party ( Senterpartiet, Sp) is a centrist and agrarian Norwegian Political party founded in 1920 The Pensioners Party ( Pensjonistpartiet) is a Political party in Norway without parliamentary representation Country-wide local elections for seats in municipality and county councils were held throughout Norway on September 10 2007, with some areas Events 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. The Socialist Left Party (SV) and the Pensioners Party (PP) ended up as the losers of the election, SV going from 11. 6% of the votes in the 2003 elections to 7. The 2003 county council election was held on Monday September 15, 2003 for all eighteen county councils in Norway 1%, and PP losing 2. 9% ending up at 1. 2%. The Liberal Party more than doubled, going from 2. 7% to 5. 8%. The Conservative Party lost 1. 1% of the votes, ending up at 26. 3%, while the Progress Party got 20. 2% of the votes, a gain of 3% since the 2003 elections. The Christian Democratic Party gained 0. 2%, ending up at 6. 3%. The Red Electoral Alliance lost 1. 4%, ending up at 4. 5%, while the Centre Party gained 1. 2%, ending up at 2. 8%. Finally, the Labour Party continued being the second largest party in the city, gaining one percent and ending up at 23. 9%. ^[34]

Map of the boroughs of Bergen

Boroughs

Bergen is divided into 8 boroughs,^[35] as seen on the map to the right. Going clockwise, starting north, the boroughs are Åsane, Arna, Fana, Ytrebygda, Fyllingsdalen, Laksevåg, Årstad and Bergenhus. Åsane is a borough of the city of Bergen, Norway, making up the north-western part of the city Arna is a borough and Suburb of Bergen, Norway and a former municipality in Hordaland county Fana is a borough of the city of Bergen Norway and a former municipality in Hordaland county Ytrebygda is a borough of the city of Bergen, Norway which makes up the southwest parts of the city Fyllingsdalen is a borough of the city of Bergen, Norway, located south-west of the city centre in the valley to the west of Løvstakken. Laksevåg is a borough of the city of Bergen Norway. Laksevåg was separated from Askøy as a municipality of its own July 1 1918 Årstad is a borough of the city of Bergen Norway, and a former municipality. Bergenhus is a borough of the city of Bergen, Norway. Named after the Bergenhus fortress, it makes up the city centre and the neighborhoods immediately The city centre is located in Bergenhus. Parts of Fana, Ytrebygda, Åsane and Arna are not part of the Bergen urban area, explaining why the municipality has approximately 20,000 more inhabitants than the urban area. The separate borough administrations were closed June 30, 2004,^[36] but were opened up again on January 1, 2008. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[37]

Climate

See also: Geography of Norway#Climate

Bergen has been nicknamed The City of Rain for its plentiful rainfall - annual precipitation is 2250 mm (88 inches) on average. Rain is Liquid precipitation. On Earth it is the condensation of atmospheric Water vapor into drops heavy enough to fall often making it to In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric ^[38] This is because the city is surrounded by mountains that the clouds can not get over easily. Rain fell every day between October 29, 2006 and January 21, 2007, 85 consecutive days. Events 437 - Valentinian III, Western Roman Emperor, marries Licinia Eudoxia, daughter of his cousin Theodosius II Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[39] In the winter, Bergen is one of the warmest cities in Norway, thanks to the Gulf Stream; 10 °C and rain can happen in both January and July. The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful warm and swift Atlantic Ocean current that The highest temperature ever recorded was 31. 8 °C, a record that dates back to 1947. ^[40] The lowest ever recorded is -16. 3 °C, in 1987. ^[41]

The high amount of precipitation is often used in the marketing of the city, and figures to a degree on postcards sold in the city. For a period of time there were umbrella vending machines in the city, but these did not turn out to be a success. ^[42]

Climate change

See also: Hatlestad slide

Damaged house after the 2005 slide

In recent years, precipitation and winds have increased in the city. Users searching for 'Hatlestad' are redirected here as no article on the last name or locations exist In late 2005, heavy rains caused floods and several landslides, the worst of which killed three people on September 14. It is predicted by meteorologists that due to global warming, severe storms causing landslides and floods will become more powerful in the area and in surrounding counties in coming years. Global warming is the increase in the average measured temperature of the As a response, the municipality created a special 24-man rescue unit within the fire department in 2005, to future slides and other natural disasters,^[44] and neighbourhoods considered at risk of slides were surveyed in 2006. ^[45] As of October 2007, the prediction has been supported by over 480 landslides in Hordaland county from the spring of '06 to the summer of '07. Most of the slides hit roads, but until October 2007, when a large rock dislodged and killed the driver of a car,^[46] none of them caused damage to cars, buildings, or people. ^[47][48]

Another concern is the risk of rising sea levels. Already today, Bryggen is regularly flooded at extreme tide, and it is feared that as sea levels rise, floods will become a major problem in Bergen. Floods may in the future reach the old fire station in Olav Kyrres Gate, as well as the railroad tracks leading out of the city. ^[49] It has therefore been suggested by among others Stiftelsen Bryggen, the foundation responsible for preserving the UNESCO site, that a sea wall, built so that it could be raised and lowered as demanded by the tides, be built outside the harbour to protect the city. ^[50]

Another effect of recent years' weather conditions in the area is that Norwegians increasingly believe that climate change is a threat. ^[51]

Education

See also: Education in Norway

Higher education

Bergen Museum, a part of The University of Bergen

Bergen has one university, the University of Bergen, and one university college, Bergen University College, with a total of 22,000 students and 3,600 staff. Education in Norway is mandatory for all children aged 6-16 The School year in Norway runs from late August to mid June the following year The University of Bergen ( Universitetet i Bergen) is located in Bergen, Norway. The University of Bergen ( Universitetet i Bergen) is located in Bergen, Norway. Bergen University College ( Norwegian: Høgskolen i Bergen or HiB) is a state institution of higher education established in August 1994 by the merging With approximately 16,000 students and 3,000 staff,^[52] the University of Bergen (Norwegian: Universitetet i Bergen) is the third largest university in Norway, after the University of Oslo and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Norwegian ( norsk) is a North Germanic Language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language The University of Oslo (Universitetet i Oslo Universitas Osloensis is the oldest and largest University in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, known by its Norwegian acronym NTNU (from Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet) is located Although it was founded as late as 1946, academic activity had been taking place at Bergen Museum since 1825. The Bergen Museum is a University museum in Bergen, Norway. Founded in 1825 with the intent of building large collections in the fields of culture The university's academic profile focuses on marine research and co-operation with developing countries. Developing countries are countries that haven't reached Western-style standards of democratic government free market economy industrialization social programs and human rights guaranties ^[53] In 2002, the university was awarded three national centres of excellence in climate research, petroleum research and medieval studies. Climatology (from Greek grc κλίμα klima, "region zone" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study of Climate, scientifically Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit In academic usage medievalism is the study of the Middle Ages, also referred to as medieval studies. ^[54] In December 2004, billionaire Trond Mohn donated 250 million NOK to the University as research funding. Trond Mohn (born 3 March, 1943 in Buckie, Scotland) is a Norwegian Businessperson and Philanthropist. ^[55] In addition, he has given the university several individual gifts of 50 million NOK. ^[56][57]

The Faculty of Education at Landås

Bergen University College (Norwegian: Høgskolen i Bergen) is one of 24 state-owned university colleges in Norway. Bergen University College ( Norwegian: Høgskolen i Bergen or HiB) is a state institution of higher education established in August 1994 by the merging As of 2007, it has approximately 6,000 students and 600 staff. ^[58] The university college offers studies directed towards specific professions. The college is organised in 3 faculties: the Faculty of Education, the Faculty of Engineering, and the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences.

The Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration (Norwegian: Norges Handelshøyskole) is a leading school of business and economics in Norway. The Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration (Norges Handelshøyskole or NHH was founded in 1936 Finn E. Kydland, the last (2004) of three Norwegian laureates of the Economy Nobel Prize,^[59] has studied and lectured at the school. Finn Erling Kydland (born 1 December[[ 943]] is a Norwegian economist. The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, officially named The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel (Sveriges riksbanks pris i ekonomisk The school has approximately 2,700 students and 350 staff. ^[60] As the result of a resolution passed by the Norwegian storting in 1917, the school was founded in 1936 as the first business school in Norway. The Storting ( Stortinget, literally "the Great Thing /Assembly" is the Norwegian Parliament, and is located in the capital city A business school is a university-level institution that confers degrees in Business Administration As of 2007, the school's MSc programme is ranked by the Financial Times as the 36th best in Europe. A Master of Science ( Latin: Magister Scientiæ; abbreviated MSc, M The Financial Times ( FT) is a British international business Newspaper. ^[61]

The Bergen School of Architecture (Bergen Arkitekt Skole), founded in 1986 by architect Svein Hatløy, has alternative programs, with graduants like 3RW arkitekter and Tommie Wilhemsen. Bergen School of Architecture or BAS (Bergen Arkitekt Skole is a private and academically independent architecture school located in Bergen, Norway An architect is a licensed individual who leads a design team in the Planning and Design of buildings and participates in oversight of Building Construction

The Bergen National Academy of the Arts (Kunsthøgskolen i Bergen, approximately 300 students and 100 staff)^[62] is one of the two independent institutions of higher learning in the visual arts and design in Norway. Bergen National Academy of the Arts (Kunsthøgskolen i Bergen or KHiB is one of the two independent institutions of higher learning in the Visual arts and Design Students can take a three-year Bachelor degree and a two-year Master degree in the following areas: Visual Art; Interior Architecture; Furniture Design; Room Design; Visual Communications; Photography; Printmaking; Ceramics and Textiles.

The Naval Academy (Sjøkrigsskolen) of the Royal Norwegian Navy is located at Laksevåg in Bergen. The Norwegian Naval Academy ( Sjøkrigsskolen in Norwegian is located at Laksevåg in Bergen. The Royal Norwegian Navy (often abbreviated as RNoN) is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for naval operations

Primary and secondary education

There are 64 elementary schools,^[63] 18 lower secondary schools^[64] and 20 upper secondary schools^[65] in Bergen, as well as 11 combined elementary/lower secondary schools. ^[66]

The former building of Bergen katedralskole, then known as Bergen latinskole

Bergen Katedralskole (Latin: Scholae Bergensis Cathedralis) is believed to have been founded in 1153 by Pope Adrian IV^[67] (then known as Nicholas Breakspear), thus making it Bergen's oldest school and one of the oldest schools in Norway. Bergen katedralskole ( English: Bergen Cathedral School, Latin: Schola Cathedralis Bergensis, formerly known as Bergens lærdeskole Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Pope Adrian IV (or Hadrian IV – c 1100&ndash 1 September, 1159) born Nicholas Breakspear or Breakspeare, was Pope The school moved to its present location in 1840, and the old building was left mostly unused until the School Museum of Bergen moved into the building in 2003. ^[68] Since 1972 the school is a regular upper secondary school (similar to a high school in the United States and the United Kingdom). Education in Norway is mandatory for all children aged 6-16 The School year in Norway runs from late August to mid June the following year High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution Education in the United States is provided mainly by government with control and funding coming from three levels federal, state, and local. Education in the United Kingdom is organised separately in each of the countries of the United Kingdom with power over education in Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland being devolved

In 2006, Bergen Handelsgymnasium, an upper secondary school in Bergen, was chosen as a finalist in the The Holberg Prize School Project. Bergen Handelsgymnasium is an Upper secondary school in Bergen, Norway. The Holberg International Memorial Prize was established in 2003 by the government of Norway with the objective of increasing awareness of the value of academic scholarship within the arts ^[69]

Research

The University of Bergen and Haukeland University Hospital are by far the largest research institutions in Bergen.

The Chr. Michelsen Institute (Christian Michelsens Institutt), founded in 1930, is located in Bergen. The Chr Michelsen Institute (CMI was founded in 1930 and it is currently the largest centre for development research in Scandinavia With an annual turnover of 56 million NOK,^[70] it is one of Scandinavia's largest independent research institutes on human rights and development issues. The krone ( sign: kr; code: NOK) is the Currency of Norway. The plural form is kroner. The aim of CMI is to inform and influence policy on international development issues. ^[70]

The Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (Norwegian: Havforskningsinstituttet), formerly known as Norwegian Fisheries Investigations (Norwegian: Norske Fiskeriundersøgelser) has been located in Bergen since 1900. The Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (Havforskningsinstituttet is a national consultative research institute which is owned by the Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs The primary responsibility of the institute is to provide advice to national authorities, society and industry regarding questions related to the ecosystems of the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the North Sea and the Norwegian coastal zone and in the field of aquaculture. The Barents Sea (Barentshavet Баренцево море is a part of the Arctic Ocean located north of Norway and Russia. Currents In the Norwegian Sea and Greenland Sea surface water descends two to three kilometres down to the bottom of the ocean forming cold oxygen-rich groundwater The North Sea is a marginal, Epeiric sea of the Atlantic Ocean on the European Continental shelf. The institute has a staff of 700,^[71] making it the largest marine research institution in Norway.

Economy

The shopping street Strandgaten

Bergen's inter-municipal harbour is by far Norway's largest port and one of Europe's largest ports, according to the inter-municipal company Port of Bergen. ^[72]

In August 2004, Time magazine named the city one of Europe's 14 "secret capitals"^[73] where Bergen's capital reign is acknowledged within maritime businesses and activities such as aquaculture and marine research, with the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) (the second-largest in Europe) as the leading institution. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Bergen is the main base for the Royal Norwegian Navy (at Haakonsvern) and its international airport Flesland is the main heliport for the huge Norwegian North Sea oil and gas industry, from where thousands of offshore workers commute to their work places onboard oil and gas rigs and platforms. The Royal Norwegian Navy (often abbreviated as RNoN) is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for naval operations Haakonsvern is the main base of the Royal Norwegian Navy and the largest naval base in the Nordic area Bergen Airport Flesland ( Norwegian: Bergen lufthavn Flesland) is the airport in Bergen Norway, located 19 km south of the city center ^[74]

The headquarters of TV 2 Norway's largest commercial television channel are located in Bergen. TV 2 is Norway 's largest commercial television station Over 30% of the time Norwegians spend watching TV is spent watching TV 2 The term television channel generally refers to either a Television station or its cable / satellite counterpart (both outlined below However, they may be moving to Oslo when they lose their analog TV broadcasting license in 2008. ^[75]

Tourism is an important income source for the city. The hotels in the city may be full at times,^[76][77] due to the increasing number of tourists and conferences. Prior to the Rolling Stones concert in September 2006, many hotels were already full-booked several months in advance. ^[78] Bergen is recognised as the unofficial capital of the region known as West Norway, and recognised and marketed as the gateway city to the world famous fjords of Norway and for that reason it has become Norway's largest - and one of Europe's largest - cruise ship ports of call. Western Norway ( Norwegian: Vestlandet) is the region along the Atlantic coast of southern Norway. A fjord or fiord (fjɔːd|fiːɔːd or fiːɔːd is a long narrow Inlet with steep sides created in a valley carved by glacial activity. A cruise ship or cruise liner is a Passenger ship used for pleasure voyages where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience ^[79]

Transportation

A trolleybus operated by the defunct Gaia Trafikk

Bergen has an international airport, Bergen Airport, Flesland, with direct flights to several European cities. Gaia Trafikk was the largest Public transportation provider in Bergen and Os, Norway until it merged with HSD forming Tide An airport is a location where Aircraft such as airplanes, Helicopters and blimps take off and land Bergen Airport Flesland ( Norwegian: Bergen lufthavn Flesland) is the airport in Bergen Norway, located 19 km south of the city center The Bergensbanen railway line runs east to Voss, Geilo, Hønefoss and Oslo. "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. is a municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Voss is a centre in the municipality of Hol in Norway, in the valley of Hallingdal, with around 2300 inhabitants Hønefoss is an unincorporated city in Buskerud county Norway, and the centre of the municipality of Ringerike. (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway. The E16 road to Oslo passes through the Lærdalstunnelen, the longest road tunnel in the world. E16 is the designation of a main west-east road through Northern Ireland, Scotland and Norway, from Derry to Oslo, via Glasgow ^[80] Bergen was the first city in Northern Europe to introduce a ring of toll roads entirely surrounding the city, making entering the city centre by car impossible without paying the toll. Northern Europe is a term for the northern part of Europe. The United Nations defines Northern Europe as (Finland A toll road, (also known as a tollway, turnpike, pike, or toll highway, especially if it is constructed to Freeway standards The toll road system, established to fund new roads and motorways, opened January 2, 1986. Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) The toll was collected by both toll plazas and an electronic toll collection system. A toll road, (also known as a tollway, turnpike, pike, or toll highway, especially if it is constructed to Freeway standards Electronic toll collection (ETC, an adaptation of military " Identification friend or foe " technology aims to eliminate the delay on Toll roads It is a In the early 2000s, the electronic toll collection system AutoPASS was introduced, replacing both the remaining toll plazas and the existing but dated electronic toll collection system. AutoPASS is an Electronic toll collection system used in Norway. ^[81]

Public transportation is provided by the transportation company Tide, the result of a merger between Gaia and HSD. Tide ASA ( is a public transport company in Hordaland, Norway which resulted from the Merger of Gaia Trafikk and Hardanger Sunnhordlandske Among the fleet of buses are 8 trolleybuses (two of which are dual-mode buses). The Bergen trolleybus system is the only Trolleybus system still in operation in Norway. Local train transport to Arna is provided by Norges Statsbaner. Norges Statsbaner commonly know as NSB or the Norwegian State Railways is a Norwegian transport company There is a funicular (Fløibanen) and an aerial tramway (Ulriksbanen). Fløibanen is a Funicular in Bergen Norway which runs up the mountain of Fløyen. Ulriksbanen is a passenger Aerial tramway in Bergen Norway. It connects the mountain Ulriken to the city and is frequently used by tourists as well as The city's tram system was closed in 1965, although a museum line still operates on Møhlenpris. Møhlenpris, formerly Vestre Sydnes, is a Neighbourhood in the city of Bergen, Norway, located next to the Puddefjord. ^[82] The construction of a modern light rail line connecting the city centre with Nesttun and Bergen Airport has been approved by Stortinget and is underway. Bergen Light Rail (Bybanen i Bergen is a Light rail system under construction in Bergen, Norway. Nesttun is an urban centre and neighbourhood in the southern parts of the city of Bergen, Norway, located approximately 10  km south of the city centre The Storting ( Stortinget, literally "the Great Thing /Assembly" is the Norwegian Parliament, and is located in the capital city ^[83] Express buses go to all larger destinations in Norway. ^[84][85][86]

Coastal Express MS Midnatsol

The Norwegian coastal steamer service Hurtigruten originates in Bergen, running north to Trondheim, Bodø, Tromsø and Kirkenes. Hurtigruten or Hurtigruta (literally "Express Route" but sometimes referred to as Norwegian Coastal Express in English is a Norwegian Passenger ^[87] Passenger catamarans run from Bergen south to Haugesund and Stavanger,^[88] and north to Sognefjorden and Nordfjord. is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway. is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway. The Sognefjord ( Sognefjorden) is the largest Fjord in Norway, and the second longest in the world after Scoresby Sund on Nordfjord ( the northern fjord - in contrast to Sunnfjord) is a Fjord and a traditional district in the county of Sogn og Fjordane ^[89] Car ferries connect to Hanstholm,^[90] and Hirtshals^[91] in Denmark, Lerwick,^[92] Scrabster,^[92] and Newcastle^[93] in the United Kingdom, Tórshavn^[92] on the Faroe Islands, and Seyðisfjörður^[92] on Iceland. Hanstholm is a small town and a former island now elevated area in Thisted municipality of Region Nordjylland, located in the northern part of Denmark. Hirtshals is a town in Hjørring municipality in Region Nordjylland on the north coast of the island of Vendsyssel-Thy at the top of the For the aircraft see Saro Lerwick Lerwick is the only Burgh and main port of the Shetland Islands Scrabster Harbour is an important port of the Scottish fishing industry Newcastle upon Tyne ( (often shortened to Newcastle) is a city and Metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, England Tórshavn (ˈtʰɔuʂhaun is the Capital of the Faroe Islands.

Culture and sports

Bergen is an important cultural centre in its region and in Norway, maybe best known for hosting the annual Bergen International Festival (Festspillene i Bergen). The city is home of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, which was founded in 1765 and is one of the world's oldest orchestral institutions. The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the world's oldest Orchestral institutions ^[94] The orchestra performs regularly at the 1,500 seat^[95] Grieg Hall. The Grieg Hall ( Norwegian: Grieghallen) is a 1500 seat concert hall in Bergen, Norway. The city is also home of the Bergen Woodwind Quintet, which is made up primarily of principal winds of the Bergen Philharmonic. The Bergen Woodwind Quintet is a well-known Woodwind Quintet based in Bergen, Norway. Bergen was a European Capital of Culture in 2000. The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one Calendar year during which it is given a chance to showcase its ^[96] Other main cultural events include Nattjazz, Lost Weekend Festivalen and Bergenfest (formerly Ole Blues). ^[97]

The 1,500 seat Grieg Hall (Grieghallen)

There are numerous amateur bands in Bergen and the surrounding communities, performing regularly throughout the city. They generally fall within two distinct categories: brass bands, following the British band tradition, and Janitsjar or wind bands, which include both woodwind and brass instruments. A brass band is a Musical group generally consisting entirely of Brass instruments, most often with a percussion section A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, or wind ensemble Both of these types of bands tend to be quite competitive, and the Grieg Hall in Bergen is home to the annual Norwegian Brass Band Championships, which takes place in late winter. ^[98]

With circulations of 87,076 and 30,719 in 2006,^[99]) Bergens Tidende and Bergensavisen are the two largest newspapers in Bergen. A Newspaper 's circulation is the number of copies it distributes on an average day Bergens Tidende is Norway 's fourth largest newspaper and largest regional newspaper with a circulation of about 87000 copies (2002 numbers. Bergensavisen (lit "the Bergen newspaper" usually shortened to BA, is the second largest Newspaper in Bergen Norway. Bergens Tidende has won three European Newspaper Awards, in 2006 for best designed regional newspaper,^[100] in 2004 for best designed weekly newspaper,^[101] and in 2002 for best designed regional newspaper. ^[102] The city is also the home of several smaller newspapers and publications, including Fanaposten (circulation of 4,062^[99]), a local newspaper for the borough Fana, and the Christian newspaper Dagen (circulation of 8,936^[99]). Fana is a borough of the city of Bergen Norway and a former municipality in Hordaland county Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings

Markens and Mathismarkens buekorps at Bryggen

Bergen is home to Buekorps, a prominent feature in the Constitution Day celebrations in the city. Buekorps (literally "Bow Corps" or "Archery Brigade" are traditional marching Youth organizations in Bergen Norway. The Norwegian Constitution Day is the National Day of Norway and is an official national holiday each year Buekorps consists of a parade in the streets with wooden sticks shaped as guns or crossbows, sabres and even halberds, to a military snare sounded by several drummers. The performers are usually boys between 7 and 21 years of age, but older veterans can be seen. There are buekorps for girls and for both girls and boys as well. Buekorps are regarded with warmth by some, whilst others dislike it due to its militarised appearance or the dominant sound of the drumming. ^[103][104]

In the late 1990s and early 2000s several pop, rock and black metal artists from Bergen became famous, at home as well as abroad. Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It often employs fast tempos shrieked vocals highly distorted guitars played with Tremolo picking, Many of these were connected to the small record label Tellé Records. ^[105] In the domestic press this became known as the Bergen Wave. The Bergen Wave was a term used by the Norwegian press for the emergence of successful bands from Bergen in the late 1990s and the early 2000s Musicians and bands from Bergen include Annie, Burzum, Enslaved, Gorgoroth, Borknagar, Immortal, Erlend Øye, Kings of Convenience, Röyksopp, Sondre Lerche, Nazgûl and Datarock. Burzum is the musical project of Varg Vikernes (under the pseudonym "Count Grishnackh" Enslaved is a progressive Black metal band formed in 1991 in Haugesund, Norway, and currently based out of Bergen Gorgoroth is a Black metal band from Bergen, Norway that was founded by Infernus in 1992 Borknagar is a progressive Black metal band from Bergen, Norway, founded in 1995 by Øystein Garnes Brun. Immortal is a pioneering Black metal band from Bergen, Norway. Erlend Øye is a Norwegian musician from Bergen, best known for being part of the pop duo Kings of Convenience together with Eirik Glambek Bøe Kings of Convenience is an indie folk-pop duo from Bergen, Norway. Röyksopp ('ɾœʏkˌsop is an electronic music duo based in Tromsø, Norway composed of Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge Sondre Lerche (sɒndrə lærkə born September 5, 1982) is a Norwegian Singer, Guitarist, and Songwriter. Datarock is a Norwegian band The band describes their sound as "a mixture of musical styles like ^[106][107]

Bergen has a small but thriving scene for contemporary art, most notably centered around BIT Teatergarasjen, Bergen Kunsthall, United Sardines Factory, USF and Bergen Center for Electronic Arts, BEK.

Football

S.K. Brann's stadium Brann stadion

Bergen has two professional football teams, Brann and Løv-Ham. Sportsklubben Brann (most often called Brann, sometimes (incorrectly Brann Bergen internationally is a Norwegian football club founded September Løv-Ham Fotball is a football club from Fyllingsdalen in Bergen Norway. Brann plays in the premier league,^[108] while Løv-Ham plays in the first division. Tippeligaen is the top division for football in Norway. Its official Norwegian name is Tippeligaen after its sponsor Norsk Tipping The First Division ( Norwegian: 1 divisjon or Adeccoligaen ' for Sponsorship reasons is the second highest division of the Norwegian football ^[109] Despite Løv-Ham playing in the 2nd highest level in Norwegian football, Brann is the only club to draw any considerable interest from the public. The first Løv-Ham supporter group, Selskapsløvene (English: The Party Lions) was created as recently as December 2005. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States ^[110] Brann play their matches at Brann stadion, with a capacity of 17,824^[111] as of June 2007, while Løv-Ham play their matches at Krohnsminde kunstgressbane, with a capacity of 3000, but an attendance record of 1051 in the league. Krohnsminde kunstgressbane is a municipality-owned Sports ground and football Stadium located in the city of Bergen, Norway, near Danmarks ^[112]

Although Brann is one of the largest teams in Norway, the team has had limited success in the Premier League and the cup. Tippeligaen is the top division for football in Norway. Its official Norwegian name is Tippeligaen after its sponsor Norsk Tipping The Norwegian Men's Football Cup ( no: Norgesmesterskapet i fotball for herrer) is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football They have won the cup six times, most recently in 2004. The Norwegian men's football cup 2004 started on May 5. It was contested by 128 teams going through 7 rounds before a winner could be declared Brann won the Premier League in 1961/62 and then in 1963. The 1963 title was directly followed by the relegation of the team into the Second Division (today known as Adeccoligaen, the second highest level of Norwegian football). The First Division ( Norwegian: 1 divisjon or Adeccoligaen ' for Sponsorship reasons is the second highest division of the Norwegian football The team has won several silver and bronze medals since, but didn't win the league again until the 2007 season. Info Manager Mons Ivar Mjelde League Norwegian Premier League Shirt supplier Kappa Shirt ^[113] Despite, or perhaps because of the lack of league titles, the team is met with high expectations from the national and local press and the inhabitants of Bergen every year.

Dialect

Main article: Bergensk

Bergensk, or the Bergen dialect, is the dialect of Norwegian spoken in Bergen. Bergensk, or the Bergen dialect, is a dialect of Norwegian used in Bergen Norway. It is easy for Norwegians to recognise, as it is very distinguishable from the other dialects in Hordaland. Like almost all Norwegian dialects, Bergensk cannot be said to be either Bokmål or Nynorsk. Bokmål (lit "book language" or Dano-Norwegian is the most commonly used of the two official Norwegian written Standard languages the other Nynorsk (literally "New Norwegian" is one of the two official Norwegian Standard languages the other being Bokmål. While the vocabulary shows many traits of both Bokmål and Nynorsk, it has many characteristics that are not covered by any of these written languages.

Foreigners, such as the Low German speaking merchants of the Hanseatic League who lived in Bergen in the period from about 1350 to 1750, has had a profound impact on the dialect. Low German or Low Saxon (in Germany: Plattdüütsch or Nedderdüütsch; in Netherlands: Nedersaksisch or Nederduuts The Hanseatic League (also known as the Hansa) was an alliance of trading cities and their Guilds that established and maintained trade ^[114] Bergen being the major Norwegian city during the Dano-Norwegian union from 1536 to 1814 led to Bergensk absorbing more of the Danish than other Norwegian dialects. Denmark–Norway ( Danish: Danmark-Norge Norwegian: Danmark-Norge or Danmark-Noreg is the historiographical name for a former political entity union Danish ( d̥ænsɡ̊ is one of the North Germanic languages (also called Scandinavian languages a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the Many, but not all, influences from these languages since spread from Bergen to parts of or the whole of Norway. ^[114]

The female grammatical gender disappeared in the 16th century, probably due to influence from Danish,^[114] making Bergensk one of the very few dialects in Norway with only two grammatical genders. In Linguistics, grammatical genders, sometimes also called Noun classes are classes of nouns reflected in the behavior of associated words every noun must belong All others, excepting sociolects in other Norwegian cities, have three. In Linguistics, a sociolect is the variety of language characteristic of a social background or status The Rs are uvular trills, as in French. The uvular trill is a type of Consonantal sound used in some spoken Languages The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people It probably spread to Bergen (and Kristiansand) some time in the 18th century, overtaking the alveolar trill in the time span of 2 to 3 generations. (formerly "Christianssand" is a city and municipality, and the capital of the county of Vest-Agder, Norway and of the geographical The alveolar trill is a type of Consonantal sound used in some spoken Languages The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents dental ^[114] Due to an improved literacy rate, Bergensk was influenced by riksmål and bokmål in the 19th and 20th centuries. traditional definition of literacy is considered to be the ability to read and write or the ability to use Language to read, write, listen, Bokmål (lit "book language" or Dano-Norwegian is the most commonly used of the two official Norwegian written Standard languages the other This led to large parts of the German-inspired vocabulary disappearing and pronunciations shifting slightly towards East Norwegian. The vocabulary of a person is defined either as the set of all Words that are understood by that person or the set of all words likely to be used by that person when constructing ^[114]

Famous residents

Main article: Famous people from Bergen

See also People from Bergen (category)

Ludvig Holberg playwright (1684–1754)

Edvard Grieg composer, pianist (1843–1907)

Christian Michelsen ship owner, prime minister (1857–1925)

Gunnar Staalesen author (1947-)

Sondre Lerche musician (1982–)

Sister cities

Bergen has several sister cities. Roald "Kniksen" Jensen ( January 13, 1943 – October 6, 1987) was one of Norway 's best-ever football players Helge Jordal (born February 17, 1946) is an actor from Bergen, Norway. Terje Rød-Larsen (born November 22, 1947) is a Norwegian Diplomat and Sociologist. Gunnar Staalesen (born October 19 1947 in Bergen) is a Norwegian writer Jan Eggum (born on December 8, 1951 in Bergen Norway) is a Norwegian Singer-songwriter who has been active since 1975 Terje Hauge (born October 5, 1965 in Bergen Norway) is a Norwegian Football referee from the club Olsvik IL. Sissel Kyrkjebø (born June 24, 1969 in Bergen, Norway) also known as just Sissel, is a Norwegian soprano Roger Tiegs (born on June 18, 1972) better known by his stage name Infernus, is a Norwegian Black metal musician and Satanist Olve Eikemo (born 1973 Bergen, Norway) better known by his stage name Abbath Doom Occulta, is a Norwegian Composer, vocalist Varg Vikernes (varg 'vikeɳes born Kristian Vikernes on February 11 1973 near Bergen, Norway) is a Black metal musician convicted murderer Eirik Glambek Bøe (born October 25, 1975) is from Bergen Norway and is a Musician, writer and vocalist best known for being part of the Erlend Øye is a Norwegian musician from Bergen, best known for being part of the pop duo Kings of Convenience together with Eirik Glambek Bøe Kurt Erik Nilsen (born September 29, 1978 in Bergen, Norway) is a Norwegian pop / country singer Sondre Lerche (sɒndrə lærkə born September 5, 1982) is a Norwegian Singer, Guitarist, and Songwriter. Christine Guldbrandsen (born 19 March 1985 in Bergen, Norway) is a singer who is best-known internationally for being the Norwegian entrant in Ludvig Holberg Baron of Holberg ( December 3, 1684 – January 28, 1754) was a writer essayist philosopher historian and playwright born in Peter Christian Hersleb Kjerschow Michelsen (15 March 1857 &ndash 29 June 1925 was a Norwegian shipping magnate and statesman Gunnar Staalesen (born October 19 1947 in Bergen) is a Norwegian writer Sondre Lerche (sɒndrə lærkə born September 5, 1982) is a Norwegian Singer, Guitarist, and Songwriter. They are:^[115]

• Asmara, Eritrea
• Gothenburg, Sweden
• Newcastle, United Kingdom. Asmara (English ( Ge'ez: ኣስመራ Asmera, formerly known as Asmera, or in أسمرا Asmaraa Gothenburg ( Swedish:) /jœte'bɔrj/ is a city, a municipality, and an urban area on the west-coast of Sweden. Newcastle upon Tyne ( (often shortened to Newcastle) is a city and Metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, England Each year Bergen donates the Christmas Tree seen in Newcastle's Haymarket as a sign of the ongoing friendship between the sister cities.
• Seattle, United States
• Turku, Finland
• Aarhus, Denmark

References

External links

• Municipality website in Norwegian and English
• The World Heritage City Bergen
• Bergen Guide
• Bergen travel guide from Wikitravel