Kragerø
Kragerø (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈkrɑ̀ːɡərœ] ⓘ) is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the traditional districts of Grenland and the smaller Vestmar. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kragerø. Villages in Kragerø include Helle, Vadfoss, Kil, and Portør.
Kragerø Municipality
Kragerø kommune | |
|---|---|
Municipality | |
|
Flag | |
Telemark within Norway | |
Kragerø within Telemark | |
| Coordinates: 58°53′13″N 9°20′49″E | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Telemark |
| District | Vestmar |
| Established | 1 Jan 1838 |
| • Created as | Formannskapsdistrikt |
| Administrative centre | Kragerø |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2023) | Charlotte Therkelsen (R) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 305.46 km2 (117.94 sq mi) |
| • Land | 288.63 km2 (111.44 sq mi) |
| • Water | 16.83 km2 (6.50 sq mi) 5.5% |
| • Rank | #262 in Norway |
| Population (2023) | |
| • Total | 10,413 |
| • Rank | #111 in Norway |
| • Density | 36.1/km2 (93/sq mi) |
| • Change (10 years) | −2.7% |
| Demonym | Kragerøværing |
| Official language | |
| • Norwegian form | Neutral |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | NO-4014 |
| Website | Official website |
The 305-square-kilometre (118 sq mi) municipality is the 262nd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Kragerø is the 111th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 10,413. The municipality's population density is 36.1 inhabitants per square kilometre (93/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 2.7% over the previous 10-year period.
In the days of the sailing ships, Kragerø was one of Norway's largest port cities. 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." The population of Kragerø quadruples during its summer months due to high tourism. 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."