About Stavanger

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This friendly coastal city with only 118 000 inhabitants has the largest amount of wooden houses in Northern Europe - 8 000 in all. It is known as the "Petroleum capital" in Norway. A number of companies and public institutions related to the petroleum sector have been established since the first oil was found in the North Sea in the late 1960s.

Stavanger's history is the history of an internationally orientated town, with relationships across the North Sea and to other parts of the world since ages. Active trade during the Viking era (900-1200 AD) and during the later Sail ships era brought both goods and impressions back home. The export of sardines (brisling) was the main way of living during the 19th and early 20th century. Today Stavanger maintains international contacts within its network of sister cities - 11 in all - as well as connections within research, culture, missionairy and other fields.

Today there are a number of clusters within various businesses, like the already mentioned petroleum sector, but also within food production, fish farming, various fields of research and others.

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The Stavanger region will be European Capital of Culture in 2008, with a lot of small and large events. Read more about the program at www.stavanger2008.no.

Please find more information about Stavanger at www.visitstavanger.com.

City maps with legends in 30 different languages are available at www.stavanger-guide.no.

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