Kristiansand (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈkrɪstɪansan] ) is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Kristiansand, located along the coast of the large municipality. The city is also the administrative centre of Agder county. In addition to the city of Kristiansand, there are several other notable villages and urban areas throughout the municipality including: Finsland, Høllen, Ny-Hellesund, Skålevik, Tveit, Korsvik, Volleberg, Nodeland, Brennåsen, and Søgne.
The 644.63-square-kilometre (248.89 sq mi) municipality is the 175th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Kristiansand Municipality is the 6th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 119,287. The municipality's population density is 195.4 inhabitants per square kilometre (506/sq mi) and its population has increased by 12.4% over the previous 10-year period.
Tourism is very important in Kristiansand Municipality, and the summer season is the most popular for tourists. Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park is the largest zoo in Norway, located to the northeast of the city of Kristiansand. It receives over 900,000 visitors every year. Markens Street is the main pedestrian street in downtown Kristiansand where there are many shops and restaurats. Bystranda is a city beach located in Kvadraturen; Hamresanden beach is the longest beach in the municipality, located along the Topdalsfjorden. Hamresanden Camping is a popular family activity during the summer season. The city hosts a free weekly concert in downtown Kristiansand in the summertime. Outside the city is the industrial park Sørlandsparken, which includes Sørlandssenteret, Norway's largest mall. There are many holiday cottages and summer homes along the coast and on the many small coastal islands in the Skagerrak to the south.