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| County | Vestfold | |
| Landscape | Viken | |
| Municipality | NO-0704 | |
| Administrative centre | Tønsberg | |
| Mayor (2004) | Per Arne Olsen (FrP) | |
| Official language form | Bokmål | |
| Area - Total - Land - Percentage | Ranked 381 107 km² 106 km² 0.03 % | |
| Population - Total (2004) - Percentage - Change (10 years) - Density | Ranked 21 36,046 0.79 % 10.1 % 340/km² | |
| Coordinates | Template:Coor dm | |
| www.tonsberg.kommune.no Data from Statistics Norway (http://www.ssb.no/english/municipalities/0704) | ||
Tønsberg is a town and municipality in the county of Vestfold, Norway, and has 35,326 inhabitants as of January 1, 2002. The municipality of Tønsberg covers 106 km² and includes today also the former municipality Sem.
According to Snorri Sturluson Tønsberg was founded before the Battle in Hafrsfjord. This makes Tønberg the oldest town in Norway, founded in 871. In the 1200s, king Haakon Haakonson set up a castle here, Tønsberg Fortress. His daughter was known as princess Kristina of Tønsberg. She was married to the Spanish Prince of Castilla, but died shortly thereafter. The town was destroyed by fire in 1536, but Tønsberg remained one of the most important harbour towns in Norway.
Tønsberg is still an industrial and maritime centre, with such diverse concerns as metal shops, shipyards, paper mills, leather processing, and breweries; it is noted especially for its silverware. Tourist sites include ruins of the Tønsberghus, St. Michael's Church, the Royal Castle, Sem Church, and the Vestfold Museum. The Oseberg ship was found near the city in 1904. The longship is now in the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo.
Tønsberg is also known for its toll ring, which was opened in February 2004, against the will of the majority of the citizens. Unlike other toll roads in the world, the motorists in Tønsberg have to pay toll before any new roads are built and before the politicians have decided were the new roads shall go.
Lene Nystrøm, who was the lead singer of Aqua before its dissolution, was born there on October 2, 1973.
Jahn Teigen, the lead singer of Popol Ace (formerly Popol Vuh), was also born in Tønsberg. Teigen was the first person in history to receive a score of nil points in the Eurovision Song Contest 1978.
| Municipalities of Vestfold | Missing image Vestfold_vapen.png Vestfold coat of arms |
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Andebu | Hof | Holmestrand | Horten | Lardal | Larvik | Nøtterøy | Re | Sande | Sandefjord | Stokke | Svelvik | Tjøme | Tønsberg | |