a seaport of Norway, in the diocese of Christianssand, in the Bølge Fiord, an inlet of the German Ocean, 100 miles S. of Bergen. It is built on the N.E. side of a promontory, in the fiord, and commands a fine view towards the mountains in the E. and N.E. The principal building is the cathedral, which was built in 1013, and is, with the exception of that of Drontheim, the most perfect specimen of mediæval architecture in Norway. Stavanger has also several schools, an hospital, and a poor-house. There are here shipbuilding yards, distilleries, &c., but the inhabitants depend chiefly on the herring fishery. The harbour is good, and sheltered by a small island. Timber is exported to a considerable extent. Pop. (1855) 11,717.