Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Join Britannica's Publishing Partner Program and our community of experts to gain a global audience for your work! Arendal, town and port, southern Norway. Its excellent harbour is on Tromøy Sound, a protected sound sheltered by the offshore island of Tromøy. A port since the 14th century, Arendal had the largest fleet in Norway before the steamship era. From the 16th century it prospered from timber exports. Some timber is still floated down the Nidelva River, which empties into the Skagerrak (strait between Norway and Denmark) at Arendal. Besides sawmilling, the town’s chief industries include metal processing and fabricating (particularly electrical appliances) and food and tobacco processing. Arendal is one of the most important coastal shipping centres of Norway and is the terminus of a branch of the Sørland (Oslo-Stavanger) rail line. The four-story town hall is one of the largest wooden buildings in Norway. The historic battery, overlooking the harbour, was used during the war that forced Denmark to cede Norway to Sweden (1814). Pop. (2007 est.) mun., 40,057. Learn More in these related Britannica articles:SørlandetKristiansand and Arendal are the main industrial centres and seaports in the region. The rural economy is based on farming and dairying, while fishing and the fish-processing industry are important along the coast. The southernmost point of mainland Norway is marked by the Lindesnes lighthouse in the…Norway, country of northern Europe that occupies the western half of the Scandinavian peninsula. Nearly half of the inhabitants of the country live in the far south, in the region around Oslo, the capital. About two-thirds of Norway is mountainous, and off its much-indented coastline lie, carved by deep glacial…