BERGEN, a city and seaport on the west coast of Norway, capital of the province of South Bergen, in 5° 2 9'E. long, and 60° 23' N. lat. It is situated on a rocky promontory at the head of a deep bay called the Vaag, has a fine harbour with two good entrances, and is surrounded by hills, some of which attain the height of 2000 feet. Towards the sea it is defended by the ancient fortress of Bergenhuus, the citadels of Fredericksberg and Sverresberg, and some lesser works. The appearance of the town, which rises in the form of an amphitheatre and is generally well built, is decidedly picturesque, with its wooden houses painted of various colours. It contains a cathedral, several churches, of which the oldest, St Mary’s, dates from the 12th century, hospitals, a lazaretto, a national museum, a diocesan college, a naval academy, a school of design, public libraries, various charitable institutions, and a theatre. It is the seat of a bishopric, and possesses a tribunal of secondary jurisdiction and one of the three public treasuries of Norway. Bergen has a considerable export trade, which consists of stockfish, lobsters, fish-roes, herrings, whale oil, horns, skins, rock moss, and timber, and is chiefly carried on with the northern countries of Europe. In 1867 the number of steamships that entered the port was 164, with a tonnage of 28,454. The imports of that year amounted to £92,600, and the exports to £344,000. Bergen was founded in the 11th century by Olaf the Peaceful, king of Norway. In 1445 the Hanseatic League established a factory in the city, and continued to have almost the sole control of the trade till 1558, when it was expelled by the Norwegians, who found its presence oppressive. There is still a kind of German colony in the place, which keeps up the ...

BERGEN-OP-ZOOM, a town of Holland, in the province of North Brabant, situated on both sides of the River Zoom, near its confluence with the East Scheldt, in 51° 29' N. lat. and 4° 17' E. long. It is about 15 miles N. of Antwerp, and 22 W.S.W. of Breda. The houses are well built, the market-places and squares handsome and spacious. It possesses a port and an arsenal, and contains a townhouse, a Latin school, and an academy of design and architecture. The tower of the old castle is remarkable for an increase of its breadth from the bottom upwards, and for its liability to be rocked when struck by a strong wind. There are numerous tile-works and potteries of fine ware; and a considerable trade is carried on in anchovies caught in the Scheldt....