Situated on the western coast of Norway, Bergen had sailing access to both the North Sea and eastwards into the Baltic. Starting in the fourteenth century Bergen became a major hub for trade in Northern Europe and for hosting one of the four Hanseatic Kontore. Bergen's prominent position as a royal seat promoted trade, since taxes and revenues were brought to the town. Active involvement in the import and export trade in Bergen may have been typical for both the aristocratic families and ecclesiastical institutions before the middle of the fourteenth century. A typical feature for the Norwegian export trade was that it consisted of raw commodities or semi-manufactured articles. The fact that trade politics was seen as a matter of the feeding or starvation of the population was also brought forth in 1282 when bylaws for Bergen made it illegal for foreigners to buy and sell in the countryside.