Norway, Norway

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Norway is well known for its amazing and varied nature. The fjords in the west of the country are long narrow inlets of the sea, flanked by tall mountains. Norway was an old Viking kingdom. Economically it is known for its oil and seafood exports.

Norway has space. In this country, roughly the same size as Great Britain or Germany, only 4.5 million people live. Thus, for each inhabitant there is 65,000 square meters of land, but the vast majority of this land is a rocky wilderness which is completely unusable for any agricultural purposes. As a result, Norway has a large number of completely unpopulated areas, many of which have been converted to national parks. But even outside the national parks, much of the land is unspoiled nature which Norwegians strive to keep unspoiled.

In winter, cross-country skiing, alpine skiing and snowboarding are very popular. In summer, hiking and biking are obvious ways to enjoy the enormous mountain areas. For the adventurous, kayaking, wildwater rafting, paragliding, cave or glacier exploration are possible. Car tourists will enjoy driving along the fjords and mountains in the west or to the midnight sun in the north. Briefly, Norway has a lot to offer in terms of nature.

Norway is located on a large peninsula shared with Sweden in the north of Europe. In the north, it also borders Finland and Russia. A large but loosely defined northern part of of Norway and Sweden, as well as parts of Finland and Russia outlines an area known as Sapmi (Sameland), which is where the most of the Sami (lapp) people live.

Because of the gulf stream, the climate in Norway is noticeably warmer than what would otherwise be expected at such a high latitude. Almost half the length of Norway is north of the polar circle. Summers can be moderately warm (up to 30 degrees C), even in northern areas, but only for limited periods. The length of the winter and amount of snow varies. In the north there is more snow and winters are dark; on the southern and western coast, winters are moderate and rainy, while further inland the temperature can get below -25 degrees C. Some mountain areas will have permanent glaciers.

A rugged landscape shaped by the Ice Age, shows forest hills and valleys, mountains, waterfalls, and a long coastline with fjords, islands, and mountains growing directly up from the sea. In the far north (Finnmark), you will find flatter open spaces.

Norway's primary income is the petroleum industry in the North Sea. It also has several other natural resources such as fish and minerals, some industry, and a healthy technology sector. Politically, it is dominated by a widespread and continued support for the Scandinavian model, which means high taxes and high government spending to support free schools, free healthcare, an efficient welfare system, and many other benefits. As a result the unemployment rate in Norway is low.

The Norwegian people have rejected membership in the European Union (EU) in two independent popular votes in 1972 and 1994, after first having being vetoed out of membership by France in the 50s and 60s. However, being a member state of the European Economic Area and part of the Schengen agreement, Norway is still closely connected to the EU, and is integrated as a full member in most economic matters as well as in customs and immigration matters.

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General Tips about Norway

» Required travel documents for Norway
» Alarm telephone number
» Permissible concentration of alcohol in the blood
» Electric power
» Area code to Norway
» Weather
» Climate in Norway
» Norway - get around
» Norway
» Bars and pubs in Norway
» What to eat in Norway
» CLOTHING AND CLIMATE
» English is ScandinaviaÂ’s second language
» About Costs :)
» The Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden
» The Norwegian Museum of Architecture
» The Museum of Applied Art
» Akershus Fortress and Castle
» The Norwegian Museum of Cultural History
» The Kon-Tiki Museum
» The Vigeland Sculpture Park
» The Holmenkollen Ski Jump
» Arctic Catherdal
» Polar Museum
» Cable Car
» Polaria
» Mandal
» Kristiansand
» Lillesand
» Grimstad
» Brikenes
» Arendal
» Utladalen / Vettisfossen
» Trollstigen
» Naeroyfjord
» Naeroydalen
» Lysefjorden
» Kjerag / Preikestolen
» Jostedalsbreen
» Hilleknuten
» Stavanger
» Bergen
» The Saltstraumen Experience, near Bodo
» The Geiranger Fjord
» Nordkapp
» Ajostedal Glacier National Park
» Lofoten Islands
» Tromso
» Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim
» Troms, Norway
» Hordaland, Norway
» Buskerud, Norway
» Akershus, Norway
» Alesund, Norway
» Troms? Botanical Garden, Norway
» Lofoten
» Trondheim
» What to see in Trondheim
» Stavanger - get around
» What to see in Stavanger
» Stavanger
» Oslo
» Oslo - BygdÅ™y
» Oslo - The Frogner park
» Oslo - Tryvannstĺrnet
» Oslo - Vigeland Sculpture Park
» The Storting, Oslo
» The Henie-Onstad Art Centre - Oslo
» Oslo - Edvard Munch Museum
» Oslo Kon-Tiki Museum
» The Holmenkollen ski jump in Oslo
» Oslo - Akershus Fortress
» Lillehammer
» TromsÅ™
» Lysefjorden
» Trondheim - Nidaros Cathedral
» Bergen is the second largest city of Norway
» Oslo
» NORWAY.com

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