Norway, due to the fact that there is a polar day from May to July, is sometimes called the “Land of the Midnight Sun”. This, of course, is a mysterious and even somewhat romantic name, but it does not cause a strong desire to come to this country. However, Norway is not only the Land of the Midnight Sun. First of all, Norway is the Vikings, amazingly beautiful fjords, some of which are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and, of course, prestigious ski resorts.
Geography of Norway
Norway is located in the western part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. In the northeast, Norway borders on Finland and Russia, in the east – on Sweden. In the northeast, Norway is washed by the Barents Sea, in the southwest by the North Sea, and in the west by the Norwegian Sea. The Skagerrak Strait separates Norway from Denmark.
The total territory of Norway, including the islands of Svalbard, Jan Mayen and Bear in the Arctic Ocean, is 385,186 square kilometers.
A significant part of the territory of Norway is occupied by mountains. The highest of them are Mount Gallhöppigen (2469 m) and Mount Glittertinn (2452 m).
There are a lot of rivers in Norway, the longest of which are Glomma (604 km), Logen (359 km), and Otra (245 km).
Norway is sometimes referred to as the “Lakeland”. This is not surprising, given that there are several hundred lakes in it. The largest of these are Mjøsa, Rösvatn, Femunn, and Hornindalsvatnet.
Capital
According to itypejob.com, the capital of Norway is Oslo, which is now home to more than 620 thousand people. It is believed that Oslo was founded in 1048 by the Norwegian king Harald III.
Official language of Norway
The official language in Norway is Norwegian, which consists of two dialects (Bokmål and Nynorsk). Most often, Norwegians speak Bukol, but for some reason Nynorsk is popular with Norwegian Internet users.
Religion
More than 80% of Norwegians are Lutherans (Protestants) belonging to the Church of Norway. However, only about 5% of Norwegians go to church every week. In addition, 1.69% of Norwegians are Muslims and 1.1% are Catholics.
State structure of Norway
According to computerminus.com, Norway is a constitutional monarchy in which the head of state, according to the Constitution of 1814, is the King.
The executive power in Norway belongs to the King, and the legislative power belongs to the local unicameral parliament – the Storting (169 deputies).
The main political parties in Norway are the liberal-conservative Progress Party, the social democratic Norwegian Labor Party, the Christian Democratic Party and the Social Left Party.
Climate and weather
Norway is at the same latitude as Alaska and Siberia, but this Scandinavian country has a much milder climate. In late June – early August in Norway, the weather is warm and the days are long. At this time, the average air temperature reaches + 25-30C, and the average sea temperature – + 18C.
The warmest and most stable weather is always observed on the southern coast of Norway. However, even in the north of Norway in summer the air temperature can exceed +25C. However, in the central regions and in the north of Norway, the weather often changes.
In winter, most of Norway tends to turn into a real snow paradise. In winter in Norway, the air temperature can even drop to -40C.
Sea in Norway
In the northeast, Norway is washed by the Barents Sea, in the southwest by the North Sea, and in the west by the Norwegian Sea. The Skagerrak Strait separates Norway from Denmark. The total coastline of Norway is 25,148 km.
Average sea temperature in Oslo:
January – +4C
February – +3С
March – +3C
April – +6С
May – +11C
June – +14C
July – +17C
August – +18С
september – +15C
October – +12C
November – +9С
December – +5C
The real beauty of Norway is the Norwegian fjords. The most beautiful of them are Naeroyfjord, Sognefjord, Geirangerfjord, Hardangerfjord, Lysefjord, and Aurlandsfjord.
Rivers and lakes
There are a lot of rivers in Norway, the longest of which are Glomma in the east (604 km), Logen in the southeast (359 km), and Otra in Serland (245 km). The largest Norwegian lakes are Mjøsa, Røsvatn, Femunn, and Hornindalsvatnet.
Many tourists come to Norway to fish. In Norwegian rivers and lakes, salmon, trout, whitefish, pike, perch and grayling are found in large numbers.
History of Norway
Archaeologists have proven that people on the territory of modern Norway lived as early as the 10th millennium BC. But the real history of Norway began in the Viking Age, whose cruelty is still legendary on the coast of Great Britain, for example.
From 800-1066, the Norse Vikings became known throughout Europe as brave warriors, ruthless invaders, cunning merchants and inquisitive seafarers. The history of the Vikings ended in 1066, when the Norwegian king Harald III died in England. Olaf III became King of Norway after him. It was under Olaf III that Christianity began to spread rapidly in Norway.
In the XII century, Norway captured part of the British Isles, Iceland and Greenland. It was the time of the greatest prosperity of the Norwegian kingdom. However, the country was greatly weakened by competition from the Hanseatic League and the plague epidemic.
In 1380, Norway and Denmark entered into an alliance and became one country. The union of these states lasted more than four centuries.
In 1814, Norway, according to the Treaty of Kiel, became part of Sweden. However, Norway did not submit to this and the Swedes invaded its territory. In the end, Norway agreed to be part of Sweden if they were left with the constitution.
Throughout the 19th century, nationalism grew in Norway, and this led to a referendum in 1905. According to the results of this referendum, Norway became an independent state.
During the First World War, Norway remained neutral. During the Second World War, Norway also declared its neutrality, but it was nevertheless occupied by German troops (for Germany, this was a strategic move).
After the end of the Second World War, Norway suddenly forgot about its neutrality, and became one of the founders of the NATO military bloc.
Culture of Norway
The culture of Norway differs markedly from the cultures of other peoples of Europe. The fact is that this Scandinavian country is located far from such European cultural centers as Florence, Rome and Paris. However, tourists will be pleasantly impressed by the Norwegian culture.
Many Norwegian cities host annual music, dance and folklore festivals. The most popular of them is the international cultural festival in Bergen (music, dance, theater).
It cannot be said that the Norwegians have made a huge contribution to world culture, but the fact that it was significant is undeniable. The most famous Norwegians are polar explorers Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen, composers Varg Vikernes and Edvard Grieg, artist Edvard Munch, writers and playwrights Henrik Ibsen and Knut Hamsun, and traveler Thor Heyerdahl.
Cuisine of Norway
The main products of Norwegian cuisine are fish, meat, potatoes and other vegetables, and cheese. Norwegians’ favorite traditional snack is pölse (potato cake with sausage).
We advise tourists not to leave Norway until they have tried the following local dishes:
Fenalår – dried lamb.
Fårikål – lamb stew with cabbage.
Pinnekjøtt – salted ribs.
Roast of wild elk or deer.
Kjøttkaker – fried beef meatballs.
Laks og eggerøre – smoked salmon omelet.
Lutefisk – baked cod.
Rømmegrøt – sour cream porridge.
Multekrem – cloudberry cream for dessert.
The traditional alcoholic drink in Norway is Aquavit, which is usually 40% ABV. The production of aquavita in Scandinavia began in the 15th century.
Sights of Norway
Norwegians have always been distinguished by the fact that they are very careful about their history. Therefore, we advise tourists to visit Norway to see:
North Cape
Norwegian fjords.
The changing of the guard ceremony at the Royal Palace in Oslo.
Bryggen wooden quarter in Bergen
Sculpture park in Oslo
Ski jump Holmenkolle.
Snow hotel in Kirkenes.
Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.
Viking ships in the maritime museum in Oslo.
National Historical Museum in Oslo.
Cities and resorts
The largest Norwegian cities are Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, and Stavanger.
Norway is famous for its great ski resorts. Every winter in Norway there are different championships in skiing. The top ten Norwegian ski resorts include, in our opinion, the following:
Trysil (Trisil)
Hemsedal (Hemsedal)
Hafjell (Hafjell)
Geilo (Geilo)
Tryvann (Tryvann)
Norefjell
Oppdal (Oppdal)
Hovden (Hovden)
Kvitfjell (Kvitfjell)
Kongsberg (Consberg)
Souvenirs/Shopping
We advise tourists from Norway to bring a real Norwegian wool sweater, toy trolls, modern dishes, wooden kitchen utensils, silverware, ceramics, jerky lamb, brown goat cheese, and Norwegian vodka – aquavit.
Office Hours
Stores open:
Mon-Wed and Fri: 09:00-17:00/18:00
Thu: 09:00-20:00
Sat: 10:00-18:00
Supermarkets are usually open on Mon-Fri from 09:00 to 20:00, and on Sat from 10:00: 00-18.00.
Banks:
Mon-Fri – 08:00-15.30
Most hotels, restaurants and large shops accept major international credit cards.
Visa
Ukrainians need a visa to enter Norway.
Currency of Norway
Norway is not part of the European Union and therefore the country still has its own currency, the Norwegian krone (NOK), in circulation. One crown = 100 ore.
Banknotes of 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 crowns are used.
Coins in denominations of 1, 5, 10, and 20 crowns.
Customs restrictions
It is forbidden to import firearms, drugs, exotic animals, pornography, etc. into Norway.
When exporting foreign currency worth more than 25 thousand crowns from Norway, it must be included in the declaration.
Art objects and antiques can only be taken out of Norway with the permission of the relevant authorities.
Useful phone numbers and addresses
Embassy of Norway in Ukraine:
st. Streletskaya, 15, Kiev, 01901
(044) 590 04 70 – telephone
(044) 234 06 55 –
fax email: [email protected]
Emergency telephones
In case of emergencies in Norway, please contact the following telephone numbers:
– Fire. Service – 110
– Police – 112
– Police (mobile phone only) – 911
– Ambulance – 113
– Maritime Emergency – 120
Time
The difference with time in Kyiv in summer is -1 hour, and in winter -2 hours. Those. if in Oslo, for example, in the summer it is 9:00 am, then in Kyiv it is 10:00 am.
Tips
Tipping in Norway is 6-10%. In a restaurant, you can simply round up the bill. So, if the bill for dinner is 93.60 kroons, then you can leave 100 kroons to the waiter.
The medicine
No special vaccinations are required to enter Norway, but health insurance for 30,000 euros is required.
Security
Norway is a safe country for tourists. However, when traveling in Norway, still take care of your own safety. Ski slopes in Norway are safe, there are no avalanches. Therefore, ski or skateboard only on specially equipped tracks.
When fishing in Norway, be sure to wear a life jacket. Do not fish standing up from a boat. When fishing from a boat, try not to drink alcohol.
