Norway, one of the Scandinavian countries, occupies the western part of the Scandinavian peninsula in northern Europe. It extends further north than any other European land. North Cape Cliff is the most northern part of Europe. The country is slightly larger than the state of New Mexico in the U. S. The Artic Circle cuts through the central part of Norway. In spite of Norway's far northern location, the climate of the west coast is tempered by the Gulf Stream. A highly indented coast is lined with tens of thousands of islands. Mountains and plateaus cover most of the country. Only 3% of the land is arable. It is a land of waterfalls and rapids, majestic mountains, forbidding glaciers, green islands, crystal lakes, pine and spruce forests, steep-sloped farmsteads, secluded valleys, craggy cliffs, peaceful fjords, and fishing villages.
Between 800 and 1000 A.D., Norway's Vikings raided and occupied widely dispersed parts of Europe, and around 1000 A.D. established colonies in North America. Norway was united with Denmark 1381-1814, and with Sweden 1814-1905. In 1905 Norway became independent. The government is a hereditary constitutional monarchy with head of state, King Harald V.
Industries: Paper, shipbuilding, engineering, metals, chemical, food processing, fish, oil, and gas. Chief crops: grain, potatoes, fruits. Oil discovered in the North Sea made Stavanger a boom town.
Norway's Merchant Marine is one of the world's largest. Norway has one of the highest living standards in the world.
Capital and largest city is Oslo.
Lillehammer was the site of the 1994 Winter Olympics. |
