Norway, one of the Scandinavian countries, is a nation state in northern Europe
that surprisingly has only had an independent existence since 1905. The Norwegians
have influenced world history and culture for centuries.
The 1990 population of Norway is 4,252,806. The life expectancey at birth is 73 years male
and 81 years female. Their language is a
member of the Germanic subgroup of the family of Indo-European languages. The offical language is Norwegian
with about 80% of the population speaking bokmål and the rest speaking nynorsk. There
are also small Lapp and Finnish speaking minorities.Norway prides itself on
the fact that they have achieved a 100% literacy rate.
Norway is an elongated and irregularly shaped country as you can see by the map
above. The central third of Norway forms a narrow stem only 40 to 60 miles wide.
Norway has a total area of 324,220 square km or 155,000 square miles.
Almost one third of Norway is above the Arctic circle. This results in Norway
having an extreme seasonal change in the length of day and night. In midwinter,
daylight lasts only 6 hours in the southern part of the country, and in the far
north night is almost continuous. But in midsummer, daylight takes over. At
North Cape, which is located at the far north of Norway, the sun does not set for
about two and one-half months. Even as far south as Trondheim, there is really
no night during the month of June.
Mountains cover nearly three-fourths of Norway making much of the country
uninhabitable. However, the Norwegians are a very resourceful people and they
make the best use of the land that they have. The most distinctive feature of
Norway is the fiord, a deep narrow bay which penetrates far inland and furnishes
quiet waters along the entire stretch of coast. Some of these indentations, such as
the Hardanger Fjord and Sognefjord, twist and turn into the deep interior for
scores of miles. The aggregate mileage of shore line for islands and mainland
totals more than half the circumference of the globe.
Norway’s climate is less severe in most areas that one expect from its
latitude. The Gulf Stream and the Norwegian Current have a moderating effect on
much of the country. The coastal and western slopes benefit most. Beyond the
crests of the mountains that fan out westard below Trondheim, the southeastward
sloping areas experience warmer summers and colder winters, with somewhat heavy
and long-lasting snowfalls in the winter.
Norway’s government is a constitutional hereditary monarchy, operating under
the Eidsvoll constitution of 1814, amended in some particulars to take account
first of the dynastic union with Sweden and then of the fully independent status
after 1905. The authority of the crown is exercised through a Council of State.
Its members must have the confidence of the parliament, which is called the
Storting, and may sit in it and enter into debate but have no vote.
In form the Storting is a one-chamber body of 150 members, elected for a
four-year term by male and female voters over 18 years of age. After election,
the new body selects one-fourth of its members as the Odelsting, or Lower
Chamber and and Upper Chamber, the Lagting.
New laws must first pass the Odelsting and then the Lagting. In case of
disagreement, all members meet in single body as the Storting to decide the
matter. The crown has a suspensive veto. If a vetoed bill is passed unaltered
by two successively elected Stortings, it becomes law without royal approval.
The King is not empowered to dissolve the Storting.
Oslo is Norway’s capital and chief seaport. It is a large cultural center
with a busy harbor. Its name was changed from Christiania in 1925. Oslo was the
name of the old capital founded in A.D. 1050. Bergen is the country’s leading
fishing port. Indeed, every coastal city in the country is a fishing center.
The discovery of oil transformed Norway into one of the wealthiest European
countries.
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Articles About Norway
Sons of Norway Smørgåsbord
Norway Resources List
Norway Online Information Service
Norweave
Ancestors From Norway
Immigration History Research Center
Tourist Information for Norway
Norway Tourist Information
Travelang
Links to Scandinavia
Scandinavian Net Shopping
