Welcome to my home country NORWAY– known for its unique landscape!
The English name Norway comes from the Old English word Norþweg mentioned in 880, meaning “northern way” or “way leading to the north”.
As the name means – Norway is located in the North – in Northern Europe -and it is also included in two multi-country categorizations: Scandinavia and the Nordic countries.
Scandinavia is the shared term of the area comprising of Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
The Nordic countries – or Norden (literally ‘the North’) to use the common term in the Nordic languages – include the three Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden and Denmark) and Finland and Iceland.
WHAT MAKES NORWAY SPECIAL
THE UNIQUE LANDSCAPE
- One of the most mountainous countries in Europe. Norway has between 230 – 300 mountain peaks above 2,000 metres. The tallest mountain is Galdhøpiggen in the Jotunheimen National Park, towering 2,469 metres above sea level.
(Photo-:no.wikipedia.org)
- Famous mountain plateaus : Hardangervidda is Northern Europe’s largest mountain plateau (6,500 square km- average elevation of 1,100 m) It is also Norway’s largest National park. (Photo:visittelemark.no)
- Massive glaciers – the largest glacier is Jostedalsbreen in Sogn of Fjordane, – an impressive size of 474 km2.
(Photo: smp.no)
- The highest concentration of fjords in the world
- 8 sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and two of them are fjords – Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord
- Also having the second largest fjord in the World – Sognefjorden, which is the largest fjord in Norway and it stretches 205 km inland from the ocean.
- Northern light (Aurora Bolaris) and midnight sun
- The second-longest coastline in the world
- Hundred thousands of islands along the coast (239,057)
- A large number of white sandy beaches. Orre beach, at JÆREN, is one of the longest beaches in Norway. – 5 km stretch of fine golden sand !
It is also a Blue Flag beach!
- Jaw-dropping waterfalls. About 300 in number and many being among the tallest in the world. Vettisfossen is the tallest, towering over the Utladalen Valley at a height of 275m.
- At least 450,000 freshwater lakes
- Urban cities, picturesque towns and remote villages
SOME GREAT WAYS TO EXPLORE THIS UNIQUE LANDSCAPE
- by car: 18 scenic routes
- by boat: explore the beautiful coast by Hurtigruten Coastal Voyage – a hop-on, hop-off cruise – from Bergen to Kirkenes
- by train: explore fields, fjords, forest and mountains from one of
Norway´s scenic train journeys - by foot – join one of The Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) outdoor activities. DNT operate 550 cabins across the country, mark routes and ski tracks. Together they maintain a network of about 22,000 km of marked foot trails and about 7000 km of branch-marked ski tracks.
Hiking in the mountains is very popular, so why not try one of these marked foot trails – there are both day trips and longer routes where you can stay overnight at their cabins. DNT also arrange guided tours that include overnight accommodation, all meals and an experienced English-speaking DNT tour guide
OTHER FASCINATING FACTS
The Viking heritage – From the 8th to the 10th century the Vikings colonised, raided, and traded in all parts of Europe. The Norwegian Viking explorers discovered Iceland by accident in the 9th century when heading for the Faroe Islands. They also discovered Greenland and even travelled as far as Newfoundland in Canada in their boats.
Norwegians invented skiing some 4000 years ago. The island of Rødøy, in northern Norway, is home to rock carvings of «a skier» that dates back 4000 years.
Maybe that is the reason that most Norwegians love skiing! Skiing has become a national sport. That is easy to see in Norway´s skiing history – always competitive at the Winter Olympics. Norway has won 368 total medals including 132 gold medals, both considerably more than any other nation.
The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo – the Capital of Norway. The Peace Prize has been Awarded to 134 Nobel Laureates since 1901. The Nobel Peace Prize winner is chosen by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which consists of five members appointed by the Norwegian parliament. These members are fiercely independent.
No other country celebrates National Day more enthusiastically than the Norwegians. The 17th of May – Norwegian Constitution Day is a party for everyone, young and old, and it has a unique tradition! Most people: – wear traditional costumes – bunad , – use flags diligently,- watch different parades; with the Children’s Parade led by marching bands as the biggest and most popular. Families and friends get together for a great 17th of May buffet breakfast or lunch and many attend events at local schools with games, cakes and ice cream.
Norway’s most famous artist is Edvard Munch (1863–1944), and the painting «The Scream» became world-famous – representing the universal anxiety of modern man.
«The Scream» once held the Guinness World Record for «the world’s most expensive painting» when a version of it was sold for almost $120 mill. at Sotheby’s in 2012
- Norway and Europe’s northernmost point is the North Cape.
- Norway is one of the world’s most prosperous countries, and oil and gas production account for 20 percent of its economy. Other important sectors include hydropower, fish, forests, and minerals.
- Norway often appears among the top happiest countries in the world.
- Some of the world’s finest salmon are bred in Norway’s clean, cold fjords and coastal seawaters, and is renowned for its freshness, nutritional value and fantastic flavour. It was Norway that introduced salmon sushi to the world
- …and talking about food – the Norwegian cities and towns are full of cool contemporary restaurants that focus on local and seasonal food.
THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF NORWAY
