About Norway
Brief History
Norway means “northern way,” as one third of the country is north of the Arctic Circle, making it one of the world’s northernmost countries. For many centuries Norwegians lived off the sea as fishers and traders. It was from Norway’s coast that the Vikings—skilled sailors who built a vast maritime trading network—ventured across the Atlantic Ocean to Iceland, later becoming the first Europeans to reach Greenland and North America in the late 10th century. The lure of the sea has remained strong into modern times. Norway retains a vigorous fishing industry and its merchant marine fleet is one of the largest in the world. During the late 20th century, the discovery of vast reserves of petroleum and natural gas in Norway’s portion of the North Sea brought an important new source of prosperity to the country. Today, Norway is among the world’s largest exporters of fossil fuels.
Oslo is the nation’s capital and the principal port and industrial center. It is home to the Norwegian Parliament and the Royal Palace, and it is considered one of the most attractive cities in the world.
Geography and Population
Norway is fairly small; it is roughly the size of Montana, with 385,639 sq km (or 148,896 sq mi) of land. In proportion to its territory, Norway’s coastline is longer than that of any other large nation in the world. The average elevation is more than 460 m (1,500 ft) above sea level. Norway is home to some of Europe’s largest glaciers, and the mountains throughout the country have been carved by fjords, or valleys shaped by glaciers with narrow deep-sided inlets from the sea.
Norway has nearly 4.6 million inhabitants, based on 2005 estimates, mostly of Germanic origin. It has the lowest population density in Continental Europe: 15 persons per sq km (39 per sq mi). More than three quarters of the inhabitants live within 10 miles of the sea, with 78% in urban areas and half in the southeast portion of the country. The population of Oslo is estimated to be nearly 550,000.
Norway’s standard of living has increased steadily since World War II, and today Norwegians enjoy one of the highest per capita standards of living in the world.
Intellectual Contributions
For such a small county, Norway has contributed an immense amount of culture to the world. In literature, Sigrid Undset (1882-1949) received the Nobel Prize in 1920—the most significant female writer in Norwegian literature. Knut Hamsun (1859-1952) won the Nobel Prize in 1928.
Edward Grieg (1843-1907) is one of the world’s most well known composers. He attempted to capture the changing mood created by the alternately light and dark seasons in Norway. Classical music remains very much alive in Norway today, though you can also find a contemporary twist in Norwegian jazz saxophonist Jan Garbarek. Norway is also home to a variety of folk music.
Edward Munch (1963-1944) is unquestionably one of the most famous painters in Norway. Upon his death, Munch bequeathed his works to the City of Oslo and they are now on display at the National Gallery, the Munch Museum and the Bergen Art museum. Norway is also the home of the famous sculptor Gustave Vigeland (1869-1943).