Norway

Norway, kingdom of northern Europe, occupying the smaller western portion of the Scandinavian peninsula. It is sometimes called the “Land of the Midnight Sun” since about one-third of it lies north of the Arctic Circle, where from mid-May into July there is continuous daylight; conversely, for part of the winter only twilight occurs at midday. The capital is Oslo.

Land and climate

Covering 125,050 sq mi (323,878 sq km), Norway is slightly larger than New Mexico. It is bordered by Russia, Finland, and the Barents Sea in the north, Sweden in the east, the Skagerrak arm of the North Sea in the south, and the Atlantic Ocean in the west. Thousands of islands dot the coast, and the Norwegian territory also includes the Svalbard island group 300 mi (483 km) north of the mainland in the Arctic Ocean; also Jan Mayen, 500 mi (805 km) northeast, and Bouvet Island, Queen Maud Land, and Peter I Island in Antarctica. The extremely fragmented and indented coastline is perhaps Norway's most spectacular feature. Glaciers of the past dug deep valleys as they moved down mountains to the sea. When it flooded these depressions, it created the long indentions called fjords or fiords, which are usually ice-free in winter. Mountains cover almost the entire length of Norway, over half the country. The highest peak (and of Scandinavia) is Galdhpiggen (8,097 ft/2,468 km); west of it lies the largest icecap in mainland Europe, the Jostedalsbreen. Most of Norway's rivers are short and swift, used for logging and dams but with rapids preventing navigation. The longest is the Glomma, flowing 400 mi (644 km) into the Skagerrak. Of the many glacier-formed lakes, the largest is Mjösa (140 sq mi/363 sq km), north of Oslo. Despite its Arctic proximity, Norway has a relatively mild climate because of its maritime situation and the prevailing on-shore winds, which bring heavy rainfalls. Summers are cool, winters usually below freezing, although temperatures inland and in the mountains are much colder.

People

Scandinavians comprise most of the population, although there are some Lapps and Finns in the north. Most Norwegians live in urban areas. The largest cities are Oslo and Bergen, in the heavily populated south, and Trondheim in the north. There are 2 official Norwegian languages, Nynorsk and Bokmål, although Lapps speak Ugro-Finnic. The state religion is Evangelical Lutheran.

Economy

Abundant hydroelectric power supports industrialization, giving the Norwegians one of the world's highest living standards. Petroleum output from oil and mineral deposits under the continental shelf provides revenue. Rich coal deposits are mined in Spitsbergen, largest of the Svalbard islands. Although less than 3% of Norway's land is arable, grains, potatoes, fruits, sheep, and livestock are grown. Whaling and fishing, particularly of cod, mackerel, and herring, is a leading industry, as is lumbering, although only 25% of the land is forested. Since World War II, the thriving economy has been developed through restricting imports and promoting industrialization. The chief industries are pulp and paper manufactures, fish canning, electrochemicals, electrometellurgicals, oil and gas refining, and shipbuilding; Norway has one of the world's largest merchant fleets.

History

For 2 centuries after A.D. 800, Vikings from Norway, the Norsemen, raided and occupied European coastal towns, notably Normandy, as well as islands off Scotland and Canada, and parts of England, Iceland, and Ireland. Later, civil wars preoccupied the country, though it enjoyed prosperity too, before it was united with Denmark (1397–1814), then Sweden. In 1905 Norway became a constitutional monarchy under Haakon VII, a Danish prince. Mass emigrations to the United States, arctic explorations, and the socialized government's social welfare legislation have predominated since. Germany occupied Norway throughout World War II. It is a member of NATO and the European Free Trade Association but, in a 1972 referendum, rejected membership in the Common Market. The country has continued to debate since then whether to join the Common Market, and the debate took a sharp turn in 1990 when the Progress Party came out in favor of membership. However, in a popular referendum held in 1994 a small majority of the electorate voted against membership of the Common Market.