Detailed interactive map Norway
Norway is a country and constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The country's extensive coastline along the North Atlantic Ocean is home to its famous fjords.Norway is the northernmost country in the world to have open waters. This is due the warm currents flowing north from the Equator towards the Norwegian Sea. The climate in Norway differs from that of the rest of Scandinavia. The tall mountain ranges dividing mainland Norway provide protection from precipitation to large areas of inland eastern Norway. The transition between winter and summer can provide surprising combinations of activities, for example a combined skiing and canoeing trip.Vikings ravaged the coasts of northwest Europe from the 8th to the 11th century and were ruled by local chieftains. The Vikings were great sailors and became the first to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Eric the Red, the son of a Norwegian colonized Greenland in 982. In 1001, Eric's Icelandic son, Leif Eriksson, became possibly the first European to explore the coast of North America. Olaf II Haraldsson became the first effective king of all Norway in 1015 and began converting the Norwegians to Christianity. After 1442, Norway was ruled by Danish kings until 1814, when it was united with Sweden. In 1905, the Norwegian parliament arranged a peaceful separation and invited a Danish prince to the Norwegian throne—King Haakon VII. Norway stayed neutral during both world wars but was occupied by the Nazis in 1940. King Hakon set up a government in exile and placed most of Norway's huge merchant fleet under the command of the Allies. North Sea oil and natural gas finds brought prosperity to the country in the 1970s. Norway has since achieved one of the highest standards of living in the world.Norway consists of large areas of unspoiled nature and vast tracts of wilderness. Much of the country is dominated by mountainous or high terrain, with a great variety of natural features caused by prehistoric glaciers and varied topography. The most noticeable of these are the fjords: deep grooves cut into the land flooded by the sea following the end of the Ice Age. The longest is Sognefjorden. Norway also contains many glaciers and waterfalls.Norway is called as the "Land of the Midnight Sun". From late May to late July, the sun never completely descends beneath the horizon in areas north of the Arctic Circle and the rest of the country experiences up to 20 hours of daylight per day. Conversely, from late November to late January, the sun never rises above the horizon in the north, and daylight hours are very short in the rest of the country.Most Norwegians are ethnic Norwegians, a North Germanic people. The indigenous Sami people traditionally inhabit central and northern parts of Norway. Another national minority are the Kven people.The culture of Norway distinct from other countries in Europe in that it has fewer opulent palaces and castles, smaller agricultural areas, and longer travel distances. Regionally distinct architecture, crafts, and art are presented in the various folk museums, typically based on an ethnological perspective. Norsk Folkemuseum at Bygdøy in Oslo is the largest of these.In winter, cross-country skiing, alpine skiing and snowboarding are very popular. In summer, hiking and biking are obvious ways to enjoy the enormous mountain areas. For the adventurous, kayaking, wild-water rafting, paragliding, cave or glacier exploration are possible. Car tourists will enjoy driving along the fjords and mountains in the west or to the midnight sun in the north. In short, Norway has a lot to offer in terms of nature.
