Norway
Updated: Sep 20, 2022
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Country Name
Norway, or officially the Kingdom of Norway.
Location
Norway is located in Northern Europe. Norway is bordered by Finland and Russia to the northeast, and the Skagerrak Strait to the south, with Denmark on the other side. Norway has an extensive coastline, facing the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea.
Capital
Oslo.
Reason for Naming
Norway has two official names: Norge in Bokmål and Noreg in Nynorsk. The English name Norway comes from the Old English word Norþweg mentioned in 880, meaning "northern way" or "way leading to the north", which is how the Anglo-Saxons referred to the coastline of Atlantic Norway similar to a scientific agreement about the origin of the Norwegian language name. The Anglo-Saxons of Britain also referred to the kingdom of Norway in 880 as Norðmanna land.
Flag
The Flag of Norway was adopted on 13 July 1821. The flag consists of red with an indigo blue Scandinavian cross border in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog, the flag of Denmark.
The National flag of Norway's tricolor of blue, red, and white denotes the country’s liberty and independence.
The concept was borrowed from the colors of the French, American, and British flags.
The blue cross represents Norway’s union with Sweden and its past association with Denmark. The cross is also a symbol associated with Christianity and is common in most Nordic countries. The cross divides the flag into four parts with the white color bordering the blue cross.
The white and red colors represented the union that Norway had with Denmark.
The blue color that makes up the cross represents Norway's union with Sweden before they gained autonomy, a symbol that expresses their love for peace and amicable relations with each other.
The combination of the three colors was something they borrowed from France where the colors represent liberty.
*Flag facts:
-The Norway flag is similar to the flag of Iceland but instead of the red color is the blue color.
Language
Norwegian and Sámi are the two official languages of Norway. The North Germanic Norwegian language has two official written forms, Bokmål and Nynorsk, Both are used in public administration, schools, churches, and media. Bokmål is the written language used by a large majority of about 80–85%. Around 95% of the population speak Norwegian as their first or native language, although many speak dialects that may differ significantly from the written languages. All Norwegian dialects are mutually intelligible, although listeners with limited exposure to dialects other than their own may struggle to understand certain phrases and pronunciations in some other dialects. The ethnic Swedes, Finns, Russians, and Romanis of Norway speak their native languages in the country. English is the most popular foreign language spoken in Norway, which is also the most widely taught foreign language in the schools of the country. Most people in the country, especially those born after World War II, speak English fluently. Other popular foreign languages spoken in the country are German, Spanish, and French. These languages are taught as second or third languages in the country’s schools. Some schools in the country, mostly in the cities, offer classes in Russian, Latin, Japanese, Italian, and Chinese. The Minority Languages of Norway; Romani, Norwegian Traveller, Ethnic Swedes, Finns, and Russians living in Norway also speak their mother tongues, as their first language.
Religion
Christianity is the predominant religion forming about 84.70% of the population, the vast majority of the population are members of the Church of Norway and the rest belonged to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway.
Islam is the second-largest religion in Norway after Christianity and its various denominations.
Followed by Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other religions. Irreligion has continued to become a trend among Norwegians accounting for 10.10% of the population.
Other minority religions in Norway include the Baha'i Faith, Judaism, Sikhism, Humanism, and life stances among others. Members belonging to the ‘other religions' category accounts for 0.20% of the country's total population which is equivalent to 9,760 individuals.
The 1814 Constitution of Norway did not grant religious freedom clearly stating that Jesuits and Jews were not allowed to enter Norway. Church attendance and adhering to Evangelical Lutheran Christianity were a must. However, in 1964 the Constitution in Norway was fully amended allowing for the freedom of religion except for the Norwegian royal family whom the Constitution requires to be Lutherans.
Currency
Norwegian krone (NOK).
Time Zone
+02:00 GMT. (Summer Time)
+01:00 GMT.
Government Regime
Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy.
Climate
Norway is a Nordic country, however, because of the Gulf Stream, its temperature is not as cold as it appears, especially near the west coast. However, because the nation has a wide latitude range and a rocky coastline, as well as plateaus and mountain ranges, diverse climates must be considered.
Due to Norway's high latitude, there are significant seasonal variations in daylight. From late May to late July, the sun never entirely sets below the horizon in locations north of the Arctic Circle (thus Norway's nickname "Land of the Midnight Sun"), while the remainder of the nation has up to 20 hours of daylight every day. From late November to late January, however, the sun never rises over the horizon in the north, and daylight hours are extremely limited throughout the remainder of the nation. The ocean, whose surface temperature maintains a few degrees above freezing even in winter, tempers winter weather while remaining cool in summer, lowering the yearly temperature range along the shore.
On the contrary, the effect of the sea is significantly less noticeable in the interior, which is due in part to the fact that Norway has practically no lowlands, therefore the mountain ranges prevent the entry of gentle sea currents.
Summer is the greatest time to visit Norway, from June through August. Temperatures around the beaches and in hilly areas are quite cool and even frigid at the northern shore. Temperatures in the hinterland, downtown Oslo, and along the southern coast are typically pleasant, although a sweater for the evening is still recommended. It can even get heated throughout the day, while the nights are cold. Temperatures in Lapland are more changeable, therefore it may be hot during the day but very chilly at night.
Even in summer, there is a significant bit of rain in Norway, particularly around the western coast. June is somewhat colder than July and August, but it is just as dry and brighter, with white evenings in the south and the midnight sun in the north.
International Phone Code
+47
Internet Code
.no