Travel

Oslo's harbour with Akershus fortress

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Land of extraordinary beauty, Norway's undisputed attraction is its fantastic scenery. Rugged mountains, fjords and glaciers give Norway a rough feel, one which is delightful to travellers accustomed to the slick cities of other European destinations. Even Norway's capital, Oslo. reflects this: uninterested in the busy bustle of modern life, the city takes pleasure in numerous parks, monuments and museums, maintaining a strikingly subdued attitude.

In its northern reaches, Norway stretches into the Arctic Circle. It's a cold place, but brilliantly varied and interesting. Perhaps contrary to popular beliefs, polar bears and walruses can not be seen in their natural environment atop ice floes on the coast of mainland Norway (Svalbard is another matter). Seals, however, can be seen many places along the coast. Nevertheless naturally treeless areas create a haunting and mysterious sense of desolation; and majestic peaks jut above the coast.

During the first millennium CE Norway was an important country. The period from 800–1066 saw significant expansion, and is referred to as the Viking age. During this period, Norwegians, as well as Swedes and Danes, traveled abroad on longships, as raiders, explorers, settlers and traders. By the middle of the 11th century, the Norwegian kingdom was firmly established, although there was still only a very rudimentary administrative framework. The Vikings colonised the Scottish islands and much of the mainlahnd of Scotland and Ireland. Normandy in France and even Sicily !

In the first half of the next millennium Norway lost power, no doubt hastened when the Black Death in 1349 killed about half the population in the 14th century. A hereditary union to the crown of Denmark led to Norway becoming subject to Denmark in 1536. After prolonged scrapping between Denmark and Sweden. Denmark eventually joined Napoleon and Sweden sided with the anti-Napoleonic powers. After Napoleon's defeat in 1814 Denmark ceded Norway to Sweden. It took until 1905 for Norway to become an independent country again, following a plebiscite. Norway remained neutral during World War I.

During the second World War Norway was occupied by German trops and led by Quisling, a German puppet, whose name is now part of the English language. After the War Norway became a member of NATO in 1949, but referendums on joining the European Union, were unsuccesful. It is however one of the countries within the Schengen zone.

Norway is part of Scandinavia and shares international borders with Sweden. Finland and Russia. To the north, west and south, Norway is bordered by the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the North Sea and Skagerrak. It has almost 5 million inhabitants living on an area of about 385,000 square kilometres (including Jan Mayen and Svalbard ). Norway is a long narrow country with fjords cutting deep into the mountains. The longest is Sognefjorden at 204 kilometres. Sognefjorden is the world's second deepest fjord, and the world's longest. Hornindalsvatnet is the deepest lake in all Europe. Permafrost (ground that is frozen year-round) can be found in the higher mountain areas and in the interior of Finnmark county. The further north you travels the less trees and the more ice and glaciers you will encounter. This is the area where you can find tundra, which are basically large areas with just bushes and low vegetation.