Norway is dominated by fjords and mountains,
stretching more than 2.000 km / 1240 mi from north to
south. Sparsely populated, many regions are almost completely
isolated, especially in the winter. The wild landscapes
are awe-inspiring. In summer, the invigorating midnight
sun burns, and in winter, the vast reaches of snow are
wrapped in silence. More reserved than the Danish, Norwegians
are a courageous people who have mastered a sometimes
hostile environment by building numerous tunnels and daring
bridges.
They
are famous for their efficient network of ferries, which
includes the famous Coastal Express (Hurtigruten). Skiing
was invented in the county of Telemark, and this sport
is essential to the Norwegian people as cycling is to
the Danes. The great explorers Nansen, Amundsen and Heyerdahl
have maintained the tradition of their dashing forebears,
the Vikings, who set out across the ocean to discover
new lands. In the arts, the independent, reserved yet
passionate and sensitive Norwegian character has been
reflected by playwright Henrik Ibsen, composer Edvard
Grieg and painter Edvard Munch.
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Major Tourist Cities / Areas Information: |
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Oslo |
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Major
Tourist Cities / Areas Information |
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Visa
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Map |
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Country Fact*: |
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Full
country name:
Kingdom of Norway
Area: 324,220 sq km
Population: 4,574,560
Capital city: Oslo (pop 508,730)
People: 97% Nordic, Alpine &
Baltic, with a Sami minority
Language: Bokmål, Nynorsk &
Sami
Religion: Evangelical Lutheran 86%
(state church), other Protestant and Roman Catholic
3%, other 1%, none and unknown 10%
Government: Constitutional monarchy
Business Hours: Business hours in
Norway are Monday to Friday, 08.00 till 16.30. Most
stores are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm,
Saturday 9am to 3pm. Department stores and shopping
malls keep different hours -- in general, Monday to
Friday 9am to 8pm, Saturday 9am to 6pm. Many shops
stay open late on Thursday and on the first Saturday
of the month, which is called super lørdag
("super Saturday"). During the holiday season,
stores are open on Sunday.
Major
industries:
Oil, natural gas, computers, high technology, fishing,
fish farming, forestry, shipping, shipbuilding and
paper production
Major
trading partners: EU
(esp. UK, Germany & Sweden)
Internet
domain: .no
International dialling code: +47
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Calendar of Events*: |
January:
1st - New Year's Day
March/April:
Holy Thursday
Good Friday and Easter Day
May:
1st - Labour Day
9th - Ascension Day
17th - Norwegian
Independence Day
20th - Wit Monday
December:
25th - Christmas Day
26th - Second Christmas Day |
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