Country of the Week: Norway!

The Kingdom of Norway is a Scandinavian country located in northern Europe with a population of 5.3 million as of 2020. Its capital and most populous city is Oslo, located in the south of the territory and accounting for almost half of the population. Mountains, fjords, coastlines, and northern lights are altogether the landscapes that characterise Norway. The languages spoken are Norwegian and Sami. The most known features of this nation are the Lofoten Islands, Norway’s cuisine with plates such as heart-shaped waffles and salmon, vikings, its snow, skiing, and important artists like painter Edvard Munch and playwright Henrik Ibsen.

Fjords compose most of Norway’s natural scenery, in fact, when one gets a map of it, they can see the water going inland from the ocean. If you don’t know what a fjord is, let us tell you! They are “a long, deep, narrow body of water that reaches far inland. Fjords are often set in a U-shaped valley with steep walls of rock on either side. (...) Fjords were created by glaciers.” (National Geographic Society, 2011).

The Lofoten Islands are an archipelago and a well-known landmark in Norway. No matter the season, one can always find something to do in this place. When there’s cold weather, you get the chance to see the northern lights (from September to March), see the mountains covered in snow, celebrate Christmas in November and December, stroll around the holiday-decorated shops and enjoy some cinnamon rolls. And in summertime, you can enjoy the stunning beaches, surf, watch marine creatures, hike, and fish.

Akershus Fortress

Of course, Oslo, the capital, offers tons of activities! One can visit museums and theatres to learn about the country’s history and art, go to the Cathedral, the Parliament, take a guided tour of Norway’s palace where the royal family resides, and explore the Opera and the Akershus Fortress built in the 13th century.

Noe Falk Nielsen/NurPhoto, via Getty Images

Norway is the place to learn about Viking history. If you are particularly interested in them, there are various museums like the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, But just so you know, the Ship Museum will close on October 1 for renovation and re-open its gates in 2025 as The Museum of the Viking Age!

The Sami people speak the language of the same name and inhabit Lapland and nearby areas of northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula in Russia. Their population ranges are between 58,000 to 68,000, and they are descendants of nomads who lived in Scandinavia for thousands of years. Their origin is unknown, it is speculated that they descend from the Paleo-Siberian peoples or that they are alpine and came from central Europe.

The Scream by Edvard Munch

Edvard Munch, an important figure in art history, and Henrik Ibsen, who wrote the famous work “The Doll’s House” are two great artists that have something in common: they were born in Norway! Tourists can go to the Munch Museum in Oslo, which will reopen the 22nd of October and admire the painter’s masterpieces. His most famous painting is “The Scream”, and fun fact: it was stolen in 1994 from a Norwegian art museum! Well, I guess that fact was not so fun… On another note, one can visit Ibsen’s museum, which features his restored home with “original colours and decor.”

Bibliography

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Akershus Fortress. (2021). Retrieved August 13, 2021, from Visitoslo.com website: https://www.visitoslo.com/en/product/?TLp=14900

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Nikel, D. (2021, May 27). Norway’s New Edvard Munch Museum Will Open In October 2021. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidnikel/2021/05/27/norways-new-edvard-munch-museum-will-open-in-october-2021/?sh=3ddd07985a95

Sami | People, History, & Lifestyle | Britannica. (2021). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sami

The Viking Ship Museum - Museum of Cultural History. (2020). Retrieved August 12, 2021, from Khm.uio.no website: https://www.khm.uio.no/english/visit-us/viking-ship-museum/

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The Traveler Twins. (2020, June 18). Retrieved August 11, 2021, from The Traveler Twins website: https://thetravelertwins.com/what-is-norway-famous-for/

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Wikipedia Contributors. (2021). File:Flag of Norway.svg. Retrieved September 3, 2021, from Wikipedia website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Norway.svg#/media/File:Flag_of_Norway.svg