Facts about Norway

Norway is known for nature attractions like fjords, mountains and midnight sun, and is easily accessible by
plane from most European countries.
Facts about Norway
System of government: Constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy
Head of government: Prime Minister Erna Solberg
Area: 385,155 square kilometres
Population: 5,077,798 inhabitants (as of 1 July 2013)
Capital city: Oslo
Languages: Norwegian bokml, Norwegian nynorsk and Sami
Religion: Church of Norway (Protestant Christianity)
Currency: Norwegian kroner (NOK) 1 krone = 100 re
Time zone: Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) +1 hour
National day: 17 May

Fjords Norway is famous for its fjords, two of which, the Geirangerfjord and the Nryfjord, feature on the UNESCO World
Heritage list. The Sognefjord, the longest of them all, and the Hardangerfjord, famed for its cherry and apple trees, are among the most
visited. Read more about the Norwegian fjords.
Northern lights or aurora borealis The northern lights are a common natural phenomenon in Northern Norway,
and are most commonly observed above the Arctic Circle between late autumn and early spring. Read more about the northern lights.
Midnight sun The sun does not set in summer over the Arctic Circle, meaning visitors to Northern Norway enjoy 24 hours of
daylight this time of year. Read more about the midnight sun.
Weather The weather in Norway is much milder than one would expect. Because of the Gulf Stream and warm air currents
caused by the coriolis effect, temperatures along the coast of Norway are 5-8C higher than at comparable latitudes elsewhere. Read
more about season, weather and climate in Norway or check out the weather for your area.
Vikings The Vikings have a bad reputation as raiders, but they were also traders, explorers and settlers, and the legacy from the
Viking Age (AD 800-1050) lives on. Read more about the Vikings.
The Sami people The Sami are the indigenous people of Norway. Known for their colourful clothes and the huge herds of
reindeer they look after, the Sami have been living in northern Scandinavia for over 10,000 years, and today they have their own
parliament in Karasjok. Read more about the Sami.
Winter sports Norways success in the Winter Olympics is unrivalled, and the country has a total of 329 medals (118 gold, 111
silver and 100 bronze) to its tally. The best ever games for Norway were the Lillehammer winter games in 1994, when Norway, which
was competing on home turf, topped the medal table, having won 26 medals, of which 10 gold. Read more about the history of
skiing andwinter in Norway.
Famous Norwegians These include explorers Roald Amundsen, Fridtjof Nansen and Thor Heyerdahl, composer Edvard
Grieg, violin virtuoso Ole Bull, artist Edvard Munch, playwright Henrik Ibsen, novelist Knut Hamsun, and politician Gro Harlem
Brundtland, among many others. Read more about polar explorers.
The Royal Family King Harald V, the King of Norway, and Queen Sonja have two children: a son, Crown Prince Haakon,
who is married to Crown Princess Mette-Marit, with whom he has two children and a daughter, Princess Martha Louise, who is married
to Ari Mikael Behn.
Trolls Trolls are an important part of Norwegian folklore. They vary in size and appearance, but are invariably ugly and messy
creatures, and always mischievous (if not downright nasty). They usually live in caves or deep in the forest, and only emerge from their
hiding places after sunset - legend has it that they turn to stone upon contact with the sun. Several places in Western and Northern
Norway have been named after them, such as Trollheimen,Trollstigen, Trollhatten and Trollveggen.