Norway

Penkova Anastasia
Mosnenko Elizaveta
 Geographic location
• Norway has a total area of
385,207 square
kilometres.The country
shares a long eastern
border with Sweden
(1,619km). Norway is
bordered by Finland and
Russia to the north-east,
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.
 Climate
• The maritime influence also dominates Norway's climate with mild
lowland temperatures on the sea coasts, whereas the interior, while
colder, is also a lot milder than areas elsewhere in the world on such
northerly latitudes. Even during polar night in the north, temperatures
above freezing are commonplace on the coastline. The maritime
influence brings high rainfall and snowfall to some areas of the country.
 Population statistic
• Population of Norway was 5,295,619 as January 1, 2018
• In 2017, Norway's immigrant
population consisted of 883,751
people, making up 16.8% of the
country's total population (this includes
both foreign-born and Norwegian-born
with two foreign-born parents, and
four foreign-born grandparents). Of
this number, 724,987 are foreign-born,
while 158,764 are Norwegian-born
with foreign-born parents. The ten
most common countries of origin of
immigrants residing in Norway
are Poland (97,196), Lithuania (37,638),
 Sweden (36,315), Somalia (28,696), Ge
rmany (24,601), Iraq (22,493), Syria (20
,823), Philippines (20,537), Pakistan (19
,973), and Eritrea (19,957).
 Languages of Norway
• There are many languages spoken in Norway.
The most widely spoken language in Norway is
Norwegian. It is a North Germanic language,
closely related to Swedish and Danish, all
linguistic descendants of Old Norse. Norwegian
is used by some 95% of the population as a first
language. The language has two
separate written standards: Nynorsk ("New
Norwegian", "New" in the sense of
contemporary or modern) and Bokmål ("Book
Language/Tongue/Speech"), both of which are
official.
• In 2013, there were approximately 4.5 million
people in Norway who were capable of
conversing in English to some extent, out of a
population of 5.1 million. The country currently
scores in the top 5 of the EF English Proficiency
Index along with its Nordic neighbours.
 Religion in Norway
• In Norway as of 2018, 69.9% of the population are members of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church as compared to 96% in the
1960s. Kevin Boyle's 1997 global study of freedom of religion states
that "Most members of the state church are not active adherents,
except for the rituals of birth, confirmation, weddings, and burials.
Some 3 per cent on average attend church on Sunday and 10 per
cent on average attend church every month."
• Other religious groups operate freely and people are also free not
to be affiliated with any religion or life stance. Approximately 17.4%
are not members of any official religious or philosophical
communities, while about 12.7% of the population are members of
other religious or philosophical communities outside the Church of
Norway. Catholics and Muslims are each about 3% of the
population and have been rising in numbers in recent years. About
1.8% of the population lists the Norwegian Humanist Association as
a life stance instead of a religion. Orthodox, Jews, Hindus,
Buddhists and Sikhs are present in very small numbers, together
comprising about 1 percent of the population.
 Celebrations and holidays
• Norwegians celebrate their National Day on May 17, dedicated to
the Constitution of Norway. Many people wear bunad (traditional costumes)
and most participate in or watch the Norwegian Constitution Day parade,
consisting mostly of children, through the cities and towns. The national
romanticist author Henrik Wergeland was the founder of the 17th May
parade. Jonsok (St. John's Passing), or St. Hans (St. John's Day), in June is also
celebrated. Common Christian holidays are also celebrated, the most
important being Christmas (called Jul or jol in Norway after the pagan and
early Viking winter solstice) and Easter (Påske).
 Norway Christmas traditions
• Norwegian culture demands to start celebrating Christmas 4 weeks
before the big day. Every Saturday up to December 25 locals light up
a beautiful four-candle candelabra with the traditional Advent
candles. Other peculiar Christmas traditions in Norway include
decorating your home with the statues of nisser, a Scandinavian
equivalent of a goblin, dancing around the Christmas tree, and
watching the classic British comedy called Dinner for One.
 Easter is a big deal
• When it comes to Easter, Norway's customs are extraordinarily rich. The
most interesting one that you've probably haven't heard of before
involves consuming a lot of crime-fiction content. The locals love to spend
time reading crime novels and watching various detective shows during
the holiday (good luck finding anything else on TV). Apart from that,
Easter and the days-off it brings offer a great opportunity to go on a day-
trip to get some sun after the long winter, another popular plan of action
during Easter in Norway.
 Music
• Along with the classical music of romantic composer Edvard
Grieg and the modern music of Arne Nordheim, Norwegian
black metal has become something of an export article in
recent years.
• Norway's classical performers include Leif Ove Andsnes,
one of the world's more famous pianists, and Truls Mørk,
an outstanding cellist.
• Regarding pop music, Norway has in the recent years had
many international popular artists such
as Sigrid, Kygo and Matoma.
• The jazz scene in Norway is also thriving; Jan
Garbarek, Mari Boine, Arild Andersen, and Bugge
Wesseltoft are internationally recognised while Paal
Nilssen-Love, Supersilent, Jaga Jazzist are becoming world-
class artists of the younger generation.
• Norway has a strong folk music tradition that remains
popular to this day. Among the most prominent folk
musicians are Hardanger fiddlers Andrea Een, Olav Jørgen
Hegge and Annbjørg Lien, violinist Susanne Lundeng, and
vocalists Agnes Buen Garnås, Kirsten Bråten Berg, and Odd
Nordstoga.
 Leisure
• Physical culture is important in Norway. With abundant
forests and mountain plateaus, and extensive coastal
areas and rivers, Norway has a natural environment which
encourages outdoor sports, inclusive of hiking. Many
Norwegians own ski equipment, and are active in mountain
touring.
 The Norwegian Bunad
The colourful Norwegian folk dress has gained in popularity in recent years. We take a
look at the history and the detail of the designs.
A bunad is a traditional folk costume that you find all over Norway. Although much more
popular with women, men's bunads are also available.
The best time to see the outfit is on Norway’s national day, when the streets are full of
bunad-wearing Norwegians of all generations! You may also people wearing one at
weddings and other celebrations.
 15 Facts About Norway
1. Norway introduced salmon sushi to the Japanese in the eighties
2. The paper clip is a Norwegian invention
3. In 2008, Norway knighted a king penguin. Nils Olav is his name.
4. The famous and expensive Voss Water is just water from the
municipal supply in Iveland, Norway.
5. Sweden is so good at recycling, it now runs out of garbage to recycle
and now imports garbage from Norway to fuel its energy programs.
6. In 1251, Henry III of England was given a polar bear by the King of Norway. He kept
it in the Tower of London, on a long chain so that it could swim in the Thames.
7. In 2011, Norway went through a nationwide butter shortage, where smugglers
would often get caught smuggling butter and online auctions for one packet of butter
reached as high as $77.
8. IKEA names sofas, coffee tables, bookshelves, media storage and doorknobs after
places in Sweden; beds, wardrobes and hall furniture after places in Norway; carpets
after places in Denmark and dining tables and chairs after places in Finland.
9. Dying is illegal in Longyearbyen, as bodies aren’t buried anymore because the
permafrost in that town prevents them from decomposing.
10. Frozen pizza is so popular in Norway that when a popular brand released a new
jingle, it reached #1 on the Norwegian charts.
11. Norway has the highest concentration of fjords in the world. Two of these, the
Geiranger Fjord and the Nærøy fjord, feature on the Unesco World Heritage List.
12. The Lærdal Tunnel is the world’s longest road tunnel at 15 miles (24.5 km).
13. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Norway by a Norwegian committee.
14. Snorre Sturluson’s Heimskringla (The History of Kings), written in the Old Norse
Period (A.D. 750–1300), is still a bestseller in Norway today.
15. Norway was one of the founding nations of the United Nations in 1945, and the
first U.N. Secretary-General was Norwegian Foreign Minister, Trygve Lie.
 Top Reasons Why You Should Visit Norway
• Skiing • Fisherman's Cabins • Hiking

• Waterfalls • Polar Bears • Fjords

 Northern Lights
• Aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, are undoubtedly a major
reason to visit Norway. The best chance to spot them will be in the winter,
when the nights are longer. The further north you go, and the further you travel
away from cities, the better your view will be. Many people regard Tromsø as
the best place in Norway to see the northern lights, thanks to its northern
location and its proximity to the Arctic Circle. Dry weather and a lack of clouds
will make conditions perfect for spotting the northern lights in Tromsø.