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The home pages for the Usenet newsgroup soc.culture.nordic

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Subject: 6.1 
Fact Sheet

Subject: 6.2 
General information

6.2.1 Geography, climate, vegetation

From north to south, Norway is about 1,770 km long, but for much of the distance it is very narrow, exceeding 160km of breadth only in the south. About one third of the country lies within the Arctic Circle, where the sun shines 24 hours at the height of the summer. Characteristic of the terrain are rugged mountains interrupted by valleys that cut into the land. Along much of the coast cliffs drop impressively to the sea, forming the fjords which are among the most distinctive features of Norwegian geography. The longest and deepest of them is the Sogne Fjord. About 150,000 offshore islands serve as a barrier that helps to protect Norway's coast from Atlantic storms. Among these, the Lofoten Islands are the largest and also a very popular tourist attraction.

The climate is temperate, and the severity of winter along the coast is moderated by southerly air currents brought in above the waters of the North Atlantic Drift, which is warmed by the Gulf Stream. Summers are relatively cool throughout the country; rainfall is high everywhere, most of all on the coasts, of course. The rivers contain abundant salmon and trout, which are among the country's most famous exports. Spruce and pine are the most common trees in Norway's forests, and deciduous trees, such as birch and ash, are common in the lowlands. In the mountain regions, heather is abundant, as well as low bushes that provide numerous delicious berries. Timber is one of the foremost natural resources. In addition, Norway has tremendous resources in its offshore oil and gas fields in the North Sea as well as in the hydroelectric potential of the numerous rapids and waterfalls. Iron and copper are also mined.

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6.2.2 Economy

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6.2.3 Population, language, culture

It's worth to note that both Nynorsk and Bokmål are pure written languages. No one actually speaks these languages - in Norway all spoken languages are regarded as dialects. But one has to remember that over 80% of the pupils in Norwegian schools chose to learn Bokmål, and that the vocabulary of Bokmål is influenced by Danish whereas the vocabulary of Nynorsk lies closer to Swedish. The minority language Nynorsk is thus protected by laws, ensuring for instance that at least 25% of the radio and tv transmissions are in Nynorsk, and a national theater Det Norske Teatret playing in Nynorsk,

Frequently questions about common Scandinavian names come up in the newsgroup. The national statistical office of Norway has made tables over the most common names to make your choice easier. :-)

Norway has a strongly developed tradition of folk music; its most distinguished classical composers were Edvard Grieg (1843-1907), Christian Sinding (1856-1941), and Johan Svendsen (1840-1911), all of whom made much use of traditional music. The painting of Edvard Munch (1863-1944) has achieved worldwide recognition. Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943) produced a vast body of sculpture, which has been collected in Frogner Park in Oslo. For Norwegian literature, see section 6.5.

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6.2.4 Government

The major political parties are the Labor party (Arbeiderpartiet), the largest single party, the Conservative party (Høyre), and the Center Party (Senterpartiet). The Labor party, which was responsible for creating the social-democratic welfare state, headed the government for 37 years during the period 1935-81. A debate about high taxes and rising inflation caused the Labor party to lose ground to center-right groups. The Conservatives under Kare Willoch were in office from 1981 to 1986, when they were ousted by Labor, led by Gro Harlem Brundtland, Norway's first woman premier. Brundtland has since resigned as the party leader (the office is currently held by Torbjørn Jagland), but still represents the party as the prime minister. In the current election period (1993-1997), Senterpartiet (Center Party) is bigger than Høyre.

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