BASIC
INFORMATION
Full
Name: NORWAY
Capital
Oslo
Largest city Oslo
Official language
Norwegian
Government
Constitutional monarchy
Area 306,253 km²
Population
4,667,410
Currency Norwegian
krone (NOK)
Time
zone (UTC +1)
Internet
TLD .no
Calling
code +57
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GEOGRAPHY
& BACKGROUND
Norway,
officially the Kingdom of Norway (Norwegian
Bokmål: Kongeriket Norge; Norwegian
Nynorsk: Kongeriket Noreg) is a Nordic country
on the western portion of the Scandinavian
Peninsula, bordering Sweden, Finland and
Russia. Norway has a very elongated shape;
the country's extensive coastline along
the North Atlantic Ocean is home to its
famous fjords. The Kingdom of Norway also
includes the Arctic island territories of
Svalbard and Jan Mayen. The Norwegian sovereignty
on Svalbard is based on the Svalbard Treaty,
but this does not apply to Jan Mayen. Bouvet
Island in the South Atlantic Ocean and a
claim for Peter I Island in the South Pacific
Ocean are also external dependencies, but
these are not part of the Kingdom. Norway
also claims Queen Maud Land in Antarctica
where it has established the Troll permanent
research station.
The
landscape is generally rugged and mountainous,
with several major glaciers occupying central
mountain plateau. Its coastline of over
83,000 kilometres (51,575 mi) [2] is punctuated
by steep-sloped inlets known as fjords,
as well as a multitude of islands and islets.
The northern part of the country is also
known as the Land of the Midnight Sun because
of its location north of the Arctic Circle,
where for part of each summer the sun does
not set, and in winter much of its land
remains dark for long periods. In summertime
in the southern part of Norway, the sun
is only away for a few hours.
Norway
is bounded by seas of the North Atlantic
Ocean: the North Sea to the southwest and
its large inlet the Skagerrak to the south,
and the Norwegian Sea to the west. In the
northeast is the Barents Sea, part of the
Arctic Ocean. To the east, in order from
south to north, it shares a long border
with Sweden, a shorter one with Finland,
and a still shorter one with Russia. Norway's
highest point is the Galdhøpiggen
at 2,469 metres (8,100 ft). With a maximum
depth of 514 metres (1,686 ft), Hornindalsvatnet
is Norway's and Europe's deepest lake.
The
Norwegian climate is fairly temperate, especially
along the coast under the influence of the
Gulf Stream. The inland climate can be more
severe and to the north more subarctic conditions
are found, especially in Finnmark.
