GeodlyEurope
Norway
Norway occupies the western and northern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula, with a long coastline on the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea. It borders Sweden, Finland and Russia. The country also includes the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and the island of Jan Mayen, and it has claims in Antarctica. About 5.5 million people live in Norway, and the capital, Oslo, lies at the head of the Oslofjord in the south-east.
Norway adopted its constitution on 17 May 1814, which is celebrated as Constitution Day with parades of schoolchildren across the country. It was in a union with Sweden until 1905, when it became fully independent. Norway is a constitutional monarchy. Its people have twice voted against joining the European Union, in 1972 and 1994, but the country takes part in the European single market through the European Economic Area.
The flag of Norway
The flag is red with a blue cross outlined in white. The cross is placed off-centre, closer to the flagpole, like the crosses on the other Nordic flags.
The design was proposed by Fredrik Meltzer in 1821. The cross shape follows the Danish and Swedish flags and the Christian tradition behind them. The colours red, white and blue were seen as colours of liberty, used by France, the United States and the United Kingdom. Because the Norwegian flag contains the colours and cross of several other flags, it is sometimes described as the mother of all flags.
Landscape and geography
Norway is famous for its fjords, long and steep-sided inlets carved by glaciers during the Ice Ages. The Sognefjord is the longest and deepest fjord in Norway, and the Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Mountains cover much of the interior, and Galdhøpiggen, at 2,469 metres, is the highest peak in Northern Europe.
Much of Norway lies north of the Arctic Circle. There the sun does not set for weeks in summer, the midnight sun, and does not rise for weeks in winter, the polar night. The Gulf Stream keeps the coast much milder than other places at the same latitude, and harbours along the coast stay ice-free in winter.
Did you know?
- Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, built from oil and gas income, is one of the largest investment funds in the world.
- The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, while the other Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm.
- Norway has two official written forms of Norwegian, Bokmål and Nynorsk, and Sámi languages have official status in parts of the north.
- Electric cars make up the vast majority of new cars sold in Norway.
Key facts
- Capital
- Oslo
- Continent
- Europe
- Population
- About 5.5 million
- Land neighbours
- 3
- Coast
- Has a coastline
- European Union
- Not a member
- NATO
- Member
- Language in GeoLingo
- Norwegian
Land neighbours
Norway in numbers
| Population | 5,514,000 people |
|---|---|
| Land area | 365,268 km² |
| Population density | 15 people/km² |
| Total GDP | $485,000,000,000 |
| GDP per capita | $87,800 |
| Life expectancy | 83.2 years |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% |
| Coastline | 25,148 km |
| Forest coverage | 33.2% |
| Human Development Index | 0.966 |
| UNESCO World Heritage sites | 8 sites |
| Airports | 95 airports |
These are the figures used in GeoDecide. They are rounded and can lag behind the latest official statistics.
World rankings
Geo Sort asks you to place countries by rank. A lower number means a higher place in that category.
| Land Area | #67 |
|---|---|
| Coastline | #3 |
| FIFA Ranking (M) | #43 |
| Military Strength | #35 |
| Avg Annual Temperature | #173 |
| UNESCO Sites | #38 |
| Population Density | #178 |
| Highest Point | #76 |
Say it in Norwegian
GeoLingo shows these four phrases and asks which country they belong to.
- Hello
- Hei
- Thank you
- Takk
- Yes
- Ja
- Goodbye
- Ha det bra
Practise Norway on Geodly
- Flag Drawing: The flag of Norway is in the Easy set. Draw it from memory and compare your drawing with the real design.
- Border Clash: Draw the border between Norway and Sweden on a blank map.
- Border Clash: Draw the border between Norway and Finland on a blank map.
- Border Clash: Draw the border between Norway and Russia on a blank map.
- Geo Click: Find Norway on the map, or locate its capital, Oslo, in the capital modes.
- Geo Chain: Link countries through shared land borders. Knowing the 3 neighbours of Norway gives you more routes.
- GeoDecide: Compare Norway with other countries on the statistics listed above.
- Geo Sort: Place Norway in the category where its world rank is strongest.
- GeoLingo: Recognise Norwegian from four short phrases and match it to Norway.
- Terra Tac Toe: Use Norway as an answer when its facts fit both the row and the column of a square.
Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica: Norway · CIA World Factbook: Norway