23 interesting facts about Norway

23 interesting facts about Norway

of polar adventures to famous penguins we take a look at the most interesting facts about Norway

Norway may be the best country in the world - it is certainly one of our favorites. It seems to have everything for yourself. It is not only a beautiful country full of breathtaking wild animals, nature and northern lights, it is also home to one of the most advanced and open societies in the world.

add a captivating story full of Vikings, conquests and explorations, and I am thrilled. I would go there immediately if it wasn't that expensive (and that Kia might have to say something about the cold).

In short, we love the country - that's why we keep going. With this in mind, we take a look at some of the most interesting facts about Norway that we learned on the go.

interesting facts about Norway

  1. The Norwegian Roald Amundsen was the first person to reach the South Pole in Antarctic. Amundsen and four companions reached the South Pole on December 14, 1911. (Source: National Geographic)
  2. alt = "interesting facts about Norway"> Guide Free

    1. Norway led the Human Development Index of the United Nations from 2001 to 2011 in nine out of eleven cases. In the other two years (2007 and 2008) it took second place behind Iceland. (Source: UN Development Programs)

    2. Hornindalsvatnet in Norway is Europe's deepest lake. It reaches a maximum depth of 514 m (1,686 feet). (Source: Visitnorway)

    3. alt = “interesting facts about Norway Gjoa”>

      1. Roald Amundsen was also the first to conquer the northwest passage exclusively by ship. With a six -member crew, the passage crossed the passage in a three -year trip from 1903 to 1906. The ships that used Amundsen on its expeditions, the Fram and the Gjøa, can be seen in the Fram Museum in Oslo. (Source: Royal Museum Greenwich)
      2. Norway is the birthplace of skiing and older than sport in Switzerland and Austria. The word "ski" is a Nordic word, Skīth, and means "piece of wood". (Source: Merriam-Webster)

      3. The wild camping in Norway is anchored in the Allemand Retting (the right to free movement) - and thus my most interesting fact about Norway! The traditional right of access has been maintained since ancient times and has also been part of the outdoor recreational law since 1957. I love it! (Source: The Guardian)

      4. alt = “Interesting facts about Norway - wilderness”>

        1. Norway is suspected of having the world's largest state fund, the value of which will be estimated at $ 1 trillion by 2020. It is the seventh largest oil exporter in the world and has resisted the temptation to waste his assets and instead decided to invest the excess wealth in its funds. (Source: BBC)
        2. to encourage Norwegian men, take care of their children, is reserved for a 10-week paternity vacation contingent. In Norway, 90 % of fathers take at least 12 weeks of paternity leave, known as cardboard paper. (Source: The Guardian)

        3. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded annually in Oslo since 1901. It is one of the five Nobel prices, others are awarded in recognition of academic success in chemistry, physics, medicine and literature. (Source: Nobelprize.org)

        4. alt = “interesting facts about the Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize”>

          1. around 98-99 % of the Norwegian electricity comes from hydropower plants. In 1991 it was one of the first countries to introduce a carbon tax to slow down global warming. (Source: Economist)
          2. Norway's coast is huge with 25,148 km (15,626 miles). If you include the islands, there will be an incredible 58,133 km (36,122 miles). It is the longest coastline in Europe (without Russia) and the world's eight longest. (Source: CIA Factbook)

          3. The mascot and colonel of the Norwegian royal guard is a penguin named Nils Olav (Brigadier Sir Nils Olav to be precise). Sir Nils lived in the Zoo of Edinburgh, Scotland, and initially received the rank of a visitor poral (lance creation) in 1961. Since then he has been promoted every time the royal guard visited the zoo. (Source: The Telegraph)

          4. In Norway there is the prison island of Bastoey, an open prison in which occupants can hike freely through forests, fields and beaches. (Source: BBC)

          5. The Lærdal tunnel in Norway is the longest street tunnel in the world at 24.5 km. The journey through the tunnel takes 20 minutes and uses blue and yellow lighting to reproduce the sunrise to keep the drivers calm. (Source: Telegraph)

          6. The Christmas tree on the Trafalgar Square in London comes from Oslo, Norway. The city has been sending a tree every year since 1947 as a sign of gratitude for the support of the UK during the Second World War. The Norwegian royal family and government lived in exile in London from 1940 to 1945. (Source: GOV.UK)

          7. The Samische people traditionally lived in the Arctic region of Norway. The Sami are an indigenous people who were historically nomadic reindeer breeders. (Source: Britannica)

          8. Alt = “Samische People”>

            1. Norway has won more medals at the Winter Olympics than any other country. The country has won a total of 329 medals (118 gold) - significantly more than any other nation. Norway is also one of only three nations (together with Austria and Liechtenstein) who won more medals in the winter games than in the summer games. (Source: Olympic.org)
            2. Although the demand for whale meat in Norway is low, the country continues to oppose a worldwide ban on commercial whaling, together with Japan and Iceland. Not cool, Norway. Not cool. (Source: National Geographic)

            3. Wikinger came from Norway, Denmark and Sweden. The name "Viking" comes from a language called "Old Norse" and means "a pirate robbery". Those that overturned in ships were called "going viking". (Source: BBC)

            4. alt = “Viking ship”>

              1. Vinnufossen in Norway is 860 m of Europe's highest waterfall and the sixth highest in the world. (Source: Wikipedia)
              2. It is forbidden to die in the Arctic city of Longyearbyen to the Norwegian Spitzbergen. The city's small cemetery no longer accepted corpses 70 years ago after it was found that they did not decrease. Those who are terminally ill or actually die are transported to another area of ​​Norway. (Source: BBC)

              3. 1947 the Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl crossed the Pacific Ocean on Kon Tiki, a rudimentary raft from Balsaholz. Heyerdahl and his men sailed over 6,900 km (4,300 miles) of the Pacific Ocean for 101 days. (Source: New York Times)

              4. alt = “kon tiki”>

                1. Norway is the home of the largest glacier on the European mainland. The Jostedalsbreen Glacier covers 474 km2. (Source: Visitnorway)
                2. More interesting facts about Norway can be found in the Lonely Planet Guide to Norway.

                  Mission statement: Dreamstime
                   .