Maryam Zafar

Department of Chemistry

Do you know that Northern Norway experiences 24 hours of daylight for several weeks during summer and 24 hours of darkness for several weeks during winters? This is called the Midnight Sun and Polar Night. Tromso, the largest urban area in Norway, experiences these phenomena because it is located above the Arctic Circle.

Location

Norway is situated in Northern Europe, next to Sweden and Finland. Norway forms part of the Scandinavian Peninsula, the largest peninsula in Europe, with a length of 1,850 Km and a width of between 370 and 805 Km. (A peninsula is a piece of land that is mostly surrounded by water but still connected to a mainland).

Norway is Famous for What?

Most of Norway consists of mountains that have been carved by prehistoric glaciers. You can see so many fjords there too. Fjords are formed when a glacier cuts into coastal land to form a sizeable U-shaped valley flooded by seawater when the glacier melts.  Norway is also famous for its deep coastal fjords, Aurora borealis, green spaces, museums, colorful wooden houses, fishing, hiking, and skiing.

Aurora Borealis

This is also known as the Northern light, Polar lights, or Southern lights. This is a natural light display in the Earth's sky that can mostly be seen from nearby poles. These northern lights are caused by collisions between fast-moving particles (electrons) from space and the oxygen and nitrogen gas in our atmosphere. These fast-moving particles originate in the magnetosphere, the region of space controlled by Earth's magnetic field. The best time to plan your Polar lights tour is between Septembers to the middle of April. Darker the night, clearer the polar lights. The best place to see these polar lights in the world is Tromso, the Arctic capital in Norway. This small city is extraordinarily charming and makes pretty viewings in the daytime too.

Norway's Main Rivers

One of the largest rivers that flow entirely in Norway is the Glomma River, which is 600 Km long and runs south of Eastern Norway. The other is the Numedalslågen River, which is 352 Km long and flows in Southeastern Norway.

Norway's climate

Although Norway is near to the North Pole, it is warmer than expected because of the warm current known as the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream brings warmer waters from tropical areas, making winters in the coastal areas of Norway not as cold as in the inland areas. This is why coastal areas and inland areas experience very different climates. Oslo is the capital city of Norway, and it is located inland, in Southern Norway. Since Oslo is located inland, it experiences a continental climate with colder winters but warmer summers. It receives approximately 700 mm of rainfall each year. Bergen, the second biggest city in Norway, is located along the coast. So, it experiences a temperate oceanic climate, with cooler summers and warmer winters than Oslo. Tromso is the largest urban area in northern Norway. As it is located nearer to the North Pole, it experiences a subarctic climate with short summers and cold winters. There is a lot of snowfall in winter while summers are cool and sometimes rainy.

Population of Norway

Most of Norway's population consists of working adults. In 2019, Norway was the 171st most densely populated country globally, and Pakistan was the 55th most densely populated country in the world.

Religions

Most Norwegians practice Christianity. The next largest group of people do not practice any religion. A small percentage of people practice various religions like Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Judaism.

Languages

About 95% of Norwegians speak Norwegian as their first language. This language is closely associated with Danish and Swedish.

Lifestyle

Norwegians enjoy a good work-life balance. They typically work 7.5 hours on weekdays and are compensated with good overtime benefits when they have to work longer. During their free time, many Norwegians like to lead an active lifestyle and engage with nature. There are many parks in cities that people love to visit once the weather turns warmer than 15°C. Its youth like to play football and handball, while cycling, swimming, and running are their popular forms of exercise. Cross- country skiing is Norway's national sport. Even with a small population size, Norway is the most successful country at the Winter Olympic Games. As of 2018, Norway has won 368 medals.

Food

Most Norwegians eat three meals a day. They start with a cold breakfast as sandwiches or cereals served with milk, fruit juice, or coffee. Their lunch includes carbohydrates like potatoes and protein-rich foods like fish or meat. Dinner may include another sandwich. Cheese and bread are important in a Norwegian's diet. Their traditional meat dishes include Meat cakes, Mutton stew or fårikål, which is the national dish of Norway, Smoked salmon, Fermented trout, Cloudberries, a popular dessert, Lefse, which is a soft flatbread and Norvegia, a type of yellow cheese. Among drinks, Norwegians are the second-highest consumers of coffee in the world.

More Interesting Facts about Norway

• Norway has the highest concentration of fjords in the world.
• The world's longest road tunnel is in Norway.
• The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Capital of Norway.
• November, December, and January are dark months in all of Norway.
• The lion is the national animal of Norway.