25 Interesting Facts About Norway

Norway is one of the favorite destinations in the world. Many tourists frequently visited this country because it has many things to offer. Norway boasts stunning wildlife and nature as well as the northern lights.

This country is also known as a unitary monarchy and sovereign state. It is located in Scandinavia, Northern Europe. If you’re planning to visit Norway on your next trip, it makes sense to learn about its geography, history, people, culture, economy, and other interesting things.

Here are 25 interesting facts about Norway:

  1. Norway is a very long country with land boundaries of 2566 km. The five major cities are Tromso, Trondgheim, Stavanger, Bergen, and Oslo.
  2. Being the home of the best ski slopes, Norway has made great accomplishments during the Winter Olympic Games.
  3. During the summer, the sun never sets for several weeks. But, during winter the sun does the opposite and never rises for several weeks. The “midnight sun” and “polar night” happens in the northern parts of Norway.
  4. Every year tourists from different parts of the world flock in Norway to witness the amazing beauty of fjords. More than 1000 fjords scattered in Norway that includes the famous Geiranger fjord, Sognefjord, and Lysefjord.
  5. Vikings originated from Scandinavia. They were the skilled and fearsome sailors and warriors who discovered and conquered various regions before Christianity. Some of the famous Vikings from Norway are Leif Erikson, Erik the Red, Harald Hardrada, and Eric Bloodaxe.
  6. There are two versions of the Norwegian language. The commonly used version is the “Bokmal” and the secondary version is the “Nynorsk”. But, different regions have been using different dialects.
  7. If you will travel to Norway from October to March, you will witness the natural yet magical light show known as the Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis.
  8. Norway is considered to be a rich country considering the sovereign wealth fund amounting to $1 trillion. The way of living in this country seems to be expensive, but the flow of money and wages are a lot higher as compared to other countries.
  9. Almost 4,642,526 Norwegians are living in the United States. This means that this number of Norwegians compose the 1.5% population of US.
  10. The country emphasizes and encourages its population to use renewable sources of energy. Thus, most of the new models of cars sold in Norway are electric or hybrid.
  11. According to statistics, Norway is a safe country. In fact, since 2006 there’s no reported incident in which a Norwegian police is involved. Thus, this country has low murder and crime rate.
  12. If you will visit Norway make sure to drop by at the Fram Museum where you can see the ship that was used by Roald Amundsen when he traversed the Northwest Passage from 1903 to 1906.
  13. The government of Norway is allowing Norwegian men to enjoy the privilege of 10-week paternity leave called as “pappapermisjon”.
  14. To prevent global warming, Norway has been using hydroelectric power and almost 99% of the electricity is supplied by the power station.
  15. The prisoners in Norway can wander in beaches, fields and woodlands. They are detained in an open prison island of Bastoey.
  16. The longest road tunnel throughout the world is found in Norway. The Lærdal Tunnel measures about 24.5km and it takes about 20 minutes to drive. A yellow and blue lighting has been used to imitate the sunrise, thus keeps the drivers calm.
  17. In terms of expected lifespan, equality, and education, Norway has topped the Human Development Index. This means that this country is one of the best in the world.
  18. Norway is popular for its most sold pizza known as the Grandiosa Frozen Pizza. A survey showed that almost 24 million units of this pizza are produced every year. Norwegians love tacos a lot.
  19. Selling of alcohol in Norway is strictly regulated. Alcoholic beverages are sold only in designated shops and not everywhere. This is also true with wine that is sold only at some specialty shops.
  20. A huge number of people in Norway love cakes and coffee. In fact, coffee is an integral part of the Norwegian culture.
  21. A high-security prison in the country has internet access and flat-screen TVs.
  22. To save the Amazon rainforest, Norway has donated $1 billion in 2008.
  23. The largest glacier in Europe is found in Norway that covers about 487 sq. m.
  24. If you’re looking for the best destination to travel, it can be Norway. You won’t only take pleasure with its tourist spots but also the people. This country is considered the happiest place in the world in 2017.
  25. 86% of the people in Norway speak English for communication. But, there’s no official religion. Same-sex marriage is legal in Norway since 2008.

The information listed above will serve as a guide if you’re considering Norway for your next travel.