Norway is in the far north of Europe. It is known as one of the most developed and prosperous countries in the world. The Norwegian state can see as interfering in the affairs of troubled countries because it has a happy population and no political or economic problems. Many Europeans think that the Kingdom of Norway takes the shape of sperm.
Norway is the longest country in Europe. It is 1752 km long & the maximum width is 431 km. Oslo is Norway’s most famous capital, and it is in the lower reaches of the Swedish border. The total population of Norway is about 5 million. So today we are going to talk about some impressive information about Norway.
#1. Norge and Norek
The commonly accepted name for Norway is the State of Norway. However, its official name does not use the word Norway in both names. Norway and Norek are the official languages of Norway, according to Bokmål and Nynorsk. When you visit Norway, you will often see the word Norge on nameplates. The name Norway is an abbreviation of the ancient Anglo-Saxon term used to refer to it as the Northern Road. The road to the north, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, gave it its name.
#2. Vikings
The Kingdom of Norway forms as a stronghold of the ancient Vikings. They built a culture of their own by crossing the snow-covered North Sea, occupying territories, and creating settlements. This Viking culture can see if you watch in recent movies. Norway is a country inhabited by the Vikings in the year 872. The Vikings extended their power from Norway to the British Isles, Iceland, and eastern Canada. It later became part of Denmark and the empire Sweden from time to time, becoming independent in 1905.
#3. One of the Richest Countries
The Kingdom of Norway is a very ordinary country inhabited by people engaged in agriculture and fisheries until the 1960s. But all this changed in 1963. That is the exclusive right of the Norwegian North Sea and the right to exploit natural resources by the Republic of Norway. During excavations on the seabed, they discovered the largest crude oil reserves. It’s so big that it can produce about 1.6 million barrels of oil a day. The leaders who ruled the state in those days acted very intelligently and nationalized this oil deposit. Then a company from Norway started drilling for oil. The initial costs are very high. So in the early days, it was not possible to make big profits. But after about ten years, huge profits are starting to flow into the country. As a result, the Norwegian economy grew 500% during the 1970s and 1980s.
#4. Growing Wealth in Norway
But like many countries, Norway did not stop getting rich. They thought that one day this oil resource would run out. If so, they would have to become a poor country again and saved some money from oil money. That is why the Norwegian sovereign wealth funds began to deposit some of the money earned each year from oil deposits into this fund. Then the intelligent financial experts in the country invest the money of this fund in stock markets, treasury bonds, lands, and properties in almost every country in the world. As a result, the value of savings increased day by day. Today, the fund has assets of more than $ 1 trillion.
#5. Wealth Disparity in Norway
Although not a socialist country, Norway can consider having the lowest income inequality in the world. Its income gap between the richest 20% and the poorest 20% is only four times as small. Even China, which has a socialist regime, has a large gap. In that sense, the Norwegian government is a country that cares about its people.
#6. Sun Light at Night
You may have heard that the axis of rotation of the earth tilts at 23.5 degrees. Therefore, in foreign countries above 66.5 degrees latitude, the sun stops completely at one time of the year. This situation can see in many cities in the upper part of the state of Norway. In Norway, it is best seen in the northern city of Svalbard. The last time their sunset is on April 19 each year, and the day of their return is August 23. During those four months, the sun is there, even at midnight.
#7. Sports in Norway
Norway is the founder of ski sport and world champions in snow sports. Norway is a country with a long winter because the sun has not set for four months. This is why they have always loved snow sports. Norway also introduced skiing to the world. In addition, they have been able to excel at the Winter Olympics because of their many years of training in the snow. They have also won the most medals in competitions since 1924. The Norwegian athletes won a total of 368 Winter Olympic medals, including one hundred and thirty-two gold medals.
#8. One of the Happiest Countries
Before 2017, Norway was the happiest country in the world. Norway, currently ranked third in the third. But Norway has been in the top three on the list for the past decade. It is also considered the most peaceful country in the world. One of the main reasons why Norwegians are so happy and at peace is because of the citizenship they enjoy. Education and health services are provided completely free of charge, and parents are entitled to up to 49 weeks of paid leave. In Norway, it is legal to travel and camp in any place that is not fenced. There is no charge to enter any national park. Norway has one of the lowest crime rates and the highest level of equality in the world.
#9. How Much Rich You Are
A special law in Norway is the ability to know anyone’s assets. Therefore, there is no need to worry not only about politicians but also about anyone else’s assets or how they earned them. Every Norwegian citizen’s assets can view through online. But it is essential to login in with their names. So anyone can see who is looking at their assets. This open system makes it very difficult to commit tax evasion or make illegal money in Norway. It also makes it easier to identify the wealthiest people. The richest man today is John Fredriksen, the owner of a shipping company. His net worth is 114 billion Norwegian kroner, or about $ 11 billion.
#10. Sushi
There is no doubt that sushi is the most popular Japanese food in the world. Large fish, including tuna, are widely used in sushi processing. But that sushi is often expensive. So the Japanese only eat them on special occasions. Sushi, which is often eaten by Japanese people is processed salmon imported from Norway. Norway also introduced sushi to salmon in Japan instead of the traditional expensive fish. The seas around Norway are much cleaner than the seas around Japan. As a result, Norway has been promoted as a healthier substitute because salmon does not contain high concentrations of heavy metals, such as tuna. Today, Norway is the world’s largest exporter of salmon.
#11. Energy Sources in Norway
The state of Norway already meets 98% of its energy needs through renewable means. It is mainly sourced from the hydropower plants they have built across the country and operates solar, wind, and geothermal power plants. Norway also has the highest percentage of electric vehicles in the world. The Kingdom of Norway has promised to switch to fully renewable energy as soon as 2030 and become a carbon-negative state. There are already strict restrictions on the import of fossil fuels and vehicles.
#12. Best Recycling Systems
Norway has one of the best recycling systems in the world. More than 60% of the plastics used are recycled, and up to 97% are recycled into plastic products such as bottles. Almost every supermarket has a plastic bottle recovery machine. This machine is a reverse vending machine. Each bottle can fetch between 10 and 25 cents, depending on the size of the bottle. There are several such methods in place for waste management throughout the country. Huge fines impose for dumping garbage in a way that harms the environment.
By the end of this article, you’ve probably learned a lot about the Kingdom of Norway. So if there is anything else you want to know like this, don’t forget to comment.
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