Norway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kingdom of Norway
Kongeriket Norge (Bokmål)
Kongeriket Noreg (Nynorsk) Other official names
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Location of the Kingdom of Norway (green)
on the European continent (green and dark grey) |
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Capital and largest city
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Oslo 59°56′N 10°41′E / 59.933°N 10.683°E |
Official languages | |
Recognised national languages | |
Ethnic groups
(2021)
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Religion
(2021)
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Demonym(s) | Norwegian |
Government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch
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Harald V |
Jonas Gahr Støre | |
• President of the Storting
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Masud Gharahkhani |
Legislature | Storting |
History | |
• State established prior to unification
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872 |
• Old Kingdom of Norway (Peak extent)
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1263 |
1397 | |
1524 | |
• Re-established state
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25 February 1814 |
• Constitution
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17 May 1814 |
4 November 1814 | |
• Dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden
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7 June 1905 |
Area | |
• Total
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385,207 km2 (148,729 sq mi) (61stb) |
• Water (%)
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5.32 (2015) |
Population | |
• 2024 estimate
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![]() |
• Density
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14.4/km2 (37.3/sq mi) (227th) |
GDP (PPP) | 2024 estimate |
• Total
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• Per capita
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GDP (nominal) | 2024 estimate |
• Total
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• Per capita
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Gini (2020) | ▼ 25.3 low |
HDI (2022) | ![]() very high · 2nd |
Currency | Norwegian krone (NOK) |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST)
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UTC+2 (CEST) |
Date format | dd.mm.Template:Yyyy |
Driving side | right |
Calling code | +47 |
ISO 3166 code | NO |
Internet TLD | .nod |
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Norway is a country in the north of Europe. It is the western part of the Scandinavian peninsula. Norway's mainland has a long coastline on the west side. It borders Russia, Finland, and Sweden to the east. The coast touches the Oslofjord, Skagerrak, and the North Sea.
The Kingdom of Norway has been independent since 1905. Its head of state is currently King Harald V. Norway celebrates its national day on May 17. This day marks the signing of Norway's constitution in 1814. The country's parliament is called Stortinget. Its members are chosen by the people every four years.
About 5.5 million people live in Norway. The capital city is Oslo. It is also the largest city, with over 942,000 people. Other big cities include Bergen (251,000 people) and Trondheim (172,000 people). Both Bergen and Trondheim were once capitals of Norway.
Norwegian is the main language. There are two official written forms: Bokmål and Nynorsk. Many Sami people speak one of the Sami languages. Nord-samisk is also an official language in some local areas called kommuner.
Contents
Norway's Past: A Brief History
The country of Norway was formed in 872. It brought together many small kingdoms. From 1537 to 1814, Norway was part of Denmark–Norway. Then, from 1814 to 1905, it was linked with Sweden.
Norway stayed neutral during the First World War. In the Second World War, Nazi Germany invaded and occupied Norway in April 1940. This occupation lasted until the war ended.
Today, Harald V is the King of Norway. Jonas Gahr Støre has been the Prime Minister of Norway since 2021. Norway is a constitutional monarchy. This means it has a king, but the government is run by elected officials. The country's power is split between the parliament, the government, and the supreme court. This is set out in the 1814 constitution.
Norway is divided into counties and municipalities. The Sámi people have some self-rule in their traditional areas. Norway works closely with the European Union and the United States. It is a founding member of the United Nations, NATO, and other important groups.
Norway's Amazing Geography
Norway is in the western and northern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote island of Jan Mayen and the Svalbard islands are also part of Norway. However, Peter I Island and Bouvet Island are dependent territories, not part of the main kingdom. Norway also claims a part of Antarctica called Queen Maud Land.
Norway's coastline is very rugged. It has huge, deep inlets called fjords and thousands of islands. The mainland coastline, including fjords, stretches for about 28,953 kilometers. If you include all the islands, it's about 100,915 kilometers long!
Norway shares land borders with Sweden (1,619 km), Finland (727 km), and Russia (196 km) to the east. To the north, west, and south, Norway is bordered by the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the North Sea, and Skagerrak. The Scandinavian Mountains form much of the border with Sweden.
Norway is mostly made up of mountains and high land. This landscape was shaped by ancient glaciers. The fjords are deep valleys filled with sea water after the Ice Age. Sognefjorden is the world's second deepest fjord and the longest, at 204 kilometers. Hornindalsvatnet is the deepest lake in Europe. Norway has about 400,000 lakes.
The land is mostly hard rock like granite. But slate, sandstone, and limestone are also common. Lower areas have sea deposits. Because of the Gulf Stream, Norway has warmer temperatures and more rain than you might expect for its northern location. This is especially true along the coast.
The mainland has four clear seasons. Winters are colder and drier inland. The northernmost part has a mostly maritime Subarctic climate. Svalbard has an Arctic tundra climate.
Norway has many different habitats. This is because of its large size from north to south and its varied land and climate. There are about 60,000 species in Norway and its waters. This doesn't even include bacteria and viruses!

What is Norway's Climate Like?
The southern and western parts of Norway get a lot of rain and have milder winters. This is because they are open to Atlantic storms. Areas east of the coastal mountains are in a rain shadow. They get less rain and snow. The lowlands around Oslo have the warmest and sunniest summers. But they also have cold, snowy winters.
Because Norway is so far north, the amount of daylight changes a lot. From late May to late July, the sun never fully sets north of the Arctic Circle. This is why Norway is called the "Land of the Midnight sun". The rest of the country gets up to 20 hours of daylight. In contrast, from late November to late January, the sun never rises in the north. Daylight hours are very short elsewhere.
Norway's coastal climate is very mild for its northern location. The Gulf Stream warms the northern Atlantic coast in winter. This means places like Røst and Værøy don't have a true winter, even though they are north of the Arctic Circle. The Scandinavian Mountains also block cold winds from reaching the coast. This causes cool summers along the Atlantic coast. Oslo has a more continental climate, similar to Sweden.
Discover Norway's Wildlife
Norway has many different kinds of animals and plants. This includes about 16,000 types of insects and 20,000 types of algae. There are also 450 types of birds and 90 types of mammals. About 40,000 of these species have been studied by scientists.
Some species are endangered globally, like the Eurasian beaver. Even if there are many in Norway, they are still on the "red list" because they are at risk worldwide. About 3,682 species are threatened or near-threatened in Norway. This includes 418 types of fungi and 36 bird species.
The largest animal in Norwegian waters is the sperm whale. The largest fish is the basking shark. On land, the largest predator is the polar bear. On the Norwegian mainland, the brown bear is the biggest predator. The largest land animal on the mainland is the moose, called elg in Norwegian. It's known for its size and strength.
How Does Norway Protect its Environment?
Norway is known for its beautiful scenery. The west coast and northern coast have some of the most stunning coastal views in the world. National Geographic has called the Norwegian fjords the world's best tourist attraction. Norway is also where you can see the Midnight Sun in summer and the Northern Lights (Aurora borealis).
In 2016, Norway was ranked 17th in the Environmental Performance Index. This index looks at environmental risks to health and changes in CO2 emissions. Norway was the first country to ban deforestation.
How Norway is Governed


Norway is seen as one of the most developed democracies in the world. Since 2010, it has been ranked as the most democratic country by the Democracy Index.
Norway is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system. This means the King is the head of state, but the prime minister leads the government. Power is divided among the parliament, the government, and the supreme court. This is all set out in the 1814 constitution.
The King of Norway officially holds executive power. But in reality, the King's duties are mostly symbolic. He is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and a symbol of national unity. Harald V became King in 1991. He was the first King born in Norway since the 14th century. Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway, is next in line for the throne.
The Prime Minister actually runs the government. The Parliament of Norway, called the Storting, makes the laws. It has 169 members. 150 are elected directly. The other 19 seats are given out to make sure all parties are fairly represented. A party needs at least 4% of the votes to get these extra seats.
The Parliament can also remove government members if they act against the constitution. The Prime Minister is usually the leader of the largest political party or a group of parties. The Prime Minister chooses the cabinet members who help run the government.
Norway has a state church, the Lutheran Church of Norway. It has a special status in the constitution. However, since 2017, the Church of Norway is a separate legal group and not part of the government's civil service.
How Norway is Organized
Norway is divided into fifteen counties (fylke). Each county has its own elected council and a County Mayor. The King and government also have a representative in each county called a County Governor.
Counties are then divided into 357 smaller areas called municipalities (kommuner). Each municipality has an elected council and a mayor. The capital city of Oslo is both a county and a municipality.
Norway also has two overseas territories that are part of the country: Jan Mayen and Svalbard. Svalbard is the only developed island in its group, located far north of mainland Norway.
There are 108 places in Norway that are called towns or cities. Historically, the King decided which places were cities. Now, a municipality can decide if an urban area is a city. Cities in Norway don't have to be big. Oslo has over a million people, but Honningsvåg has only about 2,200 residents.
Norway's Largest Cities
Largest cities or towns in Norway
According to Statistics Dec. 2018 |
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Rank | Name | Pop. |
1 | Oslo | 1,000,467 |
2 | Bergen | 255,464 |
3 | Stavanger/Sandnes | 222,697 |
4 | Trondheim | 183,378 |
5 | Drammen | 117,510 |
6 | Fredrikstad/Sarpsborg | 111,267 |
7 | Porsgrunn/Skien | 92,753 |
8 | Kristiansand | 61,536 |
9 | Ålesund | 52,163 |
10 | Tønsberg | 51,571 |
Norway's Strong Economy

Norwegians have one of the highest standards of living in the world. They have the second-highest income per person in Europe. Norway is also the second wealthiest country in terms of money saved per person.
Norway has a "mixed economy." This means the government plays a big role, but private businesses are also important. For example, public healthcare is free. Parents get 46 weeks of paid time off after a baby is born. The government earns a lot of money from natural resources, especially oil.
In 2016, Norway's unemployment rate was 4.8%. This means most people who want to work have jobs. Workers in Norway have some of the highest hourly wages and productivity levels in the world.
The government owns large parts of important industries. This includes oil (Equinor), hydroelectric energy (Statkraft), and aluminum (Norsk Hydro). It also owns the largest Norwegian bank (DNB) and a telecom company (Telenor). Through these companies, the government controls about 30% of the value of companies on the Oslo Stock Exchange. Norway is also a major shipping nation. It has the world's sixth largest merchant fleet.
Norwegians voted against joining the European Union (EU) in 1972 and 1994. However, Norway is part of the EU's single market through the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement. It is also part of the Schengen Agreement, which allows people to travel freely between many European countries.
Norway has many natural resources. These include petroleum, hydropower, fish, forests, and minerals. Large amounts of oil and natural gas were found in the 1960s. This led to a big economic boost. Norway has a high standard of living partly because it has so many natural resources compared to its population size. In 2011, 28% of the government's money came from the oil industry.
Important Resources in Norway


Oil and Gas Industry
Money from oil and gas exports makes up over 40% of Norway's total exports. It is almost 20% of the country's total economic output. Norway is the world's fifth-largest oil exporter and third-largest gas exporter. It is not a member of OPEC.
In 1995, Norway created a special fund called the "Government Pension Fund – Global." This fund saves money from oil revenues for the future. The government controls its oil resources. It owns a large part of major oil companies like Equinor. The fund invests in financial markets outside Norway. The government limits how much money can be spent from this fund each year.
Between 1966 and 2013, Norwegian companies drilled over 5,000 oil wells. Most of these are in the North Sea. New oil fields are still being found, like Wisting Central and Castberg Oil Field in the Barents Sea.
Norway is also the world's second-largest exporter of fish by value. Fish from farms and fishing are the second biggest export after oil and gas. Norway is the world's largest producer of salmon.
Hydroelectric plants create about 98–99% of Norway's electricity. This is more than any other country.
Norway has many valuable minerals. These include limestone, building stone, iron, and titanium. In 2017, the Government Pension Fund had over $1 trillion in assets. This is about $190,000 per person. It is the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world.
The Norwegian fund invests responsibly. For example, it does not invest in companies that make parts for nuclear weapons.
How People Travel in Norway
Norway has a low population density and a long coastline. This means public transport is not as developed as in some other European countries, especially outside big cities. However, Norway has a long history of water transport. The government has been working to improve rail, road, and air travel. There are also talks about building a new high-speed rail system between the largest cities.
Norway's main railway network is 4,114 kilometers long. It transported over 56 million passengers in one year. The entire network is owned by Bane NOR. Different companies operate the trains.
Norway has about 92,946 kilometers of roads. Most of these are paved. The most important routes are part of the European route system. The European route E6 goes north-south through the whole country. The European route E39 follows the West Coast.
Norway has the most electric vehicles per person in the world. In March 2014, Norway was the first country where more than 1 in 100 cars on the road was electric. The country wants to stop selling gasoline and diesel cars by 2025.
Norway has 98 airports. 52 are public. Oslo Airport, Gardermoen is the main airport. It is a hub for Norwegian airlines like Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian Air Shuttle. There are flights to most European countries and some other parts of the world. A high-speed train connects the airport to Oslo Central Station in 20 minutes.
Important Discoveries and Research

Norway has produced many famous scientists. These include mathematicians Niels Henrik Abel and Sophus Lie. Caspar Wessel was the first to describe vectors and complex numbers. Atle Selberg was a very important mathematician in the 20th century.
Other notable scientists include physicists Ivar Giaever and Kristian Birkeland. Neuroscientists May-Britt Moser and Edvard Moser are also well-known. Chemists like Lars Onsager and Odd Hassel have made big contributions. Vilhelm Bjerknes and Ragnar Fjørtoft were key in developing weather prediction.
Web pioneer Håkon Wium Lie helped create Cascading Style Sheets. Pål Spilling helped develop the Internet Protocol and brought the Internet to Europe. Computer scientists Ole-Johan Dahl and Kristen Nygaard are known as the fathers of object-oriented programming.
In the 20th century, Norwegian experts made breakthroughs in social sciences. These include criminology, sociology, and peace and conflict studies. Famous thinkers include Arne Næss, who founded deep ecology, and Johan Galtung, who started peace studies.
Norway has had thirteen Nobel Prize winners. In 2024, Norway ranked 21st in the Global Innovation Index.
Exploring Norway: Tourism
Tourism is a big part of Norway's economy. In 2016, it made up 4.2% of the country's total economic output. One in every fifteen people in Norway works in tourism. Most tourists visit between May and August.
Norway's main attractions are its varied landscapes. These stretch across the Arctic Circle. The country is famous for its coastline, mountains, ski resorts, lakes, and forests. Popular places to visit include Oslo, Ålesund, Bergen, and Trondheim.
Much of Norway's nature is untouched. This attracts many hikers and skiers. The fjords, mountains, and waterfalls in Western Norway and Northern Norway draw hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. In cities, cultural sites like the Holmenkollen ski jump in Oslo and Bryggen in Bergen are popular.
Who Lives in Norway?

In late 2020, Norway's population was about 5.38 million people. Most Norwegians are of North Germanic background. In 2018, the average age of people in Norway was 39.3 years.
The Sámi people are native to the Far North. They have lived in central and northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia for a long time. Another national minority is the Kven people. They are descendants of Finnish-speaking people who moved to northern Norway.
From the 19th century to the 1970s, the Norwegian government tried to make the Sámi and Kven people adopt Norwegian language and culture. This was called the "Norwegianization process." Because of this, many families with Sámi or Kven ancestors now identify as ethnic Norwegian.
Norway's national minorities include Kvens, Jews, Forest Finns, and Romani people. In 2017, Norway was ranked first on the World Happiness Report.
Languages Spoken in Norway
Norwegian is the main official language. It has two written forms: Bokmål and Nynorsk. Sámi is a minority language. It includes three separate languages. Sámi is also an official language in some areas of Northern Norway. Kven is another minority language. It is co-official with Norwegian in one municipality in Northern Norway.
English is the main foreign language taught in Norwegian schools. Most Norwegians, especially those born after World War II, speak English well. German, French, and Spanish are also commonly taught.
Norwegian Culture and Traditions
Norway's farm culture is still important today. In the 19th century, it inspired a strong national movement. This can still be seen in the Norwegian language and media. Norwegian culture grew with efforts to create a unique identity in literature, art, and music. The government supports cultural projects and artwork.
Norwegian Movies and Films
Norwegian cinema has gained international attention. The documentary film Kon-Tiki (1950) won an Academy Award. The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix (1975) is an animated film and the most watched Norwegian film ever. Nils Gaup's Pathfinder (1987), about the Sámi, was nominated for an Oscar.

Since the 1990s, Norway's film industry has grown. It now produces up to 20 feature films each year. Successful films include Elling and the 2012 version of Kon-Tiki. Both were nominated for Oscars. The TV series Skam became very popular worldwide.
Norwegian directors like Joachim Rønning and Morten Tyldum have made successful international movies. These include The Imitation Game and Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge. Composers like Thomas Bergersen have worked on films like Avatar and The Dark Knight.
Norway has been a filming location for many Hollywood movies. These include Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and No Time to Die.
Music in Norway

The classical music of romantic composers like Edvard Grieg is known worldwide. Norway also has a strong tradition of folk music.
The jazz scene in Norway is very active. Artists like Jan Garbarek and Mari Boine are known internationally.
Norwegian black metal, a type of rock music, has influenced music around the world since the late 20th century. Bands like Emperor and Mayhem helped develop this genre.
Female solo artists from Norway include Susanne Sundfør and Sigrid. Norwegian songwriters and producers like Stargate have worked with international artists.
Norway has won the Eurovision Song Contest three times. Alexander Rybak's win in 2009 with "Fairytale" was a huge success.
Norway hosts many music festivals throughout the year. Ekstremsportveko in Voss is one of the world's biggest extreme sports festivals with music. Oslo hosts festivals like Øyafestivalen.
Norwegian Literature
Norwegian literature began with ancient poems and verses from the 9th and 10th centuries. When Christianity arrived, Norway connected with European learning. This influenced writing in the 12th and 13th centuries.
Not much Norwegian literature was written during the time Norway was united with Denmark (1387–1814). This was because Danish was the official written language.
Two big events helped Norwegian literature grow again. In 1811, a Norwegian university was started in Christiania. In 1814, Norway created its own Constitution. Authors like Henrik Wergeland and Camilla Collett became famous.
In the late 19th century, four great writers emerged: Henrik Ibsen, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Alexander Kielland, and Jonas Lie. Henrik Ibsen is known for his realistic plays like A Doll's House.
In the 20th century, three Norwegian novelists won the Nobel Prize in Literature. They were Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (1903), Knut Hamsun (1920), and Sigrid Undset (1928).
Norwegian Architecture

Norway has many forests, so building with wood has a long tradition. Many new buildings today are still made of wood.
When Norway became Christian, churches were built. Stone architecture came from Europe for important buildings, like Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim. In the early Middle Ages, wooden stave churches were built across Norway. Some of these still exist and are unique to Norway's history. The Urnes Stave Church is a World Heritage Site. Another famous example of wooden buildings is Bryggen Wharf in Bergen.
In the 17th century, cities like Kongsberg and Røros were founded. Kongsberg had a church built in the Baroque style. Traditional wooden buildings in Røros have also survived.
After Norway separated from Denmark in 1814, Oslo became the capital. Architect Christian H. Grosch designed early parts of the University of Oslo and the Oslo Stock Exchange.
In the early 20th century, the city of Ålesund was rebuilt in the Art Nouveau style. The 1930s were a strong period for Norwegian architecture. Today, Norwegian architects are gaining international fame. The Sámi Parliament in Kárášjohka is a striking modern building. Its debating room looks like a traditional Sámi tent called a lavvo.
Norwegian Art
For a long time, Norwegian art was influenced by Germany, Holland, and Copenhagen. In the 19th century, a truly Norwegian art style began. It started with portraits and then moved to impressive landscapes. Johan Christian Dahl helped define Norwegian painting.
Norway's independence encouraged painters to show their Norwegian identity. Landscape painting became popular with artists like Kitty Lange Kielland. Harriet Backer was another pioneer among female artists. Edvard Munch is a very famous painter. His work The Scream is known worldwide. Other famous works by Munch include The Sick Child and Madonna.
Other notable artists include Harald Sohlberg, known for his paintings of Røros.
What Do Norwegians Eat?
Norwegian food traditions come from long histories of seafaring and farming. Popular foods include salmon (fresh and cured), herring (pickled), trout, and codfish. These are balanced with cheeses like brunost and Jarlsberg cheese, dairy products, and breads.
Lefse is a Norwegian potato flatbread. It is often eaten with butter and sugar, especially around Christmas. Traditional Norwegian dishes include lutefisk, smalahove, pinnekjøtt, and fårikål. A special Norwegian dish is rakefisk, which is fermented trout. The most popular pastry is vaffel.
Sports in Norway

Sports are a big part of Norwegian culture. Popular sports include cross-country skiing, ski jumping, mountaineering, hiking, football, handball, and biathlon.
Norway is famous for developing modern winter sports, especially skiing. Since the 19th century, Norway has also been a top place for mountaineering.
Football is the most popular sport in Norway by number of players. However, biathlon and cross-country skiing are more popular to watch. Ice hockey is the biggest indoor sport. The women's handball team has won many titles, including two Olympic championships.
The women's national football team won the FIFA Women's World Cup in 1995 and the Olympic Football Tournament in 2000. The men's national football team has played in the FIFA World Cup three times.
Bandy is a traditional sport in Norway. It is the second biggest winter sport in the world by number of licensed athletes.
Norway first took part in the Olympic Games in 1900. It has sent athletes to almost every Games since then. Norway leads the total medal count at the Winter Olympic Games. Norway has hosted the Winter Olympics twice:
- 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo
- 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer
It also hosted the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics in Lillehammer.
Chess has become very popular in Norway. Magnus Carlsen, a Norwegian, was the world chess champion from 2013 to 2023.
See also
Images for kids
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Opening of Ohthere's Old English account, translated: "Ohthere told his lord Ælfrede king that he lived northmost of all Norwegians…"
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Bryggen in Bergen, once the centre of trade in Norway under the Hanseatic League trade network, now preserved as a World Heritage Site
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A Sámi family in Norway, c. 1900
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Scenes from the Norwegian Campaign in 1940
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Called elg in Norwegian, the moose is the main national animal.
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Minneapolis–Saint Paul has the largest concentration of ethnic Norwegians outside Norway, at 470,000.
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Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim
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The main building of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim
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Hardingfele, the "Hardanger fiddle", a Norwegian instrument
See also
In Spanish: Noruega para niños