Key Facts About Norway

Key Facts About Norway

• Location: Norway is a northern European country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula. 
  • It is bounded by the Barents Sea to the north, the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea to the west, and the Skagerrak (Skager Strait) to the south.
  • Most of the region of Norway is above the Arctic Circle. 
• Bordering nations: It has land borders only to the east with Sweden, Finland, and Russia. 
• It is geographically positioned in both the Northern and Eastern hemispheres of the Earth.
• Capital: Oslo is the capital of Norway.
• Geography:
  • Norway occupies part of northern Europe’s Fennoscandian Shield.
  • It is extremely hard bedrock, which consists mostly of granite and other heat- and pressure-formed materials, and ranges from one to two billion years in age.
  • Its mountainous plateau consists of bare rock smoothed by glaciers. 
    • Hardanger Plateau (Hardangervidda ), which is Europe’s largest highland plain, rises in this region. 
  • Islands: The Lofoten and Vesteralen Islands are the largest groups of islands.
    • They are known for their cod fisheries. 
    • It also includes the islands of Svalbard and Jan Mayen.
• Climate: In the northern part of Norway, winters are long and cold, and in the southern part, it is milder due to the coastal climate.
• Tidal Current: The Maelstrom, the strongest tidal current in the world, flows between the two outermost Lofotens islands, which creates dangerous whirlpools.
• Highest point: Galdhopiggen (2,469 m)
• Largest lake: Lake Mjøsa (365 sq. km)
• River: Major rivers include the Glama, the country’s longest river, along with the Dramselva, the two Lagen rivers, and the Tana in the far north.
• Significance: Norway is the fourth largest exporter of natural gas in the world, behind U.S.A, Russia and Qatar.