Norway

Kingdom of Norway

Sailing like the Vikings

The Kingdom of Norway is a state in Northern Europe on the Scandinavian peninsula. In addition to the mainland, the Kingdom of Norway includes the archipelago of Svalbard and the island of Jan Mayen. The capital and most populous city is Oslo. The country is located in the west of the Scandinavian Peninsula and borders Sweden to the east and Finland and Russia to the north-east. Norway is one of the largest countries in Europe in terms of area (8th), but is sparsely populated with only 5,488,984 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2023). The majority of the population lives in the south of the country.

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However, the country is best known worldwide for its fascinatingly beautiful and varied natural landscapes. Over 50 per cent of the total area is classified as mountains, plateaus or moorland, and a further seven per cent as freshwater or glaciers.[22] In terms of landscape, Norway is characterised by the Scandinavian Mountains with mountain ranges and barren plateaus, the fells. The highest point in Norway is the mountain Galdhøpiggen in the Jotunheimen mountain range at 2469 metres.

The coast of the Norwegian mainland consists of many narrow and deep bays, the fjords, with the salty sea reaching far inland in many places. The Sognefjord in Fylke Vestland is 200 kilometres long and 1300 metres deep at its deepest point, making it the longest and deepest fjord in Norway. Including the fjords, the coastline of the mainland is approximately 29,000 kilometres long. If the coastlines of the approximately 239,000 islands are included, the coastline of the mainland reaches a length of over 100,000 kilometres.

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The coastal areas are characterised by various factors and differ from region to region. Large parts of the coasts are rocky, with steep cliffs in places, such as the North Cape. In more sheltered places there are some sandy beaches, for example in Fylke Rogaland. In some parts of the coast there are rocky skerries that barely rise above the waves. The Norwegian continental shelf is particularly utilised by the oil and gas industry.

The behaviour of the tides differs significantly from that on the southern and western coasts of the North Sea. West of the south-western Norwegian town of Egersund lies an amphidromic centre, which is why there is no tidal range there. Accordingly, the tidal range is low on the south-east and south-west coasts of Norway. Further away from this centre, on the more northerly west coast, the tidal range is greater.

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The climate in Norway is characterised by major differences within the country. The Scandinavian Mountains separate the narrow, humid, cool temperate coastal strip in the west from the continental boreal climate in the east. Norway’s west coast has a mild and humid climate for its northern latitude. The reason for this is the North Atlantic Current, which allows relatively warm water to flow far to the north. The moderating effect of the sea – due to onshore winds – can be felt in the air temperatures [source: Wikipedia].