Norway is a European country located at the Northwestern part of Europe. Oslo is the capital and the largest city in the country.
The standard of living in Norway is among the highest in the world as it has the second largest GDP in Europe and the sixth largest in the world. It is the second richest country in the world in monetary value. Its economy is a mixed economy and the country is endowed with natural resources including petroleum which makes up about 30% of the economy.
The official languages of the country are Norwegian and Sami. English is also a primary foreign language that is taught in schools across the country. Majority of the population are fairly fluent in English.
About 71% of the population are members of the Church of Norway. 10% of the population are not affiliated to any religion, 5% belong to other Christian denominations with Catholics taking the lead. About 132,130 people are registered members of the Islamic religion. Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Judaism etc. are other religions in the country.
There are about 98 airports in Norway. Other means of transportation in the country include road transport systems with the use of buses and private cars, railways, and water transport systems.
Public healthcare in Norway is free same as public education. Football, biathlon, ice hockey, sky jumping, speed skating, and handball are the kind of sports people engage in Norway. Seafood is common in the country. Bread, cheese, potato, butter, sugar, dairy products etc. are some examples of food in the country.
In Norway, there are large seasonal variations in daylight. The sun does not fully descend in some parts from end of May to the end of July. The rest of the country experiences about 20hours of light per day. Also, sometime from late November to late January, the sun does not completely rise in the north and this makes the daylight hours very short in other parts of the country.
Norway is a very beautiful country and there are lots of exciting places to visit. Tourist attractions in Norway include;
- Sognefjord: This is the largest fjord in Norway and you can get there by taking a boat. There are plenty of fjord cruises and sightseeing tours here. It is a very beautiful sight to behold here.
- Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen): This is one of the most popular places in Norway. To get to the almost flat-topped cliff, you will have to take a two hour climb up the hill. It is an ideal place to visit for very active travelers.
- Viking Ships Museum, Oslo: This is the largest museum in Norway and it is the historical museum of the country where artifacts from around the world are kept. The Vikings ships are also in the museum.
The best time to visit the country is from May to June and from September to October. The country records about 1.2 billion visitors in a year.
There are over 100 hotels in Norway the bulk of which are in the country’s capital.