Norway
Norway – the country of 10 000 islands
The Kingdom of Norway is in Northwest Europe, on the western
peninsula of Scandinavia. The country name means "gateway to the
north of the road." Covering an area of 386,000 square kilometers,
it has a population of 4.57 million, mostly of the Germanic family
of Norwegians. 96% of the population profess Christianity, and the
state religion is Lutheranism. Norwegian is the official language.
The currency is NOK. Oslo (Oslu) is the capital.
National Flag
The flag is red with a blue and white cross. Norway was once under
Danish rule. The origin of the cross is the Danish national flag.
History
In the 9th century AD, Norway was a unified kingdom. The 9th to 11th
century was Norway's heyday. In the mid-14th century, Norway began
to decline. In 1397, Norway formed the Kalmar Union with Denmark and
Sweden, ruled by Queen Margrethe I. In 1814, Norway was ceded to
Sweden and Denmark. On June 7, 1905, Norway acheived independence
from Sweden, and the Prince of Denmark was elected king, Hassan VII.
The country remained neutral during the First World War. The country
was occupied by the Germans during "World War II." After the war,
the country is ruled by the Labour Party and the Conservative Party,
alone or in coalition with other parties.
Fjord
Fjord are inserts into the narrow coastal and inland waters. Is a
natural haven for fishing boats. 200 km long, fjords are 1300 meters
deep. Norway has the world's longest and deepest fjords, a unique
landscape in the world. Norway's long coastline has been cut into
jagged waves by the North Sea. These endless twists and turns and
numerous glacial fjords constitute a magnificent, wonderful scenery.
Holmenkollen ski resort mountain
Located 13 kilometers northeast of Oslo and 371 meters above sea
level, this resort mountain has beautiful scenery. The famous jump
is up to 56 meters of snow platform, like a huge slide, surrounded
by towering mountains. The platform is next to a lake in winter,
with soft white snow thickly covering the groun, a "snow pit" to
protect the safety of athletes. From 1892 onwards, each year in
March, the Holmenkollen skiing festival is a grand festival in
Norway; skiers from around the world gather here. "Holmenkollen" is
like the Olympics in Greece, known by a majority of skiers.
Economic and Cultural Customs
There are up to 15 million coastal islands, it is said to be the
"country of 10,000 islands." 70% of the land is within the area of
the plateau or mountain. Mountains over 2000 meters above sea level
push rainfall over to the windward slope, forming a vast natural
snow, the most famous ski resort in Europe. With one-fifth of the
country's land area in the Arctic Circle, in summer there is a
"midnight sun" period without night, so it is called "midnight sun
country."
The Norwegian power industry is well-developed, of which hydropower
accounts for 99.5% of generation capacity. It amounts to 20,000
kilowatts hours of electricity per capita, the highest in the world.
Cheap and abundant electricity is an advantage for the development
of the metallurgical industry. Norway is a major producer and
exporter of aluminum, magnesium, and iron alloys. In addition,
shipbuilding and wood processing have a traditional advantage.
Norway's coast has many excellent fishing grounds; it is known as a
"fishing kingdom". More than 95% of the country exports fish
products.
Above, in the North Sea, there is the Nordic style of design by
building water flows. Building a floating semi-submersible, with the
impressive scenery of the vast sea, after diving under the sea you
can watch fish and other organisms.
Church of operation system
Norway has more than thirty existing old wooden churches. The church
and the square three-storey building is full of wood. Each floor has
steep eaves, on a spire, looking very much like the East Temple. The
north wall of the nave and the door was built 100 years earlier than
the church. The church was built in the second half of the 12th
century. The corner features a huge pillarg. The church has many
fine 12th-century relief paintings and is representative of the
Scandinavian art and architecture of the late Viking Age .
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