60+ Interesting Facts About Norway

1. Norway is a country in northern Europe. It is the westernmost country of the Scandinavian Peninsula, and shares land borders with Sweden, Finland, and Russia.
2. Norway has three uninhabited dependent territories (Svalbard, Bouvet Island, and Jan Mayen). in the Arctic and South Atlantic oceans.
3. Nearly 67% of Norway is mountainous. Coastlines and fjords are the other main geographical features of the country.
4. Norway has the second-longest coastline in the world and the longest in Europe. The length of the Norwegein coastline is 103,000 km. (Source)
5. There are more than 50,000 islands in Norway. These are the 3^rd highest number of islands in the world after Sweden and Finland.
6. Sognefjord and Hardangerfjord in Norway are the 2^nd and 3^rd longest fjords in the world. Their length is 127 miles and 111 miles, respectively. (Source)
7. Norway fulfills 45% of its energy requirement through hydropower. It is the highest percentage of utilizing renewable energy in the world. (Source)
8. Norway is estimated to be the least affected country by climate change. It is due to its various steps: reducing CO2 emissions, increasing electric cars, and using smart streetlights. (Source)
9. Norway adopted its Constitution in 1814. However, the current state of Norway was established in 1905 after the dissolution of the Union between Norway and Sweden.
10. Sami are the descendants of nomadic reindeer-herding people, living in northern Scandinavia for thousands of years. They are also the initial inhabitants of Norway. The country has the highest number of Sami people, and it ensures their autonomy through a separate parliament.
11. Norway remained neutral during WW1. It also adopted neutrality during WW2 but remained under the occupation of Nazi Germany from 1940 to 1945.
12. In contrast to other Scandinavian countries, Norway joined NATO in 1949. However, it is not a member of the EU (European Union).
13. Norway has the highest HDI (human development index) ranking in the world. The HDI depends on life expectancy, years of schooling, and GNI per capita of the population. (Source)
14. Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global is the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund (SWF), with assets of $1.3 trillion. It is also one of the chief shareholders of Apple. (Source)
15. Norway has achieved the best ranking in the democracy index. It scored 9.81 in 2020, compared to 9.37 by Iceland (the second country on the list). (Source)
16. The North Cape in Norway is the northernmost point in Europe. It is nearly 2,000 km from the North Pole.
17. Norway contains the four deepest lakes in Europe. Hornindalsvatnet Lake is the deepest, with a maximum depth of 514m. (Source)
18. Norway has the highest share of plug-in electric vehicles per capita. Nearly 75% of new car sales in 2020 were plug-in electric vehicles. (Source)
19. Laerdal Tunnel in Norway is the world’s longest road tunnel. This 24.5km-long tunnel connects the country’s two largest cities – Oslo and Bergen. (Source)

    

    Laerdal Tunnel is the world's longest road tunnel

    
    
20. The Ryfylke tunnel in Norway is the world’s deepest undersea tunnel, having a maximum depth of 292m below sea level. Norway is also working to construct the longest and deepest subsea tunnel, which can complete in 2027. (Source)
21. Norway has also completed several other undersea tunnels. The top four deepest underwater tunnels are in Norway.
22. The Oslo Accords between Israel and Palestinian Authority (PA) were signed in the White House in 1993. However, it was named so because Oslo was the place of secret negotiations between the two rival parties. The organizer of these discussions was a Norwegian think tank, FAFO.
23. In 2013, Norway became the first country in Europe and the first NATO member to conscript men and women into the military. (Source)
24. Norway is the second most stable country in the world. It has performed best in the fragile state index after Finland.
25. In 2016, Norway became the first country to ban cutting trees. Before that, it committed to banning deforestation during the 2014 UN Climate Summit. (Source)
26. Norway is the 4^th largest gas exporter in the world. The majority of these exports depend on the pipeline. (Source)
27. Norway has the largest reserves of oil in Western Europe. These oil reserves are located offshore, especially in the North Sea. (Source)
28. Norway is the world’s largest exporter of processed fish, non-fillet fresh fish, and wood pulp lyes. On the other hand, the country is the biggest importer of fishing ships and fish oil. (Source)
29. Norwegian is the country's national and official language. Sami and Kven are co-official languages in northern parts of Norway.
30. The Hardanger Plateau in southern Norway is the largest mountain plateau in Europe. It covers an area of around 4,600 sq. miles.
31. More than 4.6 million Norwegian descendants are living in the USA. Comparatively, the population of ethnic Norwegians in Norway is over 4.5 million.
32. More than 80% of Norwegians are Evangelical Lutherans. It is one of the highest percentages of protestant Christianity in the world.
33. Norway hosted the Winter Olympic Games twice. These include Winter Olympics in 1952 (Oslo) and 1994 (Lillehammer).
34. Norway has the best all-time medal records for Winter Olympics. The Nordic country has won 132 gold, 125 silver, and 111 bronze medals from 1924 to 2018. (Source)
35. Norwegian player Magnus Carlsen has won five chess world championship titles successively. He won the latest championship in 2021. (Source)
36. Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes. The location of this prize is Oslo, while all the other Nobel Prizes are distributed in Sweden. The Parliament of Norway appoints the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which selects the recipient of this award.
37. Bouvet in Norway is the remotest uninhabited island in the world. Its nearest landmass is 1,000 miles south of Antarctica.
38. In the far north of Norway, the midnight sun is visible between May and July. This phenomenon lasts for the longest time in Svalbard. 
39. The northern parts of Norway also provide spectacular sights of the Northern Lights. Tourists can view these lights between late September and late March from the afternoon till morning.

    

    Nortehrn Lights (Aurora) are visible in northern parts of Norway

    
    
40. The latest Norwegian passport has several unique features. The most prominent one is the appearance of the Northern Lights when UV light applies to the passport. (Source)
41. In Norway, the income, assets, and paid taxes of all residents are available online. Everyone can see the salary of any other person. (Source)
42. The first UN Secretary-General was Trygve Lie, a Norwegian politician and lawyer. He served this position from February 1946 to November 1952. 
43. Modern skiing was invented in Norway during the 1760s as a military skill. The first national race took place in the 1860s in Oslo.
44. Norway contains the last wild reindeer herds in Europe. However, human activities in southern Norway have endangered their existence. (Source)
45. Norway sends a Christmas tree to London every year. This tradition started in 1947 to thank Britain for helping Norway during WW2.
46. Vikings raided and colonized several parts of Europe between the 9^th and 11^th centuries. They originated from Norway and other Scandinavian countries (Denmark and Sweden).
47. “The Scream,” a painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, is the second most expensive painting after “Mona Lisa.” Its selling price in 2012 was nearly $120,000,000. (Source)
48. Norway is one of few countries where ads cannot be shown before, during, or after a children’s TV program. (Source)
49. Rjukan, a Norwegian town situated in a deep valley, does not receive sunlight for several months (late September to mid-March) due to its surrounding high mountains. However, a part of Rajukan can now get sunlight after the installation of three large solar-powered mirrors. (Source)
50. Roald Dahl, the author of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” had Norwegian origin. He based his book on a chocolate factory located in Oslo.
51. The last batch of the Nazi German soldiers surrendered on Bear Island in Svalbard to Norwegian seal hunters on September 4, 1945.
52. There are more polar bears than humans in Svalbard. It is mandatory to carry a gun outside human settlements in this area. However, hunting polar bears is illegal, and the purpose of the weapon is to frighten away the animal.
53. There are eight UNESCO world heritage sites in Norway. These include seven cultural and one natural site. (Source)
54. It is not possible to bury dead bodies in Svalbard due to permafrost. Its only graveyard is also not accepting new bodies. It is also illegal to give birth on this chilly cold island.
55. Norway has one of the highest percentages of people that speak English as a second language. Nearly 90% of Norwegians can speak English.
56. More than 1,600 glaciers in Norway cover an area of 2,595 sq. km. Jostedalsbreen (487 km²) is the largest glacier in continental Europe. (Source)
57. Beerenberg at Jan Mayen, a remote Arctic island in Norway, is the northernmost volcano above sea level.
58. Norway is the largest producer of salmon, with more than 55% of the world’s production. Chile, with over 25% global production, is the second-largest salmon-producing country. (Source)
59. A team of Norwegian explorers discovered the South Pole in 1911 under the leadership of Roald Amundsen. (Source)
60. In 2017, Norway became the first country to end the national FM network. The reason behind this decision was to achieve better sound quality and more channels at a low cost. (Source)
61. Norway is one of few countries without life imprisonment. The maximum sentence in the country is 21 years of imprisonment in a comfortable cell.