A quick summary and useful info about this unique Nordic destination.
Norway is a long and mostly narrow country, characterised by a rugged coastline – one of the longest in the world – and some 50,000 islands off the coast, including the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard at 71°N.
Mainland Norway has such a long range (13°N to 58°N) that distances can take a long time to cover. For example, the drive from Kristiansand in the south to North Cape in the north covers about 2,500 km. However, these great distances offer dramatic variations in the scenery, flora and fauna – not to mention notable differences in the language and culture between the regions.
Not only is Norway one of the world’s most northerly countries, it is also among Europe’s most mountainous countries, which makes for incredible journeys by car, boat or train. What's more, it is one of the few places in the world with fjords, deep indentations in the coastline formed by retreating glaciers millions of years ago. These natural features are now without a doubt the top attraction for most visitors.
For those on a quest for action, Norway’s pristine nature offers great potential for outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking, skiing, river rafting and kayaking. Norway is truly the active traveller’s or nature lover's dream!
Capital: Oslo
Population: 5.2 million
Currency: Norsk Krona
Language: Norwegian (Bokmål and Nynorsk) In some northern districts, Sámi is also an official language.
Total Area: 385,155 km2
Time Zone:Central European Time Zone (CET)
Country Code: +47
Fire, accidents and serious pollution: 110
Police – immediate assistance:112
Ambulance and Medical assistance: 113
Location: Norway is located in Northern Europe on the Scandinavian Peninsula, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a long border with Sweden and shorter borders with Finland and Russia in far north.
Form of Government: Constitutional monarchy with parlimentary democracy
