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NORWAY EXPLAINED

Norway explained: 17 interesting things you never knew about Norway

Norway is an amazing country. From its awe-inspiring fjords to the magical Aurora Borealis, the list of reasons why millions of people visit it each year is quite long. In this article, we'll add 17 more – although less well-known – reasons to fuel your wanderlust.

Lærdal tunnel
Pictured is the Lærdal tunnel, the longest road tunnel in the world. Photo by Julian Dik on Unsplash

A lot of people fall in love with Norway at first sight. What’s not to love about a country with a generous welfare state, amazing nature, and world-renowned cultural heritage, right?

However, in case the classics – the natural attractions, the culture, the cleanliness and safety, and the (sea)food – aren’t enough to sell you on Norway, here are 17 things you (probably) didn’t know about the country that just might turn you into a fan.

1. Norway knights penguins and gives them positions in the military

The story started in 1972 when Norway’s King’s Guard adopted a penguin at the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, which they often toured during visits to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, a well-known military music event.

In 1972, lieutenant Nils Egelien selected a penguin to serve as the guard’s mascot. The penguin was then made an honorary member of the King’s Guard and named Nils Olav – after the lieutenant himself and Norway’s king at the time, Olav V.

After the penguin’s death, another one took his place, name, and rank. This tradition has been going on for quite some time, and several penguins have served in the role.

In 2008, penguin Nils Olav – an honorary colonel-in-chief at the time – was knighted for his service and exemplary conduct.

2. Norway gives equal pay to male and female footballers

In 2018, Norway implemented equal compensation for male and female footballers representing the country’s national teams.

The decision, announced by the Norwegian Football Association (NFF), was made in 2017. At the time, the men’s team was remunerated from a pot of around 6.55 million kroner, which was more than twice as much as the women’s team allocation.

Both allocations were set to roughly six million kroner for 2018. The transition has been funded in part by the men’s team, who agreed to give up 550,000 kroner from their own allocation.

Jan Mayen island

Pictured is Jan Mayen island. Photo by Alena Vavrdova on Unsplash

3. Norway has an active volcano?

If the fact that Norway has an active volcano surprised you, then you’re in for a treat. The country has not one but two active volcanoes!

One is located on the island of Jan Mayen and is named Beerenberg. The other, named the Haakon Mosby mud volcano, is much harder to find, as it sits at the bottom of the ocean.

The Jan Mayen island is located about 1,000 kilometres west of mainland Norway and 550 kilometres northeast of Iceland. The Beerenberg volcano last erupted in 1985. As the Norwegian Polar Institute points out on its website, there is a constant threat of new eruptions and earthquakes at Beerenberg.

The Haakon Mosby mud volcano is a unique volcano in the Barents Sea, discovered in 1989 by researchers at the University of Bergen. The volcano was found at a depth of 1,300 meters.

4. Norway has a serious obsession with trolls

Norway has a love affair with the mythical beings known as “trolls” that goes back hundreds of years.

Trolls are omnipresent in Nordic folklore, and the term itself usually refers to multiple types of human-like beings, rooted in Norse mythology.

Regardless of whether you’re looking at a list of the country’s top tourist attractions (from mountaintops to famous rock formations, such as Trolltunga) or browsing the lineups of troll figurines and merchandise at one of the numerous gift shops at Bryggen in Bergen, you’ll find trolls all over Norway.

Trolls are considered an essential part of Norway’s cultural heritage, according to the state-funded guide Visit Norway, and Norwegians have a special place in their hearts for these fairly-tale creatures.

5. One of the horniest countries in the world?

According to a global sex survey carried out in 2017 for Orgasm Day, Norway came out on top when it comes to the number of orgasms people can have in a day.

For a nation with a reputation for reservedness, it seems the Norwegians are blessed with quite the sex drive.

The survey showed that 35 percent of Norwegians claim to climax at least once a day.

Furthermore, the survey also showed that Norwegians are in second place when it comes to the list of the noisiest nations in bed.

That’s one way of keeping the winter cold and silence at bay…

6. Which animal is Norway’s national symbol?

Norway has several national animals. However, its national royal animal is the lion, found on its royal banner – and many coats of arms showcased around the country.

Why does Norwegian royalty use a lion in its coat of arms if there are no such animals in the country?

One must dig into the country’s royal history to find the answer. Norway’s coat of arms has been officially used since the 13th century when lions were popular symbols in northern Europe.

At the time, they symbolised pride, courage, and strength.

Happy girl

In the recently released 2022 edition, Norway was ranked eighth globally in terms of happiness. Photo by Vinicius Wiesehofer on Unsplash

7. One of the happiest countries in the world

During the last decade, Norwegians have continuously been ranked among the happiest people on Earth – at least if one is to trust the World Happiness Report.

The report is published by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and it includes global survey data from people in about 150 countries.

In the recently released 2022 edition, Norway was ranked eighth globally in terms of happiness. It was rated 7.365 out of 10 for happiness, while the global average was 5.53 in 2021.

Analysed categories involved how much better life is in a given country compared to those with bad living conditions; perception of corruption in a country; generosity; freedom to make life choices; healthy life expectancy; social support; and GDP per capita.

8. Norway is a world leader in terms of electric cars (per capita)

Norway, a country with a population of around 5.4 million people, has the world’s highest proportion of electric vehicles per capita.

In 2022, 138,265 new electric cars were sold, representing 79.3 percent of total passenger car sales, according to the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV).

In doing so, Norway beat its previous record of 64.5 percent set in 2021. Tesla was the most popular brand in 2022, topping the list with a 12.2 percent market share.

9. The Norwegian island of Svalbard has more bears than people

As of 2012, around 2642 people were living in Svalbard. There are around 3,000 polar bears in the Svalbard archipelago, which means that there are more bears than people in the area!

Polar bear sightings usually occur on the surrounding islands, but the state-funded guide Visit Svalbard states that people should be prepared to encounter polar bears anywhere in Svalbard year-round.

Also, the guide recommends that any visitor secures a local guide with a firearm when leaving the island settlements. Yikes!

10. Norway invented skiing

To no one’s surprise, Norway is considered the birthplace of modern skiing. The oldest evidence of skiing in the country – a Rødøy carving of a skier with a pole – has been dated to 5,000 BCE.

While there is older evidence depicting skis in other countries, what is considered skiing today is clearly linked with Norway – and Scandinavia.

Furthermore, multiple ancient skis have been discovered in Scandinavia (with one that could be around 6,500 years old!), adding to Norway’s claim.

Skiing is also featured in less reliable but culturally important Norse sagas, which are more than 1,000 years old.

Salmon sushi

Japan has a long and proud tradition of eating raw fish that goes back centuries. Photo by Luigi Pozzoli on Unsplash

11. Norway gave Japan the idea of using salmon in sushi?

Ready for a really fun fact?

While salmon is closely associated with sushi nowadays, a few decades ago, that wasn’t the case. Japan has a long and proud tradition of eating raw fish that goes back centuries. Yet, salmon was not a part of it until relatively recently.

Things changed, and salmon made its way into Japan’s sushi culture, thanks to a major Norwegian marketing campaign carried out by seafood exporters.

The campaign’s success made farmed Atlantic salmon from Norway a popular staple in Japanese sushi cuisine.

12. Norway, home of brown cheese

Norway is home to a lot of fascinating foods and dishes. The Local has covered many of them in previous articles.

However, there is a staple that visitors tend to find quite interesting – brown cheese (brunost in Norwegian).

While it technically isn’t cheese – it’s a byproduct – its shape and uses do fit the bill. Norwegians tend to eat it in sandwiches or on toast, and its caramelly flavour makes it a breakfast favourite!

Brunost is made by boiling out the water from goat milk whey, which ends up caramelising the sugar. If you leave the resulting substance to cool down, it will take the form of the famed “brown cheese.”

13. Norway has its own Statue of Liberty (in Visnes on Karmøy island)?

While the Statue of Liberty in the US is a globally recognised attraction, few people know that it was crafted from copper extracted from a mine in Visnes, a village in Norway.

The Visnes copper mine, which opened in 1865, was a large and advanced mine that saw its zenith during the final decades of the 19th century.

A French engineer named Charles Defrance had a key role in the mine operation, and he is often credited with securing the Norwegian-French connection, which resulted in one of France’s most famous gifts to the US, the Statue of Liberty.

In 1986, the copper from the Statue of Liberty was tested, and the analysis showed that it matched the copper from Visnes. A small statue replicating the Statue of Liberty was constructed in Vinses, on Karmøy island, to mark the occasion.

Coffee

A Euromonitor 2013 report showed Norwegians consume around 7.2 kilograms of coffee per year per capita. Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

14. Norway is a nation of extreme coffee lovers

Coffee is a huge part of living in Norway – despite its ridiculous price compared to many other European countries.

While the prices don’t facilitate carefree coffee consumption or binge drinking in cafes (as might be the case in southeastern Europe), Norwegians are very serious about their coffee.

A Euromonitor 2013 report showed Norwegians consume around 7.2 kilograms of coffee per year per capita, which ranked them the second world over – surpassed only by the Fins in the list in question.

According to other, more recent reports, it seems Norwegians have maintained their spot on the top list of coffee drinkers.

Historically speaking, coffee drinking began securing ground in the country in the 19th century after Norway started trading fish for beans from America.

15. Norway donates a Christmas tree to the UK every year

In a show of gratitude for the support it received in World War Two, for over 75 years, Norway has been gifting the UK a Christmas tree, traditionally displayed in Trafalgar Square during the festive period.

The people of Norway gift the UK a roughly 20-metre tall Norwegian Spruce, which is often battered as it travels from Norway to the UK (though it is sent off in perfect condition), making it a target of a lot of jokes – especially on social media.

While the annual tradition dates back seven decades, the first Christmas tree was gifted to the UK in 1942.

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16. Norwegians read more (per capita) than any other population in the world

Norwegians enjoy reading a good book – especially during the holidays!

As studies show time and time again, Norway is a nation of avid readers.

The Bokundersøkelsen 2010, conducted by Norway’s publisher associations, showed that 90 percent of all Norwegian men and 97 percent of Norwegian women read at least one or more books the previous year. Quite impressive!

There is a well-established tradition of reading thrillers during Easter, which helps fuel the country’s love of books.

17. Norway has the world’s longest road tunnel

The Lærdal tunnel, the longest road tunnel in the world, is located in Norway.

As the state-funded guide Visit Norway proudly states, the road, which spans over a whopping 24.5 kilometres, links Aurland and Lærdal, providing a ferry-free connection between Norway’s two biggest cities – Oslo and Bergen.

The Lærdal tunnel opened in November 2000. The tunnel lighting is quite remarkable – every six kilometres, there is a widening, and these wide, rocky chambers are fitted with special lighting, making the trip through the tunnel a memorable experience.

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NORWEGIAN HISTORY

The people and stories behind some of Norway’s common street names

You've seen them and said them dozens of times, but how much do you know about the people who gave their names to Norway's streets? Here's a look at some of the people and faces behind the road names.

The people and stories behind some of Norway's common street names

Norway’s streets and squares have stories to tell, with many of their names paying homage to the Norwegians of centuries past.

Haakon VII

As the first king Norway had after regaining its independence from Sweden in 1905, it is perhaps unsurprising that Haakon VII has given his name to central streets in Oslo, Trondheim, Bergen, Stavanger, and many other towns and cities in Norway.

Born Prince Carl of Denmark in 1872, he took the Old Norse name Haakon on accession to the throne as the first independent Norwegian monarch since 1387.

After the conquest of Norway by Nazi Germany in 1940, Haakon went into exile in the UK, refusing to give his backing to the puppet government led by Vidkun Quisling.

He then became the figurehead for the Norwegian resistance, meaning he was greeted as a national hero when he returned to Norway after the country was liberated in 1945.

Haakon VII. Photo: US Office of War Information

Kristian IV

Kristian IVs gate, leading from Oslo Cathedral and alongside Karl Johan gate, is one of the main streets in Oslo. 

The street is named after Christian IV, the 17th century King of Denmark and Norway, who laid the foundations for much of modern Oslo after the old city was gutted by a fire in 1628, with the new city named Christiania in his honour. 

There’s another Kristian IVs gate in Kristiansand, which also named after this great city builder, as are the Copenhagen district of Christiania and the Swedish city of Kristianstad.  

Kristian IVs reign saw Denmark-Norway eclipsed by Sweden, with the country enduring a succession of military defeats. Despite this his reign is still seen in Denmark as a golden age. 

Fridtjof Nansen 

The square surrounding Oslo City Hall is called Fridtjof Nansens plass (plass meaning square or place in Norwegian), commemorating Norway’s most famous explorer and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. 

As soon as Fridtjof Nansen completed his doctorate in marine zoology, he set off on his first major Arctic exploration voyage, crossing Greenland’s interior in 1888 on cross-country skis. He followed this up with his Fram expedition, which fell short of reaching the North Pole, as he had hoped, but did reach a record northern latitude of 86°14′. 

There’s a Fridtjof Nansens vei (vei meaning road in Norwegian) in Trondheim, but apparently no road commemorating this great explorer in Bergen. 

A photograph of the explorer Fridtjof Nansen which was included in the book Oscar II: my memories. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Roald Amundsen 

Fittingly, Fridtjof Nansens plass in Oslo leads directly onto Roald Amundsens gate, just as Nansen’s Arctic exploits inspired Roald Amundsen in his own exploits.

Amundsen was famously the first person to reach the South Pole, beating the ill-fated British expedition led by Captain Robert Scott.

Amundsen has a claim to be the first to reach the North Pole as well, as the two other expeditions which make the claim, led by Robert Peary, a US Navy admiral, and Frederik Cook, are both disputed. Amundsen did, however, travel by airship, which some might say was cheating.

You can also find a Roald Amundsens gate in Trondheim, Sandnes and Sarpsborg.

Olav V

Like his father, King Haakon VII, Olav V was born a Danish prince with another, much more Danish name. Alexander Edward Christian Frederik, Prince of Denmark, was born at Appleton House, on the grounds of the UK’s Sandringham Palace, where his British mother, Princess Maud of Wales, was staying courtesy of her father, King Edward VII.

When Haakon VII was made King of Norway in 1905, his son moved to Norway with him, taking the more Norwegian name, Prince Olav. He became King Olav on the death of his father in 1958.

You can find streets named Olav Vs gate in Oslo, Stavanger, Bodø, and Vikhammer, but not – as often seems to be the case – in Bergen.

Johan Herman Wessel

While he is relatively unknown outside Norway, the poet and writer Johan Herman Wessel, who was born in Norway but died in Copenhagen, was one of the leading figures of The Enlightenment in Denmark-Norway, winning renown for his collection of comic stories and the play Kjærlighet uden strømper, or “Love without Stockings”. 

There’s a Wessels plass in Oslo, a Wessels gate in Trondheim and a Wessels vei in Stjørdal. 

Edvard Grieg 

Edvard Grieg, the 19th-century composer, is very much known outside Norway, and he is commemorated with streets in Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim, although few of them are central, perhaps because he made his name after the city centres had already been built.

Grieg’s most famous works are probably his lyrical piano pieces or perhaps the incidental music he composed for Henrik Ibsen’s play Peer Gynt.

A painting of Edvard Grieg by the Norwegian artist Eilif Peterssen. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Henrik Ibsen

The playwright Henrik Ibsen is arguably more famous internationally even than Grieg, and he gives his name to Henrik Ibsens gate in Oslo and also to other streets of the same name in Bergen, Drammen and Frederiksberg.  

Remarkably for an author from a relatively small country, Ibsen is the most frequently performed dramatist in the world after Shakespeare, with A Doll’s House, his most famous play, holding the title of the world’s most performed play (a few years ago, anyway). 

Ibsen was born in 1828 in Skien and died in 1906 in Oslo. 

Marcus Gjøe Rosenkrantz

It’s hard not to think that the Rosencrantz gate you can find in Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger and elsewhere refers to the character in Shakespeare’s Hamlet or that they refer to some other renowned Rosenkrantz.

In fact, these streets commemorate the politician Marcus Gjøe Rosenkrantz (1762-1838), the Norway-born civil servant and politician who served as Norway’s prime minister between 1814 and 1815 and was a leading figure at the meeting in Eidsvoll where the Norwegian constitution was drawn up in 1814.

He was a member of the Rosenkrantz family, part of the Danish nobility, with branches in Norway and Sweden.

Coincidently, Eidsvolls plass is a square and park just in front of the Storting, or Norwegian parliament, in Oslo

Professor J.C. Dahl 

You will find Professor Dahls gate leading down to Frogner Park in Oslo, but you’ll also find the name in Bergen and Sandnes.

Rather than commemorating a scientist or academic, these streets, in fact, celebrate the man credited with putting Norwegian fine art on the map.

Johan Christian Clausen Dahl, or just JC Dahl, was a 19th-century painter considered the first person from Norway to reach the level of artists from the continent. As a student, Dahl lived in Dresden with the more renowned German romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich.

On his return to Norway, he helped found Norway’s National Romantic art movement, capturing the country’s dramatic landscapes in oil.  

A Portrait of JC Dahl by Carl Christian Vogel von Vogelstein Photo: Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden/Wikimedia Commons

Peter Andreas Munch

Given that Edvard Munch is a far more famous painter than Dahl, it’s surprising that there are no streets named after him in Norway (as far as we can see).  

There is a Munchs gate in Oslo, which is named after his uncle, Peter Andreas Munch, as is PA Munchs gate in Trondheim.

Peter Andreas Munch (1810-1863) was a Norwegian historian known primarily for his history of Norway, Det norske Folks Historie

Johan Nordahl Brun

You can find a Nordahl Bruns gate in Oslo, Bergen, Lillestrøm and Drammen, and a Nordahl Bruns vei in Trondheim.

Johan Nordahl Brun, 1745-1816, was a theologian, writer, and songwriter who also became Bishop of Bergen. Brun wrote Bergenssangen or Nystemte, the city’s anthem. He wrote several plays, and several popular hymns that were included in the Danish Psalmebog for Kirke og Hjem and are still sung in Norway.

Christian C.A. Lange

Langes gate crosses Nordahl Bruns gate in Oslo, and you can also find streets of the same name in Bergen, Drammen, Lillehammer and Sandefjord. 

Christian C.A. Lange was a 19th-century Danish-Norwegian historian and archivist who established the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, which collects together all the documents and letters known to have been produced in Norway before 1590. He was also the impetus behind the Norske rigs-registranter, which brought together the texts of laws made by the Danish-Norwegian kings between 1523 and 1660 and the Encyclopedia of Norwegian Authors, 1814-1856

Oscar I     

There’s a Kong Oscars gate in Bergen, and an Oscars gate in Oslo, Skien, Stavanger, and Kongsvinger, all of which are named after Oscar I, who was King of Norway and Sweden between 1844 and 1859.   

Oscar was the only son of King Karl III Johan, the Napoleonic general who started Sweden’s ruling Bernadotte dynasty.

Despite a general Norwegian antipathy to the union between Sweden and Norway, Oscar did a lot during his reign to make the union more popular, taking efforts to bolster Norwegian identity, such as giving Norway its own war flag, and creating the Order of St Olaf, the first Norwegian order. 

Karl III Johan 

Given that Karl III Johan, the founder of Sweden’s Bernadotte dynasty, is a far more significant monarch than his son, it’s odd that, so far as we can see, Oslo, Sarpsborg and Halden are the only Norwegian cities to have a Karl Johans gate. In Bergen and Trondheim he remains commemorated.

Karl Johans gate is, however, one of Oslo’s most central streets, however, leading from parliament to the Royal Palace. 

Karl XIV Johan, as he’s known in Sweden, was born Jean Bernadotte to a stolidly middle-class family in Pau, France, and rose to become one of Napoleon Bonaparte’s top generals. 

When Crown Prince Karl August, the only son of Sweden’s King Charles XIII, died suddenly in 1810, he was persuaded to anoint Bernadotte as his new Crown Prince, and when he died in 1818, Bernadotte became King of Sweden and Norway, founding the Bernadotte dynasty. 

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