Famous landmarks in Norway

Norway is a country in northern Europe on the western side of the Scandinavian Peninsula, bordered by Sweden, Finland and Russia, with a very long coastline on the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea. Its capital is Oslo. Norway is famous for its deep fjords, mountains, northern lights and midnight sun, Viking history, skiing and offshore oil. The Arctic islands of Svalbard also belong to Norway.

On My Earth Toy you can stand on Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock), a flat-topped cliff high above the Lysefjord, and visit the Oslo Opera House, whose sloping white roof you can walk on, and the Holmenkollen Ski Jump. Look for the Arctic fox, Norway lemming, ringed seal and rock ptarmigan, and discover the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

Geography and nature

About two-thirds of Norway is mountains, and its coast is cut by long fjords carved by ancient glaciers; the Sognefjord is the longest and deepest. Tens of thousands of islands lie offshore. Galdhøpiggen, 2,469 metres tall, is the highest peak, and Jostedalsbreen is the largest glacier on the European mainland. North of the Arctic Circle, the Sun never sets in midsummer and never rises in midwinter. Thanks to the warm North Atlantic Current, most of the coast stays free of ice.

People, languages and culture

Norwegian is the main language and has two official written forms, Bokmål and Nynorsk; the Indigenous Sámi people in the north have their own languages. Many Norwegians belong to the Lutheran Church of Norway. Being outdoors in all weather, called friluftsliv, is a big part of life, and many children learn to ski when they are very young. On 17 May, Constitution Day, children's parades fill the streets. Famous Norwegians include the painter Edvard Munch and the playwright Henrik Ibsen.

History in a nutshell

During the Viking Age, from about 800 to 1050, Norse seafarers from Norway sailed as far as Iceland, Greenland and North America. Harald Fairhair is traditionally said to have united Norway around 872. From the 14th century Norway was joined with Denmark, and in 1814 it adopted its own constitution but entered a union with Sweden. Norway became fully independent in 1905. Germany occupied it during the Second World War. In 1969, oil was discovered in the North Sea at the Ekofisk field, which made Norway wealthy.