Norway Facts

Interesting Norway Facts for Kids

Here are some interesting Norway Facts which were chosen and researched by kids especially for kids.

Norway Flag

• Population: 5.4 million people live in Norway (2020)
• Capital: Oslo, with just over 1 million inhabitants
• Name: Kingdom of Norway, short: Norway, in Norwegian: Norge

• Government: Constitutional Monarchy
• Language: Norwegian
• Religion: mainly Christians (more than 70% are Evangelical Lutheran)
• Life expectancy: 79 years
• Currency: 1 Norwegian Krone (NOK) = 100 ore
• National Symbols: moose (animal), heather (flower) and the coat of arms as shown above

• National Colours: red, white and blue
  
• National Anthem: Ja, vi elsker dette landet (Yes, we love this country)
• National Day: 17 May (Constitution Day)
• History: Vikings settled in the region. 1905 independence. 

Norway Facts | Norway Map

Where is Norway? Norway is a country in northern Europe. It is situated above the Arctic circle and borders the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea.

On the map below you can spot where Norway is located in northern Europe. It is part of Scandinavia with neighbouring countries Sweden, Finland and Denmark. Norway is the westernmost country of the Scandinavian countries. 

Norway in Northern Europe

Norway borders three countries: Finland, Sweden and Russia. The longest border is shared with Sweden.

Norway is slightly larger than the state of New Mexico in the USA and slightly smaller than Vietnam or Italy.

A flight to Oslo takes about two hours from London/UK and 6 hours from New York/USA. 

Norway Facts | Norway Geography

• Norway highest mountain is called Galdhoppigen and is 2,469 m/8,100 ft high.
• The largest lake in Norway is Lake Mjøsa
• Norway has about 50,000 islands off the rugged coastline
• The majority of the Norwegians (83%) live in urban areas. The interior is only sparsely populated
• Oslo, the capital city, is the only city in the country with more than 1 million people. Oslo is the third biggest city in Scandinavia (after Stockholm/Sweden and Copenhagen/Denmark), 
• The biggest fjord in Norway is Sognefjord. This fjord is often referred to as the 'King of Fjords'

Sognefjord in Norway

Norway Attractions

Here are our favourite Norway attractions for kids:

• Lofoten Islands: visit the Trollfjord and join nature safaris or see the northern lights

Reine, Lofoten Islands

• Lillehammer: Go skiing or snowboarding in one of the oldest ski resorts in Norway
• Geiranger Fjord: One of the most spectacular fjord in Norway is Geiranger fjord. This fjord is surrounded by snow capped mountains and many waterfalls and is an UNESCO world heritage site. 

Geiranger Fjord in Norway

• Oslo: The Viking Ship Museum exhibits two of the best preserved Viking ships from the 9th century.

Viking Ship Museum

There are many attractions in Oslo, such as the huge red Cityhall building, the Opera House where you can walk up the roof or the Akershus fortress. Norwegian culture can be experienced in the world's oldest open-air museum. And don't miss the Royal palace!

Norway People

Norway has a king and a queen. They are very popular with the Norwegian population. King Harald V and Queen Sonia have two a son, Crowne Prince Haakon, who is married to Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and a daughter, Princess Märtha Louise. The royal palace is in Oslo and this is the main residence of the Royal Family.

National Day Celebrations at Oslo Royal Palace

Most Norwegians live in the south of the country where the climate is milder than in the North. The biggest cities in Norway are Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim.

Norwegians celebrate the Midsummerfest on 24 June (St. John's Day) with a bonfire. There is daylight almost 24 hours during this time in northern Norway, in the south it is only dark for about eight hours.

'The Scream'

Famous Norwegians are:

• Erik the Red (1000 BCE): explorer
• Edvard Grieg (1843 - 1907): composer and pianist
• Edvard Munch (1863 - 1944): artist and painter is most known for his painting 'The Scream'
• Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906): author and playwright
• Liv Ulmann (born 1938): actress
• Roald Dahl (1916 - 1990): poet, author and screenwriter, most famous for his children's books such as James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Matilda

Norway Facts | Norwegian Language

The people in Norway speak Norwegian, which is a Germanic language. The language is very similar to the Swedish and Danish languages. Almost all Norwegians can speak English, which is taught in schools as a second language.

The Norwegian alphabet is the same as the Danish alphabet and thus also has 29 letters.

In the northern parts of Norway, some indigenous people also speak the Sami language. The Sami people or Laplanders, also called Laps, live in the northern parts of Norway and bordering Sweden as well as Finland. They are the indigenous people of the arctic circle.

Reindeer herder in typical Sami clothing

Norway Economy

Norway is not part of the European Union as agreed in a national referendum in 1994.

Oil and gas were discovered off the Norwegian coastline in the 1960s and are among the country's main natural resources. Norway is on of the largest seafood producers in the world and the second largest nation exporting seafood after China.

Most of the country's electricity is produced by hydropower plants.

The biggest trading partners of Norway are Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden and China.

Norway Animals

Reindeer in Norway

In Norway, you will find reindeers. These animals are also called caribou. These animals which only live in the Northern Hemisphere above the Arctic circle travel far to get food. They have antlers which they use for scraping the snow away from the ground to find food. The animals have four toes. It is interesting to know, that reindeer are the only mammals that can see ultraviolet light!

Arctic Foxes playing in snow

Arctic foxes also live in Norway. Their coat changes with the seasons. In winter the fur is mainly grey and white, while in summer it changes to a light brown.

Interesting Norway Facts
Did you know...?

... that the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo annually since 1901? The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded for outstanding work in making or keeping peace. The Norwegian King Harald V is also present at the awards ceremony in Oslo. 

The Nobel Prize awards are given to excellent scientist in these science disciplines: physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine and literature. The prizes are presented either in Stockholm/Sweden. Only the Nobel Peace Prize is handed over in Oslo. By the way, Alfred Nobel was Swedish, that is why the other Nobel Prizes are awarded at ceremonies in Stockholm.

Norway Facts for Kids: Useful Resources

• Central Intelligence Agency. "Norway." World Fact Book. Updated 17 March 2020. Last accessed 28 March 2020
• Life in Norway. "The Royal Family in Norway." Life in Norway. Last accessed 28 March 2020
• Jill Harness. 11 Facts you might not know about Reindeer. Mental Floss. Update 13 December 2019. Last accessed 28 March 2020.
• Royal Court "The Royal House of Norway". Official website of the Royal House of Norway. Last accessed 28 March 2020

We hope you enjoyed reading our Norway Facts for Kids. Make sure to bookmark this page, as we plan to add on more information to make this page even more interesting, not only for children. Info about "Food in Norway" coming soon:-)

Picture credits on this page: Images by SXC.hu and Shutterstock.com, Geiranger Fjord by emanuela (arancia.org) at sxc.hu; Caribou by Garrisonphoto.org;

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