Everything you need to know about Norway: news, reviews, in-depth analysis, opinion and more
Norway: Scandinavian Country with Least Corruption in the World
Vikings raided Europe in 8th century and became an indistinguishable part of Norway by the end of 11th century. In 1015 Olaf II Haraldsson became the king of all of Norway and started propagating Christianity across the country. The Danish Empire extended its influence in the first half of 14th century and by 1442 whole Norway came under Danish rule. The nationalism sentiments became stronger by each passing decade and finally in 1905 the Danish granted independence to Norway. In 1949 Norway joined NATO and formally ended its political neutrality stance. The discovery of oil reserves in 1960 benefited Norwegian economy and enabled it to play a major role in the world oil market.
Norway Profile: Overview of Facts and Figures
Geographical Information on Norway:
Norway is the northern most country of Europe and encompasses the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Norway is bordered by Sweden and Russia from the east, Finland from the south. The United Kingdom and the Faroe Islands lie to the west of Norway and Denmark lies to the south.
The northern part of Norway experiences warmer temperature and more precipitation due to the Gulf Stream and Westerlies. The mainland of Norway experiences four seasons with cold winter and less precipitation. The northern part of Norway has maritime climate while the southern and western parts have average precipitation and milder winters.
Culture, Cuisine and Tradition of Norway:
Norway has preserved a rich folk culture that retains elements from the Viking age. During the cultural renaissance in the 19th century Norway revived its age-old cultural glory. Painter Johan Christian Dahl and composer Edvard Grieg stand for the best in Norwegian culture. Other important artists include playwright Henrik Ibsen, writer Knut Hamsun, composer Christian Sinding, painter Edvard Munch, and sculptor Gustav Vigeland, whose sculpture park in Oslo has gained international attention.
Animal and fish meat are central ingredients of Norway cuisine. Reindeer is also served throughout the country. Fish is served either in the poached style or in the form of fishcakes. There is also the 'lutefisk' or Iye fish,that is served during Christmas and 'rakfisk' is fermented fish, an inland specialty. Mackerel is available in summer and it is an important part of the food of Norway.
Tourist Attractions of Norway:
The plethora of scenic beauty, beautiful landscapes, vibrant cities and culture and UNESCO World Heritage Sites attracts tourists from the globe to enjoy vacation in Norway. The spectacular view of Norwegian fjords remains the center of attraction for people. The vast expansion of silvery seashore washed by the blue waves mesmerizes the people. The awestruck beauty of nature scattered unevenly through out the Norway and remain the point of attraction for the tourists.
Oslo – is the capital of Norway and famous for its rich, culture and heritage that are reflected through its numerous of historical and cultural sites.
Stavanger – it is famous for its adventure and scenic beauty. The attraction of fjords, mountains, islands, beaches, lighthouses and waterfalls makes it a ranked tourists destination in Norway tourists iternary.
Major Sight-seeing Places in Norway include:
London, May 19 (ANI): Denmark has been crowned the winner of Eurovision song contest 2013 that were held in the Swedish city of Malmo.
New Delhi, May 16 (IANS) Norway hopes India, a "key player" in the deliberations on climate change, would help find a solution to the fast-melting ice cover in the Arctic region now that it has got observer status in the Arctic Council.
New Delhi, May 16 (IANS) Norway's sovereign wealth fund, Government Pension Fund Global, is investing $4 billion in India and is focused in the areas of oil and gas, shipping and hydropower, Norway's envoy to India has said.
New Delhi, May 16 (IANS) Norway hopes India will help find a solution to the fast melting ice cover in the northernmost part of the globe, now that it has got an observer status in the Arctic Council.
New Delhi/Kiruna, May 15 (IANS) The Arctic Council agreed Wednesday to include six new nations, including India and China, as observers to their eight-state diplomatic council.
Oslo, May 15 (IANS) Norway welcomed India and five other countries after they secured permanent observer status in the inter-governmental forum Arctic Council Wednesday.
Kiruna (Sweden), May 15 (IANS) India and China Wednesday got observer status in the Arctic Council along with four other countries.
Moscow, May 14 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet on the sidelines of the two-day Arctic Council meeting due to begin in Sweden Tuesday.
Thiruvananthapuram, May 13 (IANS) Kerala is working out a perspective plan for its economy so that the state will rely less on the remittances from the diaspora and more on its resources.
Melbourne, May 12 (Xinhua-ANI): The statistics released by the 14th Save the Children's State of the World's Mothers report showed that Australia has reached the top 10 best countries to be a mother around the world this year, local media reported on Sunday.
Sydney, May 11 (ANI): Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik has been refused permission to create a fascist group.
Washington, May 10 (ANI): Selena Gomez has revealed that her relationship with her on/off boyfriend Justin Bieber is 'crazy and intense'.
Vancouver, May 10 (IANS) Canada's overseas investment and foreign direct investment in the country both grew by more than 5 percent last year, Statistics Canada said.
London, May 9 (ANI): Selena Gomez, who has just realised her sexiest music video yet, has revealed that she has dedicated a song to Justin Bieber and she is confident that he will love it.
Helsinki, May 8 (IANS) Finland is considered to be the country where mothers enjoy the best conditions in the world, according to a worldwide report.
London, May 6 (ANI): A new drug can help dependent drinkers reduce their consumption of alcohol by 61 percent.
Washington, Apr 30 (ANI): Tiny 1,900 million-year-old fossils from rocks around Lake Superior, Canada, has given the first ever snapshot of organisms eating each other and suggest what the ancient Earth would have smelled like.
Washington, April 30 (IANS) Even as it acknowledges India as the world's most populous democracy, the Economist magazine's Index of Democracy 2012 ranks India 38th among 165 nations with an overall score of 7.52.
Washington, April 25 (ANI): Researchers at the University of Bergen have detected a burst of high-energy radiation known as "dark lightning" immediately preceding a flash of ordinary lightning.
Los Angeles, April 23 (IANS) Actress-singer Selena Gomez's decision to reconcile with pop star Justin Bieber hasn't gone down well with her friends.
Karachi, April 22 (ANI): An aeronautical engineer has turned his back on his profession and set out across Europe to learn 33 more trades instead.
Yangon, April 21 (IANS) Foreign ministers of the European Union are to meet in Luxembourg Monday to decide on withdrawing all sanctions against Myanmar, exactly a year after the grouping announced suspension of most sanctions for a year except the arms embargo.
Washington, April 21(ANI): Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez have fueled rumours that they are back together after they were spotted sharing a kiss in Norway.
Sydney, Apr. 19 (ANI): Indians are among the top three nationalities that steal items from hotel rooms abroad.
Sydney, Apr 19 (ANI): Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in a shooting and bombing rampage in Oslo in 2011, is becoming a cult figure, a lawyer has said.
Geneva, April 10 (IANS) The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Wednesday called on governments not to reduce their spending on children due to austerity measures.
Chennai, April 8 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Monday said the state would host the World Chess Championship this November between reigning champion from India Viswanathan Anand and the challenger, Norway's Magnus Carlsen.
Chennai, April 8 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Monday said the state will host the World Chess Championship this November between reigning champion from India Viswanathan Anand and the challenger Norway's Magnus Carlsen.
Islamabad, April 4 (IANS) A group of European officials have arrived in Pakistan to observe the May 11 parliamentary elections, the foreign ministry said Thursday.
Rio de Janeiro, April 4 (IANS/EFE) Oil production in Brazil averaged 2.017 million barrels per day in February, down 8.5 percent from the same month of 2012, when output totaled 2.205 million bpd, the National Petroleum Agency, or ANP, said.
Chennai, April 3 (IANS) One of the songs in upcoming Tamil romantic-drama "Woo" will be shot in as many international locales as never heard before. Since it's a soothing romantic duet, the makers are likely to film it in European countries like Switzerland and Norway.
Sydney, March 28 (IANS/EFE) Scientists have managed to capture up to 26,545 blue whale songs in the Antarctic in a study for which they used - for the first time - new acoustical detection and tracking techniques to locate and observe them.
Islamabad, Mar. 26 (ANI): The European Union has decided to send a strong Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Pakistan to monitor the general elections on May 11.
London, Mar. 24 (ANI): One of Britain's acclaimed writers for the stage has created a musical show based on the mass murders in Norway committed in 2011 by Anders Breivik.
New Delhi, March 22 (IANS) UNDP and the Norwegian government have signed an agreement to continue an initiative to reduce maternal and infant mortality in 13 districts in four Indian states.
Moscow, March 22 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia is losing up to 200 polar bears every year to poachers in the far eastern Chukotka region, a global animal welfare and conservation charity group has said.
Colombo, March 21 (IANS) A demonstration was held outside the US Embassy in Sri Lanka Thursday against the US sponsored resolution scheduled to be discussed at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Colombo, March 21 (Xinhua-ANI): A demonstration was held outside the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka on Thursday against the U.S. sponsored resolution scheduled to be discussed at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
London, Mar 20 (ANI): A fanatical Liverpool supporter, Axel Gogstad has changed his last name to Anfield, which is club's football ground's name,
Colombo, March 20 (IANS) The Sri Lankan government decided to reject the final draft of a US resolution submitted at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and seek a vote among members, the external affairs ministry said Wednesday.
Rome, March 19 (IANS) Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt will run the 100 metres at Rome's Golden Gala in June, organisers announced Tuesday.
Vancouver, March 15 (IANS) Canada will soon become one of the world's largest exporters of energy products and gain significant economic benefits from it, according to a study.
Mumbai, March 15 (IANS) Alarmed by the high prevalence of sleep disorders among the Indian population and the lack of specific data on this, an Indian-Norwegian group that is running a chain of clinics across the country to treat the disorders will now conduct detailed research on them and recommend remedial measures.
Ferreiras (Portugal), March 12 (IANS) China beat Iceland 1-0 in their last group match to gain their first victory at the Algarve Women's Football Cup.
Oslo, March 8 (IANS/CMC) Jamaica's national goalkeeper Duwayne Kerr has moved to top division football in Norway after signing a deal with one of the country's leading clubs.
Islamabad, Mar. 7 (ANI): Banned militant organisations, state's security institutions and political parties have been identified as the key elements responsible for attacks on media persons in Pakistan.
Washington, March 7 (ANI): Plumbers, spray painters and hair stylists are some of the high-risk occupations for asthma, a new study has revealed.
Kolkata, March 6 (IANS) With the pristine Arabian Sea in the west and the towering Western Ghats in the east, Kerala is all geared up to woo foreign tourists with its age old tradition of ayurveda, an official said Wednesday.
Washington, March 6 (ANI): Women with more than a 16 kg (30 lbs) weight gain during pregnancy are at an increased risk of vacuum extraction delivery or Cesarean section (C-section), Researchers from Norway say.
Washington, March 6 (ANI): People who suffer from insomnia have an increased risk of developing heart failure, according to a new study.
Guadalajara (Mexico), March 4 (IANS/EFE) Contemporary life is too "boring" to make movies about, Spanish director Fernando Trueba, who much prefers period pieces, said.
Moscow, Mar 1 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A leading Russian opposition blogger, who has been hounded by allegations of child abuse, has moved from Moscow to Prague but denied that the move has anything to do with the accusations.
Washington, Feb 26 (IANS) Women administered a 600 mg dose of omega-3 fatty acid DHA during pregnancy gave birth to babies weighing more, even before 34 weeks of gestation, than babies of mothers given a placebo (sugar pills), according to a finding.
Dubai, Feb 26 (IANS/WAM) The UAE has lifted a ban on importing live cows from some European countries including Iceland, Norway, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Estonia, Malta and Hungary.
London, February 25 (ANI): Geoscientists have discovered that the islands Reunion and Mauritius, both well-known tourist destinations, are hiding a micro-continent.
Berlin, Feb 25 (IANS) Well-known tourist destinations, the Indian Ocean islands of Reunion and Mauritius, actually hide a micro-continent, say a team of researchers.
Los Angeles, Feb 25 (IANS) Austrian drama "Amour" bagged the prestigious Oscar award for the best foreign language film at the gala ceremony held here Sunday night.
Bangalore, Feb 22 (IANS) A three-day festival of films and documentaries, exhibition of paintings and panel discussions on themes related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT or Queer) communities began here Friday.
Moscow, Feb 20 (IANS/RIA Novosti) UEFA, European football's governing body, would consider proposals to create a joint Russian-Ukrainian football league if the national federations involved agree.
Moscow, Feb 19 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A regional football league for Russia and other countries is to start next autumn with Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) approval despite opposition from FIFA president Sepp Blatter, the head of Russia's state gas firm Gazprom has said.
Nove Mesto (Czech Republic), Feb 16 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Norway took a sixth gold medal from eight available at the world biathlon championships with a victory in the women's 4 x 6-kilometre relay.
Kolkata, Feb 14 (IANS) On Valentine's Day, when love is celebrated across the world, it might be opportune to consider the plight of those for whom sex is work.
Karlstad (Sweden), Feb 11 (IANS) Sebastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia won the Rally Sweden at the wheel of the Volkswagen Polo R WRC in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).
Washington, Feb 10 (ANI): Smartphones offer a wealth of possibilities for psychological research, as a new study has shown that an iPhone app yields as reliable results as laboratory tests.
Oslo, Feb 10 (IANS) An iPhone app, known as iDichotic, places psychological testing at your fingertips, yielding results as reliable as lab tests, says a new study.
London, Feb. 9 (ANI): A new novel 'Longbourn,' that retells the story of Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' from the point of view of its servants has been sold around the world.
Do you have dark secrets? Ever worry about dropping dead and having this grim, final thought: 'Oh no! I haven't cancelled my secret subscription to Totally Justin magazine, or hidden those fantasies I wrote about me and Judi Dench in the vegetable pantry. My memory will be tarnished forever!'
London, Feb 6 (IANS) Nineteen films will be shown at the 17th edition of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival here next month.
London, Feb.6 (ANI): The 17th edition of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival will be presented in London from March 13 to 22, 2013.
New Delhi, Feb 5 (IANS) India has signed a social security agreement with Austria to encourage movement of people and enhance business and trade engagements.
Sydney, Feb. 5 (ANI): A sheep was the winner of Norway Tourism's offer to win a free trip to the country.
Sydney, Feb. 4 (ANI): Japanese cities are some of the most expensive in the world to live in, with a new report ranking Tokyo and Osaka, as the two most costly cities.
Washington, Feb. 4 (ANI): The Afghan peace effort is floundering, filled with mistrust and confusion among key players even though the hard-line Taliban militants have shown signs of softening.
Moscow, Feb 1 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A Russian rocket carrying a telecom satellite crashed into the Pacific Ocean shortly after launch Friday, following an emergency shutdown of its first stage motor, Russian space corporation RKK Energia said.
Yangon, Feb 1 (IANS) Myanmar President U Thein Sein Friday said his country is opening a new economic era and will use new international loan assistance in a transparent manner for public interest.
Moscow, Feb. 1 (Xinhua-ANI): A Russian Zenit-3SL carrying rocket failed to send an U.S. telecommunications satellite into space and fell down into the Pacific Ocean on Friday, local media reported.
New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANS) India is an important ally of Norway on environment and related issues, says the country's Indian-born Deputy Minister for International Development Arvinn E. Gadgil.
New York, Jan 21 (ANI): A man in Norway posted a picture on Facebook Thursday afternoon claiming that his crush would sleep with him if he received 1 million "likes."
Washington, January 20(ANI): A study has found that Norwegian pregnant women who received a vaccine against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus showed no increased risk of pregnancy loss, while expectant mothers who experienced influenza during pregnancy had an increased risk of miscarriages and still births.
Mumbai, Jan 17 (IANS) Tata Consultancy Services has entered into a long-term agreement with global mobile communications leader Nokia to help transform its IT landscape, the company announced here Thursday.
London, Jan 17 (IANS) British Foreign Secretary William Hague said it was unclear how many Britons were being held captive after armed Islamists attacked a gas field in Algeria and killed a British worker.
Algiers, Jan 16 (IANS) A Briton and a Norwegian were killed Wednesday in an attack targeting an oil facility in Algeria's central province of Illizi, the official APS news agency reported.
Kolkata, Jan 13 (IANS) In the wake of a bitter legal battle over the custody of two siblings - brought home from Norway after a legal and diplomatic fight last year, the Norwegian envoy Sunday hoped the Indian authorities were compassionate towards the welfare of the children.
Bangalore, Jan 12 (IANS) Academics from India and five other countries Saturday stressed on link between science, spirituality and mental health to help mankind cope with increasing pressures of modern life.
New Delhi, Jan 11 (IANS) The $50 million second phase of the Norway-India Partnership Initiative (NIPI) on reducing infant and maternal mortality was signed at a joint steering committee meeting here through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the presence of Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Kolkata, Jan 11 (ANI): It was a major relief for Sagarika Bhattacharya, the mother of two Indian kids caught up in a Norwegian custodial dispute, as the Calcutta High Court has granted the interim custody of children to her.
Kolkata, Jan 10 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court Thursday granted the custody of two siblings - brought from Norway after a legal and diplomatic fight last year - to their mother till the final disposal of the case.
Los Angeles, Jan 10 (IANS) Steven Spielberg's presidential drama "Lincoln" is the front-runner for the 85th Academy Awards with 12 citations, while Ang Lee's "Life of Pi" follows close behind with 11 nomination, it was announced here early Thursday morning.
London, Jan. 9 (ANI): Rape is a common problem around the world and not just in India, though they might have different attitude towards the crime, according to a report.
Kolkata Jan 8 (IANS) In a fresh double twist, the custody of two siblings - brought from Norway after a legal and diplomatic fight last year - passed on to their uncle, hours after the Burdwan policemen handed them over to their mother.
Islamabad, Jan 4 (ANI): A suspected Pakistani Al-Qaeda operative in the UK has been extradited to the US, the interior ministry in London has announced.
Melbourne, Jan.4 (ANI): A new global survey has ranked India as one of the worst countries to be born in.
London, Jan 3 (IANS) A man accused of leading an Al Qaeda plot to set off bombs in Manchester has been extradited to the US because of his alleged involvement in a wider conspiracy to also bomb New York and Norway, BBC reported Thursday.
London, Jan 2 (IANS) Switzerland is the best place to be born in 2013, according to a list of nations with the best quality of life. India occupies a lowly 66th spot while Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh are at numbers 63, 75 and 77.
Washington, January 2 (ANI): In a new study, researchers found no significant association between the use of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) during pregnancy and risk of stillbirth, neonatal death, or postneonatal death, after accounting for factors including maternal psychiatric disease.
London, Dec 31 (IANS) Millions of people suffering from arthritis can beat it with regular exercise and early treatment, a research has found.
London, December 31 (ANI): Regular exercise and early treatment can help people suffering from arthritis to beat the pain of the disease, according to researchers.
Oslo, Dec 29 (IANS) An 11-year-old boy from southern Norway's Telemark county has died of swine flu, a media report said.
Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 26 (IANS) M.K Muneer, Kerala's minister for panchayat and social welfare, said Wednesday the state leads in biodiversity thanks to the active participation of local bodies.
Mumbai, Dec 25 (IANS) Even with his latest movie "Barfi!" out of the Oscar race, Anurag Basu is not disappointed. He feels better films have made it to the top nine.
