Norway 🇳🇴

Flag of Norway (Source » Wikipedia)

Population » 5.3 million
Language » Norwegian
Religion » Christianity
Life expectancy » 79 years (men), 83 years (women)
Currency » Norwegian krone
Not a member of the European Union
Emergency Numbers »
- Police 112
  Fire Brigade 110
  Ambulance Service 113
  Any accident involving any animal must be reported by dialling 175

Area » 323,759 sq km (125,004 sq miles)
Europe’s northernmost country
Famed for its mountains, spectacular fjord coastline, and some 50,000 islands
Bordered by » Sweden, Finland, and Russia
- The Skagerrak strait to the south has Denmark on the other side

Norway is spectacular. It’s wild, remote, untouched in places.
Norway is the world’s most generous foreign aid contributor, giving over one per cent of its gross domestic product to help developing countries.
Norway is rich in natural resources of gas, petroleum, and minerals, and boasts one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.
Norway enjoys one of the world’s highest standards of living
It is the world’s number seven oil exporter

Norway started the implementation of the Schengen area agreement on 25 March 2001.
Visitors go for its stunning fjords and its Viking heritage.
Lofoten archipelago has dramatic scenery, with peaks like the Svolværgeita pinnacle jutting up into the sky.
- White sandy beaches and crystal clear water – but also attracts lots of caravan traffic.
It is known as the land of the midnight sun because certain areas of the country get 24 hours of sunlight for part of the summer.
Aurora borealis (northern lights) can appear at night anytime between late September and late March, but only when in the right conditions.
North Cape is a cape on the northern coast of the island of Magerøya in Northern Norway. The cape is in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The European route E69 highway has its northern terminus at North Cape, which makes it the northernmost point in Europe that can be accessed by car and makes the E69 the northernmost public road in Europe. (Wikipedia)

Live webcam from Skarsvåg, North Cape

Norway comes highly recommended for cycling,
- Be aware that some sections demand one to be fit for the adventure and some extreme weather conditions.
- Another drawback is due to its topography and low population density, there is often just the main road. Separate cycling infrastructure is still rather rare outside towns and cities.
- The more popular the region as a tourist destination (eg Fjord Geiranger) the more caravans and noisy motorcyclists.
Many churches along EuroVelo 3 – Pilgrims Route
Overview of Cycling in Norway
Norway’s national cycle routes
With the exception of Lofoten, you may meet few other bike tourers, due to great distances between towns and cities.

Sharing a border with Sweden, Finland, and Russia
Hwy 13 is very scenic
North Cape (Google Maps) is the most northernmost point reachable by car in Europe
The lowest navigable road in Europe is the Eiksund Tunnel, Norway (Google Maps) (287 metres – 942 ft below sea level)

Norwegian Transport Authority
Samferdselsdepartment
Akersgade 59
Box 8010
N-0030 Oslo

Tel: 00 47 22 24 9090
Email: postmottak@sd.dep.no

Wildcamping is permitted everywhere in the Norway in any uncultivated piece of land for up to two nights.

Norway is ranked as the 2nd safest place to visit.
Norway is a member of NATO
- Ex-premier Jens Stoltenberg is NATO’s secretary general (2022)