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Flag of Norway (Source » Wikipedia)

Kingdom of Norway

Facts

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

Geography

  • 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

Notes

  • 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
  • It is illegal to drive off road in Norway.
    • see below

Tourism

  • 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

Live webcam from Skarsvåg, North Cape in Norway

Cycle Tourism

  • 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.

Overland

  • It is forbidden and illegal to drive off road in Norway. Please stay on the paths.
    • Kasper Høglund, who lives full-time and works out of his Land Rover explains how some overlanders are ruining it for everyone.
How Overlanders are Ruining Overlanding

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

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

Climate

  • It can be rainy in summer in Scandinavia.
  • In other seasons than the summer, you will likely need extra layers for warmth.

Camping

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

World Rankings

Safety & Security

Government Travel Advisories

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This page was updated September 4, 2023