Table of Contents
Norway
First king of England
Sweyn Forkbeard (born c. 950-960, died 1014) was a Danish and Norwegian king. In 1013, after numerous plundering campaigns, he exploited the weakness of Anglo-Saxon defenses and conquered and annexed the English lands, crowning himself king of England. He was followed by his son Knut the Great and William the Conqueror in 1066. 1)
Kristiania
In 1624, during the reign of Christian IV, the city of Oslo was destroyed in a great fire. After being rebuilt, it was named Christiania in honor of the king, which was changed to Kristiania after a type of reform in 1877. In 1925, the capital was restored to its former name. 2)
The Fram
The Fram (Norwegian: Forward) is a Norwegian ship famous for its expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic, now housed in the Fram Polar Ship Museum in Oslo. The ship was built in 1892, commissioned by traveler Fridtjof Nansen, and took part in three major polar expeditions. 3)
Nordkyn Cape
Cape Nordkinn (Nordkyn Cape) 71°08'02 “N 27°39'E is the northernmost point of continental Europe. It is often mistakenly considered to be North Cape (Nordkapp), which, although it actually lies 2'19” latitude (i.e. about 4.3 km) further north than Nordkinn, is located on the island of Magerøya, not on the mainland. 4)
Heddal stavkirke
Heddal stave church (Heddal stavkirke) is located in Heddal, Norway. It is the largest of 28 stave churches in Norway. The three-nave church was built in 1242, although part of the chancel dates to 1147. 5)
Nordweg
Norway was originally named Nordweg, or “Northern Way.” 6)
Lion
The national symbol of Norway is the lion. 7)
Norwegian krone
The unit of currency in Norway is the Norwegian krone, NOK. 8)
Vinmonopole
In Norway, you can only buy alcoholic beverages in stores called Vinmonopolet. 9)
Skiing
Modern skiing has its origins in Telemark County in the 19th century, but ancient rock carvings at Rødøy in Nordland County show that Norwegians were already using skis 4000 years ago. 10)
Fjords
Norway has the largest concentration of fjords in the world. Two of them, Geiranger Fjord and Nærøy Fjord, are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. 11)
Galdhøpiggen
The highest peak in Norway is Galdhøpiggen. 12)
Lærdal tunnel
The Lærdal tunnel is the world's longest road tunnel. 13)
Trygve Lie
Norway was one of the founders of the United Nations in 1945, and the first Secretary-General of the UN was the Norwegian Foreign Minister, Trygve Lie. 14)
Voss Water
The famous and expensive Voss Water is just water from a supply in Iveland, Norway. 15)
Butter crisis
In 2011. Norway experienced a nationwide butter shortage. 16)
Illegal to die
In Longyearbyen, dying is illegal because the city's permafrost prevents them from decomposing. 17)
Salmon export
Norway is the world's leading salmon producer and the second-largest seafood exporter in the world. 18)
Frozen pizza
Frozen pizza is the unofficial national dish of Norway. 19)
Cheese slicer
In 1925, Thor Bjørklund invented the cheese slicer in Norway. 20)
Aerosol system
Norwegian Erik Rotheim was the pioneer of the can and aerosol system known as the aerosol container. He received a patent for his invention in Norway on October 8, 1926. 21)