HISTORY OF NORWAY

Norway is situated in the western part of the Scandinavian peninsula. It extends to more than 300 miles above the Artic Circle, the farthest north of any European country. Nearly 70% of Norway is uninhabitable and covered by mountains, glaciers, moor and rivers. Galdho Peak at 8,100 ft is Norway’s highest point.

Norwegians like the Danes and Swedes are of Tevtonic origin.

Olaf Haraldsson became the first effective king of all Norway in 1015 and began converting the Norwegians to Christianity.

GOVERNMENT

Constitutional monarchy

Norway is the land of the midnight sun. Winter is a dark time in northern Norway. Norwegians look forward to the long days of summer and the midnight sun.

Norway is the only country that has rejected membership of the European Union twice, in 1972, when Britain, Ireland and Denmark entered and also in 1994.

With a population of 4 million it has 21/2% of the world’s oil and 8% of the world’s gas. And a question often asked is would they have said no in 1994 without those great riches in the North Sea.

People can see no disadvantages since Sweden, Finland and Austria joined people say things are the same and they still export the second largest amount of oil and gas in the world.

In World War 2 Norway was invaded by the Germans on April 9, 1940. It resisted for two months before the Nazis took complete control. King Haakon and his government fled to London where they established a government in exile.

Maj Kidkon Quisling who served as Norway’s prime minister during the war was the most notorious of the Nazi collaborators. The word for traitor, QUISLING, bears his name. He was executed by the Norwegians on October 4, 1945.

Parliamentary Parties. Parliament County Councils

Labour Party 64 236
Progress Party 41 141
Conservative Party 30 120
Socialist Left Party 11 96
Centre Party 11 73
Christian Democratic Party 10 54
Liberal Party 2 37

Norway has a multi-party system with numerous political parties, in which no one party can easily gain power alone. Parties may co-operate to form coalition government.