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Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway is a Nordic country in Northern Europe whose mainland territory comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of Norway. Bouvet Island, located in the Subantarctic, is a dependency of Norway; it also lays claims to the Antarctic territories of Peter I Island and Queen Maud Land.

Norway has a total area of 385,207 square kilometres (148,729 sq mi) and had a population of 5,385,300 in November 2020.The country shares a long eastern border with Sweden (1,619 km or 1,006 mi long). Norway is bordered by Finland and Russia to the north-east and the Skagerrak strait to the south, with Denmark on the other side. Norway has an extensive coastline, facing the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea. The maritime influence also dominates Norway's climate with mild lowland temperatures on the sea coasts, whereas the interior, while colder, is also a lot milder than areas elsewhere in the world on such northerly latitudes. Even during polar night in the north, temperatures above freezing are commonplace on the coastline. The maritime influence brings high rainfall and snowfall to some areas of the country.

Harald V of the House of Glucksburg is the current King of Norway. Erna Solberg has been prime minister since 2013 when she replaced Jens Stoltenberg. As a unitary sovereign state with a constitutional monarchy, Norway divides state power between the parliament, the cabinet and the supreme court, as determined by the 1814 constitution. The kingdom was established in 872 as a merger of many petty kingdoms and has existed continuously for 1,149 years. From 1537 to 1814, Norway was a part of the Kingdom of Denmark–Norway, and from 1814 to 1905, it was in a personal union with the Kingdom of Sweden. Norway was neutral during the First World War and remained so until April 1940 when the country was invaded and occupied by Germany until the end of World War II.

Norway has both administrative and political subdivisions on two levels: counties and municipalities. The Sami people have a certain amount of self-determination and influence over traditional territories through the Sami Parliament and the Finnmark Act. Norway maintains close ties with both the European Union and the United States. Norway is also a founding member of the United Nations, NATO, the European Free Trade Association, the Council of Europe, the Antarctic Treaty, and the Nordic Council; a member of the European Economic Area, the WTO, and the OECD; and a part of the Schengen Area. In addition, the Norwegian languages share mutual intelligibility with Danish and Swedish.

Norway maintains the Nordic welfare model with universal health care and a comprehensive social security system, and its values are rooted in egalitarian ideals. The Norwegian state has large ownership positions in key industrial sectors, having extensive reserves of petroleum, natural gas, minerals, lumber, seafood, and fresh water. The petroleum industry accounts for around a quarter of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). On a per-capita basis, Norway is the world's largest producer of oil and natural gas outside of the Middle East.

The country has the fourth-highest per-capita income in the world on the World Bank and IMF lists. On the CIA's GDP (PPP) per capita list (2015 estimate) which includes autonomous territories and regions, Norway ranks as number eleven. It has the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, with a value of US$1 trillion.Norway has had the highest Human Development Index ranking in the world since 2009, a position also held previously between 2001 and 2006; it also has the highest inequality-adjusted ranking per 2018. Norway ranked first on the World Happiness Report for 2017 and currently ranks first on the OECD Better Life Index, the Index of Public Integrity, the Freedom Index, and the Democracy Index.Norway also has one of the lowest crime rates in the world.The majority of the population is Nordic. In the last couple of years, immigration has accounted for more than half of population growth. The five largest minority groups are Norwegian-Poles, Lithuanians, Norwegian-Swedes, Norwegian-Kurdistanis, and Norwegian-Pakistanis.

Foods in Norway :

(1) Farikal – Mutton and Cabbage :

Farikal, directly translated to “mutton in cabbage”, is the Norwegian national dish. Hearty and juicy, this recipe is surprisingly simple.Farikal is similar to a stew. Mutton and cabbage are added to water and seasoned with salt and pepper. The stew is then cooked on the stove for several hours until the meat and cabbage are tender.Even though it is such a simple dish, it is often served for family gatherings or as a weekend meal. 

(2) Lapskaus – Stew : 

Lapskaus is a much-loved traditional Norwegian dish. It originates from Germany, but it has been enjoyed by Norwegians since the 1800s.Norwegians eat lapskaus for dinner any day of the week all year round. It’s wholesome and filling, particularly during the colder months.Traditional lapskaus is made with beef, potatoes, carrots, swede, and leeks. All are added to a pot, as you would with a stew.The meat and vegetables are boiled until they are tender. Once the juices are running and the dish is piping hot, lapskaus is normally served with flatbread and butter.

(3) Kjøttkaker – Meatballs :

Kjøttkaker, however, are not to be mistaken for Swedish meatballs. Norwegians will be offended if you say it is the same thing!Kjøttkaker are balls of minced beef, rolled with spices like nutmeg, pepper, and ginger. This gives them a spicy flavor and an aromatic quality.Norwegian meatballs can be served with a wide range of sides and foods. Common serving pairings include potatoes, cabbage stew, and brown sauce.Every grocery store in Norway sells them, but meatballs always taste the best when they are homemade.

(4) Smalahove – Sheep’s Head : 

Smalahove is definitely not a dish for everyone. It’s very much a delicacy for those who enjoy it.Smalahove, or sheep’s head, is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a Norwegian recipe that has been cooked for generations.Half of a sheep’s head is cooked on very low heat. It’s then served with mashed swede and potatoes.For those who eat smalahove, the most flavorful parts are said to be the eye and the tongue.The dish originates from the district of Voss, an hour by train from Bergen. It has been prepared for many centuries, through times where one did not waste a single part of the animal.

(5) Rømmegrøt – Sour Cream Porridge : 

Rømmegrøt is a simple Norwegian dish, commonly prepared and served during the summer.The recipe consists of sour cream, flour, milk, and salt, which are then boiled for several minutes until a thick, creamy consistency is achieved.The recipe often varies in different regions of the country, and some recipes are family secrets.Rømmegrøt can be served on its own with just sugar and cinnamon, but different districts and villages often have their own traditional sides.In Røros, in central Norway, rømmegrøt is often served with boiled trout. In other areas, it is served with a selection of cured meats.Traditionally, rømmegrøt is considered to be a celebratory food. Nowadays, Norwegians don’t need much of a reason to prepare this hearty Norwegian staple.

(6) Raspeball – Potato Dumpling : 

This Norwegian food has more names than you can imagine, depending on what part of the country you are from.It’s known as raspeball, potetball, klubb, kompe, and komle, among others. The recipe also varies from village to village.Flour is mixed with boiled potatoes and mashed into a big ball of goodness. The mixture is then cooked on low heat.Popular side dishes for raspeball include mashed swede, juicy sausages, or tender lamb.As they are dumplings, some Nowergians eat them with sugar or syrup and crispy bacon on the side. At a traditional Norwegian restaurant, you may find that raspeball is not served every day, only on Thursdays. This is due to an age-old tradition, especially in the western part of the country. 

Weather & geography in  Norway   :
Given its northerly latitude, Norway has a much more temperate climate than would be expected, due in the main to the influences of the North Atlantic Current and prevailing southwesterly winds. ... The coldest areas in Norway are inland. For example, Røros has recorded temperatures of -50 degrees C.Norway is a country located in Northern Europe on the northern and western parts of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The majority of the country borders water, including the Skagerrak inlet to the south, the North Sea to the southwest, the North Atlantic Ocean (Norwegian Sea) to the west, and the Barents Sea to the north. It has a land border with Sweden to the east and a shorter border with Finland and an even shorter border with Russia to the northeast.Norway has an elongated shape, one of the longest and most rugged coastlines in the world, and some 50,000 islands off its much indented coastline. It is one of the world's northernmost countries, and it is one of Europe's most mountainous countries, with large areas dominated by the Scandinavian Mountains. The country's average elevation is 460 metres (1,510 ft), and 32 percent of the mainland is located above the tree line. Its country-length chain of peaks is geologically continuous with the mountains of Scotland, Ireland, and, after crossing under the Atlantic Ocean, the Appalachian Mountains of North America. Geologists hold that all these formed a single range prior to the breakup of the ancient supercontinent Pangaea.

During the last glacial period, as well as in many earlier ice ages, virtually the entire country was covered with a thick ice sheet. The movement of the ice carved out deep valleys. As a result of the ice carving, Sognefjorden is the world's second deepest fjord and Hornindalsvatnet is the deepest lake in Europe. When the ice melted, the sea filled many of these valleys, creating Norway's famous fjords. The glaciers in the higher mountain areas today are not remnants of the large ice sheet of the ice age—their origins are more recent.[3] The regional climate was up to 1–3 °C (1.8–5.4 °F) warmer in 7000 BC to 3000 BC in the Holocene climatic optimum, (relative to the 1961-90 period), melting the remaining glaciers in the mountains almost completely during that period.Even though it has long since been released from the enormous weight of the ice, the land is still rebounding several millimeters a year. This rebound is greatest in the eastern part of the country and in the inner parts of the long fjords, where the ice cover was thickest. This is a slow process, and for thousands of years following the end of the ice age, the sea covered substantial areas of what is today dry land. This old seabed is now among the most productive agricultural lands in the country.

Per day Cost in Norway :
You should plan to spend around kr1,026 ($119) per day on your vacation in Norway, which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors. Past travelers have spent, on average, kr278 ($32) on meals for one day and kr162 ($19) on local transportation.

History of Norway :

The history of Norway has been influenced to an extraordinary degree by the terrain and the climate of the region. About 10,000 BC, following the retreat of the great inland ice sheets, the earliest inhabitants migrated north into the territory which is now Norway. They traveled steadily northwards along the coastal areas, warmed by the Gulf Stream, where life was more bearable. To survive they fished and hunted reindeer (and other prey). Between 5,000 BC and 4,000 BC the earliest agricultural settlements appeared around the Oslofjord. Gradually, between 1500 BC and 500 BC, these agricultural settlements spread into the southern areas of Norway – whilst the inhabitants of the northern regions continued to hunt and fish.The Neolithic period started in 4000 BC. The Migration Period caused the first chieftains to take control and the first defenses to be made. From the last decades of the 8th century Norwegians started expanding across the seas to the British Isles and later Iceland and Greenland. The Viking Age also saw the unification of the country. Christianization took place during the 11th century and Nidaros became an archdiocese. The population expanded quickly until 1349 (Oslo: 3,000; Bergen: 7,000; Trondheim: 4,000)[citation needed] when it was halved by the Black Death and successive plagues. Bergen became the main trading port, controlled by the Hanseatic League. Norway entered the Kalmar Union with Denmark and Sweden in 1397.

After Sweden left the union in 1523, Norway became the junior partner in Denmark–Norway. The Reformation was introduced in 1537 and absolute monarchy imposed in 1661. In 1814, after being on the losing side of the Napoleonic Wars with Denmark, Norway was ceded to the king of Sweden by the Treaty of Kiel. Norway declared its independence and adopted a constitution. However, no foreign powers recognized the Norwegian independence but supported the Swedish demand for Norway to comply with the treaty of Kiel. After a short war with Sweden, the countries concluded the Convention of Moss, in which Norway accepted a personal union with Sweden, keeping its Constitution, Storting and separate institutions, except for the foreign service. The union was formally established after the extraordinary Storting adopted the necessary amendments to the Constitution and elected Charles XIII of Sweden as king of Norway on 4 November 1814.

Industrialization started in the 1840s and from the 1860s large-scale emigration to North America took place. In 1884 the king appointed Johan Sverdrup as prime minister, thus establishing parliamentarism. The union with Sweden was dissolved in 1905. From the 1880s to the 1920s, Norwegians such as Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen carried out a series of important polar expeditions.Shipping and hydroelectricity were important sources of income for the country. The following decades saw a fluctuating economy and the rise of the labor movement. Germany occupied Norway between 1940 and 1945 during the Second World War, after which Norway joined NATO and underwent a period of reconstruction under public planning. Oil was discovered in 1969 and by 1995 Norway was the world's second-largest exporter. This resulted in a large increase of wealth. From the 1980s Norway started deregulation in many sectors and experienced a banking crisis.By the 21st century, Norway became one of the world's most prosperous countries with oil and gas production accounting for 20 percent of its economy. By reinvesting its oil revenues, Norway had the world's largest sovereign wealth fund in 2017.Language in Norway :