Portal:Norway

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The Norway Portal

Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country and constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. It is bordered by Sweden, Finland, and Russia. The distance between the northern and southern parts of Norway is considerable compared to east-west distances. The country's extensive coastline along the North Atlantic Ocean is home to its famous fjords.

The Kingdom of Norway also includes the Arctic island territories of Svalbard and Jan Mayen. Norwegian sovereignty of Svalbard is based upon the Svalbard Treaty, but this does not apply to Jan Mayen. Bouvet Island in the South Atlantic Ocean and claims for Peter I Island and Queen Maud Land in Antarctica are also external dependencies, but these are not part of the Kingdom.

Since World War II, Norway has experienced rapid economic growth, and is now amongst the wealthiest countries in the world, with a fully developed welfare system. This economic progress is caused in part by the exploitation of oil and gas reserves off coast. Norway ranked top among all countries on the Human Development Index from 2001-2006, and currently ranks second. It is rated the most peaceful country in the world in a 2007 survey by Global Peace Index.

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The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish and Norwegian: Nobels fredspris) is the name of one of five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize should be awarded "to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between the nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses." The Peace Prize is awarded annually in Oslo, the capital of Norway (Alfred Nobel's will stated that the Nobel Peace Prize should be awarded in that city). The actual prize is presented on the 10th of December, the anniversary of the death of Nobel, with the Norwegian king is in attendance. The Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony is held at the Oslo City Hall, followed the next day by the Nobel Peace Prize Concert, which is broadcast to more than 450 million households in over 150 countries around the world. The concert has received worldwide fame and the participation of top celebrity hosts and performers. The selection of Nobel Peace Prize winners sometimes causes controversy, as the list of winners includes people who formerly used violent methods of problem-solving, but then later made exceptional concessions to non-violence in the attempt to achieve peace. This is the only Nobel Prize not given out in Stockholm, Sweden. ...Archive/Nominations

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Credit: Phil Armitage

Briksdalsbreen is one of the most accessible and best known arms of the Jostedalsbreen glacier. Briksdalsbreen lies on the north side of the Jostedalsbreen, in Briksdalen (the Briks valley), up the Oldedalen in Stryn municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It lies in the Jostedalsbreen National Park. Briksdalsbreen terminates in a small glacial lake, Briksdalsbrevatnet, which lies 346 meters above sea level.

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In the news

Wikinews Norway portal

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In this month

The Union Dissolution Day, observed in Norway on June 7 (though not a public holiday), is marked in remembrance of the Norwegian parliament's 1905 declaration of dissolution (pictured) of the union with Sweden, a personal union which had existed since 1814.
Oscar Fredrik Torp (June 8, 1893 – May 1, 1958) was Prime Minister of Norway 1951 to 1955, and chairman of the Labour party (Det Norske Arbeiderparti) from 1923-1945.

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Jens Stoltenberg (born March 16, 1959) is a Norwegian economist, leader (since 2002) of the Norwegian Labour Party and the current Prime Minister of Norway. Stoltenberg was the leader of the Workers' Youth League between 1985 and 1989, and the Oslo chapter of the Labour Party between 1990 and 1992. He was junior minister (statssekretær) in the Department of the Environment 1990-1991, Minister of Industry 1993-1996, and Minister of Finance 1996-1997. His first tenure as Prime Minister (2000 to 2001) was controversial within his own party, being responsible for reforms and modernisation of the welfare state that included part-privatising several key state-owned services and corporations. In the parliamentary elections of September 10, 2001 the party suffered one of its worst results ever, winning only 24% of the vote. The disastrous results of 2001 were quickly followed by a bitter leadership battle between Thorbjørn Jagland and Stoltenberg, with Stoltenberg winning the party leadership. The 2005 parliamentary elections saw a vast improvement for Labour, and the party gained a majority in parliament together with the other "Red-Green" parties, the Socialist Left Party and the Centre Party. This paved the way for a historic first in Norway, with Labour joining in a coalition government, the Red-Green Coalition. Stoltenberg became Prime Minister for the second time on October 17 2005. ...Archive/Nominations

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Did you know...

...that identical Norwegian Lady Statues (pictured) commemorating a shipwreck are located in the sister cities of Moss, Norway and Virginia Beach, Virginia facing each other across the Atlantic Ocean?
...that "Nocturne" is the Eurovision Song Contest winner with the fewest words, the Norwegian language original having only 25?
...that Norwegian politician Harald T. Nesvik claimed to have nominated George W. Bush and Tony Blair for the Nobel Peace prize? ...Archive/Nominations
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WikiProjects

Parent projects

WikiProject Countries • WikiProject Europe

Main project

WikiProject Norway

Similar projects

WikiProject Denmark • WikiProject Finland • WikiProject Iceland • WikiProject Sweden

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Selected panorama

Credit: Quarryman

The Gathering (abbreviated as "TG" for short) is one of the largest computer parties in the world. It is held annually in Vikingskipet Olympic Arena in Hamar, Norway, and lasts for five consecutive days (starting on the Wednesday in Easter each year).

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If there is anyone who still wonders why this war is being fought, let him look to Norway. If there is anyone who has any delusions that this war could have been averted, let him look to Norway; and if there is anyone who doubts the democratic will to win, again I say, let him look to Norway. — Franklin D. Roosevelt, "Look to Norway" speech (1942)

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