Norway

Where the name comes from

Norway comes from Old Norse Norðrvegr, “northern way”, the long coastal sailing route toward the Arctic.

First people

People settled the coast as the ice retreated over 10,000 years ago, and Norse-speaking communities later took part in Viking-era trade and settlement.¹

Known for

Norway is known for its fjords and the northern lights, and it puts its oil and gas income into a national fund that invests abroad for future generations.^2,3

Outside contact

Union with Denmark began in 1380, and Norway passed to a union with Sweden in 1814.¹

The modern country

Norway became fully independent in 1905.¹