Norra

Quick Facts:

Area:	324,220 sq km
Population:	4,525,116 (July 2002 est.)
Capital:	Oslo
Language:	Norwegian
Religion:	Evangelical Lutheran 86% (state church), other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3%
Currency:	Norwegian krone (NOK)
YFU web site:	www.yfu.no

Introduction

Tolerance, human kindness, and independence are important Norwegian ideals. The struggle with a rugged environment has created a strong, imaginative and independent people. At the same time the government takes responsibility for the welfare of the individual. In some aspects of government and welfare services, Norway has led other Western European countries. Economic security from the statecontrolled oil industry and political stability have made it possible to continue to develop the people’s wellbeing and quality of life to a higher level. The variety in nature and seasons, combined with family life, are important qualities in Norway. With one of the lowest density rates and with little urbanization, the Norwegian population is scattered. Some might call Norway the quiet corner of the world. Experiencing Norway means opening up to nature, outdoor life, and family life.

Short Facts

Area: Norway has 324,220 km2 (149,000 sq mi), about the same amount of land mass as Germany. Its capital is Oslo which is located in the South of the country. It occupies the western and smaller portion of the Scandinavian peninsula. Its 15,000 km (9,000 mi) of indented coastline reach from the North Sea to the Arctic Ocean. Mountain forests, valleys, fjords, plains and wasteland make up the land. Only about 4% of the land is suitable for farming.

Climate: The Gulf Stream tempers the climate and keeps fjords and harbors icefree during the winters. Winters are cold; summers can be quite warm. The annual range of temperatures increases generally from east to west and from north to south along the coastline. During the summer in the north of the country you can experience the midnight sun which means there are long days in the summer and long nights in the winter.

Population: Norway has one of the lowest density rates and little urbanization, so people are scattered. Norway is mostly populated by Norwegians, but in the far north there are some small groups of Lapps, or Sami people.

Language: The official language of Norway is Norwegian, but there are two types of Norwegian. One, called Bokmål, which is fairly similar to Danish and the other, called Nynorsk, which is mainly spoken in northern Norway. Nynorsk was invented just after the union with Denmark stopped existing, because many Norwegians didn’t want to be reminded of the Danish impact. In the very north of Norway you can also find Finnish and Lapp speaking people.

Religion: The state church is the Evangelical Lutheran and approximately 86% of all Norwegians belong to this church. Most Norwegians only go to church on special occasions like baptisms, confirmations, weddings, funerals, Easter, and Christmas.

Government: Norway is a constitutional monarchy. The legislative power is vested in the Parliament, called Stortinget, whose 165 members are elected for a four-year term. The monarchy is hereditary. It has always been important for the government to take responsibility for the welfare of the individual and Norway has been the leading country in many aspects of welfare.

History: Harald the Fair-haired became the first supreme ruler of Norway in 872 AD. Between 800 and 1000 AD. the Vikings of Norway and the rest of Scandinavia, raided and occupied parts of Europe. Christianity was introduced in the year 1030. The country was united with Denmark from 1381 to 1814 and with Sweden from 1814 to 1905. When the Swedish Union was dissolved in 1905, a Danish prince, Håkon VII, was named king of Norway. Nazi Germany attacked Norway on April 9th 1940. The Norwegian resistance was strong and the Nazis responded by destroying almost every town or village in northern Norway during their retreat. The 8th of May 1945 Norway was liberated. Norway is, and always has been, a politically stable country. A small country, Norway has found it important to extend itself to other nations and at the same time maintain its individuality. Norway joined NATO in 1949, but is not a member of the European Union. (They have had two referendums in 1972 and 1994 where they rejected the membership.) In the 1960’s, oil resources were found that have led to the currently very high standard of living.

Economy: Norway is one of the richest countries in the world. Agriculture remains an important resource of the country, even though is supports only 8% of the people. Farmers derive an important part of their income from forests holdings. Forests cover about a quarter of the land area, with 80% of the forest area being privately owned. Fisheries and related industries are an important feature of the Norwegian economy. The Norwegian merchant fleet is primarily engaged in overseas traffic. Industrially, lumber, paper production, ship-building, oil and natural gas production, and the mining of iron ore and pyrites are the backbone of Norway’s economy.

Education: The education system requires students to attend school for a nine-year period. This is divided into six years of basic lower school and three years of basic upper school. Upper secondary school generally lasts three years. There are thirteen fields of study to choose from. Courses that are common to all areas include Norwegian, physical education, science and social studies.

Family life: The family unit is very important in Norway. Husbands and wives usually consider each other equal in authority. Families tend to be small. The standard of living is very high and most Norwegians are middle classed. Norwegian parents emphasize shared family responsibility in the upbringing of their children. The variety in nature and seasons, combined with family life are important qualities in Norway.

Meals: Norwegians consider it very important to be on time for meals. The potato is an important part of Norwegian food and also different types of fish. Laks (grilled or smoked salmon), reker (boiled shrimp), torsk (cod) and lutefisk (dried cod made near-gelatinous by soaking in lye) are among the most popular Norwegian fish meals. Pickled herring and sweet brown goat cheese (geitost) are also very popular.

Recreation: The beauty of the mountains, fjords and shores is outstanding. The majority of Norwegian families have leisure cottages and cabins in the country. The wild nature makes Norway a beautiful place for mountain climbing and hiking, but also bird watching is very popular. Because of the fjords Norway is also a great place for fishing. Norway is a major ski country and most Norwegians ski. They have thousands of maintained cross-country ski trails, but also many down hill ski runs like Holmenkollen and Lillehammer.

YFU Norway

The first exchange in YFU Norway took place in 1967. Jakob Omholt-Jensen, a retired school principal and Rotarian, had not lost his interest in youth. With help from good friends, he ran the program the first year from his home. As the program grew, it demanded a more permanent organizational structure and administration. The volunteer system with local representatives was developed and an office was established. YFU Norway is registered as a non-profit youth organization and gets financial support from the Norwegian government. Today, YFU Norway has some 200 active volunteers in 11 YFU regions and a staff of three in the National Office in Oslo. YFU Norway offers an inbound academic year program as well as a summer program and a folk high school program. Norwegian students take part in year, semester, and short-term programs as well as the community college program.

Exchange activities for Inbound students: When students arrive to Norway, they will participate in a postarrival seminar called YFU week. During the year there are two other orientation weekends; mid-year seminar and reentry seminar. There is another seminar, called week 6, which is for all students and host families and it addresses the first adaptation period. At the end of the year there is an optional trip with a tall ship. This trip lasts five to seven days. During the year there will be other optional activities like YFU cafes, Holmenkollen ski festival and other regional activities.

Common Phrases

English	Norwegian
Good Day	God Dag
Please	Vær så snill
Thank you	Takk
Goodbye	Adjø
My name is	Jag heter
Excuse me	Om forlatelse
Yes	Ja
No	Nei