Ian
priscilla 1Beautiful Norway
September 12th 2007 10:32
Norway comprises the western part of Scandinavia in Northern Europe. The rugged coastline, broken by massive fjords and thousands of islands, stretches over 2,500 km. Norway shares a 2,542 km land border with Sweden, Finland, and Russia to the east. To the west and south, Norway is bordered by the Norwegian Sea, the North Sea, and Skagerak. The Barents Sea washes on Norway's northern coasts.
Norway possesses the second highest GDP per-capita and third highest PPP per-capita in the world, and has maintained 1st place in the world in the UNDP Human Development Index (HDI) for the fifth consecutive year (2006). Cost of living is about 30% higher in Norway than in the US, and 25% higher than the UK.
As of 2005, Norway's population of 4.6 million is growing by 0.363% per year. Most Norwegians are ethnic Norwegians, a Nordic/North Germanic people, while small minorities in the north are Sami and Kven.
Norway is a country that attracts tourists mostly by virtue of its impressive and varied landscapes that extends far north across the Arctic Circle. It is famous for its fjord-indented coastline and its mountains, ski resorts, lakes and woods. Famous cities in Norway include the capital Oslo with its castle, its cathedral, its picturesque landscape and interesting architecture.
On the west coast there are the cities of Bergen (the Hanseatic city) and Stavanger, each of them set alongside a fjord. Preikestolen is located in Lysefjorden right outside Stavanger. It is a cliff hanging 604 metres directly above the water. In the south you find the city of Kristiansand which is the fith largest in Norway, and to many it is the favourite holiday city. Trondheim, Norway's first capital, is home to the largest medieval cathedral in Scandinavia, Nidaros Cathedral. Tromsø, gateway to the arctic, is situated 400 km north of the arctic circle in the midst of a stunning landscape of mountains and fjords.
I hope you've enjoyed these amazing pictures of beautiful Norway. More photos can be seen here.
*These photos used with permission from Damn Funny Pictures.
**This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation Licence. It uses material from the Wikipedia articles Norway & Tourism in Norway.
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