{"id":1451,"date":"2024-01-31T23:55:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T22:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/?page_id=1451"},"modified":"2024-01-31T23:55:01","modified_gmt":"2024-01-31T22:55:01","slug":"norway","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/zh\/norway\/","title":{"rendered":"Norway"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Norwey-katarzyna-zygnerska-NSR1DHy7jEA-unsplash-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Norway free tour\" class=\"wp-image-1452\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Norwey-katarzyna-zygnerska-NSR1DHy7jEA-unsplash-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Norwey-katarzyna-zygnerska-NSR1DHy7jEA-unsplash-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Norwey-katarzyna-zygnerska-NSR1DHy7jEA-unsplash-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Norwey-katarzyna-zygnerska-NSR1DHy7jEA-unsplash-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Norwey-katarzyna-zygnerska-NSR1DHy7jEA-unsplash-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Norwey-katarzyna-zygnerska-NSR1DHy7jEA-unsplash-107x60.jpg 107w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-pink-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2db3f22aa7614d7bb89f41c975115cb0 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Norway Free Tour<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-pink-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5a83fbd64afb8657f2df3ea03913bc79 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=TD6rh0LtWQI\">Oslo Free Tour<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-pink-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-70ab99b1445e58f7d079d2bf0ee42bc6 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_yyJTwO1P24\">Bergen Free Tour<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-pink-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ce7f805b66ce4f59911c83ba586cbb2c wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=d26tpby_YoM\">Stavanger Free Tour<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Information:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Norway<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/nation-state\">country<\/a> of northern <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Europe\">Europe<\/a> that occupies the western half of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Scandinavian-Peninsula\">Scandinavian peninsula<\/a>. Nearly half of the inhabitants of the country live in the far south, in the region around <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Oslo\">Oslo<\/a>, the capital. About two-thirds of Norway is mountainous, and off its much-indented coastline lie, carved by deep glacial fjords, some 50,000 islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/26\/183726-050-6D72DC3C\/World-Data-Locator-Map-Norway.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/26\/183726-050-6D72DC3C\/World-Data-Locator-Map-Norway.jpg\" alt=\"Norway\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/26\/183726-050-6D72DC3C\/World-Data-Locator-Map-Norway.jpg\">Norway<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Indo-European peoples settled Norway\u2019s coast in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/antiquity\">antiquity<\/a>, establishing a permanent settlement near the present capital of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Oslo\">Oslo<\/a> some 6,000 years ago. The interior was more sparsely settled, owing to extremes of climate and difficult terrain, and even today the country\u2019s population is concentrated in coastal cities such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Bergen-Norway\">Bergen<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Trondheim\">Trondheim<\/a>. Dependent on fishing and farming, early Norwegians developed a seafaring tradition that would reach its apex in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Viking-people\">Viking<\/a> era, when Norse warriors regularly raided the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/British-Isles\">British Isles<\/a>, the coasts of western Europe, and even the interior of Russia; the Vikings also established colonies in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Iceland\">Iceland<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Greenland\">Greenland<\/a> and explored the coast of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/North-America\">North America<\/a> (which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Leif-Erikson\">Leif Eriksson<\/a> called Vinland) more than a thousand years ago. This great tradition of exploration by such explorers as Leif Erikkson and his father, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Erik-the-Red\">Erik the Red<\/a>, continued into modern times, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/exemplified\">exemplified<\/a> by such men as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Fridtjof-Nansen\">Fridtjof Nansen<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Roald-Amundsen\">Roald Amundsen<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Thor-Heyerdahl\">Thor Heyerdahl<\/a>. Weakened by plague and economic deterioration in the late Middle Ages and dominated by neighbouring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Denmark\">Denmark<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Sweden\">Sweden<\/a>, Norwegians turned to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/topic\/market\">trading<\/a> in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/fish\">fish<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/lumber\">lumber<\/a>, and modern Norway, which gained its independence in 1905, emerged as a major maritime transporter of the world\u2019s goods as well as a world leader in specialized shipbuilding. In the 1970s the exploitation of offshore oil and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/natural-gas\">natural gas<\/a> became the major maritime industry, with Norway emerging in the 1990s as one of the world\u2019s leading <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/petroleum\">petroleum<\/a> exporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lying on the northern outskirts of the European continent and thus avoiding the characteristics of a geographic crossroads, Norway (the \u201cnorthern way\u201d) has maintained a great <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/homogeneity\">homogeneity<\/a> among its peoples and their way of life. Small enclaves of immigrants, mostly from southeastern Europe and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/South-Asia\">South Asia<\/a>, established themselves in the Oslo region in the late 20th century, but the overwhelming majority of the country\u2019s inhabitants are ethnically Nordic. The northern part of the country, particularly the rugged Finnmark Plateau, is home to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Sami\">Sami<\/a> (also called Lapps or Laplanders), a Uralic people whose origins are obscure. Life expectancy rates in Norway are among the highest in the world. The main political division reflects differing views on the importance of free-market forces; but the socialists long ago stopped insisting on nationalization of the country\u2019s industry, and the nonsocialists have accepted extensive governmental control of the country\u2019s economy. Such evident national consensus\u2014along with abundant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/waterpower\">waterpower<\/a>, offshore oil, and peaceful labour relations\u2014was a major factor in the rapid growth of Norway as an industrial nation during the 20th century and in the creation of one of the highest standards of living in the world, reinforced by a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/comprehensive\">comprehensive<\/a> social welfare system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/64\/94864-050-223C3FE6\/Northern-lights-sky-Kautokeino.jpg\">northern lights, Norway<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Northern lights illuminating the sky near Kautokeino, Norway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Norway\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/austere\">austere<\/a> natural beauty has attracted visitors from all over the world. The country has also produced many important artists, among them composer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Edvard-Grieg\">Edvard Grieg<\/a>, painter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Edvard-Munch\">Edvard Munch<\/a>, novelists <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Knut-Hamsun\">Knut Hamsun<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Sigrid-Undset\">Sigrid Undset<\/a>, and playwright <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Henrik-Ibsen\">Henrik Ibsen<\/a>. Of his country and its ruminative people, Ibsen observed, \u201cThe magnificent, but severe, natural <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/environment\">environment<\/a> surrounding people up there in the north, the lonely, secluded life\u2014the farms are miles apart\u2014forces them to\u2026become introspective and serious.\u2026At home every other person is a philosopher!\u201d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/the-country-quiz\"> Britannica QuizThe Country Quiz<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Land<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/03\/3103-050-4EFD7AE4\/Norway-map-features-locator.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/03\/3103-050-4EFD7AE4\/Norway-map-features-locator.jpg\" alt=\"Physical features of Norway\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/03\/3103-050-4EFD7AE4\/Norway-map-features-locator.jpg\">Physical features of Norway<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Barents-Sea\">Barents Sea<\/a> to the north, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Norwegian-Sea\">Norwegian Sea<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/North-Sea\">North Sea<\/a> to the west, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Skagerrak\">Skagerrak<\/a> (Skager Strait) to the south, Norway has land borders only to the east\u2014with Sweden, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Finland\">Finland<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Russia\">Russia<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Norway occupies part of northern Europe\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/Baltic-Shield\">Fennoscandian Shield<\/a>. The extremely hard bedrock, which consists mostly of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/granite\">granite<\/a> and other heat- and pressure-formed materials, ranges from one to two billion years in age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. <a href=\"https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=inline&amp;utm_medium=mendel&amp;utm_campaign=evergreen\">Subscribe Now<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Relief<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/glaciation\">Glaciation<\/a> and other forces wore down the surface and created thick <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/sandstone\">sandstone<\/a>, conglomerate, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/limestone\">limestone<\/a> deposits known as sparagmite. Numerous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/extensive\">extensive<\/a> areas called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/peneplain\">peneplains<\/a>, whose relief has been largely eroded away, also were formed. Remains of these include the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Hardanger-Plateau\">Hardanger Plateau<\/a>\u20143,000 feet (900 metres) above sea level\u2014Europe\u2019s largest mountain plateau, covering about 4,600 square miles (11,900 square km) in southern Norway; and the Finnmark Plateau (1,000 feet [300 metres] above sea level), occupying most of Finnmark, the northernmost and largest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/county\">county<\/a> of Norway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/Cambrian-Period\">Cambrian<\/a> through the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/Silurian-Period\">Silurian<\/a> geologic period (i.e., from about 540 to 415 million years ago), most of the area was below <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/sea-level\">sea level<\/a> and acquired a layer of limestone, shale, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/slate-geology\">slate<\/a>, and conglomerate from 330 to 525 feet (100 to 160 metres) thick. Folding processes in the Earth then gave rise to a mountain system that is a continuation of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Caledonian-Orogenic-Belt\">Caledonian orogenic belt<\/a>. Norway has an average elevation of 1,600 feet (500 metres), compared with 1,000 feet (300 metres) for Europe as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/40\/59040-050-BEAE1332\/fjords-North-Sea-coast-Norway.jpg\">fjord, western Norway<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scenic fjord, or sea inlet, winding deep into the mountainous coast of western Norway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rivers running westward <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/acquired\">acquired<\/a> tremendous erosive power. Following fracture lines marking weaknesses in the Earth\u2019s crust, they dug out gorges and canyons that knifed deep into the jagged coast. To the east the land sloped more gently, and broader valleys were formed. During repeated periods of glaciation in the Great <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/ice-age-geology\">Ice Age<\/a> of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/Quaternary\">Quaternary<\/a> Period (i.e., about the last 2.6 million years), the scouring action of glaciers tonguing down the V-shaped valleys that were then part of the landscape created the magnificent U-shaped drowned fjords that now grace the western coast of Norway. Enormous masses of soil, gravel, and stone were also carried by glacial action as far south as present-day Denmark and northern <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Germany\">Germany<\/a>. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/bedrock\">bedrock<\/a>, exposed in about 40 percent of the area, was scoured and polished by the movements of these materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are four traditional regions of Norway, three in the south and one in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Arctic\">Arctic<\/a> north. The three main regions of the south are defined by wide mountain barriers. From the southernmost point a swelling complex of ranges, collectively called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Lang-Mountains\">Lang Mountains<\/a>, runs northward to divide eastern Norway, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Ostlandet\">\u00d8stlandet<\/a>, from western Norway, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Vestlandet\">Vestlandet<\/a>. The narrow coastal zone of Vestlandet has many islands, and steep-walled, narrow fjords cut deep into the interior mountain region. The major exception is the wide <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Jaeren\">J\u00e6ren<\/a> Plain, south of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Stavanger\">Stavanger<\/a>. An eastward sweep of the mountains separates northern \u00d8stlandet from the Trondheim region, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Trondelag\">Tr\u00f8ndelag<\/a>. Northern Norway, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Nord-Norge\">Nord-Norge<\/a>, begins almost exactly at the midpoint of the country. Most of the region is above the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Arctic-Circle\">Arctic Circle<\/a>, and much of it is filled with mountains with jagged peaks and ridges, even on the many islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Drainage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Gl\u00e5ma (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Glomma\">Glomma<\/a>) River, running south almost the entire length of eastern Norway, is 372 miles (600 km) long\u2014close to twice the length of the two other large drainage systems in southern Norway, which meet the sea at the cities of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Drammen\">Drammen<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Skien\">Skien<\/a>. The only other long river is the 224-mile- (360-km-) long Tana-Anarj\u00e5kka, which runs northeast along part of the border with Finland. Norway has about 65,000 lakes with surface areas of at least 4 acres (1.5 hectares). By far the largest is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Lake-Mjosa\">Mj\u00f8sa<\/a>, which is 50 miles (80 km) north of Oslo on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Lagen-river-south-central-Norway\">L\u00e5gen<\/a> River (a tributary of the Gl\u00e5ma).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Soils<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the melting periods between ice ages, large areas were flooded by the sea because the enormous weight of the ice had depressed the land. Thick layers of clay, silt, and sand were deposited along the present coast and in large areas in the Oslo and Trondheim regions, which rise as high as 650 feet (200 metres) above sea level today. Some very rich soils are found below these old marine coastal regions. In the large areas covered by forests, the main soil has been stripped of much of its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/mineral-chemical-compound\">mineral<\/a> content, and this has created poor agricultural land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the interior of the \u00d8stlandet region, farms are located along the sides of the broad valleys, the bottoms of which contain only washed-out deposits of soil. With rich glacier-formed soils, exceptionally mild winters, long growing seasons, and plentiful precipitation, the J\u00e6ren Plain boasts the highest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/yields\">yields<\/a> of any agricultural area in Norway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Climate of Norway<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although it occupies almost the same degrees of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/latitude\">latitude<\/a> as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Alaska\">Alaska<\/a>, Norway owes its warmer climate to the Norwegian Current (the northeastern extension of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Gulf-Stream\">Gulf Stream<\/a>), which carries four to five million tons of tropical water per second into the surrounding seas. This current usually keeps the fjords from freezing, even in the Arctic Finnmark region. Even more important are the southerly air currents brought in above these warm waters, especially during the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/winter\">winter<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mean annual temperature on the west coast is 45 \u00b0F (7 \u00b0C), or 54 \u00b0F (30 \u00b0C) above average for the latitude. In the Lofoten Islands, north of the Arctic Circle, the January mean is 43 \u00b0F (24 \u00b0C) above the world average for this latitude and one of the world\u2019s greatest thermal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/anomalies\">anomalies<\/a>. Norway lies directly in the path of the North Atlantic cyclones, which bring frequent gales and changes in weather. Western Norway has a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/marine-west-coast-climate\">marine climate<\/a>, with comparatively cool summers, mild winters, and nearly 90 inches (2,250 mm) of mean annual precipitation. Eastern Norway, sheltered by the mountains, has an inland climate with warm summers, cold winters, and less than 30 inches (760 mm) of mean annual precipitation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Plant and animal life<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/06\/4406-004-5047268F\/Norway-spruce-cones.jpg\">Norway spruce: cones<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Norway spruce cones (<em>Picea abies<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Norway has about 2,000 species of plants, but only a few, mainly mountain plants, are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/endemic\">endemic<\/a> to Norway. Thick forests of spruce and pine predominate in the broad glacial valleys up to 2,800 feet (850 metres) above <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/sea-level\">sea level<\/a> in eastern Norway and 2,300 feet (700 metres) in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Trondheim\">Trondheim<\/a> region. Even in the thickest spruce woods the ground is carpeted with leafy mosses and heather, and a rich variety of deciduous trees\u2014notably birch, ash, rowan, and aspen\u2014grow on even the steepest hillsides. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/plant\/birch\">birch<\/a> zone extends from 3,000 to 3,900 feet (900 to 1,200 metres) above sea level, above which there is a willow belt that includes dwarf birch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In western Norway conifers and broad-leaved trees abound in approximately equal numbers. The largest forests in Norway are found between the Swedish border and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Glomma\">Gl\u00e5ma<\/a> River, east of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Oslo\">Oslo<\/a>. About half of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Ostlandet\">\u00d8stlandet<\/a> region is forested. The region also has about half of Norway\u2019s total forest resources and an equivalent share of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/nation-state\">country\u2019s<\/a> total area of fully <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/cultivated\">cultivated<\/a> land. Nearly one-third of the area of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Trondelag\">Tr\u00f8ndelag<\/a> is forested. North of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Arctic-Circle\">Arctic Circle<\/a> there is little spruce, and pine grows mainly in the inland valleys amid their surprisingly rich vegetation. Wild berries grow abundantly in all regions; they include blueberries and cranberries of small size as well as yellow cloudberries, a fruit-bearing plant of the rose family that is little known outside <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Scandinavia\">Scandinavia<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/United-Kingdom\">Britain<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reindeer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/wolverine\">wolverines<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/lemming\">lemmings<\/a>, and other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Arctic\">Arctic<\/a> animals are found throughout Norway, although in the south they live only in the mountain areas. Elk are common in the large coniferous forests, and red <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/deer\">deer<\/a> are numerous on the west coast. Just 150 years ago large animals of prey were common in Norway, but now the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/bear\">bear<\/a>, wolf, and lynx are found only in a few areas, mainly in the north. Foxes, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/otter\">otters<\/a>, and several species of marten, however, are common, and in many areas <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/badger\">badgers<\/a> and beavers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/thrive\">thrive<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The amazing journey of salmon in Norway<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the annual migration in Norway, salmon jumping up waterfalls.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Norway\/images-videos\">See all videos for this article<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most of the rivers and lakes have a variety of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/fish\">fish<\/a>, notably <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/trout\">trout<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/salmon\">salmon<\/a>. The latter are found in at least 160 rivers, often in an abundance that attracts anglers from throughout the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of the large variety of birds, many migrate as far as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Southern-Africa\">Southern Africa<\/a> for the winter. In the north people collect eggs and down from millions of seabirds, and, as far south as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Alesund\">\u00c5lesund<\/a>, small cliff islands often are nearly covered by several hundred thousand nesting birds. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/partridge\">Partridges<\/a> and several kinds of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/grouse\">grouse<\/a> are common in the mountains and forests and are popular game birds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">People<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ethnic groups<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In most parts of Norway the nucleus of the population is Nordic in heritage and appearance. Between 60 and 70 percent have blue eyes. An influx of people from southern Europe has been strong in southwestern Norway. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Nord-Norge\">Nord-Norge<\/a> has about nine-tenths of the estimated 30,000 to 40,000 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Sami\">Sami<\/a>\u2014the country\u2019s first inhabitants\u2014living in Norway. Only a small number of them still practice traditional <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/reindeer\">reindeer<\/a> herding on the Finnmark Plateau. The Sami arrived in Norway at least 10,000 years ago, perhaps from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Central-Asia\">Central Asia<\/a>. Formerly subject to widespread, even official ethnic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/discrimination\">discrimination<\/a>, the Sami are now legally recognized as a distinct <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/culture\">culture<\/a> and have been granted some measure of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/autonomy\">autonomy<\/a> through the Sami Parliament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the first decades of the 21st century, an increasing number of immigrants from Africa and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Middle-East\">Middle East<\/a> began to transform Norway\u2019s largely <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/homogeneous\">homogeneous<\/a> population into a more ethnically <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/diverse\">diverse<\/a> one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Languages of Norway<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Norwegian-language\">Norwegian language<\/a> belongs to the North Germanic branch of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Germanic-languages\">Germanic language<\/a> group. The Norwegian alphabet has three more letters than the Latin alphabet\u2014<em>\u00e6<\/em>, <em>\u00f8<\/em>, and <em>\u00e5<\/em>, pronounced respectively as the vowels in b<em>a<\/em>d, b<em>u<\/em>rn, and b<em>a<\/em>ll. Modern Norwegian has many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/dialects\">dialects<\/a>, but all of them, as well as the Swedish and Danish languages, are understood throughout all three of these Scandinavian countries. Until about 1850 there was only one written language, called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Bokmal\">Riksm\u00e5l<\/a>, or \u201cOfficial Language,\u201d which was strongly influenced by Danish during the 434-year union of the two countries. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/New-Norwegian-language\">Landsm\u00e5l<\/a>, or \u201cCountry Language,\u201d was then created out of the rural dialects. After a long feud, mostly urban-rural in makeup, the forms received equal status under the terms <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Bokmal\">Bokm\u00e5l<\/a> (\u201cBook Language\u201d) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/New-Norwegian-language\">Nynorsk<\/a> (New Norwegian), respectively. For more than four-fifths of schoolchildren, Bokm\u00e5l is the main language in local schools, and it is the principal language of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/commerce\">commerce<\/a> and communications. In daily speech Bokm\u00e5l is predominant in the area around <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Oslo\">Oslo<\/a> and the eastern Norwegian lowland, while Nynorsk is widely spoken in the mountainous interior and along the west coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than 15,000 Norwegians, mostly in scattered pockets of northern Norway, speak North <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Sami\">Sami<\/a> as a first language. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Uralic-languages\">Uralic language<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Sami-language\">Sami<\/a> is the official language of a number of municipalities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Almost all educated Norwegians speak English as a second language. Indeed, so widespread is its use that some commentators have voiced concern that English may displace Norwegian in commerce and industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Religion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Settlement patterns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/02\/94402-050-67ED13FD\/Harbour-castle-Oslo.jpg\">harbour and castle, Oslo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Harbour and castle in Oslo, Norway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Ostlandet\">\u00d8stlandet<\/a> contains more than half of Norway\u2019s population, most of whom live in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/metropolitan-area\">metropolitan area<\/a> of the national capital, Oslo, and in the many industrial cities and urban agglomerations on both sides of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Oslo-Fjord\">Oslo Fjord<\/a>. With the lion\u2019s share of the national wealth in mining and manufacturing and the concentration of economic activity around Oslo Fjord, \u00d8stlandet has the highest average income per household of Norway\u2019s traditional regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/97\/94497-050-76D1F948\/Lights-harbor-twinkle-Bergen-twilight-port-cities.jpg\">Bergen, Norway<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bergen, Norway, at twilight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Norway has never had the agricultural villages that are common elsewhere in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Europe\">Europe<\/a>. The more densely populated areas of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/nation-state\">country<\/a> have grown up around <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/crossroads\">crossroads<\/a> of transportation, from which people have moved to the cities and suburbs. Thus, there is actually little borderline between the rural and urban populations. For many years Oslo has attracted settlers from throughout the country, becoming a national melting pot surrounded by the most important agricultural and industrial districts of Norway. The coastline facing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Denmark\">Denmark<\/a> across the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Skagerrak\">Skagerrak<\/a> passage, stretching from Oslo Fjord to the southern tip of Norway, is densely populated and contains many small towns, coastal villages, and small farms. Centred on the city of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Kristiansand\">Kristiansand<\/a>, this area is sometimes set apart as a fifth region: southern Norway, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Sorlandet\">S\u00f8rlandet<\/a>. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Vestlandet\">Vestlandet<\/a> the industrial city of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Stavanger\">Stavanger<\/a> has attracted large numbers of settlers and has continued to expand as Norway\u2019s oil capital. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Bergen-Norway\">Bergen<\/a>, the capital of Vestlandet and Norway\u2019s largest city from the Hanseatic period to the mid-19th century, is a centre for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/fish\">fish<\/a> exports. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Trondheim\">Trondheim<\/a>, the third largest city in Norway and for long periods the national capital, dominates <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Trondelag\">Tr\u00f8ndelag<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Tromso\">Troms\u00f8<\/a> is the capital of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Nord-Norge\">Nord-Norge<\/a> and is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/hub\">hub<\/a> for various <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Arctic\">Arctic<\/a> activities, including fishing, sealing, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/petroleum\">petroleum<\/a> exploration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All the information come from <a href=\"http:\/\/Netherlands, country located in northwestern Europe, also known as Holland. \u201cNetherlands\u201d means low-lying country; the name Holland (from Houtland, or \u201cWooded Land\u201d) was originally given to one of the medieval cores of what later became the modern state and is still used for 2 of its 12 provinces (Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland). A parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch, the kingdom includes its former colonies in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire, Cura\u00e7ao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten. The capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government The Hague. Netherlands Netherlands Explore Holland's population, waterways, and vast tulip cross-breeding and cultivation program Explore Holland's population, waterways, and vast tulip cross-breeding and cultivation program Learn about the geography, agriculture, and commerce of The Netherlands. See all videos for this article  The country is indeed low-lying and remarkably flat, with large expanses of lakes, rivers, and canals. Some 2,500 square miles (6,500 square km) of the Netherlands consist of reclaimed land, the result of a process of careful water management dating back to medieval times. Along the coasts, land was reclaimed from the sea, and, in the interior, lakes and marshes were drained, especially alongside the many rivers. All this new land was turned into polders, usually surrounded by dikes. Initially, man power and horsepower were used to drain the land, but they were later replaced by windmills, such as the mill network at Kinderdijk-Elshout, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The largest water-control schemes were carried out in the second half of the 19th century and in the 20th century, when steam pumps and, later, electric or diesel pumps came into use. Exploring Amsterdam: Canals, design, and museums Exploring Amsterdam: Canals, design, and museums Overview of Amsterdam. See all videos for this article  Despite government-encouraged emigration after World War II, which prompted some 500,000 persons to leave the country, the Netherlands is today one of the world\u2019s most densely populated countries. Although the population as a whole is \u201cgraying\u201d rapidly, with a high percentage over age 65, Amsterdam has remained one of the liveliest centres of international youth culture. There, perhaps more than anywhere else in the country, the Dutch tradition of social tolerance is readily encountered. Prostitution, \u201csoft-drug\u201d (marijuana and hashish) use, and euthanasia are all legal but carefully regulated in the Netherlands, which was also the first country to legalize same-sex marriage.  This relative independence of outlook was evident as early as the 16th and 17th centuries, when the Dutch rejected monarchical controls and took a relatively enlightened view of other cultures, especially when they brought wealth and capital to the country\u2019s trading centres. In that period Dutch merchant ships sailed the world and helped lay the foundations of a great trading country characterized by a vigorous spirit of enterprise. In later centuries, the Netherlands continued to have one of the most advanced economies in the world, despite the country\u2019s modest size. The Dutch economy is open and generally internationalist in outlook. With Belgium and Luxembourg, the Netherlands is a member of the Benelux economic union, which in the 1950s and 1960s served as a model for the larger European Economic Community (EEC; now embedded in the European Union [EU]), of which the Benelux countries are members. The Netherlands is also a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and it plays host to a number of international organizations, especially in the legal sector, such as the International Court of Justice. Brown globe on antique map. Brown world on vintage map. North America. Green globe. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery Britannica Quiz Countries &amp; Their Features  The Dutch reputation for tolerance was tested in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, when an increase in immigration from non-European Union countries and a populist turn in politics resulted in growing nationalism and even xenophobia, marked by two race-related political assassinations, in 2002 and 2004, and the government\u2019s requirement that immigrants pass an expensive \u2018\u2018integration\u2019\u2019 test before they enter the country. Land Relief Netherlands Netherlands Urk, Netherlands Urk, Netherlands Urk, once an island of the former Zuiderzee, now part of the North East (Noordoost) Polder, Netherlands.  The Netherlands is bounded by the North Sea to the north and west, Germany to the east, and Belgium to the south. If the Netherlands were to lose the protection of its dunes and dikes, the most densely populated part of the country would be inundated (largely by the sea but also in part by the rivers). This highly developed part of the Netherlands, which generally does not lie higher than about three feet (one metre) above sea level, covers more than half the total area of the country. About half of this area (more than one-fourth of the total area of the country) actually lies below sea level. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now  The lower area consists mainly of polders, where the landscape not only lies at a very low elevation but is also very flat in appearance. On such land, building is possible only on \u201crafts,\u201d or after concrete piles, sometimes as long as 65 feet (20 metres), have been driven into the silt layer.  In the other, higher area, the layers of sand and gravel in the eastern part of the country were pushed sideways and upward in some places by ice tongues of the Saale Glacial Stage, forming elongated ridges that may reach a height of more than 330 feet (100 metres) and are the principal feature of the Hoge Park Veluwe National Park. The only part of the country where elevations exceed 350 feet (105 metres) is the border zone of the Ardennes. The Netherlands\u2019 highest point, the Vaalserberg, in the extreme southeastern corner, rises to 1,053 feet (321 metres). Drainage and dikes north dam across the IJsselmeer north dam across the IJsselmeer Part of the north dam (the Afsluitdijk) across the IJsselmeer, Netherlands.  The Zuiderzee was originally an estuary of the Rhine River. By natural action it then became a shallow inland sea, biting deep into the land, and eventually it was hollowed into an almost circular shape by the action of winds and tides. In 1920 work was begun on the Zuiderzee project, of which the IJsselmeer Dam (Afsluitdijk), begun in 1927, was a part. This 19-mile- (30-km-) long dam was completed in 1932 to finally seal off the Zuiderzee from the Waddenzee and the North Sea. In the IJsselmeer, or IJssel Lake, formed from the southern part of the Zuiderzee, four large polders, the IJsselmeer Polders, with a total area of about 650 square miles (1,700 square km), were constructed around a freshwater basin fed by the IJssel and other rivers and linked with the sea by sluices and locks in the barrier dam.  The first two polders created there\u2014Wieringermeer and North East (Noordoost) Polder, drained before and during World War II\u2014are used mostly for agriculture. The two polders reclaimed in the 1950s and \u201960s\u2014South Flevoland Polder (Zuidelijk) and East Flevoland Polder (Oostelijk)\u2014are used for residential, industrial, and recreational purposes. Among the cities that have developed there are Lelystad and Almere. Netherlands: Delta Works flood-control project Netherlands: Delta Works flood-control project Learn about flood control in the Netherlands. See all videos for this article  In the southwest, the disastrous gales and spring tide of February 1, 1953, which flooded some 400,000 acres (162,000 hectares) of land and killed 1,800 people, accelerated the implementation of the Delta Project, which aimed to close off most of the sea inlets of the southwestern delta. These delta works were designed to shorten the coastline by 450 miles (725 km), combat the salination of the soil, and allow the development of the area through roads that were constructed over 10 dams and 2 bridges built between 1960 and 1987. The largest of these dams, crossing the five-mile- (eight-km-) wide Eastern Schelde (Oosterschelde) estuary, has been built in the form of a storm-surge barrier incorporating dozens of openings that can be closed in the event of flood. The barrier is normally open, allowing salt water to enter the estuary and about three-fourths of the tidal movement to be maintained, limiting damage to the natural environment in the Eastern Schelde. In the interest of the commerce of the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp, no dams were constructed in the New Waterway, which links Rotterdam to the North Sea, or the West Schelde, an approach to Antwerp, Belgium. The dikes along these waterways consequently had to be strengthened.  A region with a very specific character has been formed by the great rivers\u2014Rhine, Lek, Waal, and Maas (Meuse)\u2014that flow from east to west through the central part of the country. The landscape in this area is characterized by high dikes along wide rivers, orchards along the levees formed by the rivers, and numerous large bridges over which pass the roads and railways that connect the central Netherlands with the southern provinces. Soils Keukenhof Gardens Keukenhof Gardens Keukenhof Gardens, near Lisse, Netherlands.  In the late Pleistocene Epoch (from about 126,000 to 11,700 years ago), the Scandinavian ice sheet covered the northern half of the Netherlands. After this period, a large area in the north of what is now the Netherlands was left covered by moraine (glacial accumulation of earth and rock debris). In the centre and south, the Rhine and Maas rivers unloaded thick layers of silt and gravel transported from the European mountain chains. Later, during the Holocene Epoch (i.e., the past 11,700 years), clay was deposited in the sheltered lagoons behind the coastal dunes, and peat soil often subsequently developed in these areas. If the peat soil was washed away by the sea or dug away by humans (for the production of fuel and salt), lakes were created. Many of these were reclaimed in later centuries (as mentioned above), while others now form highly valued outdoor recreational areas. Climate  The climate of the Netherlands is temperate, with gentle winters, cool summers, and rainfall in every season. Southerly and westerly winds predominate, and the sea moderates the climate through onshore winds and the effect of the Gulf Stream. Koninck, Philips: View over a Flat Landscape Koninck, Philips: View over a Flat Landscape View over a Flat Landscape, oil on canvas by Philips Koninck, 1664; in the Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands.  The position of the country\u2014between the area of high-pressure air masses centred on the Azores and the low-pressure region centred on Iceland\u2014makes the Netherlands an area of collision between warm and polar air masses, thus creating unsettled weather. Winds meet with little resistance over the flat country, though the hills in the south significantly diminish the velocity of the potent wind that prevails along the coast. On average, frost occurs 60 days per year. July temperatures average about 63 \u00b0F (17 \u00b0C), and those of January average 35 \u00b0F (2 \u00b0C). Annual rainfall averages about 31 inches (790 mm), with only about 25 clear days per year. The average rainfall is highest in summer (August) and autumn and lowest in springtime. The country is known\u2014not least through the magnificent landscapes of Dutch painters\u2014for its heavy clouds, and on an average day three-fifths of the sky is clouded. Plant and animal life  Most wild Dutch plant species are of the Atlantic district within the Euro-Siberian phytogeographic region. Gradients of salt and winter temperature variations cause relatively minor zonal differences in both wild and garden plants from the coast to more continental regions. The effects of elevation are negligible. Vegetation from coastal sand dunes, muddy coastal areas, slightly brackish lakes, and river deltas is especially scarce in the surrounding countries. Lakes, marshes, peatland, woods, heaths, and agricultural areas determine the general floral species. Clay, peat, and sand are important soil factors for the inland vegetation regions.  Animal life is relegated by region according to vegetation. Seabirds and other sea life, such as mollusks, are found especially in the muddy Waddenzee area and in the extreme southwest. Migrating birds pass in huge numbers through the Netherlands or remain for a summer or winter stay. Species of waterbirds and marsh and pasture birds are numerous. Larger mammals, such as roe deer, red deer, foxes, and badgers, are mostly restricted to nature reserves. Some species, such as boars, beavers, fallow deer, mouflons, and muskrats, have been introduced locally or reintroduced. Some reptiles and amphibians are endangered. Numerous species of river fish and river lobsters have become scarce because of water pollution. There is a diversity of brackish and freshwater animals inhabiting the many lakes, canals, and drainage ditches, but the vulnerable species of the nutritionally deficient waters have become rare.  Nature reserves have been formed by governmental and private organizations. Well-known reserves include the Naardermeer of Amsterdam, the Hoge Veluwe National Park, and the Oostvaardersplassen in the centre of the country. Some endangered species are protected by law.\">Encyclopedia Britannica<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Norway Free Tour Oslo Free Tour Bergen Free Tour Stavanger Free Tour Information: Norway, country of northern Europe that occupies the western half of the Scandinavian peninsula. Nearly half of the inhabitants of the country live in the far south, in the region around Oslo, the capital. About two-thirds of Norway is mountainous, and off &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1451","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","latest_post"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"zh","enabled_languages":["en","es","zh","it"],"languages":{"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"es":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"it":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false}}},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6 (Yoast SEO v27.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Norway - Best Free Tour<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bestfreetour.com\/norway\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"zh_CN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Norway - 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