In Norway, there are seven villages and one municipality that are named “Å”, which is the Scandinavian word for stream or river.
Norway
Norway and electric vehicles
Norway has the highest per capita number of electric vehicles in the world. In fact, electric and hybrid vehicles make up over 50% of all new car sales in Norway. This is due in part to the country’s generous incentives for electric vehicle owners, including exemptions from certain taxes and fees, as well as access to bus lanes and free public parking.
Norway has a high number of charging stations per capita, with over 7,000 stations and more than 23,000 charging points in the country. This extensive charging infrastructure, along with various incentives for EV ownership, has contributed to the high adoption rate of EVs in Norway.
Electric vehicles are so popular in Norway that they have helped to significantly reduce the country’s carbon emissions from the transportation sector.
Longyearbyen, Norway is the world’s…
Longyearbyen, Norway is the world’s northernmost settlement with a population greater than 1,000. There is a ban on cats, a monthly alcohol purchase limit, and a requirement to carry a rifle while outside for protection from polar bears.
The King of Norway’s firstborn…
The King of Norway’s firstborn, Princess Märtha Louise, is a self-described ‘clairvoyant’. She has started a school for communicating with angels and dead souls, and is currently dating a self-described shaman.
Norway hires sherpas from Nepal…
Norway hires sherpas from Nepal to build paths in the Norwegian mountains. They have completed over 300 projects, and their pay for one summer, equals 30 years of work in Nepal.
10th century Norwegian Viking ruler…
10th century Norwegian Viking ruler King Haakon the Good made the household production of Juleøl (Christmas Beer) a law. Families that did not have beer at their Christmas feast were issued a fine.
Long before Christianity made its way to the native Germanic peoples, Norwegians celebrated the winter solstice by brewing and drinking beer to honor their Norse gods. To celebrate “Jul,” a Norwegian word that in modern vernacular refers to the Christmas season, Vikings brewed and consumed strong, barley-based beer while in the throes of winter’s coldest and dreariest months. They also used the ale to make offerings in hopes to entice the gods to bring back the summer sun.
According to “The Geography of Beer,” King Haakon the Good, who ruled from 934 to 961, later used the ancient Jul celebration to push a Christian agenda. As part of his efforts to introduce Christianity to the Norwegian people, King Haakon the Good implemented a pagan-meets-Christian mash-up, making it a law to celebrate Christmas with beer. Those who didn’t have beer at their Christmas feast were issued a fine. Norway became Christianized in the 11th century.
German discount supermarket Lidl…
German discount supermarket Lidl has failed to succeed in Norway, although being successful in other places. They left in 2008 after 4 years. Reasons stated for the failure are Norwegians not liking the foreign food, treatment of workers in other countries and money going out of the country.
Wearing paper clips was a symbol…
Wearing paper clips was a symbol of rejecting Nazi ideals and racism during WWII.
During WW2, Norwegians mostly resisted…
During WW2, Norwegians mostly resisted the German occupation nonviolently. They would refuse to go to German-owned businesses, pretend to not speak German, and refuse to sit next to Germans on public transport.
Svalbard, a Norwegian…
Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago with a population of 3 000, is the only visa-free zone in the world meaning that anybody may live and work there indefinitely regardless of country of citizenship.