| | Must Visits | Need to Know | Capital City Oslo | | Tipping 5% | | Electricity 220 V | | Weights and Measurements Metric system |
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People & Language
The official language of the country is Norwegian (Bokmal and Nynorsk), however in some regions of Norway, Sámi and Finnish languages are also spoken.
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Religion
Almost 100% of Norway’s population is Christian, with more than 90% people being Evangelical Lutherans. The balance of the population is either Roman Catholic or Protestant. Although in larger cities, many people- especially the younger generation- don’t practise religion very actively, in the small towns and villages, you’ll still find very devout followers. Churches are usually crowded on Sundays, and most shops and other establishments remain closed as well.
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Food
Considering the fact that one of Norway’s main industries is fishing, its’ hardly surprising that fish - fried, poached, baked, cured and in countless other forms- appears on virtually every menu in the country. Cod, mackerel, wolf fish, salmon and trout are among the most abundant, and many of Norway’s popular dishes-such as lutefisk (dried cod smoked in lye) and laks (grilled or smoked salmon) are based on these. Red meat, poultry and game are also consumed, though to a lesser extent. Vegetables, once rare, are now used in larger quantities, although pride of place is still given to potatoes. Cheeses, especially a brown goat’s cheese called geitost, are popular, particularly in places where vegetables are hard to get hold of.
Coffee and tea, especially the latter are widely available in Norway, and so is liquor. The cheapest drink is beer, which is more or less available in every large store, and often in smaller shops too. Pricey, but worth a try for anyone who’s adventurous, is the local aquavit- a fiery spirit that packs quite a punch!
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Culture & Crafts
Norway’s people, despite the fact that they live in pretty hostile conditions have succeeded in creating a cultural identity which is quite distinctive. In the past century or two, the country has produced some of the most illustrious names in the world of literature and the arts- Henrik Ibsen, Edvard Munch, Edvard Grieg and Liv Ullmann among others- but that’s not all there is to Norwegian culture. It is a culture which is expressed in many different forms- in its interesting wooden stave churches and the ornate old carved houses tucked away in the countryside, in the herring and salmon, pickled and consumed at every meal. It’s a culture which, though it’s been replaced to some extent by a sort of `Pan-Europeanism’ in most places, that has still managed to hold its own. Add to this the fact that the Sami Lapps, still surviving by herding reindeer, have their own traditions, and you have a country with a pretty vibrant heritage.
Traditional crafts in Norway encompass a wide range of items- from porcelain and crystal to pine furniture, pewter, silverware, knitwear and handicrafts, which are quite unique to the country. Among the latter, the art of rosemaling (or `rose painting’, a technique once used to decorate furniture and household items) is easily the best known.
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Travel Tools
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