Fun facts about Norway

1. Norway includes its mainland as well as the Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard.
2. Norway has 1,190 fjords. These are steep sided lakes formed by glaciers..
3. Norway's main exports include oil and fish.
4. The name Norway derives from a term for the way North, as used by Anglo Saxon or Norse sea traders.
5. Biathlon and cross-country skiing are the most popular overall spectator sports in Norway.
6. Nordkapp in Norway, is Europes official northernmost point.
7. Norwegian Roald Amundsen, led the first expedition to reach the South Pole, in December 1911.
8. Norway is famous for being the home of the Vikings.
9. Norway has one active volcano. It is called Beerenberg and is on the island of Jan Mayen.
10. Winter sports are very important to Norway. It hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics, in the central town of Lillehammer.
11. One of the world's most iconic works of art, The Scream, was painted by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch in 1893.
12. In Norway, a lake cannot be called a fjord if it is broader than it is long.
13. The Sami language officially spoken in Norway belongs to the people of that name.
14. One of the world's best known and widely played classical composers was Edvard Grieg.
15. In 1928, Norway's Crown Prince Olav won a sailing gold medal at the 1926 Olympic Games. He later became King Olav V.
16. Norway has land borders with Sweden, Finland and the Russian Federation.
17. Historically, Norway has been part of national unions with both Denmark and Sweden.
18. Norwegian women are entitled to either one year's maternity leave at 80% of their wages, or 10 months at their full salary.
19. Norway's national symbol is the lion. It appears on the country's coat of arms.
20. Norway is the largest exporter of salmon in the world..
21. Norway has an ongoing dispute over territory in Antarctica.
22. If offering flowers to a Norwegian host, do not give them in even numbers.
23. Whilst there are theories, The origins of the term viking is a mystery.
24. Norwegian men are entitled to 3 months of pappa permissjon or paternity leave.