The Kingdom of Norway / Kongeriket Norge is one of the four Nordic countries situated in the northern reaches of Europe. To the east, it borders Sweden, Finland and Russia; to the west, it is bordered by the Norwegian Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; to the north, by the Barents Sea; and to the south, by the North Sea.
A brief history
Settlements dating back to the Palaeolithic era have been discovered across the country. Agriculture has been practised in Norway since 3000 BC. Since ancient times, Norway has been inhabited by Germanic tribes. In the 8th to 11th centuries, many Norwegians took part in the famous Viking raids. The local inhabitants had close contacts with the Gauls and the Roman Empire. The country’s population grew mainly through people arriving from the south. Hence the name of the country – Norway, meaning ‘the way north’. In those days, people were organised into small kingdoms. The best known of these was the Yngling dynasty.
In the 9th century, King Harald I Hårfager began the unification of the country into a single state. Together with Jarl Hladir of Trøndelag, his army defeated the forces of the feudal lords at the Battle of Håvsfjord. Due to the country’s growing population, many small landowners were pushed inland to less fertile lands. Many of the refugees became pirates, traders or set off in search of new lands. It is believed that as early as 793 they reached Scotland. In the year 1000, the Vikings reached the coast of Greenland. In the 11th century, the first major markets appeared in Norway on the shores of the fjords, and towns sprang up around them.
In the 13th century, Christianity gained a firm foothold in Norway. The first missionaries to bring Christianity to the country were the English. Oslo became the country’s capital, but its prosperity lasted only until the mid-14th century, when a terrible plague broke out. In the 12th and 13th centuries, civil wars frequently broke out in Norway. Norway gradually lost its influence over the territories of England and Ireland. Between 1262 and 1264, Iceland was annexed to Norway. In 1397, Norway entered into a union with Denmark, becoming its province in 1537. Under the Treaty of Kiel in 1814, Norway https://znaki.fm/places/norway-en/ was to be transferred to Sweden. But the Norwegians launched a struggle for independence. Sweden deployed troops to suppress the uprising, and the Norwegians were forced to accept the union. The Storting, first convened in 1814, served as a check on the absolute monarchy in the kingdom. However, the king retained the right of veto over its decisions. In 1905, the union with Sweden was dissolved and Norway became an independent state. During the First World War, the country remained neutral. However, it assisted the Allies in breaking the blockade imposed by German submarines. In 1940, Norway was occupied by German forces, who surrendered on 8 May 1945. Norway has been a member of NATO since 1949.
Kitchen
The Norwegian menu features a wide variety of dishes. Fish and seafood play a prominent role – including fried or smoked ‘lakse’ salmon, boiled ‘reker’ prawns, and smoked, dried ‘lutefisk’ cod. Whale meat and various dishes made from it are traditional for Norwegians. Dairy products play a major role: in many hot dishes, spices are replaced by sour cream, and various types of goat’s cheese are distinguished by their unusual colour (ranging from yellow to chocolate brown) and distinctive smell. When it comes to meat, the preference is for roast pork ribs, roast lamb’s head (‘smalhovt’), elk and venison of all kinds, meatballs, game, and various steaks and beefsteaks. Porridges feature on the menu even in elite restaurants, whilst potatoes are served both as a main course and as a side dish. Recipes for pies and bread are unique to each region.
For dessert, various cakes are usually served, along with apple crumble with breadcrumbs and sour cream (‘Tislert BondePicker’), cinnamon buns (‘spillingboller’), fruit soufflé (‘fromash’), egg-white mousse with wild berries and sugar (‘trollkrem’), and traditional pancakes (‘Swell’). Norwegians’ favourite drinks are coffee, herbal liqueurs and yoghurt. Among alcoholic drinks, ‘Rignes’ beer and Norwegian ‘akvavit’ – a potato-based spirit flavoured with caraway and aged in wooden barrels – are popular. In winter in Norway, people drink ‘Gløgg’, a mulled wine made with red wine, cardamom, cloves, raisins and almonds.
