- Norway is the birthplace of skiing. "Ski" is Norwegian for "piece of wood".
- The Finse area of Norway near the capitol of Oslo was used in the film Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back as the ice planet of Hoth.
- Scandinavian Vikings didn't actually wear helmets with horns on them.
- Even though Finland is the "Land of 1,000 Lakes", Norway has more. The total amount of lakes in Norway is about a half million, with some being even 10 square kilometers or 4 square miles.
- The cheese slicer was invented and patented by a carpenter in Norway.
- It is thought that the paper clip was invented in Norway. The paper clip was also worn as a symbol of rebellion against Hitler during WWII.
- Many Norwegians consume an inexpensive sort of caviar on a daily basis.
- Norway is home to the world's longest tunnel, which is 15 miles long. It is called the Lærdal Road Tunnel and it was built to help travelers during winter storms and encourage tourism to Norway's fjords.
- Norway is also home to the world's deepest underwater tunnel, which is 287 meters under the surface.
- There are as may Norwegians and Norwegian descendants living in the US as in Norway. The amount of immigrants in comparison to population is rivaled only by Ireland.
- Norway is one of the richest countries in the world; its per capita income is one of the highest.
- Norway is the 6th largest European country in land area, but the 28th largest in population.
- Norway was rated the most peaceful country in the world in 2007 by the Global Peace Index.
- Norwegians read more than any other population in the world; according to Encyclopedia Britannica, 100% of Norway's population of people over 15 is literate.
- 99% of Norway's energy comes from hydroelectricity.
Laerdal Road Tunnel
"Interesting Facts About Norway." Lifestyle Lounge. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2012. <http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com /lounge/facts-about-norway-1486.html>.
"Norway: Trivia & Fun Facts." TripAdvisor. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2012. <http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g190455-c117166/Norway:Trivia.And.Fun.Facts.html>.
"Norway: Trivia & Fun Facts." TripAdvisor. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2012. <http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g190455-c117166/Norway:Trivia.And.Fun.Facts.html>.
end notes
I definitely learned more from finding fun facts than I would have in just doing a research paper. Norwegians are extremely proud of their country, and are eager to share its little tips, tricks, and benefits. Although they may not demonstrate the history of Norway in a chronological, in depth manner, fun facts certainly give an insight into the country and its inner workings.