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Norway Cities with Hotels
 Norway, officially Kingdom of Norway (Norwegian Kongeriket Norge), constitutional monarchy in northern Europe, occupying the western and northern portions of the Scandinavian Peninsula. It is bounded on the north by the Barents Sea, an arm of the Arctic Ocean, on the northeast by Finland and Russia, on the east by Sweden, on the south by Skagerrak Strait and the North Sea, and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, which in Norway is also called the Norwegian Sea. The Norwegian coastline extends about 2740 km (about 1700 mi); including all the fjords and offshore islands, the coastline totals about 21,200 km (about 13,200 mi). The islands, known locally as the skerry guard, form a protected waterway along the coast. The country's name, meaning "northern way," reflects its importance in linking the many small fjord and valley communities that are otherwise separated by rugged mountains. Norway has an area of 323,877 sq km (125,050 sq mi). Oslo is Norway's capital and largest city.
 Svalbard, an archipelago, and Jan Mayen, a volcanic island northeast of Iceland, are possessions of Norway in the Arctic Ocean. Bouvet Island, another Norwegian possession, is an uninhabited island in the southern Atlantic Ocean, southwest of the Cape of Good Hope. Norway also claims Peter I Island, off Antarctica, and the portion of the Antarctic continent, lying between longitude 20° west and 45° east, known as Queen Maud Land.
Some of the hotels, motels and resorts available for booking in our reservation network include, Ramada Inn, Marriott Hotels, Super 8 Motels, Econo Lodge, Holiday Inn & Holiday Inn Express, Travelodge, Hampton Inn, Sheraton, Hilton, Best Western, Hyatt and Hyatt Regency, Wyndham Inn, Ritz and Ritz Carlton, Days Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, La Quinta Inns, Comfort Inn and Comfort Suite, Embassy Suites, Quality Inn, Radisson Inn, Sleep Inn, Numerous Resorts and Resort Villas throughout the globe, along with Plaza and Plaza Suites and and array of private and Golf Clubs and Golf Resorts.
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Land and Resources
Norway is an extremely mountainous land, nearly one-third of which lies north of the Arctic Circle. Its coastline is, in proportion to its area, longer than that of any major country in the world. These geographical facts have been especially significant in the historical development of the nation.
Physiographic Regions
Since ancient times the Norwegian people have recognized four main regions in their land: Vestlandet (West Country), Østlandet (East Country), Trøndelag (Trondheim region), and Nord Norge (North Norway). More recently, a fifth region, Sørlandet (South Country), is recognized as well.
The broad area that constitutes the southern part of Norway contains the highest parts of the Scandinavian mountain system. This system, which runs in a generally southwestern to northeastern direction, separates the West Country from the East Country. The mountains are a complex array of sharp and rounded peaks, called fjell, and high plateaus, called vidder. The ranges include the Dovrefjell in the north, and the Jotunheimen ("realm of the giants") in the central region. This latter range contains Galdhøpiggen, which at 2469 m (8100 ft) is the highest peak in Scandinavia. In the south is the Hardangervidda, a vast mountain plateau averaging about 1000 m (about 3300 ft) in elevation. The West Country is characterized by the steep descent of the mountains to the sea. During the Ice Age, glaciers cut deeply into former river valleys, creating a spectacular fjord landscape. The longest and deepest fjord in Norway, Sognafjorden, is here. It is about 204 km (about 127 mi) long, and, in places, its rock walls rise abruptly from the sea to heights of 1308 m (4291 ft) or more. Three lowland areas contain most of the West Country's population and agriculture: the southern coast of Boknafjord, the lower parts of Hardangerfjord, and the coastal islands. These islands are formed by the strandflate, a rock shelf lying in some places just above-in others, just below-the level of the sea.
The East Country comprises the more gradual eastern slopes of the mountains. This is a land of valleys and rolling hills. The lower parts of the valleys, particularly around the Oslofjord, contain some of Norway's best agricultural land. The East and West countries are connected by a number of valleys, the most important being Hallingdal. The South Country comprises the extreme southern tip of Norway, the focus of which is the city of Kristiansand. It is characterized by particularly pleasant summer weather.
The Trøndelag, located north of the highest mountains, resembles the East Country, with a landscape of hills and valleys converging on fjords. The focus of this region is the broad Trondheimsfjord, which is sheltered from the sea by peninsulas and islands. A great deal of agricultural land is located around this body of water.
North Norway is a vast region of fjords and mountains. Most of the population is settled on the strandflate coast and islands. The archipelago of the Lofoten and Vesterålen islands, Norway's major coastal island groups, is formed by the glaciated tops of an ancient volcanic mountain range, now partially submerged. In the northernmost part of this region the fjords open into the cold waters of the Arctic Ocean. From the fjord heads the land rises to the vast Finnmarksvidde, a bleak plateau. This region contains some of the largest glaciers in Europe.
Rivers and Lakes
The Glåma (Glomma) in the southeast is the longest river in Norway. With its tributaries, it drains about one-eighth of the country's area. Rivers flowing in a southwestern direction, along the steep western slope, are generally short and have many rapids and falls. Those flowing southeast, along the gentle eastern slope, are generally longer. Norway has many thousands of glacial lakes, the largest of which is Lake Mjøsa in the southeast. One-third of the lakes in southern Norway are affected by acid rain, resulting primarily from British industrial pollution; the problem is a concern of Norway's strong environmental-conservation movement.
Climate
The warm waters of the North Atlantic Drift (an extension of the Gulf Stream) flow along the Atlantic coast of Norway and have a pronounced moderating effect on the climate. A maritime climate prevails over most of the coastal islands and lowlands. Winters are mild and summers are normally cool. At Bergen the average temperature range in January is -1° to 3° C (31° to 38° F), and the average range in July is 12° to 19° C (54° to 66° F). Influenced by Atlantic weather disturbances, precipitation is frequent and heavy, although amounts decrease toward the north. The average annual precipitation in Bergen is about 1930 mm (about 76 in). In the interior, a more continental climate prevails; winters are colder, and summers are warmer. At Oslo the average temperature range in January is -7° to -2° C (19° to 28° F); the average range in July is 13° to 22° C (55° to 72° F). Precipitation is generally less here than on the coast, averaging about 730 mm (about 29 in) annually. In the highlands of North Norway the climate is sub arctic. The coastal areas of this region, however, have a moderate maritime climate and most ports, even in the far north, are ice-free in winter.
"Norway," Microsoft® Encarta® 97 Encyclopedia.
© 1993-1996 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
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Last Revised:
June 06, 2008 02:24 PM. |
