Norway
Ethnically, Norwegians are predominantly Germanic, although in the
far north there are communities of Sami who came to the area more
than 10,000 years ago, probably from central Asia. In recent years,
Norway has become home to increasing numbers of immigrants, foreign
workers, and asylum-seekers from various parts of the world.
Immigrants now total over 400,000; some have obtained Norwegian
citizenship.
Although the Evangelical Lutheran Church is the state church, Norway
has complete religious freedom. Education is free through the
university level and is compulsory from ages 6 to 16. At least 12
months of military service and training are required of every
eligible male. Norway's health system includes free hospital care,
physician's compensation, cash benefits during illness and
pregnancy, and other medical and dental plans. There is a public
pension system.
Norway is in the top rank of nations in the number of books printed
per capita, even though Norwegian is one of the world's smallest
language groups. Norway's most famous writer is the dramatist Henrik
Ibsen. Artists Edvard Munch and Christian Krogh were Ibsen's
contemporaries. Munch drew part of his inspiration from Europe and
in turn exercised a strong influence on later European
expressionists. Sculptor Gustav Vigeland has a permanent exhibition
in the Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo. Musical development in
Norway since Edvard Grieg has followed either native folk themes or,
more recently, international trends. |
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The Viking period (9th to 11th centuries) was one of national
unification and expansion. The unification of Viking settlements
along the Norwegian coast was well advanced by the death, in 1030,
of St. Olav, who had overseen the population’s conversion to
Christianity. A period of civil war ended in the 13th century when
Norway expanded its control overseas to parts of the British Isles,
Iceland and Greenland. Norwegian territorial power peaked in 1265,
and the following year the Isle of Man and the Hebrides were ceded
to Scotland. Competition from the Hanseatic League and the spread of
the Black Death weakened the country. The Norwegian royal line died
out in 1387, as the country underwent a period of union with Denmark
under King Olaf; union with Sweden followed in 1397. Attempts to
keep all three countries united failed, with Sweden finally breaking
away in 1521. By 1586, Norway had become part of the Danish Kingdom.
In 1814, as a result of the Napoleonic wars, Norway was separated
from Denmark and combined with Sweden again.
The Napoleonic War saw Denmark side with France in 1807, following
the British attack on Copenhagen. With Sweden joining the coalition
against Napoleon in 1813, the Treaty of Kiel in 1814 transferred
Norway to the Swedish King following Denmark’s defeat. The
Norwegians ignored this international agreement and chose the Danish
Prince as their king and adopted the liberal Eidsvoll Constitution.
After a few months a Swedish-Norwegian union was agreed under the
Swedish crown, with Norway being granted its own parliament (Storting)
and government. However, the Swedish King attempted unsuccessfully
to revise this Constitution in the 1820s and 1830s and parliamentary
control over the executive was only obtained following a struggle
during the 1870s and 1880s. Norwegian nationalism was associated
with the creation of a national standard for written Norwegian based
on dialects, rather than the Danish-based official language. There
were numerous disputes between the Norwegian Government and Sweden,
notably over requests for a Norwegian consular service to reflect
the importance of Norway’s expanding merchant fleet. In 1905 the
union between the two countries was dissolved following two
plebiscites in Norway, one opting for independence and one for a
constitutional monarchy. Danish prince Carl was unanimously elected
as King by the Storting in 1905 and took the name of Haakon VII
(after the kings of independent Norway) on his arrival in Norway.
Haakon died in 1957 and was succeeded by his son, Olav V, who died
in January 1991. Upon Olav's death, his son Harald was crowned as
King Harald V.
Norway was a nonbelligerent during World War I, but as a result of
the German invasion and occupation during World War II, Norwegians
generally became skeptical of the concept of neutrality and turned
instead to collective security. During the German occupation 736
Norwegian Jews perished; Norwegians saved more than 900 Jews by
hiding them and secreting them across the border into Sweden. Norway
was one of the signers of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949 and was
a founding member of the United Nations. The first UN General
Secretary, Trygve Lie, was a Norwegian. Under the terms of the will
of Alfred Nobel, the Storting (Parliament) elects the five members
of the Norwegian Nobel Committee who award the Nobel Peace Prize to
champions of peace. |
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