Since MISS Cheng is gg over to Norway this Aug for exchange and I'll be doing the same the next August, I decided to read up about the country. Yes! I'm looking forward to spending a semester there but then first I need to find
10K in a year before I can fly over. -_-" $10,000. Any sponors? ahha...
So I'll do an introductory here in bits and pieces according to
Scandinavian Europe (6th Edition) by Graeme Cornwallis, Carolyn Bain, Dea Hannigan and Paul Harding, Lonely Planet Publications.Norway-Part 1
Capital: Oslo
Population: 4.5 million
Area: 385,155 sq km
Official Language: Norwegian
GDP: US$ 166 billion (2001)
Time: GMT +0100 (which is around 6 hrs behind us)
Introduction
Norway is a ruggedly beautiful country of high mountainsm deep fjords
(dun noe wad) and icy blue galciers. The mainland stretches 2000km from beach towns in the south to treeless Arctic archipelago. The country offers incredible wilderness hiking, year-round skiing and some of the most scenic ferry, bus and train rides imaginable. Summer days are delightfully long and in the northernmost parts the sun doesn't set for weeks on end. (doesn't set!!?? means no darkness?)In addition to the lure of the spectacular western fjords, Norway has pleansently low-key cities, unspoiled fishing villages and rich historical sites with Viking ships and medieval stave churhes.
Geography
Norway, occupying the western part of the Scandinavian peninsula, has a land area of 385, 155 sq km and shares the borders with Sweden, Finland and Russia. The country is long and narrow, with a coastline deeply cut by fjords - long, narrow inlets of the sea bordered by high, steep cliffs. Mountains, some capped over Europe's largest glaciers, covere more than half of the land mass. Only 3% of the country is arable.
With a combination of mountains and a wet climate, it's hardly surprising that Norway has many spectacular waterfalls, including several of the top 10 highest in the world.
'The Land of Midnight Sun' is more than just a promotional slogan. Nearly a third of Norway lies north of the Arctic Circle, the point where there is at least one full day when the sun never sets and one day when it never rises. (serious? a day w/o darkness n a day w/o sunlight. interesting~)
Part 2 will be on the climate, economy and society & conduct.
Bonkers @ 5/03/2006 03:53:00 PM
