Norway. The Kingdom of Norway or simply Norway (in Norwegian Kongeriket Norge, in Nynorsk Kongeriket Noreg, in Sami Norga gonagasriika), is a monarchical state of northern Europe. The name seems to come from nor veg, the way to the north. It has been populated for 12,000 years.
According to topb2bwebsites, the official language is Norwegian – in its two written forms: Bokmål and Nynorsk – a Nor-Germanic language directly related to Danish and Swedish. For the most part, Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish speakers can easily understand each other.
Norwegian architecture is known for its characteristic wooden churches built from the 11th century onwards.
Wooden churches
Norway is the only country in Northern Europe where several medieval wooden churches still remain intact. Indeed, during the Middle Ages, when all Europe was covered with stone churches, Norway, for its part, used the wood from its forests to build its own and to build its famous Drakkares. To support the framework, thick beams were erected, nailed first to the ground and then to sills; hence the name of upright timber churches (in Norwegian “Stavkirke”.)
Most of them have magnificent interior decoration and splendid ornaments: elaborately carved portals, dragon heads at the top of the ceilings. Of the almost 750 churches that must have existed, today there are only about thirty, of unparalleled beauty and unique in the world, that cannot be missed. The largest is in Heddal, the most famous in Borgund. Urnes deserves a special mention, one of the oldest, dating from the beginning of the 11th century and which was declared a WorldHeritage Site by UNESCO.
Cultural traditions
The Scandinavian country maintains many of its cultural traditions, and many of its residents dress up in typical costumes at weddings and events. Secular dances and songs, as well as storytellers, are also popular.
Famous characters
Norway has been the birthplace of such relevant artists as the painter Edvard Munch, the composer Edvard Grieg, the mathematician Caspar Wessel, the sculptor Gustav Vigeland and the playwright Henrik Ibsen. He has also brought the world three Nobel Prize winners in literature: Bjornstjerne Bjornson, Sigrid Undset, Knut Hamsun,
Shield
The Norwegian coat of arms is made up of a single field of gules (red) with a rampant gold lion, linguado, clawed, armed and crowned, carrying an ax with a silver blade and a gold handle.
The shield is topped with a royal crown. It is considered that its origin is linked to King Erik Magnusson and that it dates back to the year 1280. The current design dates from 1992, it has a schematic character. The tenants (figures that frequently surround the coats of arms), which were two lions, have been removed.
The monarch uses as personal weapons a version that incorporates the necklace of the Order of Saint Olaf and an ermine cloak but in which the figures of the tenants have also been removed.
Flag
The Norwegian flag is a red rectangular cloth with a blue cross with a white border. Their ratio is: 11/8.
It dates back to 1821, the date on which the Government ratified the law that established its colors and its drawing. The red, white and blue colors are the colors of freedom, the same as in the flag of the United States or the United Kingdom, or even in the tricolor flag, a French revolutionary symbol. The cross is the same as on the national flags of Denmark and Sweden.
The Resolution was taken by the Government in 1821, but without royal consent, since the King was empowered only to sanction a limited use of the Norwegian flag.
This flag could only float in Norwegian waters, and Norwegian ships circulating south of Cape Finisterre had to raise the Swedish flag when this cape was passed, and this because of the risk of attacks by North African pirates, who did not recognize the Norwegian flag.
In 1838, the king authorized the use of the Norwegian flag for the rest of the world, while the military had to always use the Swedish flag with the “Union Symbol” in the upper quarter near the pole.
