Norway
The land of fjords, oil wealth, and the far northern frontier
Norway is a long, narrow ribbon of mountain and fjord running up the western edge of Scandinavia toward the Arctic, its coast so deeply indented it would stretch around the world if pulled straight. A country of about 5.6 million, it ranks among the wealthiest and most equal on earth, having turned North Sea oil and gas into a sovereign wealth fund worth well over a trillion dollars. Yet Norwegians remain bound to a rugged outdoor life of skiing, hiking, and the friluftsliv ethic of open-air living, and to a maritime heritage stretching back to the Vikings.
The Scandinavian Mountains form a rocky spine the length of the country, rising to Galdhopiggen at 2,469 meters, while glaciers, plateaus, and thousands of islands complete a dramatic terrain. The fjords, including the vast Sognefjord and the cliff-walled Geirangerfjord, were carved by Ice Age glaciers and rank among the world's most spectacular landscapes. Far to the north, the Svalbard archipelago reaches deep into the Arctic. The economy rests on petroleum, hydropower (which supplies nearly all domestic electricity), fisheries, shipping, and seafood, especially salmon.
Home to the seafaring Norse who raided and traded across medieval Europe, Norway was long united with Denmark and then Sweden before gaining full independence in 1905 under its own constitutional monarchy. The discovery of offshore oil in the late 1960s transformed a once-poor nation into a model of prudent prosperity. Norway has twice voted against joining the European Union, preferring close ties through the European Economic Area, but it is a founding member of NATO. The capital, Oslo, anchors a society known for design, peace diplomacy (it awards the Nobel Peace Prize), and social trust.