Let us start with the fact that Norway is an energy anomaly. The country has some of the highest gas/petrol prices in the world; however, is also a net exporter of petroleum, with a proven reserve of over 5 billion barrels of oil. Additionally, considering these reserves, between 98-99% of Norway’s electricity comes from hydroelectric power.
And Norwegians don’t let anything get in the way of transportation. Not only has Norway built the deepest underwater tunnel (287 meters below sea level), but they have also built the longest road tunnel, the Laerdal Tunnel, which is 15 miles long.
Outside of electricity and transportation, drinking is a serious business. Drunk driving is a serious offence, where being caught automatically results in 30 days of jail, a year without a driver’s license, and fines of up to 10% of your annual income. Moreover, only select stores, called Vinmonopolet, are allowed to sell alcohol, and they are located solely in cities, with each city having only one or two. Nevertheless, binge drinking on weekends and holidays is the norm and even the Norwegian ex-prime minister, Jens Stoltenberg was drunk on live TV while giving a speech.
And one Norwegian town, Longyearbyen, is so strict that even dying is illegal! Yes, this is a bit of a joke, but only to an extent. Due to the town’s small graveyard and, by being within the Arctic Circle, the permafrost not allowing bodies to decompose, the cemetery can legally no longer accept new “occupants.”
Speaking of occupants, much in the same way that there are just as many (if not more) Jews in America as there are in Israel, there are just as many people of Norwegian descent living in America as there are Norwegians in Norway, specifically in the Upper Midwest (Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota). And some Norwegians even believe that the Viking explorer Leif Erikson was the one to firstly discover the American continent.
When thinking of Norway’s culinary tradition, it is normal to think of game meats, fish (especially smoked salmon), root vegetables, and even the infamous Lutefisk (dried, aged stockfish), but there’s more to Norway than this. For example, 8.2% of people in Norway eat tacos every Friday, and the unofficial national dish is Grandiosa frozen pizza. Though it does not really go well with the national drink, akevitt, or aquavit (from the Latin aqua vitae, ‘water of life’), a potato- or grain-based spirit seasoned with caraway seeds.
And while Norway’s royal national animal is the lion, the country has actually knighted a king penguin in 2008, following several promotions since his adoption as the Norwegian guards’ mascot in 1972. And furthermore, Norwegians are one of the only people in the world to hunt whales.
And obviously also one of the most prosperous, as the country was ranked #1 in the 2015 and #2 in the 2016 Prosperity Index for the wealth and well being of its people, where the data of earnings is transparent with Norway publishing their citizen’s annual tax returns online.
And the Norwegian economy is a prosperous mixed economy, and while it is relatively easy to do business in the country, the local language and regulations could be a serious burden.
In this aspect, our Norwegian certified translation services are ideal for companies operating in all industry sectors.
To learn more, → click here to contact our Norwegian language department.
