Location: Northern Europe, on the Scandinavian Peninsula, bordering Sweden, Finland and Russia, with coastlines along the North Atlantic Ocean, North Sea and Norwegian Sea.
Capital: Oslo
Tourist Attractions: Norway’s myriad tourist attractions include many natural wonders, fjords, unique monuments and museums, including the Akershus Castle and Fortress, and the Norwegian Folk Museum, which gives a feel of Norwegian life of yesteryears. Other tourist destinations are the Jotunheimen National Park that provides great vistas of the icy landscape and opportunities for hiking, as well as the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Urnes the Stave Church, built around 1130 that overlooks Luster fjord. The ski resort at Lillehammer, and the towns of Narvik and Tromso in the far north attract tourists keen to see the Aurora Borealis and the Midnight Sun and try their hand at sport fishing.
Access: Norway can be easily accessed through land, air and water. Rails links exist from Demark and Sweden to Norway, as do ferry services from UK, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. The international airport at Oslo receives flights from most of the larger European cities.
Climate: The 'Land of the Midnight Sun' has long summer days and even longer winter nights. May to September is pleasant but the winters are chilly except for the Norwegian coast, due to the moderating effect of the Gulf Stream. Heavy rainfall occurs often through the year.