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Norway is 1,089 miles (1,753 kilometers) in length but only about 250 miles (400 kilometers) at its widest point. Norway is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the west the North Sea, on the south the Skagerrak Straits, and on the east by Sweden, Finland, and Russia. The length of the coastline, not including the islands and fjords it is about 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) long. Norway is very mountainous. (Many mountains) Norway has very few areas of flatland. About 80 percent the country is above 1,500 feet (460 kilometers) in height. Much of the southern part of Norway consists of a high plateau penetrated by valleys and fjords. The largest fjord is the Sognafjorden which is 114 miles (183 kilometers) inland. The fjords were originally valleys scooped out by glaciers. They are very, very deep. On the Plateau there are areas of high mountains. The largest area is Jotunheimen. Jotunheimen contains Norway's two highest mountains Galdhopiggen (8,100 feet, or 2,469 meters) and Glittertinden (8,104 feet, or 2,470 meters). There are more than 1,500 glaciers in Norway. The largest is Jostedalsbreen west of Jotunheimen. The southeast area of Norway is mostly flat. Long valleys, such as Gudbrandsdal, end in the flatland around the Oslofjord. There are also some flat areas around the south coast and at the heads of the fjords. The west coast is lined with more than 150,000 islands. The largest group is the Lofoten Island, located north of the Arctic Circle. Farther North is the Nordkapp (North Cape), the most northerly point in Europe. The Glamå is the longest river in Norway at 380 miles (612 kilometers). In the west of Norway the steep slopes create a number of spectacular waterfalls. Lake Mjose is the largest of Norway's 160,000 lakes. Norway controls the svalbard archipelago which is located in the Arctic Ocean at the edge of the polar ice cap. The largest group is the Spitsbergen Island which covers 24,095 square miles (62,406 square kilometers). They are mountainous and largely covered with Ice. The climate of Norway is much more temperate than its Northern location suggest. The North Atlantic Current brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico across the Atlantic Ocean to as far north as the Nordkapp. This current prevents ice from forming along the coast and keeps air temperature high in Winter. The southwest winds bring much moisture from the ocean. The climate of western Norway is typical of maritime regions. Bergen on the west coast has an average temperature of 35°F (1.7°C) in January and 61°F (16.1°C) in July. Annual precipitation at Oslo is only 27 inches (69 centimeters), some of it is snow. Temperatures in northern Norway are lower than in the south, but even Tromsø at almost 70°N. latitude has winters milder than New England at 45°N. About 20 percent of the country is covered by forests, mainly coniferous, with pine and spruce predominating. Ashoak, and elm trees are found in the south. The high Plateaus and mountains are covered with mosses and lichens, grasses, and bushes. Hares, foxes, hedgehogs, and badgers are common. In the mountains and forests elks, wild reindeer, lemmings, and some wolves are found. Sea Birds are very common on the coast line. |
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