Geography

Norway lies in northern Europe and extends a considerable distance from south to north. Its mainland borders Sweden, Finland and Russia.

Oslo is the capital and lies in the southeast. Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago far north of the mainland.

When reading maps or comparing land-area figures, check which territories are included. Mainland Norway and the kingdom's entire territory describe different geographical areas.

Start with directions and neighbouring places before trying to memorise individual place names.

Fjords reach into the coast, mountains separate areas and many islands lie offshore. These features influence the location of roads, tunnels, bridges and ferries.

Places that look close together on a map can involve a lengthy journey around a fjord or across a mountain. The landscape also provides resources for fishing, forestry, agriculture and power generation.

When considering where to live, practical connections to work and services often tell you more than the distance in a straight line.

Climate varies with latitude, altitude and distance from the sea. Coastal winters are often milder than inland winters, while mountains and northern areas can differ considerably from southern lowlands.

Daylight changes through the year, particularly far north. Weather means conditions such as wind, temperature and precipitation at a particular time; climate describes patterns over many years.

A cold day therefore does not disprove long-term warming. For a particular journey, check the local forecast as well as understanding the region's climate.

Counties and municipalities are geographical areas with administrative boundaries. An urban settlement, or tettsted, is instead an area Statistics Norway defines through population and connected development.

One settlement can cross municipal boundaries, while a municipality can contain several settlements and substantial undeveloped land. Two accurate population figures for the same place name can therefore describe different areas.

Check the date and definition before comparing them. Kartverket provides administrative divisions; Statistics Norway publishes information about settlement and population.

A landsdel is a broad geographical region, not an additional level of government. A common division is Northern Norway, Trøndelag, Western Norway, Eastern Norway and Southern Norway. A place can therefore belong to a region, county, municipality and urban settlement at the same time. When applying for a public service, find the responsible authority rather than only the region’s name.

The Sámi are an Indigenous people with historical connections to areas now within Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. There are several Sámi languages and varied cultural traditions.

Sámi people live in cities as well as smaller communities; Sámi identity cannot be reduced to one occupation or lifestyle. Norway's Sámi Parliament is an elected institution working on Sámi rights, languages, culture and social life.

Geography therefore also concerns people's connections to places, rather than state boundaries alone.

Indigenous peoples and national minorities are different designations. Alongside the Sámi’s Indigenous status, Norway recognises five national minorities: Jews, Kvens/Norwegian Finns, Forest Finns, Roma and Romani people/Taters. Roma and Romani people/Taters are two different groups. These designations concern historical ties and rights; they do not tell us where each individual lives or how they live.