Physical Geography

Norway occupies the most elevated part of the Scandinavian Peninsula, which, in general, rises abruptly from the sea in the west and the north and slopes gradually downward toward the southeast. All of the area was glaciated during the last ice age.

Norway's landforms consist mainly eroded, rounded mountains and plateaus and innumerable valleys. Many of the mountains reach elevations of 4,000 to 6000 feet (1,220 to 1,830 m); Galdhöpiggen, the highest, rises 8,166 feet (2,489 m) above sea level. Some of the mountainous areas are capped by snow fields and glaciers. Probably the most spectactular landforms are the great fjords on the jagged west and north coasts. Some of these rather narrow, clifflined arms of the sea extend great distances inland.

Lakes and streams are abundant in virtually all parts of Norway. Few of the lakes are of impressive size; the largest, Lake Mjösa, covers roughly 140 square miles (360 k2 The longest river, the Glomma, is about 370 miles (600 km) in length. Many of Norway's swiftly flowing rivers are invaluable sources of waterpower for Norway's manufacturing industries.

Norway lies at about the same latitude as Alaska and northern Russia, but its climate is far less severe. The warming effects of the Norwegian Current, a branch of the North Atlantic Current, are felt throughout the land, strongly along the southwest coast and less so inland, toward the north, and in the mountains. Winters are long and fairly cold, summers brief and cool. Average January and July temperatures at Oslo, for example, are about 23° and 63° F. (-5° and 17° C). The southwestern coast is slightly warmer, the north coast somewhat colder. Most of the fjords are ice-free all year.

Precipitation is heaviest along the west coast and on windward mountain slopes, reaching 40 to 80 inches (1,000 to 2,000 mm) or more a year. Annual amounts decrease toward the east. Most of Norway has much cloudy weather and abundant snow.

Forests cover about 25 per cent of the land, growing mainly in the central and southern sections. Elsewhere, tundra and bare rocky land prevail. The forests consist largely of conifers, such as spruce, pine, and fir. Deciduous trees—oak, ash, maple, elm, and birch—grow mixed with conifers in some low-lying areas. Stunted birch trees are found in the far north on the edge of the tundra and beyond the limit of the conifers on the mountains. Vegetation in the tundra and above the timberline consists of low shrubs, mosses, and lichens.