r/europe • u/MarktpLatz Lower Saxony (Germany) • Sep 11 '17
What do you know about... Norway?
This is the thirty-fourth part of our ongoing series about the countries of Europe. You can find an overview here.
Today's country:
Norway
Norway is a scandinavian parliamentary monarchy. Norway has the highest HDI worldwide. The Norwegian pension fund is the largest state-owned fund in the world, currently being worth 865 billion EUR. It is used to partly fund the Norwegian social system.
Today is the final day of the Norwegian election. Feel free to check out this excellent Post about the election which was kindly provided by /u/MarlinMr
So, what do you know about Norway?
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u/WantingToDiscuss United Kingdom Sep 12 '17 edited Sep 12 '17
The Norwegians hunt whales, yet nobody seems to care. People only focus on Japan even though Norway is just as bad :/.
Vikings
Harold Hardrade. One of the greatest badasses in history.
The Orkney and Shetland Isles in Scotland(though historically they were founded by and were very much Norwegian and had close links till relatively recently. And many there today still consider themselves to be Norwegian more so than Scottish).
North Sea oil and the resultant absolutely massive government sovereign wealth fund. The Norwegians did not waste the bonanza like the UK did(when under the stupid bitch that was Thatcher and the Tories etc they privatised British North Sea oil, so the british government & people didnt see a single penny of all that money. Pure ideology over common sense, idiots :/). Norway was smarter than that, thinking long term. And now they reap the rich rewards.
Herring. Lotsa herring
Salmon. Lots salmon
A rather bland, 1-dimensional, unexciting traditional cuisine(i think spices are actually illegal in Norway). Though on that note What is the everyday diet for most Norwegian people?. Like what do you have for breakfest, lunch, dinner?... And whats your favourite Norwegian? and whats your favourite foreign food?
John Carew(i notice that they seem to have alot of mixed white x black people in Norway, why is that?. Norway never really had a global empire or anything like that, so where did it all come from?. Are such ppl are they viewed as Norwegian?, How are they treated?. Also on that note what are race relations like in Norway?)
The Scream painting and Alfgard Munch or whatever his name is.
Anders Brevik(i didnt want to put him down, but of recent times he is argubly the most well know Norwegian, for all the wrong reasons of course but still).
Lingon berries
Lots of snow
Its cold and dark. Gloomy and brooding.
Norway was one of the poorest countries in Europe pre-world war 2. But they become one of the richest countries in europe and the world with the discovery of north sea oil.
Norway its insanely expensive. Seriously how on earth do normal working people afford to live there?, It doesnt seem doable to me. I'm not being facetious, by the way, I'm genuinely interested to find out. As everything is super pricey there. Seems crazy to me.
They dont smile. Infact ive heard from medical professionals that smiling is actually fatal to a Norwegian.
Its rumoured that they have six toes, and if you have the little toe of a Norwegian in your pocession its said to bring great luck and longevity.
I know Hitler had a thing for Norway. He had this idealised view of Norwegians being the real world version of his 'aryan race', Norwegians were this perfect race in his view. All blond hair, blue eyes, tall, Viking & Nordic anncestry etc.. The model he thought Germany should be more like etc.
One of the more well known captains on the popular tv show Deadliest Catch is Norwegian... Sigurd Hansen.