Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A 40% Quota for Women on Boards
In 2002 the Norwegian government informed public companies that it will
now be mandatory that boardrooms consist of 40% women. There are
650 public companies in Norway that must comply with this demand by
the end of 2005. The European Union is currently studying the proposal.
Would other countries ever consider such a requirement? Would America?
Stayed tuned.
Fun Fact
Norway has a varied and changing climate. The coastal zones in the west and
east normally experience cool summers and temperate winters. Inland, summers
are warm, and winters cold and dry. In the extreme north, 100 days of snowfall
each year isn't uncommon.
The fjords are not only a distinguishing feature of Norway's landscape, but a
special attraction to visitors. These were created thousands of years ago when the
ocean flowed into glacial valleys. These “fingers” of water cut deep into the land-
scape. The most intriguing of the fjords, the Sognefjord, is more than 160km
(100 miles) long and extremely deep.
Norway's rivers tend to be short and volatile. A smooth flow of water is often
“agitated” by waterfalls and patches of white water. Because they're not suited for
transportation, rivers are primarily sources of food, principally salmon. The
longest river in Scandinavia, the Glomma, runs through southwestern Norway.
Norway's position on the globe has earned it the nickname “Land of the Mid-
night Sun.” In summer, towns in northern Norway, such as Tromsø, experience
24 hours of sunshine, followed by 24 hours of darkness in winter. Even in south-
ern Norway, the summer days are long, and the winter nights may last more
than 17 hours.
Thick birch and pine forests cover the mountains; in the lowlands, oak forests
abound. Spruce forests cover the southeast and middle regions. The steep moun-
tains in the east are among the tallest in Europe and the site of some of the
world's most challenging alpine ski runs. There is excellent hiking in the Vassa-
faret district around Fløm, where the mountains are rounded, gentle, and dot-
ted with alpine lakes and rivers.
The mountains are also home to ravens, eagles, grouse, and gyrfalcons. They
serve as a migratory home to the pure-white snowy owl. Norway's countryside
and forests teem with Arctic animals such as reindeer, arctic fox, wolves, bears,
lynx, elk, beavers, and otters. Along the coast are nesting grounds for puffins and
cormorants; whales, salmon, and cod frolic in the icy seas offshore. Through
Norway's conservation efforts and strict regulations regarding the environment,
these animals and fish flourish much as they have in the past.
3 History 101
Norway has been inhabited since the
end of the Ice Age. The earliest Scan-
dinavian settlers hunted reindeer and
other game in these northern lands.
Some 5,000 to 6,000 years ago, the
inhabitants turned to agriculture,
especially around the Oslofjord. Arti-
facts show that in the Roman era,
Dateline
■
800-1050
The age of the Vikings,
when Norsemen terrorized the coasts
of Europe.
872
Harald Fairhair conquers many
small provinces and reigns as first king.
■
continues
