Norway
Norway is a country in Scandinavia which lies next to Finland, Sweden and Russia.
After World War II, Norway became a social democracy, meaning that the people have free health care and complain because they have to pay taxes. Norway's democratic traditions go back to 1884 and it has only been under authoritarian rule once, from 1940 to 1945, when it was occupied by Nazi Germany under puppet leader Vidkun Quisling. Norwegians often think of their nation as peaceful, but Norway does participate in the occupation of Afghanistan and also had forces in Iraq.
Norway's government negotiated to join what is now the European Union in 1973, but a referendum of the population rejected membership. It made a second attempt to join what had become the EU in 1995, but this was again voted down in a referendum; on both occasions, rural voters skewed more strongly against and voters in the capital city, Oslo, skewed more in favour (this is something England would probably have in common). It is, however, a member of the Schengen Agreement giving it passport-free travel to most of the EU (except for, of course, the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland).
In recent decades, oil has made the Norwegians very wealthy. The country has one of the highest HDIs in the world.
Norway has legalised gender-neutral marriage, effective starting in 2009.
Though Norway has 2 competing standards for writing its national language, Norwegian, there is no "official" standard for spoken Norwegian. Regional dialects, unlike in many other countries, are actually celebrated rather than despised, so that it is considered socially acceptable to use them in public contexts such as television or in Parliament.[1] Indeed, Norway's Education Act even states that "the teacher 'should pay due attention to the vernacular used by pupils, and that he or she should not attempt to make them abandon their home dialect.'"[2]
Norway is often criticized for hunting whales and seals. Despite this, the country bans both Schechita and Dhabihah on the grounds that both are cruel to animals.
The leading political parties of Norway are:
- Arbeiderpartiet (Ap): The Labour Party, the social democrats, which has dominated Norwegian politics since 1935.
- Fremskrittspartiet (Frp): The "Progress" Party, the right-wing populists, which thinks Norway would be better off with fewer taxes and immigrants. Some argue its name is misleading.
- Høyre (H): The Conservative Party, the liberal-conservative party.
- Sosialistisk Venstreparti (SV): The Socialist Left Party, the socialist ex-opposition party, which used to critise the Labour Party, but now participates in its governments.
- Senterpartiet (Sp): The Centre Party, a centrist agrarian party. Formerly called Bondepartiet ("Farmer's Party").
- Kristelig Folkeparti (KrF): The Christian Democratic Party, the morally conservative party, which is sceptical to homosexuality and other un-Godly things.
- Venstre (V): The Liberal Party, which used to be the biggest party of the left (until the interwar years), but now is more of a centre-right shadow of its former self, notable as one of two parties opposing increased surveillance and supporting people's right to download music without being sued.
- Rødt (R): Red, a non-parliamentary Marxist party, notable as one of two parties opposing increased surveillance and supporting people's right to download music without being sued.
- Kystpartiet (K): The Coastal Party, a non-parliamentary party which apparently cares a lot about coasts.[3] Center-right, conservative, isolationist, emphasizes fishing and coastal issues and opposes membership in the European Union.
- Vigrid: A party with beliefs based on racism and Asatru.[4]
[edit] See Oslo
[edit] Eksterne lenker
- "I hope they speak Norwegian in HELL!" (They do.)
- Norwegian life
- In Norway, Prime Ministers (and NATO Secretary Generals) drive taxis.
- Vote Norwegian!
- On second thought, let's not go to Norway. 'Tis a silly place.
- A documentary about the Norwegian blue parrot. Although it's possible that the documentarians have some of their facts wrong. (The bird does have lovely plumage, though.)
[edit] Fotnoter
- ↑ Dialects in Norway
- ↑ The Norwegian language, Norwegian on The Web.
- ↑ By Norwegian measurement, Norway has the 2nd longest coast of any country: 100,915 km, though the World Factbook claims otherwise.[1]
- ↑ Not very influential. In this list as a joke.