Norway is geographically located on the western Scandinavian Peninsula covering 148,747, square miles. It stretches more than 1100 miles northwards to southwards, and its width lies between 270 and 4 miles. This country has a third of it lying on the northern part of the Arctic Circle, and mountains majorly dominate it. Most of the residents are located in the southern half of the country. The unique natural beauty gives Norway wide recognition. Its coastline extends more than 64000 miles and has approximately 240,000 islands.
Politically, Norway has a monarchy which is constitutional and splits duties between the state’s king’s council and the legislature. The legislature constitutes state ministers and the prime minister (Einhorn, Eric & Logue, 2003). The parliament has sovereign powers and oversees finances. Leaders ought to be eloquent and committed. The judiciary entails three levels: the high court, the city and district courts, and the Supreme Court. It is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and has a navy, an army and an air force.
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Norway has an egalitarian culture pillared by Jante Law which values respect, simplicity, humility, and equality. The Norwegian language is similar to Swedish and Danish whereby experts’ children learn. The government provides that any applicant for this country’s citizenship to be either fluent in Norwegian, one of the semi languages or any of the Scandinavian languages, or justify their attendance to the Norwegian classes for at least 300 hours (Etto, 2017). The primary foreign language is English, and is taught in the Norwegian schools. Education is free in the state’s universities and colleges, even to international students. It is also gender-neutral. Bunad is the traditional national costume of Norway. Jewelry and embroidery elaborates the Bunad. Both genders possess these peasant costumes. This dress code is won during folk dancing in official celebrations and weddings. The folk music culture entails music in both vocal and instrumental pieces often presented by soloists (Eriksen, 2004).
Norwegian people do not take pride in their accomplishments (wealth, intelligence, material goods) and neither do they get impressed by those who take pride in such things. People are valued based on attributes like honesty, respect, and goodness without considering their professional standing. Therefore, their culture differs entirely from other where one’s value is determined based on professional standing.
In Norway, dried/salted/smoked/ fermented food acts as a basis for most of their popular dishes unlike in other Scandinavian cultures where sugar is used on bread and a variety of spiced dishes (Samuelsson, 2003).
Regarding food culture, Norway is popularly known for seafood but mostly consume thinly sliced brown cheese with bread (Scott, 2011). In addition to these, the food culture is heavy on smoked salmon, whale steak and Fiske pudding. During holidays Norwegians celebrate by eating sliced dried meat, flat bread, porridge, aquavit and beer. Christmas meals vary depending on region and may include: roast pork, lute fish or other meat. During festive occasions, cold meat, cheese, fish, shrimp, salads, jams, and soft crisp breads may be consumed. Breakfast include fish, crisp bread or flatbread, butter, cheese, milk, coffee, cold meat and boiled eggs. Their lunch menu contains coffee, fruit, cold meat and open-faced sandwich with cheese (Scott, (2011). Dinner consists of fruit vegetables like carrots or boiled potatoes paired with fish and meat such as whale, beef, chicken, and pork.
Norwegians are markedly known for their table manners whereby all food is eaten with a fork and knife. Moreover, one is not permitted to start eating before the hostess. If anyone wishes to make a toast, it should not be done using beer, and one should always respond to an invitation.
In Norway, the family is essential since it sustains society and most employment contracts consider these values with splendid maternity and paternity leave policies.
References
Einhorn, E. S., & Logue, J. (2003). Modern welfare states: Scandinavian politics and policy in the global age . Greenwood Publishing Group.
Eriksen, T. H. (2004). Traditionalism and neoliberalism: The Norwegian folk dress in the 21st century. i Erich Kasten (red) Properties of Culture-Culture as Property: Pathways to Reform in Post-Soviet Siberia. Berlin: Reimer ss , 267-286.
Etto, S. A. (2017). Eritrean migrant youths’ understanding of citizenship, human rights and diversity in Norway (Master's thesis, Høgskolen i Sørøst-Norge).
Samuelsson, M. (2003). Aquavit: And the New Scandinavian Cuisine . Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Scott, A. K. (2011). Authentic Norwegian Cooking . Skyhorse Publishing, Inc..
