Living in Norway

Norway lies in northern Europe and stretches along a long Atlantic coastline far into the far north. Around 5.3 million people live there. Fjords, mountains, forests and numerous islands shape the landscape. The climate on the coast is often wet and comparatively mild due to the Gulf Stream, while the interior and especially the north have colder winters. Many people live in cities or smaller communities in houses and use cars, buses, trains or ferries; in remote regions, distances are longer. Employment is found, among other sectors, in services, industry, energy, fishing and tourism. Hiking, skiing and spending time outdoors together are part of leisure activities in many places, while everyday life differs markedly between Oslo, coastal towns and sparsely populated mountain and northern regions.