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Norway's first settlers arrived over 10,000 years ago at the end of the Ice Age. These early hunters and gatherers followed the glaciers as they retreated north, pursuing migratory reindeer herds. Several places in Norway, rock carvings that date back to prehistoric times can be found - both as single motives or large areas with numerous motives.
Rock carvings are supposed to have had a ritual or magical meaning. In Norway the motives usually are of animals, boats and people. The rock carvings found in Alta are listed on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
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The Oseberg Ship
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Our greatest impact on history was during the Viking Age (800 – 1050 AD), when we began our history as a seafaring nation. This era is a bloody chapter of our history, as the Vikings made raids throughout Europe, but they were also traders, explorers and settlers.
Around 900, a number of small Norwegian communities were gradually organized into larger regions by Viking leader Harald Fairhair , and about a century later, people were converted to Christianity.
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The development of the Viking ship, far superior to other ships at the time, made expansion possible. The Vikings were great sailors and became the first to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Greenland was colonized in 982, and in 1001 Leif Erikson was the first European to discover North America – five hundred years before Columbus. Vikings from Norway settled in England, France, Ireland and Iceland. The Viking Age ended around 1066.
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Oslo was a center of power in the 13th century, but the Black Death in the mid 14th century decimated the population. In 1380, Norway was absorbed into a union with Denmark. After 434 years, the union was dissolved, and Norway entered into a looser union with Sweden. At this time, Norwegians were fed up with forced unions, and on the 17th of May 1814, a Norwegian constitution was ratified. We were forced to accept a Swedish king, but allowed to keep our constitution. Constantly growing nationalism led to Norway peacefully becoming an independent kingdom in 1905.
Norway stayed neutral during both world wars but was occupied by the Nazis 9th of April, 1940. An active resistance movement fought the Nazis, who responded by wiping out nearly every town and village in northern Norway during their retreat. During world war II, the probably most dramatic chapter in modern Norwegian history was written: "Operation Freshman" was an act of sabotage to prevent the production of heavy water, a vital element in producing nuclear bombs. The plant in Rjukan was sabotaged, a mission which became famous and possibly had a certain effect on the outcome of the war. When the Nazis capitulated 8th May 1945, the underground resistance forces, Milorg, had 44,000 soldiers.
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In 1960 Norway joined the European Free Trade Association but has been reluctant to forge closer bonds with other nations, partly due to concerns about its ability to preserve small-scale farming and fishing. So far, we have voted no for membership in the European Union, but it is still a hot topic that has brought new significance to our historical struggle for independence
Oil and gas deposits were first discovered off the Norwegian coast in the 1960s, and have contributed enormously to the Norwegian economy. North Sea oil and natural gas finds brought prosperity in the 1970s, and Norway has since achieved one of the highest standards of living in the world.
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