Norway is a country which lies on top of the arctic circle, and even claims ownership of an island located between Argentina and Antarctica. There are many things Norway is known for, from it’s beautiful Fjords, to the equally beautiful Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights).
- Monty Python’s famous movie; Life of Brian was banned in Norway due to reasons of Blasphemy. That made the neighbouring country Sweden market their movie as being “So funny it was outlawed in Norway.” [Source]
- To become a police officer in this country, you are required to have foregone a 3 year education at a higher level university college especially meant for police cadets. The reward is that not only are you allowed to police once graduating, but you also get your very own bachelor’s degree in “Police Studies” as a benefit, this is similar to what happens in Denmark. [Source]
- While the Japanese are famously fond of Sushi, it wasn’t until a combined Norwegian marketing effort that Salmon sushi, called Sashimi in Japanese became a thing. Before the campaign the Japanese people believed this particular raw trout species as being dangerous because of their experiences with the Pacific salmon. However the Atlantic salmon that the Norwegians had plenty of in their waters was perfectly safe to eat in it’s raw form and slowly they managed to get the message through. [Source]
- The English king Henry the Third once was gifted a live polar bear from the Norwegian King Haakon of Norway. This was way back in the middle of the 13th century, back when the Tower of London was very much maintained at it’s fullest, so it served as a great deterrent for would be escapees, and was even put on a leash so it could hunt for fish in the river Thames. [Source]
- The Norwegian vikings sure knew how to live life. Harald Hadrada was one such a man. He fled from Norway due east towards the Russian Empire, where he gained temporary exile. However he quickly moved once more, to the Eastern Roman Empire and went on to become a member of a special unity of Nordic guards protecting the King and fighting as mercenaries at other times. His travels took him as far as modern Iraq in the middle-east, before he returned to marry a Russian princess. With this new support he returned to his home country and took to the throne, before finally invading England to round things out. [Source]
- If you are granted access to the country, you are allowed to study in any of Norway’s public universities without having to pay any tuition. This is all part of the government’s scheme to establish Norway as a center of learning in the world. [Source]
- And once more back to the heroic and this time romantic viking Kings. King Harald of Norway was not allowed to marry his chosen love by the court and advisors around him, so in protest he publicly declared he would remain without a wife forever, and therefore put uncertainty as to the succession and safety of the crown, if he was not allowed to marry his childhood sweetheart. She was eventually crowned as Queen of Norway alongside her Husband, King Harald. [Source]
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