Destination: NORWAY
Things To Know Landscape Fjordland The Northern Fjords Traveling in Norway The Norwegians The Viking Settlers Downtown Oslo	Landscape Norway's landscape is dominated by intervening seas - the Barents Sea to the north, the Norwegian Sea to the west and the North Sea to the southwest. The corrugated coastline measures nearly 13,600 miles, including fjords and the country's 150,000 offshore islands. This scattered mosaic of islands - the “Skerry Guard” - is Norway's natural sea defense. The islands break the onslaught of the ocean, creating the country's sheltered seaways to north and south and protecting the gateways to the fjords. Norway is shaped like a Viking club, narrowing in the north and with a broad base in the south. The country's mountain system runs from northeast to southwest and reaches its greatest height at Galdhøppigen, at 8,100 feet. The mountains separate the rugged western seaboard, the Vestlandet, from the gentler eastern region, the Øslandet. The broad southwestern half of the country is known as Sørlandet, the South Country. Here, on the coastal fringe and around Oslo, is lowland Norway, where the sheltered coast is a favorite vacation destination for Norwegian families - a landscape of mellow woods and fields and tranquil blue waters. On the southern tip of Sørlandet is the sunny town of Kristiansand, with its flock of offshore islands. Southwest along the coast is Mandal, where attractive beaches catch the best of the summer sun; nearby is the promontory of Lindesnes, whose fyr (lighthouse) marks Norway's southernmost point. Then the coast turns to the northwest, twisting through a rugged landscape of rocky headlands and deeply indented fjords, past the pleasant town of Egersund and finally through rich farming country to Stavanger and the open west.	COUNTRY Introduction Things To Know Survival Guide TimeLine Essential Info REGION CITIES Oslo MAPS World Europe TRAVEL BOOK