A list of interesting sources on the web about Norway and Scandinavian topics...

Government

• ODIN or Official Documentation and Information about Norway, is the official web-server for the Norwegian Government, including the Prime Minister and the various ministries. The site has a huge range of resource material for almost any subject in Norwegian, English, French and German.
• Statistical Sentralbyrå (Statistics Norway) was established in 1875 and is Norway's central bureau for national statistics on national resources, economics (currency, stocks, sales, valuations, etc), demography (population, employment, etc), living conditions, and other reports in Norwegian or English. Included is the Yearbook for the previous calendar year.
• Kongehuset (The Norwegian Royal Family) has their own web site. There are interesting photos, a generalized family tree, and history and biography of the family in Norwegian and English.
• Norway Post (The Norwegian Post Office) has its own web site. There is information about stamps, shipping, banking through Postbanken, and other features. If you have a Postbanken account you can access it here.
• The Norwegian Online Information Service is published by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington, DC. It includes News of Norway, bulletins, information about the embassy and consulates, US-Norway Forum, Norway Caucus to the US Congress, Norwegian Mission to the UN, and cultural activities supported or endorsed by the Embassy.
• Den norske Kirken (The Church of Norway) web site is about 2/3 Norwegian and 1/3 English. Information about worship services, buildings, pilgrimages, missions and more.
• Det norsk meteorologiske Institut (DNMI, The Norwegian Weather Service) has forecasts and weather reports for Norwegian cities and territories. The site is mostly in Norwegian, but there is some information in English and the weather maps are rather straightforward. Just remember that all temperatures outside of the US are given in degrees Centigrade/Celcius (TF = TCx9/5 + 32 deg; TC = (TF - 32 deg)x5/9).
  • 180 deg C = 350 deg F, medium baking oven.
  • 100 deg C = 212 deg F, boiling point of water.
  •   37 deg C =   98.6 deg F, nominal body temperature.
  •   20 deg C =   68 deg F, comfortable indoor temperature.
  •     0 deg C =   32 deg F, freezing point of fresh water.
  •  -40 deg C = -40 deg F, awfully cold outside, even in the winter Arctic.
• Norwegian American Foundations Webpage has information on Norway (history, culture, travel, government, etc.) in addition to the best Calendar of Norwegian events occurring in the US.

Dictionaries for Norwegian words, Norwegian-English, and English-Norwegian. Language Classes.

• Free Dictionaries' English-Norwegian, Norwegian-English dictionary for Bokmål only. Quick and pretty good.
• University of Oslo Norwegian dictionaries in Bokmål and Nynorsk. Full definitions på norsk.
• Travlang's English to Norwegian dictionary and Norwegian to English dictionary. Both have 1900 words in Bokmål from the Ergane database.
• Alternative Dictionary of Slang at the University of Oslo. Small, but useful in the right circumstances.
• From Bruderhof Norskklassen - the Norwegian class on the net. (Bokmål)
• From Bruderhof 160 Norwegian language lessons on the net. (Bokmål)

Museums and the Arts in Norway

• Most of the museums in Norway can be contacted through this web site. One-stop shopping for museum information...
• Norsk folkemuseum (Norwegian Folk Museum) on Bygdøy in Oslo. One of the finest historical museums in the world with buildings, textiles, tools, arts, and crafts from post Viking times to the early 20th Century. Much of the collection shows rural life in Norway as our ansestors knew it. Some topics like textiles and clothing are better online than in the museum proper.
• Oslo-Filharmonien (The Oslo Philharmonic) schedules, ticketing, discography.
• The arts and crafts have a rich tradition in Norway. From the indigenous folk culture of the bunad and the Hardanger fiddle to such internationally celebrated artists as Henrik Ibsen and Edvard Grieg...
• Musikkens Hus (Musician's House), 109 people in 34 Norwegian music organizations share one facility in Oslo! One-stop shopping for music information...

History and Vikings

• Viking Life, Norway and vicinity.
• Viking clothing.
• The Vikings - A historical perspective from England.
• Norse mythology and folklore
• L'Anse aux Meadows Archeological Site, Newfoundland, Canada has been shown to be Leif Eriksson's outpost in the New World, as described in the sagas. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Canadian National Park.
• Vikings in America - Yet another view.

General Information about Norway and Norwegian Culture

• Sondre Norheim, legendary Norwegian skier and inventor of the Telemark style of skiing.
• BRYLLAUPSFESTEN, the Norwegian Folk Wedding Tradition.
• Hardanger Fiddle Association of America.
• BIRKA - the centre for Norwegian arts and crafts

Professional Schools and Universities in Norway:

• Kunsthøgskolen i Oslo (Academy of Art in Oslo)
• Kunsthøgskolen i Bergen (Academy of Art in Bergen)
• Universitetet i Oslo (University of Oslo)
• Universitetet i Bergen (University of Bergen)
• Universitetet i Tromsø (University of Tromsø)
• Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapenlige universitet (Norway's Technical and Natural Science University; sometimes referred to as the University in Trondheim)
• Norges musikkhøgskole (Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo)
• Arkitekthøgskolen i Oslo (Norwegian Academy of Architecture in Oslo)
• Norges Handelshøyskole (Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration in Bergen)
• Norges veterinærhøgskole (Norwegian School of Veterinary Science in Oslo)
• Norges idrettshøgskole (Norwegian School of Sport and Physical Education in Oslo)
• Norges landbrukshøgskole (Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB) in Ås)

Other Higher Educational Institutions

Regional, public colleges, junior colleges and technical schools in Norway offer 1-4 year degree programs in several technical subjects, such as nursing, elementary teaching, engineering, business, electronics, physical or occupational therapy, marine technology, fisheries, hotel management, drama, etc.:

Folk High Schoolsoffer one-year, non-credit enrichment programs of intensive study in a specific area. Students are required to be 18 years old or older, and most are in their twenties. We have no equivalent program in the US. Some schools also offer short courses for more senior adults, much like the Elder Hostel program in the US. Most of the folk high schools are run by private foundations.

Norwegian Newspapers

Commercial access and Information

• Gule Sider Internett (The Norwegian Internet Yellow Pages for Norwegian business phone numbers) can be accessed by anyone. The white pages for home phones are also available, if you have a Norwegian person number (like a social security number).
• Jobbguiden (The Job Guide) for Norway.
• Official Husfliden web site with access to all the Husflidden cooperative member stores. Each district Husfliden is an independent retailer, but you can find them all with their regional bunader and folkedrakt here. Choose English or Norwegian pages with stunning beautiful photographs. Linger on the first page for a moment until the model looks up at you!

In North America - Public resources