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b.
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Note: RI44
Note: (Research):Haagen Bang, Handelsmand Gjestgiver.
History
Norway's first settlers arrived over 10,000 years ago atthe end of the Ice Age. These early hunters and gatherersfollowed the glaciers as they retreated north, pursuingmigratory reindeer herds. The country's greatest impact onhistory was during the Viking Age, a period thought to havebegun with the plundering of England's Lindisfarnemonastery by Nordic pirates in 793 AD. Over the nextcentury, the Vikings made raids throughout Europe,establishing settlements along the way. Viking leaderHarald H�rfagre (Fairhair) unified Norway around 900 andKing Olaf, adopting the religion of the lands he hadconquered, converted the people to Christianity a centurylater. The Vikings were great sailors and became the firstto cross the Atlantic Ocean. Eric the Red, the son of aNorwegian exiled to Iceland, colonised Greenland in 982. In1001, Eric's Icelandic son, Leif Eriksson, became possiblythe first European to explore the coast of North Americawhen he sailed off course on a voyage from Norway toGreenland. However, the Viking Age came to an end in 1066when the Norwegian king Harald Hardrada was routed at theBattle of Stamford Bridge in England.
In the 13th century Oslo emerged as a centre of power. Itcontinued to flourish until the mid-14th century whenbubonic plague decimated its population. In 1397 Norway wasabsorbed into a union with Denmark which lasted over 400years. Norway was ceded to Sweden in 1814. That same year adefiant Norway - fed up with forced unions - adopted itsown constitution, but its struggle for independence wasquelled by a Swedish invasion. In the end, Norwegians wereallowed to keep their new constitution but were forced toaccept the Swedish king. Growing nationalism eventually ledto Norway's peaceful secession from Sweden in 1905.Norwegians subsequently voted in favour of a monarchy overa republic and selected Prince Carl of Denmark to be king.Upon acceptance, he took the title H�kon VII and named hisinfant son Olav, both prominent names in Norway's Vikingpast.
Norway stayed neutral during both world wars but wasoccupied by the Nazis in 1940. King H�kon set up agovernment in exile and placed most of Norway's hugemerchant fleet under the command of the Allies. An activeResistance movement fought tenaciously against the Nazis,who responded by razing nearly every town and village innorthern Norway during their retreat. The royal familyreturned at the end of the war.
In 1960 Norway joined the European Free Trade Associationbut has been reluctant to forge closer bonds with othernations, partly due to concerns about its ability topreserve small-scale farming and fishing. North Sea oil andnatural gas finds brought prosperity to the country in the1970s, and Norway has since achieved one of the higheststandards of living in the world. A no-vote for applicationwith the EU in a 1994 referendum sent shock waves throughEuropean governments who were attempting to 'sell' theMaastricht treaty to their citizens. EU membership is stilla hot topic in Norway, but resistance is still strongacross the nation's political spectrum.
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