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Do most people speak English?
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The general level of English in Norway is quite good, and you should have no problem finding someone who understands and speaks English.
English instruction is compulsory in the schools, so many kids are eager to practice their English by talking with tourists.
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MOST Common Species of FISH
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SALMON.
There are few tastes which compare with the flavor of Norwegian Salmon or Ocean Trout. This delicacy is keenly appreciated by international chefs and gourmets who relish its delicate color and fine texture. By having a rigid enforcement of their cold, clear coastal waters, the Norwegians have succeeded in producing a superior quality salmon. No longer wild Aqua culture, the farming of seafood, has virtually eliminated the seasonal fluctuations in salmon harvesting. Whereas fresh wild salmon is only available for a few months of the year, Atlantic salmon and Ocean trout can be harvested daily.
Compared to its wild counterpart, farm-raised salmon and trout is significantly enhanced both with regard to taste and texture. They are fed with specially prepared fish feed, which contains all the essential minerals and vitamins needed for healthy growth. They can reach a size of 10 kilos or more, with the average size being 3 to 6 kilos, which allows a variety of cuts. Norwegian salmon and ocean trout is available either as fresh or frozen whole fish, which are the main varieties. It can also be obtained as cutlets or filets, or as smoked or marinated slices.
It is rich in Polysaturated Omega-3 fatty acids, which provide resistance to cardiovascular disease and reduces discomforts caused by rheumatism and psoriasis. There are also indications that Omega-3 is beneficial against chronic infections, diabetes and certain types of cancer.
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SEA TROUT.
The tradition of flyfishing in the sea is based on the seatrout in the spring, summer and in the autumn, and still most of the sea-going flyfishermen is after this Queen of fishes. During the last years it has become usual to practice this kind of fishing all year round. The most used places for sea-trout fishing is in more or less brackish areas.
The sea-trout seems to be wandering between river outlets/brackish areas and more salty areas continuously all year round. At temperatures bellow 10 C the sea-trout is often found near the beach whilst it tends to be moving out as temperatures rise in the early summer.
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COD.
Stays mainly near the sea bottom, where the cod lives off what it can find there or it moves higher up in the sea among the prey fish such as herring and coley. Total depth variation is from the surface to 150 metres deep. Cod is omnivorous and is best fished with a jig, hanger (hooks with action plastics) and bait. Cod spawns in the spring when the water keeps approximately 5 degrees. The sport fishing record in Norway is 37,5 kilos.
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COALFISH.
The coalfish is perhaps even more likely to be accidentally caught when fishing sea-trout than what has been told about the cod. It is often moving closer to the surface than cod, especially during summer, and coalfish caught accidentally during summer months tend to be bigger than the cod. Bigger by no means carry any suggestion that this fish is more tasty than the cod.
Coalfish taken in the south will more often than not carry worms and need to be cleaned soon after it is landed. The delicacy of finding such things inside it may have something against a distaste for it. Taste or not, the coalfish is a good fighter and species on more than two kilos will be difficult to handle. The coalfish tends to reach larger sizes, better quality and taste the farther west and north you get.
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COLEY.
Coley can be found down to 80 metres. It moves freely in the sea and lives on small crawfish, krill, and small fish. Coley is best fished with a jig and hanger.
Spawns in the late winter when the water is approximately 7 degrees. The sport fishing record in Norway is 22,7 kilos.
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POLLACK.
Stays freely in the sea and near the bottom but not any deeper than 30 meters. It eats other fish and some crawfish. Pollack is best fished with colourful hangers as jigs, rubber worms and flies. Pollack spawns in the early summer when the water is warm. The sport fishing record in Norway is 13,7 kilos.
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LING.
Ling stays from 40 to 400 meters deep and lives on Norwegian prawns, crabs and other fish on the bottom. The bait must therefore be placed on the bottom. Ling spawns when the water is between 6 and 10 degrees. The sport fishing record in Norway is 37,2 kilos.
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TUSK.
Stays too on the bottom between 100 and 450 metres deep. Here, it feeds on Norwegian prawns, crabs and other demersal fish. Tusk spawns in spring. The sport fishing record in Norway is 16,05 kilos.
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WHITING.
Whiting stays near the bottom at a depth between 15 and 100 meters, where it lives off small fish and crawfish. The bait should stay just above the bottom. Whiting spawns in spring. The sport fishing record in Norway is 2,76 kilos.
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HADDOCK.
Haddock stays near the bottom at a depth between 30 to 130 meters. Here, it lives on shell, worms, starfish, roe and small fish. It is best fished near the bottom with a combination of bait and hanger. Haddock spawns in spring when the water is at 6 degrees. The sport fishing record in Norway is 6,04 kilos.
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CATFISH.
Catfish stays near the bottom at a depth between 10 and 120 meters. It lives of crabs, crawfish, sea urchin and mussels. It is best fished with a combination of jig and bait on the bottom. Spawning occurs in late winter. The sport fishing record in Norway is 13,64 kilos.
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HALIBUT.
Halibut is a bit of a challenge for the sports fishermen. It stays on the bottom at depths between 70 and all the way down to 800 meters. It bites both on bait and jigs on the bottom. Halibut lives of other fish. It spawns in mid winter. The sport fishing record in Norway is 113,9 kilos.
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FLOUNDER.
Flounder is a typical demersal fish that lives on worms, snails and small fish down to a depth of 150 meters. It is mostly fished with bait on the bottom. Flounder spawns in spring. The sport fishing record in Norway is plaice at 5,17 kilos, fluke at 2,37 kilos and turbot at 15 kilos.
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MACKREL.
The most renown fish in southern Norway is probably mackerel, and it improves throughout the summer. Mackerel can be willing to bite and often provides large hauls. Fishing for sea trout can be challenging in the spring and summer
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How hot and cold does it get in Norway?
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The temperature in Norway can vary greatly during the course of a week, or even within the course of a day. This is especially true when you travel over mountain passes. For a table with average daytime temperature, rainfall, and hours of sunlight in the major Norwegian cities, go to:
http://www.dep.no/ud/html/2000/minifakta/e/eng-07.html
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What type of clothes do I need?
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You should always have some warm clothes with you, such as a sweater, because it can be chilly any time during the year, especially up in the mountains. It is a good idea to have layers of clothing so that you can adjust to changes in the temperature.
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Can I drink the water?
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Yes you can. Norwegian tap water is not only safe to drink, but it tastes good as well.
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How can I get information about hiking in Norway?
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The best place to get information about hiking in Norway is from Den Norske Turistforening. They have an English page to their site shortly at:
http://www.dntoa.no
You can also write or call them at:
Den Norske Turistforening
Storgt. 3
0101 Oslo
Norway
Telephone: +47 22 82 28 00
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Where can I find information about cities in Norway?
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For personalized tourist and business guides, online maps, pictures, plus a host of information about hotels, restaurants and business services, go to:
Oslo: http://www.virtualoslo.com/
Bergen: http://www.virtualbergen.com/
Lillehammer: http://www.virtuallillehammer.com/
Trondheim: http://www.virtualtrondheim.com/
Stavanger: http://www.virtualstavanger.com/
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Population, language, culture
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Norway's population is primarily Germanic. The largest ethnic minority are Sámi (Lapps) living Northern Norway (Finnmark) who number about 20,000; a few thousand Norwegian Finns (Kvens) live in northern Norway. Norwegian is a Germanic language developed from the Old Norse spoken in the viking age; it is closely related to both Danish and Swedish. Norway has hundreds of dialects of spoken Norwegian (corresponding to different geographical regions or locales) and two official written norms, Bokmål and Nynorsk. Bokmål, which has its basis in large part in the Danish spoken during the period of Danish rule, serves as the written norm for most of the dialects of the larger urban centers. Nynorsk, created by the philologist Ivar Andreas Aasen (1813-96) who drew it from the old rural dialects that preserve Norwegian as it descended from Old Norse, serves as the written norm for most of the dialects of rural areas and some smaller urban centers. Norway, while becoming increasingly urbanized, is still one of the least urbanized countries in Europe. Population is extremely sparse in northern Norway and inland; except for Iceland, it is the lowest in Europe.
It's worth to note that both Nynorsk and Bokmål are pure written languages. No one actually speaks these languages - in Norway all spoken languages are regarded as dialects. But one has to remember that over 80% of the pupils in Norwegian schools chose to learn Bokmål, and that the vocabulary of Bokmål is influenced by Danish whereas the vocabulary of Nynorsk lies closer to Swedish. The minority language Nynorsk is thus protected by laws, ensuring for instance that at least 25% of the radio and tv transmissions are in Nynorsk, and a national theater Det Norske Teatret playing in Nynorsk,
Norway has a strongly developed tradition of folk music; its most distinguished classical composers were Edvard Grieg (1843-1907), Christian Sinding (1856-1941), and Johan Svendsen (1840-1911), all of whom made much use of traditional music. The painting of Edvard Munch (1863-1944) has achieved worldwide recognition. Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943) produced a vast body of sculpture, which has been collected in Frogner Park in Oslo.
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