Typically Norwegian

Typically Norwegian

What is typically Norwegian? The first answers you will probably find are fjords, mountains, snow and skiing. Indeed, the nature is phenomenal. It is not only the Norwegians that find their country one of the most beautiful in the world!

Norway is also famous for its feminine/nurturing culture. The Norwegians consider their country very important in peace/war-issues and world-politics. They even think that if it weren’t for Norway’s efforts, the world would collapse very soon! This is of course a very patriotic thought, which is also typically Norwegian! 🙂

It firmly established its reputation regarding its attitude to women in the ‘Top’ jobs when Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland formed the 1981 government with eight out of the total eighteen ministers being female. Norway is synonymous with emancipation. The number of working women is still very high and the number of women in top positions is much higher than the European average.

But maybe the most surprising Norwegian characteristic is – the love for the sea! The love for the blue ocean and the passion to be near it. Most Norwegians have their own boat, either a sailboat, motorboat or a simple little wooden boat. They use them almost the whole year round, with exception for the winter, which can be quite harsh. But on a warm summer day you clearly see that they are descendants of the Vikings. 🙂

Over thousands of years the Norwegian ancestors have navigated the oceans – long before others dared – and have interacted with other cultures, all of which has resulted in the Norwegians rich and welcoming society you see today!

By Hilde Stapnes – Norwegian now based in Netherlands