Norway

Discover Norway

Japan didn't eat raw salmon until Norway basically talked them into it. In the 1980s, Norway had way too much salmon and Japanese chefs weren't interested.

It took years of convincing, but Norwegian fish exporters changed Japanese food culture forever. Next time you eat salmon sushi, Norway deserves some credit.

Norway was home to the Vikings, seafaring warriors who sailed from Scandinavia between the late 700s and early 1000s. They raided towns, traded across Europe, and reached North America about 500 years before Columbus.

They weren't just fighters. They were skilled shipbuilders, explorers, and long-distance traders.

For nearly 500 years, Norway was ruled by Denmark and then Sweden. Norwegians finally declared independence in 1905.

Then in 1940, Germany invaded and occupied the country during World War II. A small team of Norwegian soldiers sabotaged a factory the Nazis needed to build a nuclear weapon. It's one of the most daring missions of the war.

Oil changed everything. Norway discovered huge amounts of oil underground in the North Sea in 1969.

Instead of spending it all, Norway saved most of the money in a special government fund. Today that fund is worth over a trillion dollars and helps pay for schools, hospitals, and retirement.

In Oslo, visit the Viking Ship Museum to see actual 1,000-year-old ships pulled from the ground. Take a boat through the fjords, which are long narrow inlets carved by ancient glaciers.

If you visit in winter, you might see the Northern Lights turning the sky green and purple. 

Try brunost, a brown cheese that tastes a little like caramel, which Norwegians put on just about everything.