With its mountains, fjords, and forests, Norway represents one of our planet’s many majestic faces.
The Kingdom of Norway, located on the western side of the Scandinavian peninsula, has long, cold, and dark winters.
In many parts of the country – and for many months of the year – the frost makes the ground hard as rock – and snow and ice cover the surface.
The further inland you get, and the higher up in altitude, the colder and more snow-rich the landscape will be.
The winter has many downsides for the living beings struggling to survive; but with spring comes a wonderful transformation. As the sun takes hold, the snow melts and turns into water.
First, the water moves through the undergrowth in the shape of small creeks – coming from all corners of the mighty surroundings.
From the top of the mountains, the creeks run downhill, and gradually merge and turn into streams, rivers, and waterfalls. Faster and more furiously they all flow, until they reach ponds, lakes, water reservoirs – or the big ocean itself.
There have been years where drought has ruined the Norwegian farmer’s crops, but the Norwegians rarely lack water to drink.
Throughout the millennia, the Norwegians have also experienced famine and disaster. But usually not because of the lack of water, rather the opposite. Spring floods have washed away entire farms and their land. And summers full of rain have soaked the ground and ruined the growth.
Only a single such calamity could take years to recover from. And if such blows came year upon year, then the people became weak – and finally perished.
Despite hardship, throughout the millennia the Norwegians have come to love the sound of clean, running, and life-giving water; just like all the elements of the magnificent landscape they live in.
The sound of running water is part of the Norwegians’ soul, giving them an intense sense of home and deep-rooted belonging.
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