It began with the ice ages

In Northern Europe and Scandinavia, the last ice age ended some 10,000 years ago. The landscape that appeared from the melting ice was barren and utterly transformed. For millions of years, kilometres thick ice sheets had moved in irregular cycles – expanding, retreating, and expanding again. With extraordinary force, the glaciers attacked like slow-moving oceans – grinding, crushing, and reshaping the underlying and ancient rock formations. It is with this beginning in mind that we take a closer look at the layout of today’s mainland Norway.

Where do we find the most fertile land?

The most significant sections of productive soil can be found in the counties of Trøndelag, Hedmark, Oppland and Rogaland. If we add on Akershus, Østfold and Nordland, these districts account for 65% of the total agricultural area. Significant parts of the most fertile land were once below sea level. But as the enormous weight of the ice disappeared, the seabed rose in the millennia that followed, in places several hundred metres. Stretches of agricultural land are also found alongside the edges of the fjords and in the many river valleys.

Illustration: The layout of mainland Norway. | Illustration: LA Dahlmann – Statistics Norway – CC BY-SA.

Utilising the forests and the mountains

All through historical times, people took maximum advantage of the forests and the mountains. In addition to using this part of the landscape for hunting and gathering, they sent their livestock there for summer pasture – and gathered added animal feed there for the long and frosty winter months ahead.

The ocean – a real treasure trove

All along the long-stretched coastline, people relied more on harvesting the ocean than farming the land. The typical coastal or island family had a small farm, large enough to feed a few animals and to produce some grain and other essentials. However, it was the food provided by the sea that played the most significant part. All until the early 1900s, fishermen along the entire coast set out in open rowing or sailing boats in search of the large shoals of migrating fish. In modern-day Norway, big fishing vessels contribute significantly to the Norwegian economy, and Norway is one of the top fish exporters in the world. It would definitely be fair to add the ocean as part of the food-producing portion of the country.

Some interesting observations

The first people arrived in Norway some 12,000 years ago. In the year 1000 AD, the number of individuals had only increased to about 150,000. In the year 1700, the population was still just 504,000. All through the historical period – up until the industrial revolution – the Norwegians were hunters and gatherers – and from around 4000 BC also farmers. The landscape – paired with the cold climate and the traditional hunting and farming methods – seems to have been unable to sustain the more significant populations seen in other countries of a similar area size. Since the year 1700, the Norwegian population has increased dramatically, to 5.2 million in 2017. Descendants of the nearly 1 million Norwegians who emigrated during the second half of the 1800s – and the beginning of the 1900s – would have added considerably to this number. In comparison, Italy with its warmer climate and a smaller landmass has a population of 61 million.

Main source: Statistics Norway – www.ssb.no/en

This lush field was once the bottom of the ocean. Rygge, Østfold. | Photo: LA Dahlmann – cc by-sa.

The old Norwegian farm | Memories from Værøy in Lofoten

The wild ocean world of Værøy in Lofoten, Norway, was the birthplace of Mimmi Benjaminsen – born in 1894. Here are some of her childhood memories.

The old Norwegian farm | The old calendar-stick

The old Norwegians split the year into two main seasons: summer and winter – and used a two-sided wooden calendar-stick to guide them.

The old Norwegian farm | The cotter’s holding | Husmannsplass

In the old Norwegian farming society, a husmann was a man who was allowed to build his home on a small section of a farm’s land – and pay with his labour rather than rent. His simple holding was called a husmannsplass.

The Sami | The Sami flag days calendar

The Sami calendar consists of 12 flag days, the most prominent of them being the Sami National Day on 6 February.

Budrått | Means milk products in Norwegian

Budrått is a Norwegian noun that means the output of milk products on a farm – such as cheese and butter. The word is often associated with what was produced during the summer on the seasonal mountain or forest pasture farm – the seter.

Norwegian landscapes | On the coastal path along the Oslofjord

Whether it be on a rainy day – or a beautiful summer’s day like this one – the coastal paths take us through some pleasing stretches of Norwegian scenery.

Ljå | Means scythe in Norwegian

Ljå is a Norwegian noun that means a scythe – an old agricultural cutting-tool used when mowing the grass to make hay, or when harvesting the grain crops.

Queen Maud of Norway | Where did she come from?

Her Royal Highness Princess Maud Charlotte Mary Victoria of Wales was born on the 26 November 1869, at Marlborough House in London, UK.

The Norwegian mountain safety code | Always be prepared

The majestic Norwegian mountains can be treacherous – and they steal human lives every year. Study the Norwegian mountain code – and be prepared for your next journey.

Only 3 percent of mainland Norway is agricultural land