Post code: N-.... Oslo (various)
Telephone code: 02
Oslo lies at the north end of the Oslofjord, which here cuts deep inland and is joined by the Akerselv. The city is surrounded by forest-covered hills from which there are far-ranging views.
Capital of Norway
Oslo, known from 1624 to 1877 as Christiania and from 1877 to
1924 as Kristiania, is the capital of Norway and, in terms of area, one of the largest capitals in the world. Of the city's total area of 450sq.km/175sq.mi, only around 20% is built-up. Oslo has an underground railroad and a suburban railroad system.
Importance
Oslo is the seat of government and the chief town of the two counties of Oslo and Akershus, the see of a Lutheran and (since 1953) a Roman Catholic bishop, and a university town, with two universities and several other higher educational institutions. It has numerous cultural institutions, including museums, libraries, theaters and Norway's only opera house.
Port; industry
Oslo is Norway's most important port, the base of many shipping lines, with a large merchant fleet and shipyards. Its principal industries, in addition to shipbuilding, are electrical engineering, printing and publishing, foodstuffs and clothing manufacture.
History
Oslo, the oldest Scandinavian capital, is thought to have been founded in 1050 by King Harald Hårdråde, but it is likely that there was already a landing-place for ships and a small settlement on the site. Harald's son, Olav Kyrre, made the town the see of a bishop and built a cathedral, and thereafter Oslo remained for centuries Norway's religious center, while the kings resided in Bergen. Around 1300, however, Håkon V moved his capital from Bergen to Oslo and began to build the stronghold of Akershus. About the same time the Hanseatic League established a trading station in Oslo. This period of prosperity came to an end when plague wiped out a third of Norway's population in 1349. Then in 1397 Norway came under Danish rule, and Oslo declined steadily in importance. After a great fire in 1624 Christian IV rebuilt the town on the north side of Akershus Castle and renamed it Christiania. It was only after the separation of Norway from Denmark in 1814 that Christiania again became the capital of Norway and the residence of the king; and during the reign of King Carl XIV Johan it enjoyed a new rise to prosperity. In 1925 the town reverted to its old name of Oslo.
Oslo has 40 islands within its city limits and two-thirds of its land area is protected forests, hills and lakes. The summer months are mild to warm making the Oslofjord a popular recreational area including the beaches. The winter months are cold and wet but ideal for icefishing, ice-skating and even cross-country skiing.
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