Old Kingdom of Norway: Map & History
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country comprising the western and northernmost parts of the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe, the remote Arctic island Jan Mayen and the archipelago Svalbard.
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Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country comprising the western and northernmost parts of the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe, the remote Arctic island Jan Mayen and the archipelago Svalbard. Bouvet Island, located in the Subantarctic, is a dependency, and not a part of the Kingdom; Norway also claims the Antarctic territories of Peter I Island and Queen Maud Land. Norway has a population of approximately 5.6 million, and a total area of 385,207 square kilometres (148,729 sq mi). Its capital and largest city is Oslo. The country shares a long eastern border with Sweden, and is bordered by Finland and Russia to the northeast. Norway has an extensive coastline facing the Skagerrak strait, the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, and the Barents Sea.
Modern Countries Once Part of Old Kingdom of Norway
At its mapped extent, Old Kingdom of Norway covered territory in 4 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Iceland1272–1401 CE · most
- Norway866–1401 CE · most
- Faroe Islands1040–1401 CE · a large part
- Sweden1333–1401 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Old Kingdom of Norway's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Old Kingdom of Norway in Depth
History
The earliest traces of human occupation in Norway are found along the coast, where the huge ice shelf of the last ice age first melted between 11,000 and 8000 BC. The oldest finds are stone tools dating from 9500 to 6000 BC, discovered in Finnmark (Komsa culture) in the north and Rogaland (Fosna culture) in the southwest. Theories about the two cultures being separate were deemed obsolete in the 1970s.
Between 3000 and 2500 BC, new settlers (Corded Ware culture) arrived in eastern Norway. They were Indo-European farmers who grew grain and kept livestock, and gradually replaced the hunting-fishing population of the west coast.
Around 1500 BC, bronze was gradually introduced.
Politics and government
Norway is considered to be one of the most developed democracies and states of justice in the world. According to International IDEA's Global State of Democracy (GSoD) Indices and Democracy Tracker, Norway performs in the high range on overall democratic measures, with particular strengths in elected government and gender equality. Since 2010, Norway has been classified as the world's most democratic country by the Democracy Index.
According to the Constitution of Norway, which was adopted on 17 May 1814 and was inspired by the United States Declaration of Independence and French Revolution, Norway is a unitary constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government, wherein the King of Norway is the head of state and the prime minister is the head of government.
Economy
Norwegians enjoy the second-highest GDP per capita among European countries (after Luxembourg), and the sixth-highest PPP-adjusted GDP per capita in the world. Norway ranks as the second-wealthiest country in monetary value, with the largest capital reserve per capita of any nation. According to the CIA World Factbook, Norway is a net external creditor of debt. Norway reclaimed first place in the world in the UNDP Human Development Index (HDI) in 2009. The standard of living in Norway is among the highest in the world. Foreign Policy magazine ranks Norway last in its Failed States Index for 2009 and 2023, judging Norway to be the world's most well-functioning and stable country.
Culture
The Norwegian farm culture continues to play a role in contemporary Norwegian culture. In the 19th century, it inspired a strong romantic nationalistic movement, which is still visible in the Norwegian language and media. Norwegian culture expanded with nationalist efforts to achieve an independent identity in the areas of literature, art and music. This continues today in the performing arts and as a result of government support for exhibitions, cultural projects and artwork.
Norwegian cinema has received international recognition. The documentary film Kon-Tiki (1950) won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Norway (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Old Kingdom of Norway Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Old Kingdom of Norway appears, with the other states of the time.
Old Kingdom of Norway Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 519,922 km² in 1398 CE.
Old Kingdom of Norway: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Old Kingdom of Norway exist?
Old Kingdom of Norway is dated to 866 CE – 1401 CE, in the Early Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of Old Kingdom of Norway?
The capital of Old Kingdom of Norway was Oslo.
How large was Old Kingdom of Norway at its peak?
At its peak in 1398 AD Old Kingdom of Norway covered about 519,922 km².
How did the map of Old Kingdom of Norway change over time?
Old Kingdom of Norway appears on 6 dated world maps in the atlas, from 900 CE to 1400 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
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