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Oslo

Oslo is the capital city of Norway, and has 517,401 inhabitants as of January 1, 2003, which is 11.4% of the total population in Norway. The metropolitan area extends into the surrounding county of Akershus and has a population of 783,829 (Jan. 2002). The total area of Oslo is 454.0 km², of which 115 km² is built-up and 7 km² is agricultural. The open areas within the built-up zone amounts to 22 km².

Coat of Arms

Oslo is located at the head of the Oslofjord. The fjord lies to the south; in the other directions Oslo is surrounded by green hills and mountains. There are 40 islands within the city limits,the largest being Malmøya (0.56 km²). Oslo has 343 lakes, the largest being Maridalsvannet (3.91 km²). This is also a main source of drinking water. The highest point is Kirkeberget, at 629 m.

Oslo was founded around 1048 A.D. by king Harald Hardråde. The origin of the name is still somewhat unclear. It has been regarded as the capital city since the reign of Håkon V (1299-1319), who was the first king to reside permanently in the city and also started the construction of the Akershus castle. A century later Norway was the weaker part in a in personal union with Denmark, and Oslo's role was reduced to that of administrative centre of the Danish power. The fact that the University of Oslo was founded as late as 1811 had an adverse effect on the development of the nation.

When I was young, the capital of Norway was not called Oslo. It was called Christiania. But somewhere along the line, the Norwegians decided to do away with that pretty name and call it Oslo instead. -- Roald Dahl, Boy.

View from the City Hall towards the fjord

Oslo was destroyed by fire in 1624, was rebuilt by king Christian IV of Norway and given the name Christiania (later Kristiania). The original name of Oslo was restored in 1924. But long before this, Oslo had started to regain its stature as a centre of commerce and culture in Norway. Many landmarks in Oslo were built in the 19th century, including the Royal Palace (1825-1848), the Parliament (1861-1866), the University, The National Theatre and the Stock Exchange. Among the world-famous artists who lived here during this period were Henrik Ibsen, Edvard Munch, Knut Hamsun and Sigrid Undset (the latter two won the Nobel Prize for literature).

Oslo's prominence in the political, cultural and economical life of Norway has been and still is a source of considerable controversy and friction. This has not changed during the last century, despite numerous attempts at decentralizing power by giving incentives to investors in other regions and moving government institutions outside the Oslo area.

The city was once referred to as Tigerstaden (City of Tigers) by the author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson around 1870. This name has over the years achieved an almost official status, to the extent the 1000 year jubilee was celebrated by a row of tiger sculptures around the City Hall. A harsh picture of the city was drawn by Knut Hamsun in his novel Sult (Hunger) from 1890 (cinematized in 1966).

The newspapers Aftenposten, Verdens Gang, Dagbladet, and Dagsavisen are published in Oslo.

Some points of interest

Akershus Castle and Fortress
The Armed Forces Museum
The City Hall, where the annual Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is held
The Holmenkollen ski jump, arena of the 1952 Winter Olympic Games, Holmenkollen
The Holmenkollen Ski Museum, Holmenkollen
The Kon-Tiki Museum, Bygdøy
The Munch Museum, Tøyen
The National Gallery
The Norwegian Maritime Museum, including ships Fram and Gjøa, Bygdøy
The Royal Palace
The Henie-Onstad Art Centre, Høvikodden in Bærum
The Storting, parliament building
The Vigeland Park (Frognerparken), Frogner
The Viking Ship Museum, displaying the Oseberg and Gokstad ships, Bygdøy

Colleges

University of Oslo (Universitetet i Oslo)
Norwegian School of Management (Handelshøyskolen BI)

Communications

Air

Oslo Airport served by high speed train (Flytoget)
Sandefjord Airport

Sea

There are daily ferry connections to:

Train

Connections in the directions of:

Local public transport

All public transport within Oslo operate on a common ticket system, allowing free transfers within a period of one hour.

Bus
Tram
Metro (T-bane)
Ferries to Oslo islands
Train

Administration

The city of Oslo constitutes a county of Norway. It is governed by a city government (Byråd) based on the principle of Parliamentarism. The government consists of 6 government members called commissioners (byråder, sing. byråd), and is appointed by the city council, which is the supreme authority of the city. The council consists of 59 popularly elected representives.

Following the latest reform of January 1, 2004, the city is divided into 15 districts (bydel) that are to some extent self governed:

In addition to these districts, there are:

The main city centre, with 1,331 inhabitants as of January 1, 2004, covering an area of 1.8 km².
The rural/recreational areas (Marka), having 1,636 inhabitants as of January 1, 2004, and covering an area of 301.1 km².

Sports

Oslo was host city for the 1952 Winter Olympic Games. Except for the downhill skiing at Norefjell, all events took place within the city limits.

The Bislett Stadion was used for speed skating events at the Olympics, but in recent years it has better known for its yearly Bislett Games track and field event.

Two football teams from Oslo, Vålerenga I.F. Fotball and Lyn Fotball, play in the Norwegian premier league (2003).

Historical population

1801: 9,500 inhabitants
1825: 15,400
1855: 31,700
1875: 76,900
1900: 227,700
1925: 255,700
2003: 517.401

Referenced By

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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Oslo".