NORWAY
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NORWAY
falls of water pour perpendicularly down the mountain- side. The Scandinavian ranye consists prinoiiiall}' of primitive and transition rock, and exhibits almost ev- erywhere the effects of glacial action, the glaciers and moraines presenting the same appearances as in the Swiss alpine district. The numerous islands which skirt tlie coast of Norway, and must be regarded as por- tions of the range, present the same characters as the continental mass. Some of these, as the islands of Alston and Donnes, rise perpendicularly from the sea with peaks penetrating beyond the snow-line, which lies here at an elevation of 4000 feet. Norway abounds in lakes and streams; according to some topographers there are upwards of 30,000 of the former, of which the majority are small, while none have an area ex- ceeding 200 square miles. The chief rivers of Norway are the Glommen, Laagen, Lovgen, Drammen, Otter, and Vormen. The first of these has a course of 400 miles; but the majority of the Norwegian streams, all of which rise at great elevations, have a comparatively short course, and are unfit for navigation, although they are extensively used to float down timber to the fjords, whence the wood is exported in native ships to foreign ports. These fjords, or inlets of the sea, which form so characteristic a feature of Norwegian scenery, and give witli their various sinuosities a coast-line of upwards of 8000 miles, form the outlet to numerous rapid streams and waterfalls, which leap or trickle down the edges of the treeless fields or mountain flats above.
Climate, Soil, etc. — The peculiar physical character of Norway necessarily gives rise to great varieties of climate in different parts of the country. The influence of the sea and of the Gulf Stream, and the penetration of deep inlets into the interior, greatly modify the se- verity of the climate on the western shore, and render it far superior to that of the other Scandinavian coun- tries in the same latitude. On the coast generally rain and fogs prevail; while in the region near the North Cape storms are almost incessant, and rage with ex- traordinary violence. In the interior the air is clear and dry. The longest day, which in the south is eigh- teen hours, may be said to be nearly three months in the high latitudes of the northern districts, where the longest night lasts almost an equal length of time. In Norway Proper the winters as a rule are long and cold, and the summers, which rapidly follow the melting of the snows in April and May, are warm and pleasant. On the islands, however, the heats of summer are often insuflicient to ripen corn. The protracted winter of the northern regions follows almost suddenh^ on the disap- pearance of the sun, when the absence of solar light is compensated for by the frequent appearance of the au- rora borealis, which shines with sufficient intensitj' to allow the prosecution of ordinary occupations. It is estimated that one thirty-eighth of the area of Norway lies within the region of perpetual snow, while a large extent of the mountain districts affords no produce be- yond scanty grasses, mosses, lichens, and a few hardy berry-yielding plants. Only birch and juniper grow north of 67^, which is the boundary of the pine. The Scotch fir, rinus sylcestris (Norwegian, Funi), and spruce, r. abies (Norwegian, Graii), cover extensive tracts, and, with birch, constitute the principal wealth of Norway. The hardier fruits, as strawberries, goose- berries, cherries, and raspberries, are abundant and ex- cellent of their kind. Hemp, flax, rye, oats, and barley are grown as far north as WP; but although agriculture has been more systematically pursued of late years, the crops are not always sufficient fur home consumption, and hence it is found absolutely necessary to import an- nually con>iderable quantities of corn and potatoes. In 18r2 there was so great a famine that the people made bread from the bark of dm. In the northern parts, in the upper valleys, the rearing of cattle constitutes an impor- tant branch of industry. The iierds and flocks are driv- en from the distant farms to the pasture-lands in tliese higli mountain valleys, known as Steterdale, where they
remain till the approach of cold weather obliges the herdsmen to return with their charges to the shelter of the farms. Although the cattle and horses are small, they are generally strong and capable of bearing much hard labor. The fisheries of Norway are of great im- portance, and not only yield one of the most important articles of home consumption, but at the same time con- stitute one of the most profitable sources of foreign ex- port. Fish is caught in almost every stream and lake of the interior, as well as in the fjords of the coast, and in the bays and channels which encircle the numerous islands skirting the long sea-line of Norway. Salmon, herring, and cod are of the greatest importance, the lat- ter alone giving employment to some 16,000 or 18,000 men. The mineral products, which comprise silver, copper, cobalt, iron, chrome ironstone, etc., yield an an- nual return of nearly $800,000, The richest mines are situated in the south. Latterly some productive cop- per-works have also been opened in northern districts. Ship-building in all its branches is almost the only in- dustrial art that is extensively and activel}- prosecuted. In many parts of the country there are absolutely no special trades, the inhabitants of the small fishing-ports, no less than the inmates of the widelj' separated farms, employing their leisure during the long winter in weav- ing, spinning, and making the articles of clothing and the domestic implements required in their households. The fauna of Norway includes the bear. wolf. lynx, elk, otter, reindeer, red-deer, seal, the eider-duck, and many other kinds of sea-fowl, blackcock, capercailzie, and a great variety of small game.