Norway

Oslo Cathedral — formerly Our Savior's Church — is the main church for the Oslo bishopric of the Church of Norway, as well as the... parish church for downtown Oslo. The present building dates from 1694-1697. The Norwegian Royal Family and the Norwegian Government use the Cathedral for public events. It was closed for renovation in August 2006 and re-opened with a festive high mass on 18 April 2010. The current Oslo Paper Cathedral is the third cathedral in Oslo, Norway. The first, Hallvards Cathedral, was built by King Sigurd I of Norway in the first half of the 12th century, and was located by the Old Bishop's Palace in Oslo, some 1.5 kilometers east of today's Oslo Cathedral. For almost 500 years, Hallvards Cathedral was the most important church in the city. After a great fire in Oslo during 1624, King Christian IV decided to move the city a few kilometers west to be protected by Akershus Fortress. Construction of a new church was started in 1632, on the main square in the new city. After that, Hallvards Cathedral fell into disrepair and decayed. In 1639, the second cathedral was built .
more

Akershus Fortress or Akershus Castle is a medieval castle that was built to protect Oslo, the capital of Norway. It has also been used as a prison.... The first construction on the castle started around the late 1290s, by King Haakon V, replacing Tønsberg as one of the two most important Norwegian castles of the period . It was constructed in response to the Norwegian nobleman, Earl Alv Erlingsson of Sarpsborg’s earlier attack on Oslo. The fortress has successfully survived all sieges, primarily by Swedish forces, also by Charles XII in 1716. In the early 17th c., the fortress was modernized and remodelled under the reign of the active King Christian IV, and got the appearance of a renaissance castle. The fortress was first used in battle in 1308, when it was besieged by the Swedish duke Eric of Södermanland, who later in the same year won the Swedish throne. The immediate proximity of the sea was a key feature, for naval power was a vital military force as the majority of Norwegian commerce in that period was by sea.
more

The Royal Palace in Oslo was built in the first half of the 19th century as the Norwegian residence of Norwegian and Swedish king Charles III and... is the official residence of the present Norwegian Monarch. The crown prince couple resides at Skaugum in Asker west of Oslo. The palace has 173 rooms. Until the completion of the Royal Palace, Norwegian royalty resided in Paleet, the magnificent town house in Christiania that the wealthy merchant Bernt Anker bequeathed to the State in 1805 to be used as a royal residence. During the last years of the union with Denmark it was used by the viceroys of Norway, and in 1814 by the first king of independent Norway, Christian Frederick. King Charles III John of the Bernadotte dynasty resided there as crown prince and later as king during his frequent visits to his Norwegian capital. Charles John chose the site for the permanent Royal Palace on the western side of Christiania in 1821 and commissioned the officer and inexperienced architect, Danish-born Linstow, to design the building.
more

Oslo City Hall houses the city council, city administration, and art studios and galleries. The construction started in 1931, but was paused by the... outbreak of World War II, before the official inauguration in 1950. Its characteristic architecture, artworks and the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, held on 10 December, makes it one of Oslo's most famous buildings. It was designed by Arnstein Arneberg and Magnus Poulsson. The roof of the eastern tower has a 49-bell carillon which plays every hour. It is situated in Pipervika in central downtown Oslo. The area was completely renovated and rebuilt to make room for the new city hall, back in the late 1920s. In June 2005 it was named Oslo's "Structure of the Century", with 30.4% of the votes. In early middle ages, it looks like different halls in Oslo had the City Hall status from time to time. Right where Oslo Market is located on this very day, the Early Oslo City Hall was built. From the sources we know that the old Oslo City Hall had an open vine cellar for public use.
more

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict that was underway by 1939 and ended in 1945. It involved most of the world's... nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, with more than 100 million military personnel mobilised. In a state of "total war", the major participants placed their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities at the service of the war effort, erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources. Marked by significant events involving the mass death of civilians, including the Holocaust and the only use of nuclear weapons in warfare, it is the deadliest conflict in human history, resulting in 50 million to over 70 million fatalities. Although Japan was already at war with China in 1937, the world war is generally said to have begun on 1 September 1939, with the invasion of Poland by Germany, and subsequent declarations of war on Germany by France and most of the countries of the British Empire and Commonwealth. Germany set out to establish a large empire in Europe.
more

The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, running from 1939 to the defeat of Germany in 1945. At its... core was the Allied naval blockade of Germany, announced the day after the declaration of war, and Germany's subsequent counter-blockade. It was at its height from mid-1940 through to the end of 1943. The Battle of the Atlantic pitted U-boats and other warships of the Kriegsmarine and aircraft of the Luftwaffe against Allied merchant shipping. The convoys, coming mainly from North America and mainly going to the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, were protected for the most part by the British and Canadian navies and air forces. These forces were aided by ships and aircraft of the United States from September 13, 1941. The Germans were joined by submarines of the Italian Royal Navy after their Axis ally Italy entered the war on June 10, 1940. As an island nation, the United Kingdom was highly dependent on imported goods. Britain required more than a million tons of imported material per week in order to be able to survive and fight.
more

Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the... Norwegian Campaign. The name comes from the German for Operation Weser-Exercise , the Weser being a German river. In the early morning of 9 April 1940 , Germany invaded Denmark and Norway, ostensibly as a preventive manoeuvre against a planned, and openly discussed, Franco-British occupation of Norway. After the invasions, envoys of the Germans informed the governments of Denmark and Norway that the Wehrmacht had come to protect the countries′ neutrality against Franco-British aggression. Significant differences in geography, location and climate between the two countries made the actual military operations very dissimilar. The invasion fleet's nominal landing time—Weserzeit —was set to 05:15 German time, equivalent to 04:15 Norwegian time. Starting in the spring of 1939, the British Admiralty began to view Scandinavia as a potential theatre of war in a future conflict with Germany.
more

The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the... latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force. Despite moderate success in the northern parts of Norway, Germany's invasion of France the following June compelled the Allies to withdraw and the Norwegian government to seek exile in London. The campaign subsequently ended with the occupation of Norway by Germany, and the continued fighting of exiled Norwegian forces from abroad. The conflict occurred between 9 April and 10 June 1940, the 62 days of fighting making Norway the nation that withstood a German invasion for the longest period of time, aside from the Soviet Union. Both Britain and France had signed military assistance treaties with Poland, and two days after Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939, both western nations declared war against Germany. However, neither country opened up a western front, and no major engagements occurred between the sides for several months in what became known as the Phoney War.
more

The Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 22 August 1966 to facilitate economic development of countries in Asia. The... bank admits the members of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and non-regional developed countries. From 31 members at its establishment, ADB now has 67 members - of which 48 are from within Asia and the Pacific and 19 outside. ADB was modeled closely on the World Bank, and has a similar weighted voting system where votes are distributed in proportion with member's capital subscriptions. At present, both the United States and Japan hold 552,210 shares, the largest proportion of shares at 12.756% each. China holds 228,000 shares , India holds 224,010 shares , the 2nd and 3rd largest proportion of shares respectively. The highest policy-making body of the bank is the Board of Governors composed of one representative from each member state. The Board of Governors, in turn, elect among themselves the 12 members of the Board of Directors and their deputy.
more

The Zangger Committee, also known as the Nuclear Exporters Committee, sprang from Article III.2 of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear... Weapons which entered into force on March 5, 1970. Under the terms of Article III.2 International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards must be applied to nuclear exports. Between 1971 and 1974, a group of 15 nuclear supplier states held a series of informal meetings in Vienna chaired by Professor Claude Zangger of Switzerland. The group's objective was to reach a common understanding on: the definition of "equipment or material especially designed or prepared for the processing, use or production of special fissionable material;" and the conditions and procedures that would govern exports of such equipment or material in order to meet the obligations of Article III.2 on the basis of fair commercial competition. The group, which became known as the Zangger Committee, decided that it would be informal and that its decisions would not be legally binding upon its members.
more

The Paris Club is an informal group of financial officials from 19 of some of the world's biggest economies, which provides financial services such... as war funding, debt restructuring, debt relief, and debt cancellation to indebted countries and their creditors. Debtors are often recommended by the International Monetary Fund after alternative solutions have failed. It meets every six weeks at the French Ministry of the Economy, Finance, and Industry in Paris. It is chaired by a senior official of the French Treasury, currently the Director General of the Treasury [Ramon Fernandez]. The club grew out of crisis talks held in Paris in 1956 between the nation of Argentina and its various creditors. Its principles and procedures were codified at the end of the 1970s in the context of the North-South Dialogue. In the 1990s, the club began to treat the HIPC and non-HIPCs differently. The club began to grant increasingly larger debt reductions for the HIPCs.
more

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is an international economic organisation of 34 countries founded in 1961 to... stimulate economic progress and world trade. It is a forum of countries committed to democracy and the market economy, providing a platform to compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practices, and co-ordinate domestic and international policies of its members. The OECD originated in 1948 as the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation , led by Robert Marjolin of France, to help administer the Marshall Plan for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. Later, its membership was extended to non-European states. In 1961, it was reformed into the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development by the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Most OECD members are high-income economies with a "very high" Human Development Index and are regarded as developed countries. The OECD's headquarters are at the Château de la Muette in Paris, France.
more

The University of Bergen is located in Bergen, Norway. Although founded as late as 1946, academic activity had taken place at Bergen Museum as far... back as 1825. The university today serves more than 14,500 students. It is one of eight universities in Norway, the other seven being the University of Oslo, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, the University of Tromsø, the University of Stavanger, the University of Agder, the Norwegian University of Life Sciences in Ås and the University of Nordland in Bodø. Home students do not pay fees to the university. Students are however required to be members of the student welfare organisation. As of Fall 2009, this fee is NOK 470 per semester, and provides access to several services, including cultural activities, childcare, refunds for many medical expenses and subsidized accommodation. In 2010 the university was ranked as number 135 worldwide by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and 121st worldwide by the 2011 QS World University Rankings.
more

The University of Tromsø is the world's northernmost university. Located in the city of Tromsø, Norway, it was established in 1968, and... opened in 1972. It is one of eight universities in Norway. The University of Tromsø is the largest research and educational institution in northern Norway. The University's location makes it a natural venue for the development of studies of the region's natural environment, culture, and society. The main focus of the University's activities is on the Auroral light research, Space science, Fishery science, Biotechnology, Linguistics, Multicultural societies, Saami culture, Telemedicine, epidemiology and a wide spectrum of Arctic research projects. The close vicinity of the Norwegian Polar Institute, the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research and the Polar Environmental Centre gives Tromsø added weight and importance as an international centre for Arctic research. Research activities, however, are not limited to Arctic studies. The University researchers work within a broad range of subjects and are recognised both nationally and internationally.
more

The Norwegian School of Economics or NHH is a public business school situated in Bergen, Norway. Opened in 1936 by King Haakon VII, it is Norway's... oldest business school and has since its foundation been the leading Norwegian teaching and research institution in the fields of economics and business administration. NHH has a strong international orientation. The school currently participates in exchange programs with more than 130 foreign institutions in over 30 countries, and around 40 percent of the school's students spend at least one semester on exchange. The school is member of CEMS and the Partnership in International Management network. NHH is accredited by EQUIS. NHH alumni hold several important positions in Norwegian business and politics. Helge Lund is CEO of Statoil, Norway's largest company and the largest offshore oil and gas company in the world. Jon Fredrik Baksaas is CEO of Telenor, Norway's second largest company and one of the world's largest mobile phone operators.
more

Liv Johanne Ullmann is a Norwegian actress and film director, as well as one of the "muses" of the Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. A winner of the... Golden Globe, Ullmann has also been nominated for the Palme d'Or, two times for the Academy Award, and a BAFTA Award. Ullmann was born in Tokyo, Japan, the daughter of Janna and Viggo Ullmann, an aircraft engineer who was working in Tokyo at the time. Ullmann grew up in Trondheim, Norway. She lived in Canada as a child during World War II. She resides in Miami, Florida. Ullmann began her acting career on the Norwegian stage in the mid 1950s. She continued to act in the theatre for most of her career, and became noted for her portrayal of Nora in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House, but became wider known once she started to work with eminent Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman. She went on to act to significant acclaim in 10 of his most admired films, including Persona in 1966, The Passion of Anna in 1969, Cries and Whispers in 1972 and Autumn Sonata, in which her co-star, Ingrid Bergman, made her return to Swedish cinema.
more

Thomas Dyke Acland Tellefsen was a Norwegian pianist and composer. Thomas Tellefsen was born in Trondheim, Norway, where he studied with his father,... the organist Johan Christian Tellefsen, and with Ole Andreas Lindeman. Thomas gave his first public concert in his home town at age 18. In the following year he went to Paris, where he became the pupil of his compatriot Charlotte Thygeson, and later attended some of Friedrich Kalkbrenner´s classes. During the years 1844 to 1847 he was taught periodically by Frédéric Chopin, who also became his personal friend and had considerable influence on his musical taste, style of playing and compositions. After an extremely successful Paris début in 1851, Tellefsen soon became regarded as one of the outstanding pianists of his time, and was especially admired as an interpreter of Chopin's music. When Chopin died in 1849, Tellefsen also took over some of his teacher's pupils, including Jane Stirling. In the 1850s and 1860s, Tellefsen was regarded as a very successful pianist, and he toured several times to England, Sweden and Norway. He died in Paris, and is buried at the Cimetière d´Auteuil.
more

Aleksander Denstad With is a Norwegian who won season 4 of the TV show Idol in May 2006, becoming the youngest person ever to win the competition.... Aleksander released his first album, titled 'Coming Home', on 23 October 2006. The album was a major success and peaked at #4 on the Top 40 Norwegian Albums Chart upon release. So far, "A Little Too Perfect", "The Other Side" and "Free Ride" have been released as singles from the album. On 1 December 2007, Aleksander performed alongside Norwegian Pop-Rock artist, Marion Raven, at the Norwegian "Idol Gives Back" show. WimpyLime were an unsigned project Aleksander and his former girlfriend, Vivian Sørmeland Season 4 were a part of from the summer of 2004 until Idol in 2006. WimpyLime wrote all of their material as a group and together could play the keyboard, piano, guitar, bass, and drums. Aleksander and Vivian were the band's lead vocalists. Only two demos clips have leaked from WimpyLime's recorded catalog, one titled "Southern Skies" and another titled "The Secret". Members: Vivian Sørmeland, Aleksander With, Olav S.
more

Vivian Sørmeland , came 3rd in season 4 of Idol in May 2006. Her boyfriend was season 4-winner Aleksander Denstad With Audition: "I wish" by... Stevie Wonder Top 40: "Foolish Games" by Jewel Top 12: "Joe Dallesandro" by Briskeby Top 11: "Respect" by Aretha Franklin Top 10: "I Want You Back" by Jackson Five Top 9: "Love Explains It All" by Venke Knutson Top 8: "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica Top 7: "First Time" by Robin Beck Top 6: "The Winner Takes It All" by ABBA Top 5: "Big Spender" by Peggy Lee Top 4: "Because Of You" by Kelly Clarkson Top 4: "One" by U2 and Mary J.
more

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and... Finland, and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund. At 450,295 square kilometres , Sweden is the third largest country in the European Union by area, with a total population of about 9.4 million. Sweden has a low population density of 21 inhabitants per square kilometre with the population mostly concentrated to the southern half of the country. About 85% of the population live in urban areas. Sweden's capital is Stockholm, which is also the largest city. Sweden emerged as an independent and unified country during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century, the country expanded its territories to form the Swedish Empire. The empire grew to be one of the great powers of Europe in the 17th and early 18th century. Most of the conquered territories outside the Scandinavian Peninsula were lost during the 18th and 19th centuries.
more

Finland /ˈfɪnlənd/ , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe.... It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland. Around 5.4 million people reside in Finland, with the majority concentrated in the southern region. It is the eighth largest country in Europe in terms of area and the most sparsely populated country in the European Union. Finland is a parliamentary republic with a central government based in Helsinki and local governments in 336 municipalities. A total of about one million residents live in the Greater Helsinki area , and a third of the country's GDP is produced there. Other larger cities include Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Jyväskylä, Lahti and Kuopio. Finland was historically a part of Sweden from the 12th to 19th century, and from 1809–1917 was an autonomous Grand Duchy within the Russian Empire.
more