Oslo
Oslo is the capital of Norway and its largest city. It is a center of trade and has the country's busiest seaport. Oslo is also the home of the committee that awards the Nobel peace prize.
Oslo lies in the southeastern part of Norway. It is located where the Aker River flows into the Oslo Fjord, a narrow arm of the sea that extends far inland.
The city's principal street is Karl Johansgate. At its western end is the Royal Palace. The Norwegian parliament building is farther down the street. The Town Hall opened in 1950 during the celebration of Oslo's 900th anniversary.
Oslo is home to the leading Norwegian cultural institutions. The city center contains the National Theater and the Norwegian Opera. Many scientific institutions are attached to the University of Oslo. The university's Aula, or Hall, was decorated by the painter Edvard Munch. The Historical Museum and the National Gallery are located near the oldest part of the university.
Across the harbor is a part of Oslo called the Bygdøy peninsula. It contains several museums. The Norwegian Folk Museum features old timber houses from many parts of Norway. Also on Bygdøy are reminders of Oslo's connections with the sea, including a shipping museum and a Viking ship hall. The Framhuset displays the Fram, a famous polar exploration ship. The Kon-Tiki Museum honors the 1947 voyage of Thor Heyerdahl across the Pacific Ocean on a raft.
Oslo hosts many winter sports activities, especially cross-country skiing and ski-jump competitions. The Bislett arena, located in the city center, is an internationally known speed-skating rink.
Oslo is the center of Norwegian trade, banking, industry, and shipping. The chief industries are shipbuilding, engineering, electrical and technical equipment, and graphics. Consumer goods such as linen, woolens, bricks, and tiles are produced. The Norwegian fur auctions are held at Økern, to the northeast of the city. Oslo's harbor is the largest and busiest in the country.
The Norwegian king Harald III Sigurdsson founded the town in about 1050. In its early years most of the buildings were made of wood, and Oslo was badly damaged by fires. A fire in 1624 completely destroyed the town. King Christian IV of Denmark, who also ruled Norway, then built a new town across the river. The new town, called Christiana, became the capital of Norway in 1814. By that time it had replaced Bergen as Norway's largest city. In 1925 the city was renamed Oslo.
During World War II, Oslo was the headquarters for the German forces that occupied Norway. However, the city suffered little physical damage from the occupation. Oslo developed rapidly after the war. Population (1999 estimate), municipality, 502,867.
