Norway occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe, extending from approximately 57°57'N to 71°11'N latitude. The country covers 385,207 square kilometers of mainland territory, making it slightly larger than Germany but with a population of 5.5 million as of 2024. The nation's borders touch Sweden along a 1,630-kilometer frontier to the east, Finland for 736 kilometers in the northeast, and Russia for 196 kilometers at the far northeastern edge in Finnmark region. Three seas define the remaining boundaries: the Norwegian Sea to the west, the Barents Sea to the northeast, and the North Sea to the south, with the Skagerrak strait separating southern Norway from Denmark.
The Norwegian coastline measures 25,148 kilometers when mainland shore alone is counted, but extends to 100,915 kilometers when all islands, fjords, and coastal indentations are included. This extraordinary length results from Norway's fjord topography, where ancient glaciers carved deep valleys that subsequently flooded with seawater as ice sheets retreated. Sognefjord extends 205 kilometers inland from the coast and reaches 1,308 meters below sea level at its deepest point, making it both the longest and deepest fjord in Norway. Hardangerfjord stretches 179 kilometers and sits surrounded by the Hardangervidda plateau. The UNESCO World Heritage designation awarded in 2005 covers Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord specifically, recognizing their exceptional natural beauty and geological significance. Nærøyfjord narrows to 250 meters at its tightest point, with cliff walls rising 1,400 meters on either side.
Norway administers several distant territories beyond the Scandinavian mainland. Svalbard archipelago sits between 74°N and 81°N latitude, approximately 650 kilometers north of mainland Norway in the Arctic Ocean. The Svalbard Treaty of 1925 granted Norway sovereignty while permitting citizens of signatory nations to conduct commercial activities without visa requirements. Longyearbyen serves as the administrative center with a permanent population of approximately 2,400 residents as of 2023. Jan Mayen island lies 550 kilometers northeast of Iceland and 470 kilometers east of Greenland, covering 377 square kilometers with no permanent population beyond rotating meteorological and military personnel at Olonkinbyen station. Bouvet Island sits at 54°26'S latitude in the South Atlantic Ocean, 2,525 kilometers southwest of South Africa, making it the most remote island in the world. Norway claimed Bouvet in 1927 and designated it a nature reserve in 1971. The island remains uninhabited and covered 93% by glaciers.
The Jotunheimen mountain range in south-central Norway contains the highest peaks in Northern Europe, including Galdhøpiggen at 2,469 meters above sea level and Glittertind at 2,465 meters. Galdhøpiggen's elevation includes a permanent ice cap measuring approximately 15 meters thick, though this has diminished roughly 1.5 meters since 2000 due to increased summer melting. The range name translates to "Home of the Giants" from Old Norse mythology. Jotunheimen National Park, established in 1980, covers 1,151 square kilometers and protects this alpine terrain. The Dovre mountain range extends northward from Jotunheimen, forming a traditional boundary between southern and northern Norway. Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park encompasses 1,693 square kilometers and supports the last remaining population of wild musk oxen in Europe, numbering approximately 300 animals in 2023. These animals descended from 27 individuals transplanted from Greenland between 1932 and 1953.
Hardangervidda plateau constitutes Europe's largest mountain plateau, covering approximately 8,000 square kilometers at elevations between 1,100 and 1,400 meters. Hardangervidda National Park, established in 1981, protects 3,422 square kilometers, making it Norway's largest national park by area. The plateau supports a wild reindeer population estimated at 8,000 to 10,000 animals, representing one of Europe's largest remaining wild herds. Archaeological evidence indicates human presence on Hardangervidda for at least 10,000 years, with stone hunting structures and iron-smelting sites dating to various prehistoric periods.
Norway established its first national park at Rondane in 1962, protecting 963 square kilometers of mountain terrain in south-central Norway. As of 2024, the nation maintains 47 national parks on mainland Norway covering 32,906 square kilometers, plus seven additional parks on Svalbard protecting 26,950 square kilometers. Jostedalsbreen National Park, created in 1991, contains Jostedalsbreen glacier, the largest glacier on mainland Europe at 487 square kilometers as measured in 2020. The glacier reaches a maximum thickness of approximately 600 meters. Jostedalsbreen has retreated significantly since the end of the Little Ice Age around 1900, losing approximately 30% of its volume between 1966 and 2020. Briksdalsbreen, an accessible glacier arm extending from Jostedalsbreen, retreated 325 meters between 2000 and 2015 before briefly advancing 20 meters between 2016 and 2018. Subsequent retreat resumed, with the glacier terminus withdrawing another 55 meters by 2023.
The Lofoten Islands extend approximately 170 kilometers into the Norwegian Sea from northern Norway, located between 67°N and 68°N latitude. Six primary municipalities occupy the archipelago, with a combined population of approximately 24,500 residents as of 2023. The Gulf Stream moderates temperatures substantially despite the northern latitude, with mean January temperatures at Svolvær reaching 0.8°C and July temperatures averaging 14.5°C. This maritime influence creates some of the world's largest positive temperature anomalies relative to latitude. The Vesterålen Islands continue northward from Lofoten, separated by the Raftsundet strait. Vesterålen covers approximately 2,511 square kilometers across multiple islands and supports populations of sperm whales year-round, with peak sightings occurring between May and September when herring concentrate in coastal waters.
The Arctic Circle crosses Norway at 66°33'N latitude, passing through Nordland region near Saltfjellet mountain range and the municipality of Rana. Approximately 35% of Norway's mainland territory lies north of this line, along with the entire Svalbard archipelago. Areas north of the Arctic Circle experience midnight sun during summer, when the sun remains above the horizon for 24 consecutive hours. At Nordkapp (North Cape), often marketed as Europe's northernmost point at 71°10'N, the midnight sun period extends from May 14 to July 29. The actual northernmost mainland point, Kinnarodden, sits 1,450 meters further north than Nordkapp at 71°11'N but remains difficult to access. Conversely, these northern regions experience polar night in winter when the sun does not rise above the horizon. At Tromsø (69°39'N), polar night lasts from November 27 to January 15, totaling 49 days.
Norway experiences predominantly maritime climate along its extensive coastline, transitioning to continental conditions inland and subarctic or arctic conditions in northern and high-elevation areas. The North Atlantic Current, an extension of the Gulf Stream, flows northward along Norway's coast, transporting warm water from tropical latitudes. This current maintains ice-free ports along Norway's entire coast including harbors north of the Arctic Circle, while equivalent latitudes in Alaska, Siberia, and northern Canada remain frozen for much of the year. Bergen, situated at 60°23'N on the southwestern coast, records mean annual precipitation of 2,250 millimeters, with October typically the wettest month at 271 millimeters. This makes Bergen one of Europe's rainiest cities, receiving measurable precipitation approximately 239 days per year on average. The high precipitation results from orographic lifting as maritime air masses encounter coastal mountains, forcing moisture-laden air upward where it cools and condenses.