Norway is a Scandinavian country located in Northern Europe. It is known for its natural beauty, from majestic mountains and deep fjords to vast forests and stunning coastline. Norway also has a rich culture and fascinating history. Many facts about Norway can form the basis of fun riddles and brainteasers. Below are 52 riddles of varying difficulty levels related to various aspects of Norway. Read on and see how many you can get right!
Riddles about Norwegian Geography
Q1: What is the highest mountain peak in Norway?
A1: Galdhøpiggen, at 8,100 feet (2,469 meters). Located in the Jotunheimen mountain range, it’s the highest peak in Northern Europe.
Q2: Around how many islands does Norway have?
A2: Around 50,000 islands along Norway’s extensive coastline spanning over 25,000 km.
Q3: What is unique about Norway’s Svalbard archipelago?
A3: Svalbard has more polar bears than people! It’s also one of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas.
Q4: Through which Scandinavian country would you have to drive to reach Norway from mainland Europe?
A4: Sweden borders Norway to the east. You would have to drive through Sweden to reach Norway by land from countries like Denmark, Germany and Poland.
Q5: True or False: The midnight sun can be seen in Northern Norway during summer.
A5: True. From late May to late July the sun never fully sets along Norway’s northernmost coastline near the North Cape. The phenomenon is called the midnight sun.
Q6: What is unique about Norway’s coastline?
A6: Norway has one of the world’s longest and most rugged coastlines, with over 50,000 islands and islets dotting its fjord-indented western and northern shores. This landscape was carved out by glaciers from ancient ice ages.
Q7: What is the most common landform in Norway?
A7: Glaciated mountains and high plateaus cover most of Norway, accounting for about 80% of the land. There are also fertile lowland areas along the coasts and in some inland valleys between majestic peaks.
Q8: True of False: Norway has desert regions similar to the Sahara.
A8: False. Norway’s varied landscape does not include any desert regions – it’s too far north to have an arid, hot desert climate. The landscape consists of glaciers, fjords, mountains, forests, high plateaus, and rolling hills.
Q9: What unique geographical lines pass through mainland Norway?
A9: The Arctic Circle cuts through the Norwegian Sea at about 66°N, while the Northern tree line more or less divides the sparsely populated northern part of mainland Norway from the more hospitable southern regions at around latitude 70°N.
Riddles about Norwegian History
Q10: Who is considered the first King of Norway?
A10: King Harald Fairhair, who unified Norway into one kingdom in the 9th century, becoming its first central monarch according to medieval histories.
Q11: What was Leif Erikson the first European to do, around 1000 CE?
A11: He was likely the first European to land in North America, discovering a region he named Vinland almost 500 years before Christopher Columbus arrived in the Caribbean.
Q12: Norway was involved in a union with which countries from 1380 to 1814?
A12: The Kalmar Union joined the three Scandinavian kingdoms of Norway, Denmark and Sweden under one monarch for most of those centuries.
Q13: True or False: Norway was part of the Viking Age from the 8th to 11th centuries.
A13: True. The Vikings came from Scandinavia, conducting raids and trade across Europe from their home bases in Norway, Denmark and Sweden.
Q14: What precious resource led to Norway’s rapid industrialization starting in the early 1900s?
A14: Large reserves of oil and natural gas, mainly found under the North Sea, were discovered in the 1960s and extracted from the 1970s. Export of fossil fuels drove economic expansion.
Q15: What was Norway’s role during World War II?
A15: Nazi Germany invaded and occupied Norway for most of the war until its liberation in 1945. Norway put up resistance but could not stop the invasion launched in April 1940.
Q16: When did women in Norway gain the right to vote?
A16: As early as 1913, Norwegian women were granted universal suffrage – that’s earlier than most other independent countries.
Q17: Which famous sea disaster involving a Norwegian ship happened in 1912?
A17: The sinking of the RMS Titanic in the North Atlantic Ocean. Over 1500 perished when the British passenger liner went down in freezing waters after hitting an iceberg.
Riddles about Norwegian Culture
Q18: What is Norway’s national day celebrating independence?
A18: Constitution Day or Syttende Mai falls on May 17 every year. It commemorates the 1814 Norwegian Constitution that declared Norway’s status as an independent nation in a personal union with Sweden.
Q19: What is the most popular spectator sport played in Norway?
A19: Association football a.k.a soccer! Norwegians love playing and avidly watching football, with major stadiums routinely selling out for matches.
Q20: Complete the phrase associated with Norway: “There’s no such thing as bad _______”
A20: Weather… only bad clothes! This saying reflects the importance Norwegians place on wearing the right winter layers, rain protection etc. to stay comfortable in notoriously fickle weather.
Q21: What board game allegedly originating in the Viking era remains popular in modern Norway?
A21: Chess – or sjakk as the Norwegians call it. Stories say chess entered Scandinavia with the Vikings over 1,100 years ago.
Q22: What is Norway’s most famous painting depicting?
A22: The Scream by Edvard Munch depicts an agonized figure against a tumultuous, blood-red sky. It’s an iconic masterpiece of Expressionism.
Q23: Which cherished Norwegian Christmas tradition started in the 1500s?
A23: Mountain men wearing Christmas goat hides and demanding gifts! Gifts are exchanged to acknowledge this folklore.
Q24: What is the most famous fairy tale to come out of Norway?
A24: East of the Sun and West of the Moon. It tells the magical story of a young woman journeying to a castle east of the sun and west of the moon to rescue her prince who’s been turned into a bear by his wicked stepmother, the Troll Queen.
Q25: Which unique Norwegian word refers to the cozy, warm atmosphere of sitting around a fire with good company on a cold winter’s night?
A25: Koselig (pronounced “kooh-seh-lee”). There’s really no accurate English translation for this quintessential Norwegian good vibe!
Q26: What Norwegian dessert has been described as syltetøy’s little brother?
A26: Multekrem! It’s a rich, creamy wild cloudberry pudding, while syltetøy refers to jams or fruit preserves. Both sweet treats are very popular among Norwegians.
Q27: Apart from skiing, what’s another famous traditional Norwegian winter sport depicted in many paintings?
A27: Ski jumping, where skiers speed down a takeoff ramp before soaring through the air, striving for maximum distance before making a telemark landing.
Riddles on Norwegian Cuisine
Q28: What ingredient is primarily responsible for giving Brunost cheese its characteristic brown color?
A28: Boiled and condensed whey, which caramelizes as part of the unique cheese-making process. Brunost means brown cheese in Norwegian.
Q29: Which spice mix is added to mutton ribs to make Norway’s unofficial national dish of Fårikål?
A29: Kumin or Caraway seeds. The memorable taste comes from this spice paired with abundant cabbage and peppercorns.
Q30: What common Norwegian breakfast item was originally brought by emigrating Dutch farmers called the Quakers centuries ago?
A30: Norwegians love eating knekkebrød – a crispy flatbread somewhat similar to crackers that can be eaten with various toppings.
Q31: What is Lutefisk?
A31: Lutefisk is cold-water whitefish cured in lye. It has a gelatinous texture and specific pungent taste that some love while others find difficult to swallow! Lutefisk is traditionally eaten before Christmas.
Q32: What crucial Diary product is used to make Norwegian Butter Cookies?
A32: Plenty of butter of course! Upwards of 250 grams per batch is standard in this melt-in-your-mouth delicacy.
Q33: Out of cranberries, cloudberries, and lingonberries, which berry is not commonly used or locally grown in Norway?Q34: What is Norway’s twist on a taco called, replacing the tortilla with a potato wrap?
A34: Potato lefse tacos! Lefse is a traditional soft Norwegian flatbread made from potatoes, flour, butter and milk or cream.
Q35: Which 3 core ingredients form the holy trinity of traditional rustic Norwegian cuisine?
A35: Potatoes, onions, and salted pork or lamb meat. Various simple platters can be created combining these ingredients which store relatively well in cold regions.
Riddles about Norwegian Wildlife and Nature
Q36: What is the national animal of Norway?
A36: The moose or elk. These large majestic brown mammals roam Norwegian forests and represent the country’s wildlife and natural heritage.
Q37: Which carnivorous marsupial found in Australia is actually named after a Norwegian island?
A37: The Quokka’s scientific name is Setonix brachyurus, with Setonix derived from Rottnest Island off Western Australia. Rottnest was once known by Dutch explorers as Rottenest Norway’s Røst islands probably account for the name as they lie above the Arctic Circle.
Q38: Norway claims stewardship over the northernmost stocks of which type of large edible oily fish?
A38: Atlantic Salmon. Norway manages much of the wild North Atlantic salmon stocks that swim upstream to spawn in clear rivers and tributaries along the Norwegian coastline and inland valleys.
Q39: Norway has historically prided itself on keeping its cattle stock free from diseases afflicting dairy herds elsewhere since what event?
A39: The foot and mouth outbreak of 1952 led Norway to ban imports of livestock, ensuring Norwegian cows and goats remain healthy and producing excellent dairy from grazing mountainous pastures.
Q40: Which species of owl found in Norway has been described as the largest and most powerful owl in the world?
A40: The Eurasian Eagle Owl or Bubo bubo stands up to 75 cm tall with a wingspan pushing 2 meters! Thankfully they rarely attack adult humans.
Q41: What is unique about the Norwegian Lundehund dog breed?
A41: The Lundehund is a Spitz-type small dog that originally evolved to hunt and retrieve puffins and other seabirds on rugged coastal cliffs and caves. Its extremely flexible joints allow it to fit into narrow crevices.
General Trivia Riddles about Norway
Q42: What is Norway’s fastest growing religion as of 2022?
A42: Norse Pagan Faith communities practicing historical Norse polytheism and cultivating worship of Odin, Thor, Freya and other Norse gods are gaining renewed interest and followers in recent years. It is considered Norway’s fastest growing religion currently.
Q43: Which constitutional amendment passed on June 21, 1814 was significant for Norway?
A43: The Norwegian Constituent Assembly adopted paragraph 2 in the Constitution establishing Lutheran Protestantism as Norway’s official state religion. This was only changed in 2012 to a more secular order.
Q44: Who is Norway’s head of state as of 2022?
A44: King Harald V is the reigning monarch of Norway. The country has been ruled by kings from the same royal house since 872 AD with the current dynasty established since 1905.
Q45: What is the main unit of currency used in Norway?
A45: The Norwegian Krone denoted by the symbol kr is the currency used in daily commerce and trade in Norway. 1 Krone averages around $0.10 USD.
Q46: Which constitutional body serves as Norway’s parliament?
A46: The Storting functions as the supreme legislature of Norway meeting in the capital of Oslo. It has 169 members who are directly elected for 4-year terms based on a system of proportional representation.
Q47: What was the name of the German battleship sunk by Norwegian forces in April 1940?
A47: The KMS Blucher was sunk at the Battle of Drøbak Sound, delaying the naval invasion and earning honors for the defense. But German land troops eventually forced Norway to surrender 2 months later.
Q48: Who has been the longest reigning monarch of Norway?
A48: King Haakon VII reigned for 52 years from 1905 when Norway broke from Sweden to his death during World War 2 in September 1957. He was a widely beloved figure for his steadfast leadership.
Q49: What differentiates a Norwegian billion from an English language billion?
A49: A Norwegian billion translates to 1 trillion in British and American counting. A Norwegian billion is a million million, while an English billion is a thousand million. This causes frequent mixups!
Q50: What is the most popular first name for boys and girls born in Norway in 2022?
A50: Nora / Nora and Oliver / Oliver were the most commonly picked baby names throughout Norway in 2022 with variations like Olivia and Olav used as well. Classic Norwegian names never seem to go out of style!
Q51: Which constitutional amendment passed on June 21, 1814 was significant for Norway?
A51: The Norwegian Constituent Assembly adopted paragraph 2 in the Constitution establishing Lutheran Protestantism as Norway’s official state religion. This was only changed in 2012 to a more secular order.
Q52: What differentiates a Norwegian billion from an English language billion?
A52: A Norwegian billion translates to 1 trillion in British and American counting. A Norwegian billion is a million million, while an English billion is a thousand million. This causes frequent mixups!
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this extensive set of 52 riddles spanning geography, history, culture, cuisine, nature and random trivia on Norway! Let me know in the comments how many you were able to decipher correctly. Skål!
