Faces: People, Places, and Cultures articles from March 2004

Faces: People, Places, and Cultures archives from March 2004

Editor's message.
March 1, 2004... Dear Reader, Located in northern Europe, Norway makes up the western half of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Most of Norway's interior is mountainous. Its jagged coastline consists of fjords--deep, narrow inlets that allow large ships to...

At a glance.(Norway)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Norway Official Name: Kingdom of Norway Location: Norway is situated in northern Europe on the western half of the Scandinavian Peninsula. To the north of Norway lies the Barents Sea. The Norwegian Sea borders Norway on the west and...

Only in ... Norway.
March 1, 2004... Because Norway's coastline is lined with fjords, it is one of the longest in the world. These long, deep, ancient river valleys were formed when the massive glaciers of the Ice Age began to melt 12,000 years ago. So much glacial water poured...

In the know.
March 1, 2004... Look for the following places and things in this issue. Archipelago (ar-keh-PEL-ah-go): A large group of islands. Arctic Circle: Parallel of latitude located at about 66[degrees]33'. The sun does not set here on the summer solstice (on...

When I was a boy in Norway.
March 1, 2004... My family is American now; we live in Wisconsin. But I grew up in Norway and I remember. We lived on a little island in a harbor. On our island I could go anywhere I wanted. I especially loved it when school was out, when the sun stayed up...

Norway.(Through Time)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... 800 The Vikings invade and take over Norway. 839 According to legend, Halfdan the Black rises as a king of Norway. 860 Harald Finehair, Halfdan's son becomes king, eventrually uniting all of Norway for the first time, according to...

Norway's brave explorers.
March 1, 2004... Norway was home to three extraordinary men: Leif Erikson, a Viking believed to be the first European to land on the North American continent; Roald Amundsen, the first man to reach the South Pole; and Thor Heyerdahl, who first set out to prove...

Skiing through the ages.
March 1, 2004... Believe it or not, Norwegians have been skiing since the Stone Age. The 4,500-year-old Rodoy rock carvings, located in Norway above the Arctic Circle, show a man on long runners carrying a hunting tool in his hand. Skis allowed ancient man to...

North Norway finds its place in a child's heart.
March 1, 2004... Two hundred kilometers (about 12 miles) north of the Arctic Circle lies the coastal city of Bodo. With 40,000 residents, Bodo is one of the largest cities in North Norway, a region that covers two-thirds of the land area of the country. In...

The children's parade.
March 1, 2004... When you think of a parade, you usually picture children lining streets, smiling, and cheering for the people and floats that pass by. But in Norway on May 17, called Syttende Mai (SUH-ten-deh my), it is just the opposite. Children march as the...

The day the soldiers came.
March 1, 2004... Five-year-old John Rorvik (ruhr-vik) heard the sound of soldiers marching in step. He knew about these men--German soldiers. Adults, with fear in their voices and eyes, talked about what these soldiers had done in Poland. Now they were here in...

Crazy about their flag.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Norwegians love their flag. They fly it proudly from their homes for national events. They also fly it for personal events, such as birthdays and visits from out-of-town guests. They decorate their Christmas trees with strings of tiny Norwegian...

A watery land.
March 1, 2004... Mainland Norway is known for the beauty of its fjords, cutting deep passages into the mountains. Norway's islands have a different kind of beauty, and the island groups are scenically quite different from each other. The mountainous Lofoten...

Sami: a parliament of their own.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... For thousands of years, Sami (SAM-ee) and Norwegians lived side by Sami lived mostly by hunting, fishing, and herding reindeer. Norwegians lived by farming, raising sheep and cattle, and fishing. Sami have different customs and speak a language...

Think about it.
March 1, 2004... In "Crazy About Their Flag" on page 32, you learned that Norwegians cherish and honor their flag. They fly the flag on national holidays and birthdays. They use the flag to decorate their property. Like most countries, they also have a set of...

Face facts.
March 1, 2004... HEY! HURRY AND CLOSE THAT! I HATE BEING SO CLOSE TO THE FRONT DOOR. I NEED TO MOVE OR FIND SOMETHING TO KEEP MY PAPERS TOGETHER! The paper clip was invented by a Norwegian named Johan Vaaler in 1899. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Norway's stave churches.
March 1, 2004... In Borgund, Norway, the mountains overlook a curious wooden structure that is shaped somewhat like a mountain itself. It has six levels of roof that get smaller and smaller as they reach to the sky. Two of the roofs are capped with dragon...

The three aunts: a Norwegian folktale.(Short Story)
March 1, 2004... A young woman named Ingrid lived deep in the forest with her father. Her mother had died when she was very young, so Ingrid had learned few of the skills her mother would have taught her. She could neither spin, nor weave, nor sew. Cleaning and...

Norway.(Books)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Norway by Jean F. Blashfield Norwegian history, geography, economy, politics, culture, sports--it's all here. But there is more to Norway than facts, and this book uses photographs, sidebars, and stories to help readers understand the...

Norway.(books)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Norway by Elaine Landau Younger readers will enjoy this book. It provides all the basic information about what Norwegians do for work, how they govern their country, and the role of arts in their lives, but it's charming as well. ...

The Summer Solstice.(Books)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The Summer Solstice by Ellen Jackson Is the sun a blazing wheel? A fiery stone? It took people a long time to figure out what the sun is, exactly, but we've always known that without it, the world would be cold and dark, and life would...

Grandchildren of the Vikings.(Books)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Grandchildren of the Vikings by Matti A. Pitkanen If you enjoy learning about Vikings, than you'll enjoy meeting the "grandchildren of the Vikings." The Vikings traveled afar looking for more places to trade, farm, and fish. In unique...

Thor Heyerdahl.(Books)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Thor Heyerdahl by John Malam Norway has produced many great modern explorers, including Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen. In our time, there is Thor Heyerdahl, a man who spent most of his life learning about nature and about other...

Norwegian Folktales.(Books)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Norwegian Folktales From the Collection of Peter Christian Asbjornsen and Joryen Moe Norway is rich in stories of sly witches; scary and silly trolls and ogres; and brave princesses and country lads. This book offers 35 of the most popular...

Favorite Norse Myths.(Books)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Favorite Norse Myths retold by Mary Pope Osborne Myths are much older than fairy tales, but Norse gods and goddesses still pop up in modern culture (Thursday is, after all, Thor's Day). Readers will enjoy learning the stories of Odin, the...

Places to visit.(Norwegian-Americans)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Norwegian-American heritage Wherever Norwegians settled in the United States, you will find Norwegian-Americans proud of their traditions and eager to share their culture. With a little research, you can probably find something to do in...

Videos.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Video Visits: Norway This 55-minute video offers a charming visit to Norway. The slow-paced program is probably of more interest to adults, but it offers a quiet reflection on a beautiful country. International Video Network, 1993...

On-line.(www.odin.dep.no/ud/html/brosjyrer/norway/index.html )(www.rootsworld.com/rw/feature/norway.html )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Norway for Young People This Web site is an official introduction to Norway that's just for kids. It provides information on geography, society, culture, environment, sports, and other "bytes and pieces." It is linked to ODIN, an official...