NORWAY The greater part of the Norwegian population is found in the agricultural region, that is, on the raised beaches along the coast, on the delta lands of the fjords and lakes, in the valleys of the rivers which penetrate the plateau, and in the Christiania region where the soils, derived from Cambro-Silurian limestone, possess considerable fertility. These districts only amount to about three per cent. of the whole area, but, lying between the forest region on the one hand and the sea on the other, the whole industrial activity of the country is centred upon them. Cereals such as barley and rye can be grown as far north as the 70th parallel, but oats is the chief crop. The production of grain is not sufficient to meet the home demand, and large quantities have to be imported. Dairying is becoming an important industry, and there are 1,000,000 cattle in the country. During the summer months these are fed on the upland pastures. As the farms are small, co-operative dairies have been established and have proved very successful. Butter and condensed milk are exported.
The products of the Forest region—timber, wooden goods (such as doors and window-frames), and wood pulp—constitute over 30 per cent. of the country's exports. The manufacture of wood pulp is greatly facilitated by the presence of enormous supplies of water-power, obtained from the rivers which rush down from the highlands. The population of the Forest zone is largely migratory, the various processes in preparing the timber for export being carried on chiefly in the small towns of the previous region.
Norwegian fisheries are of first-class importance. The greatly indented coast, with its long line of protecting islands (the Skjaergaard), provides numberless harbours for the fisherman, and good spawning grounds for the fish. The proximity of the Arctic leads to the predominance of northern species, and these find their home on the ocean banks, more especially in the vicinity of the Lofoten Islands, which are the centre of the cod-fishing industry.
Herring are obtained all along the coast from Bergen northwards, but the relative productivity of different districts varies greatly from year to year. The cod, when salted and dried, are exported to the Catholic countries of Europe (chiefly to Spain), while the herring are sent to Germany, Sweden, and Russia. Whale-fishing is carried on from various ports, the oil being used for purposes of illumination.
Of the manufactures and industries, other than those already mentioned, shipbuilding, the manufacture of paper and matches, and the preparation of calcium carbide are the most important. Within the last few years the production of calcium carbide for the manufacture of nitrogenous manures has become an established industry of Norway, which is specially favoured by its large supplies of water-power. Large works have been built at Notodden and Rjukanfos in North Telemarken, and considerable quantities of the product are now exported.
The mineral resources of the country include extensive supplies of low-grade iron ore in the northern districts, which it has not hitherto paid to work on a large scale because of the want of fuel. The development of electrical methods of treating the ore is causing more attention to be paid to these deposits, as the districts in which they are found are rich in their possession of water power. Among other minerals, copper is worked at Roros in the valley of the Glommen, and silver at Kongsberg.
The geographical position of Norway, its numerous good harbours, the facilities for building wooden ships, the ease by water and the difficulty by land with which communication is carried on, the exportation of timber and fish, and the importation of coal, cereals, and manufactured goods, have all contributed to the growth of Norwegian shipping, which has about 5 per cent. of the world's tonnage, and ranks in importance after Great Britain, the United States, and Germany. Christiania, Bergen, and Trondhjem are the chief ports.