CLIMATE. Norway reaches 300 miles into the Arctic zone, and nearly a third of the country is in the domain of the midnight sun and winter darkness. The summer day is long and bright, but the winter day is short and Clark. At Christiania, in the far south, the sun is above the horizon on the shortest day less than six hours. The west coast is warmer than the interior because it has the full effect of the west erly winds, whose temperature is modified by blowing from the temperate waters of the At lantic. The fiords therefore do not freeze, hut are navigable the year around. The land, rising from the coast into mountain tops and plateaus, in places rises into regions of perpetual snow where glaciers descend into the valleys. The line of perpetual snow, at the parallel of 62° N., is between 4:500 and 5000 feet above the sea ; at 66° 30' the snow line falls to 3900 feet, and at 70° to about 3000 feet.
climate varies in different parts of the country. :southeast Norway. limited on the north by the Dovrefjeld.has a mean annual temperature varying trout to F. duly is the warmest month. with a mean temperature of at Chris tiania. The winter is must severe in the heart of the country. At Christiania the mean winter temperature is The temperature of West Norway is fairly uniform, the mean annual perature being highest to at the treme western ends of the land. The annual rainfall is greatest along the western coast. from 50 to over 80 inches. On the southeast coast. near it, is 48 inches, while on the Dovrefjeld it is only 12 inches. snow is less frequent in the west than in the east on account of the milder winter temperature. The country north of the Dovrefjeld is colder than in the south, lint the climate of the coast region is also modified by oceanic influences. The most varied shades of continental and maritime climates are thus represented in Norway. The inland tricts of SoutInqist Norway and Finmarken, with their severe winters and relatively high summer temperature, their gentle breezes and small fall. are examples of typical inland climate. The whole coast line, With mild Winters, cool summers, abundant rainfall. and unsettled weather, is an example of typical maritime climate. On the whole, the climatic conditions are favorable to the development of a strong, healthy, energetic people.
FLon.k. The richest vegetation is found in the southeast around Christiania Fiord and the large lakes. Considering its northerly position. Nor way has a luxuriant vegetation. About 1500 species of phanerogams alone grow wild. In the southeast conifers form thick forests from sea level to 3000 feet. Up to about 1600 feet above the sea a luxuriant growth of oak. ash. lime, maple. elm. and lowland torch is found, ary to the conifers, but giving its characteristic stamp to the lowland flora. Above the Bunt of conifers is the birch zone, reaching :3500 feet ahove the sea, Where the true mountain plants begin to be prominent. .:\bove the bireh limit
the willow and the lichen zones are distinguished. In the willow zone there are no a dense growth of low bushes. Reindeer moss pre dominates in the lichen zone. The extreme coast region is destitute cif forest, and also of sonic continental plants found inland, but is especially rich in mosses. The arable soil is found in narrow strips of deep valleys and around fiords and lakes. Large continuous tracts tit for culti vation do not exist, and only 1-110th of the total surface is in grain fields.
l'Al NA. The animal life is that of the rest of North Europe. with relies, chiefly in the north. of Arctie elements suell as the mountain Or Arctic fox, the ptarmigan. the snow bunting,. and V:1 rimi, insects. it' long coast line Norway is richer in species of fish than most northern lands, more than 200 species being found. There are a number of Arctie contributions, including the Oreell11111(1 shark, which is fished for Inver. Very numerous are fishes which belong to the north or general European fauna. cluding most of the food fishes, such as cod, haddock, co:Wish. pollack. torsk, herring, sprat, and mackerel The sale on is caught along the coast and in the rivers, Where it comes to spawn. Trout and red •bar are the most widely dis tributed fish. Of the ten species of reptiles and amphibia, the lizard and the frog are found everywhere. hut the viper has its northern limit at the Polar circle. The birds number 280 species, of which 100 breed in the country. of them are birds of passage, as the falcon. geese, and ducks. The mild cli mate of the south and west coasts induces the starling. blackbird, woodcock, duck, swan, etc..
to winter there. long the west and northern coasts are numerous colonies of swimming birds. The birds of the lowlands are similar to those of Europe in general. There are 67 mammals. The hedgehog is found in the south, the lynx in unfrequented forests, and the glutton, a great enemy of the reindeer, among the mountains of the north. where the reindeer grazes. Wolves, formerly numerous, have nearly disappeared. ex cept in North Norway. Bears are gradually dis appearing. and the commonest beast of prey is the fox among the mountains. The common seal and the gray seal breed on the ..\tlantie islands, and all the Arctic seals, and even the walrus, sometimes appear on the north coast. The ming lives in the mountain WIllgteS and sometimes overruns the lowlands. damaging crops. few beavers remain, and the mountain hare, which turns white in winter. is found all over the country. The ruminants are represented only by the red deer, the elk. and the reindeer among wild animals. The wild reindeer is decreasing on account of over-hunting, but many herds of WM(' reindeer are kept in the north and even among the mountain wastes of the south that lie too high for general grazing.