Norway/Norwegians: Development of a Nation
How Norway became Norway, and how the Norwegians became Norwegian.

How the Norwegians as a people, and the country of Norway as a nation-state, evolved and materialized into current form, in terms of ancestral bloodlines, the Norwegian language, borders, culture, and even how they received their name.

Ancestral Background
Development of Language
Formation of Borders
Etymology (How Name Received)
Culture
Norway in 2008

Norwegian Ancestral Background:

1. Began with the Germanic people which originated in Scandinavia. Those that remain in the north after the Germanic migrations into mainland Europe (Scandinavia: modern Norway, Sweden, Denmark) comprise the North Germanic tribes. The North Germanic tribes splinter into the Swede and Geat tribes scattered throughout modern Norway and Sweden.
2. By the 9^th century, the homogenous Swede and Geat tribes throughout Scandinavia begin to subdivide into an eastern group (Norway) and western group (Sweden). The Scandinavian Mountains, which form the modern boundary between Norway and Sweden, served as a partition for the two groups, as the western group (Norse) became more closely affiliated due to more accessibility to one another, and a common interest in the fishing trade. This would serve as the beginnings of distinct Norwegian and Swedish nationalities, homogenous but decentralized tribes that were largely subdivided by a mountain range running north-south, laying the groundwork for two separate “nations”.

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Development of Norwegian Language:

1. Proto-Germanic (direct branch from Proto-Indo-European).
2. Proto-Norse, a branch from Proto-Germanic, spoken in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark) in the 3^rd – 7^th centuries.
3. Evolved into Old Norse, spoken in Scandinavia through 13^th century.
4. Old East Norse develops largely in Sweden and Denmark, while Old West Norse develops largely in Norway and Iceland. Danes and Swedes share common/similar language at this point.
5. Even as Old Norse branches off from Proto-Norse, the Norwegian and Icelandic languages begin diverging from one another in the 13^th century, developing into the modern, distinct languages they are today. All Scandinavian languages (Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish) are mutually intelligible.

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Formation of Norwegian Borders:

1. North Germanics in Scandinavia (Norway and Sweden) are a largely homogenous, yet highly decentralized network of tribes throughout the region, known as Swedes and Geats.
2. In the 9^th century, the Scandinavian Mountains, which serve as the basis for the modern Norway-Sweden border, cause a barrier between Swedes on the east and west sides. Consequently, two distinct nationalities materialize, with the Norse on the west, and the Swedes on the east side of the mountain range. Those on the west side are more accessible to one another, developing a common interest in the fishing industry, while developing an offshoot language distinct from the Swedes from who they splintered from.
3. Queen Margaret of Denmark marries the King of Norway, joining the two kingdoms under personal union in 1380. The kingdoms were autonomous, but combined their respective foreign policies. Sweden was mired by civil war, and the nobles sided with Queen Margaret (King of Norway husband had since died), in joining Sweden to the personal union as well, forming a pan-Nordic kingdom. This was finalized as the Kalmar Union in 1397. Each kingdom was autonomous, but foreign policy was dictated by the monarch. Norway included Iceland and Greenland, and Sweden included western Finland. The union was dominated by Denmark.
   
4. The Swedes grew unhappy with the Danish-dominated government, and the frequent wars they were dragged into, compelling them into an armed revolt. Independence of Sweden (and their territory in Finland) was achieved in 1523. Denmark and Norway remain under personal union, as the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway.
5. After Denmark-Norway was defeated by France in the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark was forced to cede Norway to Sweden in 1814. However, Denmark kept Iceland and Greenland, as they were considered property of the monarch of Denmark-Norway, the monarch being Danish, as had always been the case in the Danish-dominated union. Norway is now under Swedish rule.
6. Norway remained under personal union with Sweden until the union was peacefully dissolved in 1905, making Norway a sovereign nation with its modern borders, which has remained unchanged ever since, with the exception of the Nazi occupation during WWII.

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Etymology (How Name Received:

Norway means “northward route” or “way to the north” (anglicized). This term would have begun to be used sometime before the 9^th century.

Norwegian Culture:

It's long coastal territories, and lack of natural resources in its interior, has always compelled the Norse to maintain a culture closely linked with the sea, with fishing being a mainstay of Norwegian culture throughout history and into modern times.

Like other Scandinavian countries, Norway has evolved into a neo-liberal society, with egalitarian ideals such as equality, and acceptance of all cultures and lifestyles that do not impose harm or oppression upon others. Along these lines, Norway has risen to the status of a peacemaker in the world, offering its services to nations in need of mediation.

Norway in 2008:

Economy: Welfare capitalism. A welfare state with a free market economy. Rich in natural resources, including fish and oil. World’s third largest exporter of oil (next to Saudi Arabia and Russia). Strong, highly advanced economy, due to characteristics of a Nordic/western economy (service-oriented), but with fortune of massive oil reservoirs. Most western economies are net importers of oil and natural gas (by a large margin), while most oil production economies are not very advanced. Norway has the best of both worlds, putting it in a premium position for the modern global economy.
Government: Constitutional monarchy (democracy with monarch still in place).
Religion: Church of Norway is the state religion, 86% belong, most of the rest belong to other Christian churches. Survey: 32% believe in God, 47% in some other form of intelligent design, 17% atheist/agnostic. Low religious activity as becoming much more secular like other Nordic/western nations. Church membership primarily used for life/traditional events such as baptism, marriage, funerals.
Demographics: Vast majority (85+%) are Norwegian.
Foreign Policy: Fostering cooperation among Nordic nations, participating and supporting EU and UN, serving as 3rd party mediator among warring nations/factions.
Population: 4,644,457 (2008)

 

Formation of Nations (All European Nations)

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