Posts Tagged Did you know?
Did you know? A few facts about snow
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on March 3, 2010
Seen a fair amount of snow this winter? We certainly have here in Norway. Yes, more than usual. This winter has been the coldest for the past 20 years, and many places, including Østfold, have seen record amounts of snow (well over 100cm in several places) for the past two decades. Here are a few snow facts for you:
- Snow flakes are ice crystals joined together. Each snowflake is made up of between 2 and 200 separate crystals. As snow falls, snowflakes connect to make bigger snowflakes. Snow flakes are always hexagonal (6 sides), but they are rarely perfectly symmetrical. No two snowflakes ever have the same shape. The average snowflake has a top speed of 1.7m per second.
- It can get too cold for it to snow! Because snow is basically frozen water, if there is not enough moisture in the air, it won’t snow. This is usually the case when temperatures drop below -30C.
- Many people think of snow as being white, but it is actually transparent. Snow appears white because almost all of the visible light striking its surface is reflected back, without any preference for a single colour within the colour spectrum. Depending on where you find the snow, it can actually appear red, blue, green, pink, yellow, grey or even black.
- Layers of snow accumulated on the ground act like a layer of insulation. In winter, snow keeps plants insulated from sub-zero freezing temperatures.
- The fear of snow is called chionophobia.
- Oslo this year also experienced its worst snowfall since 1987. A record 180 municipal employees have been working round the clock to clear the city streets clogged with snow and snowed-down cars. There was so much of it that dumping grounds were quickly overfilled, and snow had to be dumped into the harbour.
- Not surprisingly maybe, the English words ’ski’ and ’slalom’ both come from Norwegian, where they mean… well yes, ski and slalom (slalåm) 
Did you know? A few facts about Moss
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on February 16, 2010
- In the first half of the 19th century, Moss was one of Norway’s largest producers of aquavit, churning out up to 2.4 million liters a year, about one third of Norway’s total production. 10% of this (about 15 litres per person per year) was consummed by the local population. In fact in its heydays Moss counted as many as 14 distilleries and 80 sales outlets – all for a population of about 3,000.
- There are many artists based in Moss, and art galleries, the most famous of which are Gallery F15, Gallery Henrik Gerner, and Gallery Varden.
- The first ever ferry crossing of the Osloford from Moss took place in 1500. Today the Bastø ferry links Moss with Horten, on the other side of the fjord, with regular departures throughout the day.
- Moss Football Club won the Norwegian cup final in 1983 when they beat Oslo team Vålerenga in the final.
- The Moss Convention was ratified on August 14th, 1814 and provided a foundation for a peaceful solution for liberation from Sweden and Denmark, and made it possible to establish an independent monarchy in 1905.
- Moss Amfi, with over 100 boutiques and shops, is the largest shopping centre in Østfold.
- The American College of Norway is located in Moss. More than 1,000 students from all over the world have studied at ACN since the college opened its doors in 1992. Initially located on an estate on the island of Jeløya, the college relocated to Møllebyen in subsequent years.
Did you know? A few facts about Sarpsborg
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on February 2, 2010
- Sarpsborg is the third oldest town in Norway, and was founded by St Olav himself back in 1016.
- Sarpsborg has more golf greens than any other municipality in Østfold. It is also home to Østfold Golfsenter, the largest indoors golf center in Scandinavia.
- Sarpsborg Bowlingsenter is one of the best in the country. The complex boasts 16 lanes, as well as a laser world, billiards, a cafeteria, a child playroom and more.
- The Sørnesuret, one of the most advanced astronomical clocks ever built, can be found in the Borgarsyssel Museum in Sarpsborg. It was the brainchild of Rasmus Sørnes (1893-1967), who built the clock single-handedly in his spare time.
- People who come from Sarpsborg are called ’sarpinger’ (singular: en sarping).
- Sparta Warriors, Sarpsborg’s ice-hockey team, is one of the best in Norway, and enjoys a fervent supporter following. They train, and play their home matches in Sparta Amfi, Norway’s first purpose-built ice-hockey hall.
- The Sarpsfossen in Sarpsborg is Scandinavia’s most powerful waterfall – it has a water debit of 577 m³ per second. It has played a crucial role in the development of industry in the area.
Did you know? About wolves in Norway
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on January 13, 2010
- There are wolves in Rømskog, Aremark and Halden, Østfold – they move around quite a bit, and often cross the border with Sweden.
- A recent study of the wider Scandinavian wolf population concluded there were 120 individuals at the most, causing great concern for the genetic health of the population.
- Because of increasing shortage of natural prey, wolves are sometimes forced to give up their pack-hunting habits, and scavenge for food around villages and farmhouses.
- An adult wolf is about 75cm tall and weighs between 30 and 60kg, while females are usually 20% smaller than males.
- Wolves have been protected under the Nature Conservation Act in Norway since 1971, but ‘licensed killings’ or culls do occur, mainly to protect livestock in particular areas. How wolves should be handled is an issue that has always divided Norwegians, and people on both sides feel strongly about it.
- Several wolves appear in Norse mythology: Fenrir (also known as Fenrisulfr), a giant wolf that will devour Odin at Ragnarok (Doomsday) and be killed by Odin’s son, Viðarr; and Geri and Freki (also Gere and Freke), Odin’s two faithful companions.
More on wolves in Norway here http://www.environment.no/Topics/Biological-diversity/Large-carnivores/Wolf/
Did you know? A few facts about Hvaler
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on January 6, 2010
- 12,000 years ago, Hvaler was under a 1km-thick ice layer. Today it’s one of the sunniest places in Norway.
- A lot of juniper grows on Hvaler. Norway’s highest juniper tree can be found on Spjærøy. It is 14.5m high.
- The first marine national park in Europe opened in Hvaler in September 2009 (read more on this in former entry on this blog).
- More artists live on Hvaler than anywhere else in Østfold.
- Hvaler is the municipality in Norway with the highest number of boats per inhabitant.
- More rare and endangered flowers can be found on Hvaler than anywhere else in Norway. The first ‘protected’ plant in Norway was found here – the eseltistel (Scotch Cotton Thistle, Latin name Onopordum acanthium), which was protected in 1912.
- Hvaler is the biggest fishing community in Eastern Norway, with about 140 professional fishermen.
- The population of Hvaler increases almost ten-fold in the summer, going from 3,700 permanent inhabitant to 30,000 between July and August. There are some 5,000 hytter (summer houses) in the archipelago.
Did you know? A few facts about Halden
Posted by admin in History and architecture on December 14, 2009
- Halden is the only Norwegian town mentioned in the Norwegian national anthem (under its old name of Fredrikshald).
- Local residents torched their town to drive out the Swedes in 1716. A column (the Haldensøylen) was erected by the main bridge to commemorate the event.
- Halden is famous for its rock music, and its thriving community of vintage American car buffs.
- In the 1950s and 1960s, Halden was the shoe capital of Norway, employing some 800 workers in 17 factories.
- Halden is known as the Empire town of Norway, because of the high number of French Empire style buildings dating back to the early-19th-century.
Did you know? Factors influencing ice formation
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on December 2, 2009
Winter is on its way, and hopefully we’ll soon have a few frozen lakes to go ice-skating on. I can’t wait, as I just looooooove ice-skating! But thick, safe ice can take a little while to form, and the following factors all play a part:
- Steady sub-freezing temperatures: The colder it is for a longer period of time, the better the freeze-up of lake waters.
- Calm days and nights: The less the wind blows, the faster and more solid ice freezes.
- Water type: The higher the salinity of a body of water, and the larger its size, the slower the rate at which it will freeze. So a fjord will take a lot longer to freeze over than a small freshwater lake.
- Heavy snows: The formation of good ice is hindered by heavy snow (or worse, rain).
- Vegetation: Shoreline plants result in thinner ice. Reeds and tree roots near the water’s edge can weaken ice and slow formation. Avoid these areas wherever possible.
- Moving water: If there are springs or feeder streams that put water into a lake for example, make sure you know where those areas are to avoid weak ice. The more moving water in a location, the less solid the ice will be.