NORWAY: Exploring New Horizons...
Student Text Page No. 2: "Within Its Region"

The fishermen silence their oars, lift a great shout into the night, then listen. Where are the other boats? Surrounded by thick fog, they can't even see the stars, to check their position ... Was that a sea serpent? ... For a moment, the only sound is the chilly slap of waves. Then: … Over there! Did you hear that? … One reply! Two! The other boats in their small fleet are nearby, after all....

Millennia ago, the coastal waters of what we now call Norway, Sweden, and Denmark were dotted with small fishing vessels. Their Norse (northern) crews knew how terrifying the sea could be in a storm or fog. But they knew its rewards, too. A very good catch of fish meant food for themselves — plus a product they could trade for furs or other items. And, though frightening, the unexplored horizon promised adventure, too.

Growing pains. By 1000 CE, Norse Vikings — the descendants of those early fishing crews — had chased the horizon as far as the Mediterranean Sea and the west Atlantic Ocean. Some Vikings raided coastal towns. Others founded settlements — in France and Iceland, for example, and even North America. They opened new trade routes. And they challenged boatbuilders everywhere. Viking ships were top of the line. Toward the end of the Viking era, Norwegians, Swedes, and Danes began to form separate kingdoms, and this often involved territorial warfare. Yet they still traded together, spoke similar languages, and shared the same Norse myths and Christian faith. So it was no surprise, when they traded fighting for uniting in 1397. After that, Norway was joined in a union with Denmark and Sweden until 1523; with Denmark until 1814; and with Sweden until 1905.

National goals. In the 1800s, Norwegians grew restless with that arrangement. They kept their monarchy, but adopted a new constitution (1814) and increased the powers of their parliament (1884). A new sense of national identity and progress emerged, symbolized by the music of Edvard Grieg and the writings of Henrik Ibsen. By the time Norway broke with Sweden (1905), it was launching new industries and expanding its trade worldwide. But some things didn't change. Norway strengthened trade links with its Baltic and North Sea allies. In the 20th century, it joined with several of them to form the Nordic Council, based on their shared culture. And (in between hot and cold wars) it strove to build stable relations with Russia, a northern neighbor. Today, Norway works closely with Russia — and other new democracies in the region — in tackling common problems.