Oslo

This article is about the capital of Norway. For other uses, see Oslo (disambiguation).

Oslo
From top-left, clockwise: Oslo City Hall, Gol stave church, Oslo Opera House, Royal Palace, Railway Square, Oslo Plaza
Coat of arms
Motto:  Flerkulturens by (City of Multiculture)
Country	Norway
Municipality	Oslo
County	Oslo
District	Østlandet
Established	1000
Government
• Mayor	Fabian Stang
Area
• City	454.03 km2 (175.30 sq mi)
• Urban	285.26 km2 (110.14 sq mi)
• Metro	9,445.03 km2 (3,646.75 sq mi)
Population  (2010)
• City	586,860 (01.01.2010)
• Density	1,292.56/km2 (3,347.7/sq mi)
• Urban	876,391
• Urban density	3,072.25/km2 (7,957.1/sq mi)
• Metro	1,403,268
• Metro density	148.57/km2 (384.8/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Website	http://www.oslo.kommune.no

Oslo (Swedish pronunciation: [ùʃlu] or [ùslu]) is the capital and largest city in Norway. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by a fire in 1624. The Danish–Norwegian king Christian IV rebuilt the city as Christiania (briefly also spelt Kristiania). In 1925 the city reclaimed its original Norwegian name; Oslo. The diocese of Oslo is one of the five original dioceses in Norway, which originated around the year 1070.

Oslo is the cultural, scientific, economic and governmental centre of Norway. The city is also a hub of Norwegian trade, banking, industry and shipping. It is also an important centre for maritime industries and maritime trade in Europe. The city is home to many companies within the maritime sector, some of them are amongst the world's largest shipping companies, shipbrokers and maritime insurance brokers.

Oslo is considered a global city and ranked "Beta World City" in studies performed by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network in 2008. For several years, Oslo has been listed as one of the most expensive cities in the world along with such other global capitals as Copenhagen, Paris, and Tokyo. In 2009, however, Oslo regained its status as the world's most expensive city. Oslo is a pilot city of the Council of Europe and the European Commission intercultural cities program.

As of 2009, the metropolitan area of Oslo has a population of 1.4 million of whom 876,391 lives in the contiguous conurbation. The population currently increases at a record rate of over 2% annually, making it the fastest growing capital in Europe. A large portion of this growth stems from immigration increasingly changing Oslo into a cosmopolitan city. The immigrant share of the population in the city proper now counts more than 25%.

Urban region

A map of the urban areas of Oslo in 2005. The large grey area in the middle indicates Oslo's city centre.

The population of the municipality of Oslo is 586,860 (as of 1 Jan 2010). The urban area extends beyond the boundaries of the municipality into the surrounding county of Akershus, (municipalities of Bærum, Asker, Røyken, Lørenskog, Skedsmo, Gjerdrum, Sørum, Oppegård) its agglomeration total 876,391 inhabitants. The metropolitan area of Oslo, also referred to as the Greater Oslo Region (Norwegian: Stor-Osloregionen), has a land area of 9,445.03 km² (3,646.75 sq mi) with a population of 1,403,268 as of 1 July 2009. The Inner Oslo Fjord Region, or the Capital Region made up by the 5 counties of Oslo, Akershus, Buskerud, Vestfold (west bank of the Oslo fjord) and Østfold (east bank) has a population of 1.86 million people. The city centre is situated at the end of the Oslofjord from where the city sprawls out in three distinct "corridors" from its centre; inland north-eastwards and southwards lining both sides of the fjord giving the city area more or less the shape of a large, reclining "Y" when seen from the north. To the north and east wide forested hills (Marka) rise above the city giving the location the shape of a giant amphitheatre. The urban municipality (bykommune) of Oslo and county (fylke) is the same entity, making Oslo the only city in Norway where two administrative levels are integrated. Of Oslo's total area, 115 km² (44 sq mi) is built-up and 7 km² (2.7 sq mi) is agricultural. The open areas within the built-up zone amount to 22 km² (8.5 sq mi).

The city of Oslo was established as a municipality on 3 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). It was separated from the county of Akershus to become a county of its own in 1842. The rural municipality of Aker was merged with Oslo on 1 January 1948 (and simultaneously transferred from Akershus county to Oslo county). Furthermore, Oslo shares several important functions with Akershus county.

Oslo's share of the national GDP is 17%; the metropolitan area's share is 25%. Oslo is one of the most expensive cities in the world.

General information

Name

The origin of the name Oslo has been the subject of much debate. While certainly derived from Old Norse, it was in all probability originally the name of a large farm at the site of the first settlements in Bjørvika.

It is commonly held that Oslo means “the mouth of the Lo river”, referring to an alternative name of the river Alna, but this is most likely apocryphal; not only is it ungrammatical (the correct form would be Loos, cf. Nidaros), but the name Lo is not recorded anywhere before Peder Claussøn Friis first used it in the same work in which he proposed this etymology. The name Lo is now believed to be a back-formation arrived at by Friis in support of his spurious etymology for Oslo.

During the Middle Ages the name was initially spelt “Áslo” and later “Óslo”. The earlier spelling suggests that the first component ás refers either to the Ekeberg ridge southeast of the town (“ås” in modern Norwegian), or to the Aesir. The most likely interpretations would therefore be either “the meadow beneath the ridge” or “the meadow of the gods”. Both are equally plausible.

A fire in 1624 destroyed much of the medieval city, and when the city was rebuilt it was moved westwards in order to be nearer the Akershus Fortress. King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway renamed the reborn city Christiania. According to an official spelling reform (that changed ch to k) the form was changed to Kristiania in 1877. (The same year the city names Christiansand and Christiansund were changed to Kristiansand and Kristiansund—and the name of the county Christians Amt was changed to Kristians Amt (see Oppland).) The new form was used in all official documents and publications of the Norwegian State, but not by the municipality itself. The city continued to use the old form until 1897, then they also changed to Kristiania (without any formal or official decision).

This original name was restored by a law of 11 July 1924, effective 1 January 1925; a decision which caused much debate in its time.

When I was young, the capital of Norway was not called Oslo. It was called Christiania. But somewhere along the line, the Norwegians decided to do away with that pretty name and call it Oslo instead.

– Roald Dahl

Oslo in the wintertime.

When the city in general now took up the name of Oslo again, the eastern district of the city that had preserved the old name became known simply as Gamlebyen (Old Town). As of 2009, history is about to come full circle as the City Council has announced its intention to rename the city centre today known as Oslo Sentrum (Central Oslo) to possibly Kristiania or Christiania. This central area will roughly correspond to the area built up as the "new city" after the 1624 fire. There is some debate whether to use the historical name Christiania—in use for over 300 years—or the spelling Kristiania, introduced in 1897 and used for only 27 years. The spelling "Kristiania" is considered ahistorical by historians. The old square of Christian IV's city was named Christiania torv in 1958, and this name (with the old ch-form) is still in use on signs and maps.

The city was referred to as Tigerstaden (the City of Tigers) by the author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson around 1870, due to his perception of the city as a cold and dangerous place. This name has over the years achieved an almost official status, to the extent that the 1000-year anniversary was celebrated by a row of tiger sculptures around city hall. The prevalence of homeless and other beggars in more recent times led to the slight rewording of the nickname into Tiggerstaden (the City of Beggars). Another harsh picture of the city was drawn by Knut Hamsun in his novel Sult (Hunger) from 1890 (first cinematised in 1966 by Henning Carlsen).

City seal

Oslo City Hall.

Oslo is one of very few cities in Norway, besides Bergen and Tønsberg, that does not have a formal coat-of-arms, but uses a city seal instead. The seal of Oslo shows the city's patron saint, St. Hallvard. The seal shows St. Hallvard with his attributes, the millstone and arrows, with a naked woman at his feet. He is seated on a throne with lion decorations, which at the time was also commonly used by the Norwegian Kings. Seating him on such a throne made him equal to the kings.

The oldest known seal of Oslo showed the same composition as today's seal, except for the human figure reclining at the feet of St. Hallvard. In the original seal, it represented an armed warrior, one of the evil men who killed Hallvard. Due to its bad state of preservation, the image was misinterpreted as the woman he tried to defend. The seal was probably made around 1300 and was in use for nearly three centuries. After the Protestant Reformation, the city continued the use of St. Hallvard on its seal. The second seal of Oslo dates from around 1590. It shows the same basic design, but the saint holds his attributes in the opposite hands. Also the stars and some other smaller details were lost. This seal was used until around 1660.

At that time the church of St. Hallvard had become a ruin and the legend was no longer well known. The third seal of Oslo, made in 1659, therefore still showed the basic design, but the saint was transformed into a female figure. She still held the arrows and had a dead knight (with harness and helmet) lying at her feet. The millstone had become thinner and looked more like a ring. This image can still be seen on a cast iron stove plate dating from 1770. These plates became very popular in Denmark in the 18th century and the figure was presented as Queen Margaret I, who unified the three Kingdoms of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, which are represented by the ring (union) and the three arrows. The dead knight was to symbolise her opponent, Albrecht of Mecklenburg.

During the 18th and early 19th century, the image kept changing. The ring has been shown as a snake biting its own tail, the throne was replaced by a lion, and the warrior at Hallvard's feet definitely became a woman.

In 1854, A. T. Kaltenborn wrote about the Norwegian municipal arms and also was shown a medieval seal of Oslo. He recognised it as depicting the legend of St. Hallvard, but did not interpret the reclining figure correctly. He persuaded the city to have a new seal made, based on the alleged medieval composition. Finally a new design was made by the German E. Doepler in 1892. His composition was also used on a proper shield, designed in 1899 by Reidar Haavin. In 1924, the present design was made, still with the incorrect woman instead of the original warrior, but now stark naked.

History

Christiania in July of 1814, as seen from Ekeberg.

According to the Norse sagas, Oslo was founded around 1049 by King Harald Hardråde. Recent archaeological research has uncovered Christian burials from before 1000, evidence of a preceding urban settlement. This called for the celebration of Oslo's millennium in 2000.

It has been regarded as the capital city since the reign of Håkon V (1299–1319), the first king to reside permanently in the city. He also started the construction of the Akershus Fortress. A century later Norway was the weaker part in a personal union with Denmark, and Oslo's role was reduced to that of provincial administrative centre, with the monarchs residing in Copenhagen. The fact that the University of Oslo was founded as late as 1811 had an adverse effect on the development of the nation.

Oslo was destroyed several times by fire, and after the fourteenth calamity, in 1624, King Christian IV of Denmark (and Norway) ordered it rebuilt at a new site across the bay, near Akershus Fortress and given the name Christiania. But long before this, Christiania had started to establish its stature as a centre of commerce and culture in Norway. The part of the city built from 1624 is now often called Kvadraturen because of its orthogonal layout. The last plague outbreak ravaged Oslo in 1654. In 1814 Christiania once more became a real capital when the union with Denmark was dissolved.

The Akershus Fortress is a historic castle in Oslo.

Many landmarks were built in the 19th century, including the Royal Palace (1825–1848); Stortinget (the Parliament) (1861–1866), the University, Nationaltheatret and the Stock Exchange. Among the world-famous artists who lived here during this period were Henrik Ibsen and Knut Hamsun (the latter was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature). In 1850, Christiania also overtook Bergen and became the most populous city in the country. In 1878 the city was renamed Kristiania. The original name of Oslo was restored in 1925.

The Gol stave church in the Norsk Folkemuseum at Bygdøy.

Sagene Church seen from Gråbeinsletta Park in Oslo. A symbol of a more modern form of Oslo (Christiania)

Oslo's centrality in the political, cultural and economical life of Norway continues to be a source of considerable controversy and friction. Numerous attempts at decentralisation have not appreciably changed this during the last century. While continuing to be the main cause of the depopulation of the Norwegian countryside, any form of development is almost always opposed by neighbours, and — as a consequence — the growth of a modern urban landscape has all but stopped. Specifically, the construction of highrises in the city centre has been met with scepticism. It is projected, however, that the city will need some 20,000 additional apartments before 2020, forcing the difficult decision of whether to build tall or the equally unpopular option of sprawling out into the nearby forests.

A marked reluctance to encourage the growth of the city for fear of causing further depletion of the traditional farming and fishing communities has led to several successive bursts of construction in both infrastructure and building mass, as the authorities kept waiting in vain for the stream of people to diminish. Neoclassical city apartments built in the 1850s to 1900s dotted with remnants of Christian IV's renaissance grid dominate the architecture around the city centre, except where slums were demolished in the 1960s to construct modernist concrete and glass low-rises, now generally regarded as embarrassing eyesores. The variety in Oslo's architectural cityscape does however provide for some striking and often hauntingly beautiful sights. While most of the forests and lakes surrounding Oslo are in private hands, there is great public support for not developing those areas. Parts of Oslo suffer from congestion, yet it is one of the few European capitals where people live with the wilderness literally in their back yard, or with access to a suburban train line that allows the city's many hikers and cross-country skiers to simply step off the train and start walking or skiing.

Geography

Oslo occupies an arc of land at the northernmost end of the Oslofjord. The fjord, which is nearly bisected by the Nesodden peninsula opposite Oslo, lies to the south; in all other directions Oslo is surrounded by green hills and mountains. There are 40 islands within the city limits, the largest being Malmøya (0.56 km² (0.22 sq mi)), and scores more around the Oslofjord. Oslo has 343 lakes, the largest being Maridalsvannet (3.91 km² (1.51 sq mi)). This is also a main source of drinking water for large parts of Oslo. Although Eastern Norway has a number of mighty rivers, none of these flows into the ocean at Oslo. Instead Oslo has two smaller rivers: Akerselva (draining Maridalsvannet) and Alna (Oslo's longest river). Akerselva traditionally separates Oslo's East and West end, and flows into the fjord in Bjørvika. River Alna flows through Groruddalen, Oslo's major suburb and industrial area. The highest point is Kirkeberget, at 629 metres (2,064 ft). Although the city's population is small compared to most European capitals, it occupies an unusually large land area, of which two thirds are protected areas of forests, hills and lakes. Its boundaries encompass many parks and open areas, giving it an airy and often very green appearance. It is not uncommon to encounter wild moose and roe deer in relatively urban areas of Oslo, especially during wintertime.

Østmarka in Oslo, outside the city.

Climate

Oslo has a humid continental climate (Dfb according to the Köppen climate classification system). Because of the city's northern latitude, daylight varies greatly from more than 18 hours in midsummer to around 6 hours in midwinter. Despite its northerly location, the climate is relatively mild throughout the year because of the Gulf Stream.

Oslo has pleasantly mild to warm summers with average high temperatures of 20–22 °C (68–72 °F) and lows of around 12 °C (54 °F). Temperatures exceed 25 °C (77 °F) quite often, and heatwaves are common during the summer. In the summer of 2009, a heatwave caused temperatures to exceed 30 °C (86 °F) for six straight days, peaking at 33 °C (91 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded was 35 °C (95 °F) on 21 July 1901. Due to the fjord's being a relatively enclosed body of water, the water temperatures can get quite high during long warm periods. During the summer of 2008, the water reached a temperature of 24 °C (75 °F). Spring and autumn are generally chilly, but warmer or colder periods are not uncommon. Winters are cold and snowy with temperatures between −7 °C (19 °F) up to −1 °C (30 °F). The coldest temperature recorded is −27.1 °C (−16.8 °F) in January 1942. Temperatures have tended to be higher in recent years.

Annual precipitation is 763 millimetres (30.0 in) with moderate rainfall throughout the year. Snowfall can occur from November to April, but snow accumulation occurs mainly from January through March. Almost every winter, ice develops in the innermost parts of the Oslofjord, and some winters the whole inner fjord freezes. As it is far from the mild Atlantic water of the west coast, this large fjord can freeze over, although this has become rare.

Climate data for Oslo
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Source: Minifakta om Norge (SSB)

Parks and recreation areas

File:Bygdøy lovely.jpg

Bygdøy

Oslo has a large number of parks and green areas within the city core, as well as outside it.

• Frogner Park is a large park located a few minutes walk away from the city centre. This is the biggest and most reputed park in Norway with a large collection of sculptures of Gustav Vigeland

• Bygdøy is a huge and green area, famous also as "Museum Peninsula" of Oslo. The beautiful location, surrounded by the sea, makes it the poshest and most expensive Norwegian district.

• St. Hanshaugen Park is an old public park on a high hill in central Oslo. The park has a small tower at the top and a stage used for outdoor concerts. 'St.Hanshaugen' is also the name of the surrounding neighbourhood as well as the larger administrative district (borough) that includes major parts of central Oslo.

• Tøyen Park stretches out behind the Munch Museum, and is a vast, grassy expanse. In the north there is also the natural viewing point known as Ola Narr. The Tøyen area also includes the Botanical garden and Museum belonging to the University of Oslo.

Oslo (with neighbouring Sandvika-Asker) is basically built in a horseshoe shape on the shores of the Oslofjord and limited in most directions by hills and forests. This means that any point within the city is relatively close to the forest. There are two major forests with immediate access: Østmarka (literally "Eastern Forest", on the eastern perimeter of the city), and the very large Nordmarka (literally "Northern Forest", stretching from the northern perimeter of the city deep into the hinterland).

Swimming pools

The city of Oslo runs eight public swimming pools. Tøyenbadet is the largest indoor swimming facility in Oslo and one of the few pools in Norway offering a 50-metre main pool. The outdoor pool Frognerbadet also has the 50-metre range.

Politics and government

Mayor of The City of Oslo
Seal of the City of Oslo
Incumbent Fabian Stang since 17 October 2007
Term length	4 years
Formation	17th century
Succession	Currently unknown
Website	[1]

Stortinget is the seat of Norway's parliament.

Oslo is the capital of Norway, and as such is the seat of Norway's national government. Most government offices, including that of the Prime Minister, are gathered at Regjeringskvartalet, a cluster of buildings close to the national Parliament—the Storting.

Constituting both a municipality and a county of Norway, the city of Oslo is represented in the Storting by seventeen Members of Parliament. Six MPs are from the Labour Party; the Conservative Party and the Progress Party have three each; the Socialist Left Party and the Liberals have two each; and one is from the Christian Democrats.

The combined municipality and county of Oslo has had a parliamentary system of government since 1986. The supreme authority of the city is the City Council (Bystyret), which currently has 59 seats. Representatives are popularly elected every four years. The City Council has five standing committees, each having its own areas of responsibility. These are: Health and Social Welfare; Education and Cultural Affairs; Urban Development; Transport and Environmental Affairs; and Finance. The executive branch (Byrådet) consists of the Governing mayor (byrådsleder) and currently seven vice mayors (byråder, sing. byråd) holding ministerial positions. The vice mayors are appointed and removed by the Governing mayor. The Governing mayor and the vice mayors can individually or collectively be voted out of office by the city council. The current Governing mayor is Stian Berger Røsland from the Conservative party.

Since the local elections of 2003, the city government has been a coalition of the Conservative Party and the Progress Party. Based mostly on support from the Christian Democrats and the Liberals, the coalition maintains a majority in the City Council. After the 2007 local elections on 10 September, the conservative coalition remained in majority. The largest parties in the City Council are the Labour Party and the Conservatives, with 18 and 16 representatives respectively.

The Mayor of Oslo is the head of the City Council and the highest ranking representative of the city. This used to be the most powerful political position in Oslo, but following the implementation of parliamentarism, the Mayor has had more of a ceremonial role, similar to that of the President of the Storting at the national level. The current Mayor of Oslo is Fabian Stang.

Administrative divisions

Following the latest reform of 1 January 2004, the city is divided into fifteen boroughs (bydeler) that are to a considerable extent self governed. Each borough is responsible for local services not overseen by the City Council, such as social services, basic healthcare, and kindergartens.

1. Gamle Oslo
2. Grünerløkka
3. Sagene
4. St. Hanshaugen
5. Frogner
6. Ullern
7. Vestre Aker
8. Nordre Aker
9. Bjerke
10. Grorud
11. Stovner
12. Alna
13. Østensjø
14. Nordstrand
15. Søndre Nordstrand
16. Sentrum
17. Marka

Sentrum (the city centre) and Marka (the rural/recreational areas surrounding the city) are separate geographical entities, but do not have an administration of their own. Sentrum is governed by the borough of St. Hanshaugen. The administration of Marka is shared between neighbouring boroughs.

Economy

Jernbanetorget in Oslo situated near the Oslo Central Station and the Plaza.

Oslo Sjølyst

Oslo is an important centre of maritime knowledge in Europe and is home to approximately 980 companies and 8,500 employees within the maritime sector, some of which are the world's largest shipping companies, shipbrokers, and insurance brokers. Det Norske Veritas, headquartered at Høvik outside Oslo, is one of the three major maritime classification societies in the world, with 16.5% of the world fleet to class in its register. The city's port is the largest general cargo port in the country and its leading passenger gateway. Close to 6,000 ships dock at the Port of Oslo annually with a total of 6 million tonnes of cargo and over five million passengers. The gross domestic product of Oslo totaled NOK268.047 billion (€33.876 billion) in 2003, which amounted to 17% of the national GDP. This compares with NOK165.915 billion (€20.968 billion) in 1995. The metropolitan area, bar Moss and Drammen, contributed 25% of the national GDP in 2003 and was also responsible for more than one quarter of tax revenues. In comparison, total tax revenues from the oil and gas industry on the Norwegian Continental Shelf amounted to about 16%. The region has one of the highest per capita GDPs in Europe, at NOK391,399 (€49,465) in 2003. If Norway were a member of the European Union, the capital region would have the fourth strongest GDP per capita, behind Inner London, Brussels-Capital and Luxembourg.

Oslo is one of the most expensive cities in the world. As of 2006, it is ranked tenth according to the Worldwide Cost of Living Survey provided by Mercer Human Resource Consulting and first according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. The reason for this discrepancy is that the EIU omits certain factors from its final index calculation, most notably housing. Although Oslo does have the most expensive housing market in Norway, it is comparably cheaper than other cities on the list in that regard. Meanwhile, prices on goods and services remain some of the highest of any city. According to a report compiled by Swiss bank UBS in the month of August 2006, Oslo and London were the world's most expensive cities. Total pay packets were the biggest in Oslo along with Copenhagen and Zurich.

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1951	434,365	—
1960	471,511	+8.6%
1970	487,363	+3.4%
1980	454,872	−6.7%
1990	458,364	+0.8%
2000	507,467	+10.7%
2010	589,293	+16.1%
Source: Statistics Norway

An estimated 26% of Oslo's population consists of immigrants (about 152,000 inhabitants), predicted to increase to between 44% and 51% around 2030. In 2008 the immigrant population accounted for about 82% of the population growth of the city. From 1970 to 2007, the ethnic Norwegian population decreased by 10.1% while the immigrant population increased by 823.6%. Pakistanis make up 25,036 of the city's inhabitants, followed by Somalis (9,708), Swedes (7,462), and Sri Lankan Tamils (7,128)—these being the four largest ethnic minority groups. Other large immigrant groups are people from Poland, Vietnam, Turkey, Morocco, Iraq and Denmark.

By June 2009, more than 40% of Oslo schools had a majority of people of immigrant backgrounds, with some schools having up to a 97% immigrant share. In 2008, of six-year olds in the city, 68% were of immigrant backgrounds. Schools are also increasingly divided by ethnicity, with white flight being widespread. In the borough Groruddalen in 2008 for instance, the ethnic Norwegian population decreased by 1,500, while the immigrant population increased by 1,600. From 2000-2007, 7,250 ethnic Norwegians moved out of the city, while 32,700 persons of immigrant background, mostly non-western, moved in.

The population of Oslo is currently increasing at a record rate of nearly 2% annually (17% over the last 15 years), making it the fastest-growing Scandinavian capital. The increase is due, in almost equal degree, to high birth-rates and immigration, though both is largely due to immigration, seeing that the ethnic Norwegian population is actually decreasing. In particular, immigration from Poland and the Baltic states has increased sharply since the accession of these countries to the EU in 2004.

Oslo is a city with various religious communities. The city has a low percentage of Christians in contrast to other parts of the country. As of 2009, 11% of the population of Oslo are Muslim.

Historical population

Year	Population
1801	9,500
1825	15,400
1855	31,700
1875	76,900
1900	227,900
1925	255,700
1951	434,365
1960	471,511
1970	487,363
1980	454,872
1990	458,364
2000	507,467
2002	529,407
2006	538,411
2008	560,484
2009	578,870
Source: SSB1, SSB2

Conurbation population

Year	Population
1999	763,957
2005	811,688
2006	825,105
2007	839,423
2008	856,915
2009	876,391

See also: Largest urban areas of Norway

Education

Norwegian School of Management Nydalen

University of Oslo, Faculty of Law

Institutions of higher education

• University of Oslo (Universitetet i Oslo) - undergraduate, graduate and PhD programs in most fields.
• Oslo University College (Høgskolen i Oslo) - focuses on 3-4 year professional degree programs.
• Norwegian School of Management (Handelshøyskolen BI) - primarily economics and business administration.
• Norwegian School of Information Technology (Norges Informasjonsteknologiske Høyskole)
• Oslo School of Architecture and Design (Arkitektur- og designhøgskolen i Oslo)
• Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education (Norges idrettshøgskole)
• Norwegian Academy of Music (Norges musikkhøgskole)
• MF Norwegian School of Theology (Det teologiske Menighetsfakultet — MF)
• Oslo National Academy of the Arts (Kunsthøgskolen i Oslo KHIO)
• Norwegian University of Life Sciences (Universitetet for Miljø og Biovitenskap-UMB) located right outside of Oslo
• Norwegian Army Academy (Krigsskolen)
• Norwegian School of Veterinary Science (Norges Veterinærhøgskole)
• Oslo Academy of Fine Arts (Statens kunstakademi)
• Oslo School of Management. (Markedshøyskolen)

Transport

Oslo International Airport

Oslo International Airport lounge

Air

• Oslo Airport, Gardermoen (in Akershus county) - Norway's main international airport, served by the Oslo Airport Express Train (Flytoget) high-speed train service.
• Sandefjord Airport, Torp (in Vestfold county about one and a half hours, or 115 km (71 mi) away)
• Moss Airport, Rygge (In Østfold county, 65 km (40 mi) away)

File:Oslo Port at sunset.jpg

Oslo Port at sunset

Sea

There are daily ferry connections to Kiel (Germany), Copenhagen (Denmark), Frederikshavn (Denmark) and Nesodden.

Public ferries run daily to and from the islands scattered in the Oslo harbour basin.

A train in Oslo Central Station.

Train

Oslo Sentralstasjon is the main railway station in Oslo. From there, there are connections to far away destinations Trondheim, Bergen, Stavanger, Stockholm (Sweden), Gothenburg (Sweden) and Copenhagen (Denmark), as well as several local and regional destinations in southern Norway and Sweden. In 2004 Norwegian Trains were Europe's third most punctual national train company. For the first 4 months in 2005 the punctuality was 92.9%. During winter in particular, weather conditions such as snow and blizzards may cause delays and cancellations on the routes crossing the central mountains.

Oslo Metro

File:Sentralstasjonen, Oslo.jpg

Oslo Central Station.

Public transport

Oslo Tramway is used by 110,000 people everyday.

A rental bicycle station in the city centre.

The public transportation system in Oslo is managed by the municipal transport company Ruter. This includes metro, tram, bus and ferry, but not the local train lines, which are operated by the state railway company NSB. All public transport in Oslo, including local trains, operates on a common ticket system, allowing free transfer within a period of one hour with a regular ticket. Tickets also transfer to the local and inter-city trains, unless a traveller intends to cross the city border. In 2004, 160 million journeys were made using public transport, of which 85% was handled by Oslo Sporveier's own subsidiaries and 15% by private bus and ferry operators under cost-based contracts.

The tram system, Oslotrikken, is made up of six lines that criss-cross the inner parts of the city and extend outward toward the suburbs. Trams run partly on in the streets and partly on separate roads. The metro system—known as the T-bane—connects the eastern and western suburbs and comprises six lines which all converge in a tunnel beneath downtown Oslo. The metro lines are identified by numbers from 1 to 6, with two lines running into the municipality of Bærum in the west. The tramway lines are numbered 11 to 13 and 17 to 19.

A new, partially underground loop line was opened in August 2006, connecting Ullevål in the northwest and Carl Berners plass in the east. Two new stations, Nydalen and Storo, have been operational for a couple of years already; the third station, Sinsen, opened 20 August 2006, completing the loop. In conjunction with the opening of the circle line, there will be a major upgrade of the rolling stock, with delivery taking place between 2007 and 2010. An RFID ticketing system with automatic turnstile barriers has been under introduction for several years, but has been greatly delayed. The transition to the new system is now underway, with the new RFID cards available to the public.

A public bicycle rental programme has been in operation beginning in April every year since 2002. With an electronic subscription card, users can access bikes from over 90 stations across the city.

A motorway leading into the city centre.

Road

As Oslo is Norway's capital and biggest city, several national highways meet or pass through it. European route E6 runs through Oslo in the eastern suburbs on its way from Southern Sweden to Northern Norway. European route E18 runs through downtown Oslo (including a tunnel under Akershus festning) on its way from Stavanger and Kristiansand to Stockholm. European route E16 from Bergen doesn't go into Oslo proper, but ends on E18 at Sandvika a few kilometers west of Oslo. Oslo also has a system of "ring roads" connecting east and west. Ring 3, the outer one, runs from the E6 junction in the east via Ullevål to E18 on the border to Bærum municipality in the west. Ring 2 runs from Gamlebyen in the east to E18 at Skøyen in the west. Ring 1 is the downtown "through road". The ring roads make navigation easier and improve traffic flow. E18, E6, Ring 2 and Ring 3 are connected by an elaborate system of tunnels and bridges in the Økern-Ekeberg area. At present (2008) a new underwater tunnel for E18 is under construction in Bjørvika to divert traffic from the street level.

Access into the city centre requires the payment of a toll at one of 19 entry points around the ring road. It costs 25 NOK to enter the cordoned zone at all times of day, seven days a week. A 20%-price reduction is available to car owners using the AutoPASS-system. Since 2 February 2008, coins are no longer accepted at the Toll Station, and all cars must pass through the automatic lanes without stopping. Drivers fitted with the electronic AutoPASS system will be debited as they pass; all other drivers will receive an invoice in the mail.

Initially revenues from the road tolls funded the public road network, but since 2002 these revenues finance mainly new developments for the public transport system in Oslo. There has been discussion whether to continue to use the cordon after 2007, based on the funding decisions, extensions, accommodation of time-differentiated pricing or replaced by another form of pricing altogether, perhaps to make congestion-pricing possible.

Media

The newspapers Aftenposten, Dagens Næringsliv, Finansavisen, Verdens Gang, Dagbladet, Dagsavisen, Morgenbladet, Vårt Land, Nationen and Klassekampen are published in Oslo. The main office of the national broadcasting company NRK is located at Marienlyst in Oslo, near Majorstuen. TVNorge (TVNorway) is also located in Oslo, while TV2 (based in Bergen) and TV3 (based in London) operate branch offices in central Oslo. There is also a variety of specialty publications and smaller media companies.

Culture

The Nobel Peace Prize is handed out in Oslo every year by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

• Pilot city for the Council of Europe and EU Intercultural cities programme

Top 10 Attractions

Kon-Tiki Museum: Thor Heyerdahl (1914–2002) is one of history’s most famous scientists, adventurers and champions of the environment. The Kon-Tiki Museum houses original boats and exhibits from Thor Heyerdahl’s world famous expeditions. The museum, located in Bygdøy, is home to permanent exhibitions about: Ra, Tigris, Fatu-Hiva, Kon-Tiki, and Easter Island.

File:Kon-Tiki inside.jpg

The Kon-Tiki raft

It has a separate area for short-term exhibitions, as well as a 30 metre cave tour and an underwater exhibition containing a life-size 10-metre whale shark. The museum also has a cinema and souvenir shop. The museum is open year round and has special offers for groups in the evenings. Competition for children and young people with great prizes. By visiting the Kon-Tiki Museum you can learn more about Thor Heyerdahl's most famous expeditions: the Fatu-Hiva expedition (1937–38), the Galapagos expedition (1952–53), the Kon-Tiki expedition (1947), the expeditions to Easter Island (1955–56 and 1986–88), the Ra expeditions (1969 and 1970), the Tigris expedition (1977–78), and the archaeological excavations in Túcume, Peru (1988–93).

Akershus Fortress

National Gallery

Norwegian Museum of Cultural History

The Norwegian Opera & Ballet

TusenFryd Amusement Park

Fram Museum

Natural History Museum

The Viking Ship Museum

Vigeland Sculpture Park

Literature

Main article: Norwegian Literature

Oslo National Theater

Several Norwegian authors from Oslo City have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, namely Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson in 1903, Knut Hamsun in 1920 and Sigrid Undset in 1928 for Kristin Lavransdatter. Though he was not awarded a Nobel Prize for his plays, as the first of these were awarded after he published his last play in 1899, playwright Henrik Ibsen is probably the most famous figure in Norwegian literature. Ibsen wrote plays such as Peer Gynt, A Doll's House and The Lady from the Sea. The Ibsen Quotes project completed in 2008 is a work of art consisting of 69 Ibsen quotations in stainless steel lettering which have been set into the granite sidewalks of the city's central streets.

Also of importance to the Norwegian literary culture is the Norse literature, and in particular the works of Snorre Sturlason , as well as the more recent folk tales, collected by Asbjørnsen and Moe in the 19th century.

Norwegian literature attained international acclaim in the 1990s with Jostein Gaarder's novel Sophie's world (Sofies verden) which was translated into 40 languages. Other noteworthy writers with an international profile include Erik Fosnes Hansen (Psalm at Journey's End) and Åsne Seierstad whose controversial work, The Bookseller of Kabul, was particularly successful in 2003.

Architecture

Main article: Architecture of Norway

Oslo Plaza Tower

A Square in Oslo

The former Eastern railway station, 1882

Oslo, or Norway generally, has always had a tradition of modern building. Indeed, many of today's most interesting new buildings are made of wood, reflecting the strong appeal that this material continues to hold for Norwegian designers and builders.

Norway's conversion to Christianity some 1,000 years ago led to the introduction of stonework architecture. The romanesque St. Hallvard's Cathedral from the early 12th century was damaged by fire several times, but survived the Protestant Reformation and the fire of 1624, when the town was relocated and renamed. It remained the local cathedral until the new Holy Trinity Cathedral of Christiania was completed in 1639. St. Hallvards became a parish church, but was abandoned in 1654. It was later demolished and used as a quarry. The last remains were used to build the second cathedral of Christiania, the one still in use.

In the early Middle Ages, stave churches were constructed throughout Norway. Many of them remain to this day and represent Norway’s most important contribution to architectural history. The Gol stave church was re-erected at Bygdøy near Oslo in 1885, and is now part of the open air Norsk Folkemuseum.

After Norway’s union with Denmark was dissolved in 1814, Oslo became the capital. Architect Christian H. Grosch designed the oldest parts of the University of Oslo, the Oslo Stock Exchange, and many other buildings and churches.

The 1930s, when modernism dominated, became a strong period for Norwegian architecture, but it is only in recent decades that Norwegian architects have truly achieved international renown.

Music

Main article: Music of Norway

Rikard Nordraak, composer of the Norwegian national anthem, was born in Oslo in 1842.

Norway's principal orchestra is the Oslo Philharmonic, based at the Oslo Concert Hall since 1977. Although it was founded in 1919, the Oslo Philharmonic can trace its roots to the founding of the Christiania Musikerforening (Christiania Musical Association) by Edvard Grieg and Johan Svendsen in 1879.

Sports

The old, now demolished Holmenkollen ski jump hill.

Oslo was the host city for the 1952 Winter Olympics. Except for the downhill skiing at Norefjell, all events took place within the city limits. The opening and closing ceremonies were held at Bislett stadion, which was also used for the speed skating events. In recent years, the stadium has been better known for hosting the annual Bislett Games track and field event in the IAAF Golden League. The stadium was rebuilt in 2004/2005 and was formally opened for the Bislett Games on 29 July 2005.

Holmenkollen nordic skiing arena, with its centrepiece the ski jump, was an important venue during the 1952 Olympics. The arena has hosted numerous Nordic skiing and biathlon world championships since 1930, and its ski-jump competition is the second oldest in the world, having been contested since 1892. Holmenkollen has been selected once again to host the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 2011. Thursday 16 October 2008, the work began on the dismantling of the ski jump, as a new ski jump is going to be built and is expected to be finished by the end of 2009.

During the summer months, the harbour becomes a venue for various maritime events, including the start of a large sailing regatta that attracts around 1,000 competing boats each year, and one race of the international Class 1 offshore powerboat racing circuit.

Two football clubs from Oslo, Vålerenga and Lyn, play in the Norwegian Premier League. In the 2005 season, the teams placed 1st and 3rd respectively. In addition, two teams from the conurbations are represented—Stabæk Fotball and Lillestrøm Sportsklubb. Oslo had two ice hockey teams in the highest division in the previous season, Vålerenga Ishockey and Furuset I.F., the former winning the cup and league double in 2007. Bandy is also a sport played by many, in fact more than ice hockey. The Bandy World Championships has been held at Valle Hovin, also a Speed skating venue, which in the summer is host to large popular music concerts.

Ullevaal stadion, located in the borough of Nordre Aker, is the home of the Norwegian national football team. Built in 1926, it is the largest football stadium in Norway, and has served as the venue for the Norwegian Cup final since 1948. Vålerenga use the stadium as their home ground.

Notable residents

Main category: People from Oslo

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International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Norway

Twin towns — Sister cities

Oslo is twinned or has cooperation agreements with the following cities/regions:

Artvin, Turkey Antwerp, Belgium Copenhagen, Denmark Gothenburg, Sweden Helsinki, Finland London, United Kingdom

Madison, United States New York City, United States Reykjavík, Iceland Rotterdam, Netherlands Saint Petersburg, Russia Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Shanghai, China Stockholm, Sweden Vilnius, Lithuania Warsaw, Poland Washington, D.C., United States

Oslo has a longstanding tradition of sending a Christmas tree every year to the cities of Washington, D.C., New York, London, Rotterdam, Antwerp, and Reykjavík. Since 1947, Oslo has sent a 65–80-foot (20–25 m) high, 50 to 100 year-old spruce, as an expression of gratitude toward Britain for its support of Norway during World War II. It is usually placed in Trafalgar Square. For the 61st time, this spruce will have been lit by the Mayor of Oslo, Fabian Stang and The Lord Mayor of Westminster, Councilor Carolyn Keen, between 6 December 2007 and 4 January 2008, and it has received yet more special attention than before, expressing environmental concern.

See also

• List of books about Oslo
• Oslo Accords
• Parks and open spaces in Oslo
• Timeline of transport in Oslo

External links

• The Kon-Tiki Museum - Thor Heyerdahl's Research Foundation
• Oslo Virtual Tour - 360* panoramic pictures
• Municipal fact sheet from Statistics Norway
• Template:Wikitravel
• City of Oslo: Official website Template:No icon
• Official Travel and Visitors Guide to Oslo
• Oslo The official travel guide to Norway
• Traveller - A short clip about Oslo