Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/744

* NORWAY. 634 NORWAY. The climate varies in diliercnt parts of the country. Southeast Xorway, liniitcil on the north by the Dovrefjeld. has a mean annual ti'm])orature varying from 44° to 31" 1'. July is the warme.st month, with a mean temperature of Ul" at Chris- tiania. Tlie winter is most severe in the heart of the countiy. At Christiania the mean winter temperature is 25°. The temperature of West Norway is fairly uniform, the mean annual tem- perature beinp hi{;hest (44° to 45°) at the ex- treme western ends of the land. The annual rainfall is greatest along the western coast, rang- ing from 50 to over 80 inches. On the southeast coast, near (irimstad., it is 48 inches, while on the Dovrefjeld it is only '2 inches. Snow is less frequent in the west than in the east on account of the milder winter temperature. The countrj' north of the Dovrefjeld is colder than in the south, but 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 dis- tricts of Southeast Norway and Finmarken. with their severe winters and relatively high summer temperature, their gentle breezes and small rain- fall, are examples of typical inland climate. The whole coast line, with mild winters, cool summers, abundant rainfall, and tuisettled 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. Flora. The richest vegetation is found in the southeast around Christiania Fiord an<l the large lakes. Considering its northerly position, Nor- way has a luxuriant vegetation. .bout 1500 species of phanerogams alone grow wild. In the southeast conifers form thick forests from sea- level to .3000 feet. Up to about 1000 feet above the sea a luxuriant growth of oak. ash. lime, maple, elm, and lowland birch is found, second- ary to the conifers, but giving its characteristic stamp to the lowland flora. Above the limit of conifers is the birch zone, reaching 3500 feet above the sea, where the true mountain plants begin to be prominent. Above the birch limit the willow and the lichen zones are distinguished. In the willow zone there are no trees — only a dense growth of low bushes. Reindeer moss pre- dominates in the lichen zone. The extreme coast region is destitute of forest, and also of some continental plants found inland, but is especially rich in mosses. The arable soil is foimd in narrow strips of deep valleys and around fiords and lakes. Large continuous tracts fit for culti- vation do not exist, and only l-140lh of the total surface is in grain fields. Faixa. The animal life is that of the rest of North Europe, with relics, chiefly in the north, of Arctic elements such as the mountain or Arctic fox, the ptarmigan, the snow bunting, ami va- rious insects. With its long coast line Norway is richer in species of fish than most northern lands, more than 200 species being found. There arc a number of .rctic contributions, including the Greenland shark, which is (ished for its liver. Very ntimerous are fishes which belong to the north or general European fauna, in- cluding most of the food fishes, such as cod, haddock, coalfish, pollack, torsk, herring, sprat, and mackerel. The sain. on is caught along the coast and in the rivers, where it comes to spawn. Trout and red char arc the most widely dis- tributed fresh-water fish. Of the ten species of reptiles and amphibia, the lizard and the frog are found everywhere, but the viper has its northern limit at the Polar circle. The birds number 280 species, of which 1!I0 breed in the country. Most 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. Alons 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 07 inanuuals. 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 Atlantic islands, and all the Arctic seals, and even the walrus, sometimes appear on the north coast. The lem- ming lives in the mountain wastes and sometimes overruns the lowlands, damaging crops. A few beavers remain, and the moimtain 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-luniting. but many herds of tame reindeer are kept in the nortli iind even among the mounliiin wastes of the south that lie too high for general grazing. Geology a,d JIixing. Archtean rocks have a wide extension in Norway, particularly through the mountain regions of the west and in the districts from Lake lljiisen southward. Gneiss and granitic gneiss are the prevailing rocks in these regions. During Cambrian and Silurian time the open sea extended over the greater part of Norway, and on its bottom lime, mud, sand, and gravel were laid down, forming a series of strata rich in fossils and very thick. Cam- brian and Silurian rocks are thus widely repre- sented, particularly east of the mountains ami north of Lake Jljiisen. and also among the north- ern mountains behind the coastal areas of igne- ous rocks. A belt of Post-Silurian and Cambrian rocks extends from Lake Mjiisen southward through the Chri^ifi.Tnia region to the south coast, forming the subsoil of that beautiful and undulating country. Over large areas of the ancient rocks are spread the deposits of the Ice Age to no great depth. Raised beaches along the outer parts of many fiords are proof of the former lower position of the land. The mining industry is not important, for Norwegian ores are not rich nor large in extent. The Kongs- berg silver mines, owned by the State, yielded 808 tons of silver l)etween i024 and ISO.S. The Riiros copper mines, owned by a joint stock company, yielded 73.000 tons of coi)])er between 1047 and 1807. Iron ores occur in many places, but little is mined, and coal docs not occur ex- cept on the remote island of Andii. At the end of 1000 there were about 40 mining estiiblish- ments. employing 301" workpcojile. and smelt- ers, with 302 laborers. The chief mineral prod- ucts of 1000 were silver, worth .$88,440; copper ore. $670,487; pyrites, $030,872; and iron ore.