Norway otherwise known as the "Northern Way" is made up of 4,419,955 inhabitants and has a growth rate of 0.44%. The birth rate is 12.9 births per 1,000 people. But the mortality rate is still 10.17 deaths per 1,000 people. The net immigration rate is 1.64 migrants per 1,000 people. Norway thus occupies the western half of the Scandinavian peninsula of Northern Europe. Norway only has land borders in the east, with Sweden, Finland and the Soviet Union. The official language is Norwegian but with immigration, many other languages ​​are spoken, such as in the United States. Norway's total land cover is 324,220 km², of which 307,860 km² is land. The Norwegian climate is temperate along the coast and cooler in inland regions. The terrain is glacial, mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains interspersed with fertile valleys, small scattered plains, and coastlines deeply indented by fjords. The highest point in Norway, at 2,472 m, is Glittertind and the lowest point, at 0 m, is the Norwegian Sea. About two-thirds of Norway's territory is mountainous, and around 50,000 small islands stretch around its coasts. Norway has always depended on its relations with foreign countries. Glaciation and many other forces over time have worn away the surface to create thick deposits of sandstone, conglomerates, and limestone known as sparagmite, as well as many other large areas called peneplains whose landforms have been largely eroded. The remnants of the latter include the Hardanger Plateau, which is the largest mountain plateau covering 4,600 square miles in southern Norway. Norway's climate is interesting, it shares almost the same latitudes as Alaska but its climate is moderately warmer. Norway owes its much milder climate to the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream brings 40,000 to 50,000 tons of water per second into the seas surrounding Norway and contributes greatly to its climate. Even in the most arctic regions, the Gulf Stream prevents frigid waters from freezing. On the west coast there is a distinct climate, unlike any other region in Norway. The separate climate is very rainy. All year round it rains or is very humid. Norway only extracts a few minerals in quantity. They mainly mined pyrites (producing copper and sulfur) and iron ore and small...... middle of paper ......g the power of the Church and monarch contributed to the century of civil war. The civil war continued until 1217, when Sverrir's grandson Haakon IV became king, marking the beginning of Norway's "Golden Age". He modernized the administration by creating an office of chancellor and a royal council. During World War II, Norway declared neutrality like its neighbors Denmark and Sweden. Norway was badly hit at sea, losing about half of its merchant ships. The Allied Powers did not allow Norway to export iron pyrates to Germany, which was very important for German war industries. Norway again declared its neutrality during World War II. On April 9, 1940, German troops invaded Norway and retook Oslo, its capital. Probably in a desperate attempt to help support their war industries. German troops withdrew there a few weeks later. At the end of the war, German troops in Norway surrendered without resistance. However, during their retreat from Finland in the winter of 1944-45, the Germans burned and ravaged Finmark and northern Troms. The Soviet troops who liberated eastern Finland in 1944. 45.