Viking Age and Early Kingdom

The Viking Age (c. 793–1066 CE) was a defining period for Norway. Norwegian Vikings were renowned seafarers who raided and colonized lands across the North Atlantic, establishing settlements in the Shetland, Orkney, Faroe, and Hebrides islands, Iceland, Greenland, and briefly, North America. The unification of the various small Norwegian kingdoms into a single, independent kingdom is traditionally attributed to Harald Fairhair after the Battle of Hafrsfjord in the late 9th century. Christianity was introduced and solidified during the 11th century. 

Foreign Rule: Unions with Denmark and Sweden 

In the late Middle Ages, Norway entered a period of unions with its Scandinavian neighbors. It joined the Kalmar Union in 1397, which united Norway, Sweden, and Denmark under a single monarch. When Sweden left the union in 1523, Norway remained in a close and subordinate union with Denmark for over 400 years (until 1814). During this era, Norwegian culture and economy declined, and the Reformation was imposed from Copenhagen. 

In 1814, Denmark was forced to cede Norway to Sweden following the Napoleonic Wars. Norway briefly declared independence and adopted its own democratic constitution (the Eidsvoll Constitution), but Swedish forces compelled them to enter a new, looser union with Sweden with the King of Sweden as the head of state. This union lasted until the early 20th century. 

Independence and Modern Nation

In 1905, growing Norwegian nationalism and political disagreement led to the peaceful dissolution of the union with Sweden. A referendum confirmed Norwegian independence, and after a search for a suitable monarch, Prince Carl of Denmark was crowned King Haakon VII, establishing Norway as a stable, constitutional monarchy.

Norway remained neutral during World War I. In World War II, it was invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany in April 1940, leading to five years of resistance and collaborationist rule under Vidkun Quisling.

Post-War Prosperity

After the war, Norway became a founding member of NATO but chose not to join the European Union (voters rejected membership in referendums in 1972 and 1994), preferring to manage its own resources. In the late 1960s, vast reserves of oil and natural gas were discovered in the North Sea. The responsible management of this wealth, channeled into the world's largest sovereign wealth fund (the Government Pension Fund Global), has ensured Norway's extraordinary prosperity and sustained its comprehensive welfare state. Today, Norway is known for its high standard of living, beautiful fjords, and commitment to environmentalism and international diplomacy.