The flag of Norway depicts a Scandinavian cross, as do the flags of all other Scandinavian countries - Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Finland.

The Scandinavian cross symbolizes general history of these states, it was first used in the state symbols of Denmark, and subsequently became traditional for the Scandinavian countries. The cross is a symbol of Christianity.

Norwegian national flag has a red base, with an image of a dark blue cross, the center of which is slightly shifted to the left, towards the shaft. The blue cross, which extends the full length and width of the Norwegian flag, is outlined in white. The colors used may represent freedom and were taken from the flags of France, the Netherlands, the USA, and the UK. The red and blue colors also reflect Norway's shared history with Denmark and Sweden.

History of the flag of Norway

The design for the flag of Norway was proposed by Fredrik Melzer on May 4, 1821, along with other designs. The king approved the use of the flag for civil purposes on July 13, 1821.

Prior to this, Norway used different flags for different kings of the country, and eventually came to use the Royal Standard of Norway, which is a red banner with an image of a lion holding an axe. This banner was based on the flag used by Eirik II Magnusson, King of Norway from 1280 to 1299. When Norway was united with Denmark, a common flag was used. After independence, Norway kept the Danish flag, adding a lion to it.

Free Powerpoint Templates Animals national symbols of the countries of the world MKOU Trinity-Sungur secondary school

Animals as symbols In most states, fauna representatives become national symbols. The fact is that in ancient times many settlements had their own animal totems, and in our century the old beliefs migrated in a transformed form. There are well-known examples; it is known that most people identify Spain with a bull, Australia with a kangaroo, and Russia with a bear. But not all countries are so simple. For example, which animals belong to Croatia or Venezuela? Let's take a short tour of the zoological map of the world.

The symbol of Russia is the brown bear. The brown bear is one of the largest and most dangerous land predators. As a symbol of Russia, the bear appeared in the West in the 18th century. Western countries argued that Russia was a “big, clumsy and cruel” country.

The symbol of China is the panda. Literally translated from Chinese, “panda” means “bear-cat,” which fully justifies its image. These wonderful animals used to inhabit the entire East Asia, but now, their habitat has decreased significantly, and the species itself was listed in the Red Book.

The symbol of Australia is the kangaroo. His image now adorns the passports of Australian residents. According to legend, it was this animal that was first seen by Captain Cook’s expedition, which discovered the continent.

The symbol of France is the rooster. According to the official version, the rooster became a symbol of France because the French consider themselves descendants of the Gauls, and in Latin “Galls” and “roosters” sound the same - galli.

The symbol of Canada is the beaver. IN XVII-XVIII centuries Beaver fur hats came into fashion in Europe. And in Canada there lived a huge number of beavers. The hunt began for them, and thanks to this, most of Canada was discovered and explored. This is the historical incident due to which the beaver became a symbol of the state.

The symbol of England is the lion. This is one of the oldest and most popular heraldic symbols. In England, King Henry I (1070-1135) used a lion in the ornament of his shield.

The elephant is the symbol of Thailand. Represents good luck, strength and wisdom Its image is found in Buddhist temples, on coins, royal symbols. Previously, the image of a white elephant adorned the Thai national flag

The symbol of Mongolia is the horse. It is a symbol of courage and grace. One of the main friends and helpers of a person. In heraldic symbolism, the horse combines the courage of a lion, the vision of an eagle, the strength of an ox, the speed of a deer and the agility of a fox.

The symbol of Norway, Finland, Sweden is the moose. For a long time, man has worshiped the elk. According to legend, the hero Main, the guardian spirit of the change of day and night, on winged skis bravely rushed in pursuit of the space alien elk who stole the sun, overtook him and returned the day to people.

The symbol of India is the Bengal tiger. He is the hero of myths and legends, but now the question is that he himself does not become a myth and legend. As a result of sport hunting, collecting trophies and tiger skins, the tiger has become an endangered species.

The symbol of the USA is the bald eagle. This emblem was selected because this species of eagle is found only in the North. America. The eagle has become a living symbol of American freedom, spirit and excellence.

The symbol of Columbus is the Andean condor. This is the largest and most majestic bird of all that crosses the skies of the Andes. He was given the nickname - the eternal bird. Inhabits the highest and most inaccessible altitudes of the Andean Cordillera.

The symbol of Madagascar is the zebu (humpbacked cow). According to popular beliefs, the image of this animal embodies the virtues of deity, the indissoluble connection with ancestors, the fertility of the land and the continuation of the human race.

The symbol of Congo is the okapi (forest giraffe). Its numbers are limited and are found in a small area. It is an endemic animal of this country.

The symbol of New Zealand is the kiwi. A unique species found only in New Zealand, first seen by Cook. This fluffy “chicken” is depicted on banknotes, and a famous fruit is named after her.

The symbol of the United Arab Emirates is the Hawk. It is a symbol of cruelty, assertiveness, malice and recklessness, reflecting the specifics of this country.

The symbol of Kazakhstan is the snow leopard. The snow leopard is present in the heraldry of Kazakhstan as state symbol, personifying the power and greatness of the country.

The symbol of Switzerland is the cow. At Zurich airport, the sound of jingling bells and prolonged mooing sounds - a kind of greeting to guests. And nearby, of course, are cows - the main producers of milk, from which they make cheeses and chocolate, for which Switzerland is so famous.

The symbol of Poland is the bison. The largest population of this endangered species lives in the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. This animal in Polish culture has so merged with the concept of national self-identification that it is even reflected in people’s surnames: Bison, Zubrovsky, Zubrytsky.

The symbol of Bolivia is the alpaca, depicted on the country's coat of arms. These animals live high in the mountains and can easily withstand harsh climatic conditions thanks to their fur. Alpaca wool is highly prized.

The symbol of Japan is the Japanese pheasant. The reason for choosing the pheasant is that it is characteristic of Japanese landscapes and often appears in folk tales, thus being an integral part of Japanese culture.

The symbol of Germany is the white-tailed eagle. The Germanic eagle is actually a Roman eagle. It was Charlemagne in 800 who restored the fundamental symbol of the eagle, making it the emblem of his state.

The symbol of Belarus is the stork. It symbolizes national purity and identity.

The symbol of Lapland is the reindeer. It is a semi-domestic animal living in the northernmost part of Europe. It is an important part of Lapland tourism and the best assistant of Santa Claus.

Flag and coat of arms of the Kingdom of Norway May 23rd, 2014

Hello dears!
When talking about Norway, we should not forget about the very basics - the symbolism of this wonderful Scandinavian state.
On the one hand, it is quite unpretentious. But on the other hand, not everything is so simple.Let's start, perhaps, with the state banner.
In order to understand what's what, you need to delve a little into the history of Norway. A long time ago, the tribes inhabiting the current territory of this state were divided into 30 separate groups, which were called filk. Each county had its own leader, who was called a jarl (prince). To solve some important problems, or to repel external aggression, several counties united into the so-called Ting - a kind of version of our Russian Veche. In the 10th century Harald I The beautiful-haired one, which we have already talked about here: .He united many counties and Things and became the first konung (king) of Norway, reducing the rank of jarl to the commander of the army.


National flag of Norway

Much time has passed since then, but Norway, for almost 10 centuries of its history, has been very closely, one might even say inextricably linked, with its other Scandinavian neighbors - Denmark and Sweden. At least 3 times they made up single state and the influence of one country on another was very, very great.
Unlike the Danish flag, the color of the flag is more reddish. Sometimes this shade is called “Norwegian”.
The white cross denotes an inextricable connection with the Danish people, the blue one - the Swedish Bernadotte dynasty, which by the mid-19th century ruled the country and naturally the connection with the Swedish people.

flag during the Swedish-Norwegian union

The cross itself naturally denotes commitment to Christian values. The blue, red and white colors also originally made an allusion to France, as a symbol of freedom, equality and fraternity.
I’m saying this now that the flag of Norway has a direct connection with the state banners of Sweden and Denmark. If you take a closer look, in principle this is a combination of the oldest flag in Europe - the Dannebrog (the red Danish banner with a cross), and the Swedish Scandinavian cross. According to one legend, Dannebrog fell at the feet of the Danish kingValdemar II the Victorious, when he prayed to heaven for victory over his enemies, standing on a hillTompea, in the center of modern Tallinn. This banner provided the basis for most of the state symbols of Northern Europe and introduced the very concept of the Scandinavian cross, that is, such a cross on a flag whose vertical cross is shifted towards the pole edge of the flag.

variant of the 1850 flag

Until 1844, Norway used the Dannebrog with the Norwegian coat of arms (we'll talk about it below) in the roof. From 1844 to 1899, the coat of arms in the roof was replaced by the common banner of the Swedish-Norwegian Union.
And only with the beginning of the 20th century the flag acquired the appearance that we see today.


State flag of the Kingdom of Norway

By the way, it should be noted that a simple rectangular panel with proportions 16:27 is national.
But the state and military flag is a flag, which in vexillology is called a banner with 3 braids

Coat of arms.

The Norwegian coat of arms is simple and easy to remember. This is one of the oldest coats of arms in Europe, and therefore in the world.
The lion appeared on the seals of the rulers of Norway back in the 12th century under Sverrir Sigurdsson. His grandson (illegitimate, by the way) Haakon the Old finally approved the lion standing on hind legs as a symbol of the Norwegians.
In the form in which we know it now (with minor changes) the coat of arms appeared in 1280, when King Erik II Magnusson added a crown to the lion and a battle ax in its paws. A battle ax (axe) is in the paws of a crowned animal for a reason. The ax is a sign of the heavenly patron of Norway, Olaf. II, who during his life was called Tolstoy, and after his death was called Saint. This one is restless and interesting warrior about whom, I think we’ll talk separately someday, he was killed by this weapon.

These are the variations.

However, later the coat of arms was slightly modified. Firstly, for some reason they abandoned the Varangian form of the shield, and most importantly, the further, the more the bladed weapon in the paws of the lion changed. At first its shaft was lengthened, then it bent more and more. And finally, the ax turned into a halberd.
Finally, Haakon VII in 1905 returned the first form of the coat of arms, which is still used today. Everything was finally legalized by the Decree in 1937.The Varangian shield is a crowned golden lion on a scarlet field with a silver ax in its front paws. The shield is topped with a royal crown.
Have a nice day!

Trolls are a unique symbol of Norway. An old Norwegian legend says that long ago the country was covered with eternal snow and ice. But over time, warming occurred, the glacier moved north, and people gradually began to populate this previously inaccessible area for life. The country was named Norway, which means “Road to the North”, and local residents called themselves Nurmenn, i.e. “northern people.”

It was soon discovered that amazing creatures lived next to the Nurmenn, similar to people, but covered with fur, with four fingers and toes, tails and long curious noses. Among the wonderful little people there were terrifying-looking giants, and their tiny brothers scurried under their feet. Sometimes passersby came across gnomes with two or three heads or one eye in the forehead. These were Trolls. They appeared only at night or at dusk and did not tolerate daylight.

As soon as they gaped and did not hide until sunrise, they scattered with the first rays, turning into stones. This is where Norway has such an incredible amount of strangely shaped stones and rocks! Trolls had supernatural powers and a rather harmful character. People did not quarrel with them, but decided to make friends. On Christmas Eve, full bowls of porridge were placed at the doorstep, and in the morning they were always empty.

The custom of appeasing trolls has been preserved to this day. As befits the indigenous people, the trolls knew inaccessible mountain paths and paths. Therefore, the breathtaking serpentine road, rising steeply, is called Trollstigveien, the Troll Road, or literally “Troll Staircase”.

The road begins road sign featuring a troll warning drivers to take extra care. There is also a small Trollstigen Camping nearby, on the territory of which there are cozy cafes and a souvenir shop. At the store we purchased several magnetic stickers with images of trolls.

From Trollstigen Camping we set off along road 63. The Troll Road is part of the Norwegian national road RV63, connecting the cities of Åndalsnes and Valldal. This road was opened by King Haakon VII on July 31, 1936 after 8 years of construction. Even today, Troll Road can serve as an example of engineering and design art. This road is one of the most popular tourist routes in Norway.

The journey along it was impressive and exciting! The road climbs the mountain slope in eleven steep serpentine loops with a height difference of 12%. For hundreds of years this was the only route of communication with the Sunnmere fjords. We drove literally with our mouths open from the beauty of the opening landscapes. We stopped to photograph the surroundings at the first opportunity. About halfway up the climb we came to a bridge over the Stigfossen waterfall.

According to descriptions, the height of the waterfall is 180 meters. A huge stream of water falls with incredible force from somewhere above, flies under the bridge and then rushes down the slope into the valley. The impression is as if you were among a landscape from works in the style of fantasy. We once again stopped at the observation deck near the bridge and photographed all this beauty. After the bridge, we had to overcome, in my opinion, several very difficult turns on a narrow serpentine road leading upward.

The width of the road is no more than 3 meters, and in some places it seems even less. There were moments when I doubted the capabilities of our car, but we overcame all the obstacles slowly in low gears, without a single hint of problems. Last year in the summer we had the opportunity to drive our car along the mountain roads of Crimea. Compared to what we overcame in Norway, the roads of Crimea seem like nothing. The serpentine rises to a height of 858 meters and ends at the Bispensvingen turn, which means bishop's turn.

From the top of the road, an amazing panorama of the entire valley opens, striking in its splendor. There are two viewing platforms for viewing. We climbed to the observation deck, which rises directly on the serpentine road and juts out into the valley. When you look down, you create a feeling of flight, causing a feeling of uncontrollable delight!

At the top of the route there is an incomprehensible structure with a small artificial reservoir resembling a swimming pool. Perhaps this will be a swimming pool, since construction work is underway there and it is clear that the plan has not yet been brought to life. There are also souvenir shops with funny trolls of various sizes nearby. From the peak of the Troll Road you can see the Trollveggen, or troll wall. This is an absolutely stunning vertical wall with a height of over 1000 m, which is considered one of the most difficult climbs in the world.

We couldn't help but stop at the snowdrifts along the road and try this Norwegian mountain snow to the touch. It would be more correct to call this water turned into ice. The mountain snowballs turned out good, almost the same as ours in winter.

Having admired the beauty of the Troll Road, we then moved towards Geirangerfjord. Along road 63 we had to travel 34 km to the city of Walldal, then cross the Storfjorden by ferry and after another 24 km reach the village of Geiranger.

Board the ferry across Storfjord without any queue. The cost of the ferry was 99 NOK. This time I managed to get out of the car and take a few pictures of the bay and nearby mountains.

The descent to the village of Geiranger was no less beautiful; the mountain landscapes continued to amaze us. Next to one of the observation platforms A waterfall flowed in small streams from a steep mountain wall directly onto the roadway. Drops of water crashed on the rocks and road, forming a small rainbow. Taking pictures with a rainbow was a mandatory ritual for all stopping tourists. We also parked here to explore the area.

The observation deck overlooked Geirangerfjord, offering views that could not help but be stunning! Majestic mountains towered above a narrow (as it seemed from above) emerald strip of water, the ships passing below looked like matches in a stream. Having breathed in the amazing landscapes, we moved further down the serpentine road to the village of Geiranger.

Leaving the parking lot was difficult because reversing required crossing the oncoming lane just before the turn, which created obstacles for driving on a narrow mountain road. At that moment, completely unexpectedly for me, two bikers who arrived, seeing that I was starting to reverse, helped me leave the parking lot. One stood on the road, blocking the movement of others, and the second regulated my movement, giving appropriate signs. This circumstance touched me in a positive way, adding to my already admiring impression of the country.

In the village of Geiranger we had to board a ferry and take a mini cruise along the fjord. The road led us directly to the pier, where the ferry was already standing. Again, without any queue, we boarded the ferry. The ticket cost was exactly 500 NOK.

Geirangerfjord, 15 km long, is Norway's most majestic fjord. It embodies the very essence of the fjord. Due to its stunning landscapes, the fjord is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A strip of dazzling emerald water twists and turns along the way among the vastness of mountains with farms on the slopes and cascading waterfalls. The most famous waterfalls: Seven Sisters, Groom and Bridal Veil. There is a very beautiful ancient Scandinavian legend about these waterfalls. It tells the story of seven beautiful sisters, to whom a strong and brave Viking warrior came to woo. The sisters invited him to choose any of them and come the next day with a veil for his chosen one.

The young warrior purchased a veil and was about to go after the bride, but at the last moment he stopped, not knowing which of the seven beauties he should choose. He never moved from his place, his beautiful sister never arrived, and his brand new wedding veil was left hanging on the rock. And they all froze forever at the shore of the fjord in the form of three beautiful waterfalls. And to this day, seven gentle streams flow from a high cliff into the sea - the Seven Sisters waterfall. Opposite, on the other side of the fjord, the mighty Groom waterfall flaunts, and not far from it, the Bridal Veil waterfall flows like a light muslin lace.

We saw all this beauty from the ferry during an hour of sailing. With sadness that the cruise was over, we disembarked from the ferry in the picturesque village of Hellesylt.

Then we drove along road 60 in search of a suitable campsite. After 30 km, near the village of Stryn, we turned onto road 15. For the night we chose a house at the Kleivenes camping site for which we paid 525 Norwegian kroner. Despite the fact that the house was located near the road, we still rented it. The day was ending and from the impressions I had received I no longer had the strength to go further.

The hostess provided us with useful guides to camping in Norway. Apparently she was pleased that she sold us the house. Here, for the first time during the entire trip, we saw a car with Russian license plates and a company trying to rent housing. But alas, they failed, everything was occupied, the house sold to us was the last one available. It turned out to be very cozy and spacious. The kitchen had everything you needed: dishes, coffee maker, microwave, etc.

Immediately opposite the house there was a building with services (toilets, showers, kitchen, etc.). After dinner, which we prepared ourselves, we went fishing on Lake Strynevatnet, which was located 50 meters from the campsite. We caught it from the pier near the shore. Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to catch anything, but there were definitely fish in the lake, because judging by the advertisement, the campsite where we stayed invited fishermen to come and relax.

The next day, July 15, 2011, we slept longer and decided to go towards Germany, examining everything interesting that would come across along the way. We left at the beginning of eleven local time. The second time we refueled in Norway for 279 kroons, filling the tank with 36 liters. We had to drive about 170 km along road 15 to the intersection with the E6 highway in the town of Otta. The amazingly beautiful lake Strynevatnet stretches between high mountains.

As it turned out along the way, if we had driven a little more the day before, we would have found more than one picturesque campsite. After driving through several tunnels we found ourselves in a less mountainous part of Norway in the Oppland district. At two o'clock we stopped for a snack on the shore of Lake Breidalsvatnet with surprisingly clear water. The spinning rod was thrown several times, but again without success.

Along the route along the E6 highway we passed the city of Lillehammer. In addition to being famous as the capital of the 1994 Winter Olympics, this city is also home to a famous ski resort. After 180 km, after about an hour and a half, at about 19:00 local time, we drove through the outskirts of Oslo. Who would have imagined that in a country caressed by nature, where kindness descends from the mountains, the insane Breivik would commit a terrible terrorist attack. This happened exactly a week after we passed through Oslo.

The third day of our trip around Norway was coming to an end and it was decided not to make any more stops, but to find an overnight stay in Sweden somewhere after passing Gothenburg.

Before the Swedish border, at about half past eight in the evening local time, I came across the only toll point for the entire trip in Norway, where 20 Norwegian kroner was paid with a bank card. The elderly man who accepted the payment handed us a check and cheerfully said: “Russian go!”

The border flashed by unnoticed and we entered Swedish territory when it was already getting dark. It was drizzling outside the car window, the crew was dozing, and I decided to go and eat for now. In Gothenburg, the E6 highway ended and the E20 began, along which we had to drive to the intersection with the E47 highway in Denmark, near the city of Køge. After Gothenburg we visited nearby campsites a couple of times, but without success. There was no one at the reception, there were no empty houses in sight, and I didn’t want to pitch a tent in the rain. Since the driver enjoyed the road, they stopped going anywhere else. The fourth filling was in Sweden for 595 SEK, 40 liters were filled into the tank.

At about three o'clock local time we entered the Øresund Bridge-Tunnel in Malmo, leading to Denmark. The cost of crossing the bridge was 295 DKK. The 7,845 m long Øresund Bridge-Tunnel covers half the distance between Sweden and the Danish island of Amager. A grandiose engineering structure including a 2-track railway and a 4-lane motorway across the Öresund Strait.

The border between the two countries is located about 5 km from Malmo, Sweden. There are no border crossings. Since we passed the bridge at night, we were not able to fully appreciate all the beauty of the opening landscapes, but still the bridge itself was impressive. On our last trip from Sweden to Denmark we traveled by ferry, so this time we definitely wanted to cross the bridge.

We left the tunnel in the outskirts of Copenhagen. Initially, I planned to ride around the city at night (while the city was sleeping), but my impulse was not supported. It was decided to move on without stopping. We crossed Denmark in less than two hours.

The length of the route across Denmark was 160 km. In the port of Rødby we boarded the ferry, paying 647 Danish kroner for it, and twenty minutes later we arrived in Germany at the port of Putgarten. There were only 70 km left to the destination. We were there around seven in the morning. Upon arrival in Germany, the tank was filled with 39 liters of gasoline for 60.2 Euros, and this was the fifth refueling in Europe.

We spent the rest of our vacation in Scharbeutz. The weather this time again did not please us. We swam in the sea only twice. We went on a big shopping spree in Hamburg, as well as an excursion to the provincial town of Eutin. The ancient German architecture of the city is very interesting, as well as the castle with ancient history, where there were Russian pages. On this visit, we explored old Lübeck in more detail.

We visited the most visited places in the city by tourists, and also walked along the embankment in the suburb of Lubeck - Travemünde. In history, Lubeck is known as the largest center of the Hanseatic League, whose representative office existed in Novgorod for a long time. Today, the Hanseatic League has been recreated. The Vologda region has been represented in the International Hanseatic League of the New Time by the city of Veliky Ustyug since 2002; later Belozersk and Totma became part of the union.

Our trip ended with a short cruise from Rostock to Helsinki on the high-speed charter ferry Superfast VIII, which is rented by the Tallink company for the summer season. The ferry departed at three in the morning local time on July 24. It is always sad to leave and part with friends, but there is always hope for new meetings. With such hope on the evening of July 23, 2011, at exactly 20 o’clock, we left the city of Scharbeutz, which had almost become our hometown, and moved towards Rostock. There is certainly something Russian in the name of this city. In the Travemünde area there is also a place called Priwall. If you look at the map, it immediately becomes clear that one of our people had a rest stop here and apparently the name remained with the place.

Before leaving Scharbeutz I last time I filled up with imported gasoline at a Shell gas station. I filled up 20 liters for 31.8 Euro, which according to my calculations should have been enough to reach the border with Russia.

We got to Rostock via Autobahn No. 20, which was built not so long ago and was a classic German Autobahn. The length of the route is 157 km. I think there is no need to describe the German Autobahn; everyone knows what it is. We reached the port in less than an hour and twenty. Very convenient access to the pier, no matter how hard you try you won’t get lost, there are signs everywhere. The autobahn actually ends at the port itself.

Loading onto the ferry seemed long. First we stood in line at the entrance to the pier, and then directly at the ferry. We entered the cabin after about 2 hours or so. The Superfast VIII ferry was built in 2001. It is believed to be a cruise ferry, but there is not much room for a boardwalk. 10 decks, capacity 728 passenger seats, 195 cabins, car decks with 110 cargo spaces and 110 passenger seats. Our cabin was on deck 9. The inspection of the ferry was postponed until the next day because it was already night and I wanted to sleep.

The whole next day we contemplated the beauty of the Baltic Sea, walked along the decks, took photographs, and in the evening watched the majestic sunset. The service on the ferry is quite decent: a restaurant, several cafes, live music, a sauna, Wi-Fi everywhere. The stores were open in some strange way for only a few hours a day, especially the one that sold alcohol (it was closed almost all the time). All service messages on the ferry were broadcast in several languages, including Russian (and that was nice).

In the morning next day we went to the traditional ferry breakfast buffet, where there was heaps of everything, and then we also had time to admire the beauty of the coastal landscapes of Finland. The ferry arrived at seven in the morning at the Hansa terminal in the port of Vuosaari. The port is located 14 km from Helsinki, which is not very convenient for those planning to explore Helsinki. We, immediately after unloading from the ferry, went towards Russia. We made a stop in Kotka, where we did a little shopping.

The Torfyanovka border checkpoint let us through quite quickly, in about an hour.

6 hours after unloading from the ferry, we entered Russian territory, and three hours later we stopped in St. Petersburg, where we stayed overnight.

In total, we drove 6094 km from porch to porch. Total travel expenses amounted to about 64 thousand rubles, of which: almost 20 thousand rubles were spent on gasoline; 31.5 thousand rubles for ferries, toll bridges and roads; 7.5 thousand rubles for camping. Food along the way was inexpensive, since food was bought in supermarkets, where prices were comparable to ours. I do not take into account purchases of various other goods, since these expenses are not directly related to travel. As a result, having spent 21 thousand rubles per person on travel, we had a great vacation!

Behind us there are 6094 km of roads covered and a whole sea of ​​unforgettable impressions and memories, among which the most vivid ones about Norway!

Norway, like every country, has its own national symbols. The flag and coat of arms of Norway are known to all its inhabitants and are objects of universal pride. What do the Norwegian flag and coat of arms look like?

Norwegian flag

Until 1814, Norwegian ships flew the Danish flag. When the agreement between Norway and Denmark was terminated, the Norwegians adopted their own version of the flag. The basis was a blue cross on a scarlet canvas, diluted with a white edging.

Why did Norway choose this version of the flag? The thing is that blue, white and red were then considered symbols of freedom, by analogy with the French tricolor.

The cross on the flag is called Scandinavian. On the canvas it is located mainly on the left side, and occupies one eighth of the canvas. The final approval of the flag took place in 1821. Since then, its design has never changed.

Norwegian coat of arms

The coat of arms of Norway is so symbolic that it is considered one of the oldest signs in Europe. A variation of this was successfully used by King Magnusson in 1285.

Today, the Norwegian coat of arms depicts a crowned lion holding a silver ax in its paws.

The coat of arms of the current King of Norway is slightly different from the generally accepted symbol. His variant has a mantle and is also decorated with the insignia of the Order of St. Olaf.

The first mention of a lion as national symbol in the history of Norway can be dated back to the 12th-13th century. It was then that Kings Haakon and Magnus used the image of a lion on their own battle shields.

Using heraldic knowledge, it is possible to interpret the lion as a sign of strength, and the ax as a symbol relating to St. Olaf. In the famous saga, the mighty hero could only be killed with an axe. It was impossible to defeat the hero with any other weapon.

The crown appeared on the coat of arms a little later in 1671. Here the crown can be interpreted as a symbol of absolute monarchy, as well as a tribute to the history of Norway. The crown on the Norwegian coat of arms has a closed structure and is depicted with a cross and an orb.

Main provisions about the coat of arms

The national coat of arms may only be used in accordance with Norwegian law. Its basic rules are as follows:

• Changes in the heraldry of the coat of arms can only be made by the head of state or special bodies. All changes must be agreed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• The personal seal of the King of Norway contains the coat of arms and personal insignia applied in a circle;
• The coat of arms approved in 1937 is considered valid.

Norwegian national symbols are not applied to goods for commercial purposes. Disrespect for the flag and coat of arms of the kingdom is punishable to the fullest extent of the law.