The geography of Norway is dominated by vast mountain ranges broken up by valleys and fjords. Less than 10% of the country's area is arable, and the rest is mountainous. Glaciers are the major cause for erosion, so terrain in Norwegian mountains consists of plateaus and lakes with peaks. These areas have abundant and diverse fauna and flora.
The altitude of the treeline is in reverse proportion to the latitude; in northern Finnmark, treeline is at sea level. The treeline is also lower near the coast and higher on the eastern part of the mountains.
Mountain ranges also form the main boundaries among Norway's districts. They typically run north-south. Several of the ranges have had road and railroad passes since historical times; some are newer; and many close for the winter.
Norwegian mountain ranges provide some of the most attractive recreational areas in Norway, both during the summer and winter. Cabins and trails are operated by the Norwegian Mountain Touring Association at intervals that allow for weeks of uninterrupted hiking or cross-country skiing in the mountains.
Famous quotes containing the words mountain and/or norway:
“... my mother ... piled up her hair and went out to teach in a one-room school, mountain children little and big alike. The first day, some fathers came along to see if she could whip their children, some who were older than she. She told the children that she did intend to whip them if they became unruly and refused to learn, and invited the fathers to stay if they liked and she’d be able to whip them too. Having been thus tried out, she was a great success with them after that.”
—Eudora Welty (b. 1909)
“Write about winter in the summer. Describe Norway as Ibsen did, from a desk in Italy; describe Dublin as James Joyce did, from a desk in Paris. Willa Cather wrote her prairie novels in New York City; Mark Twain wrote Huckleberry Finn in Hartford, Connecticut. Recently, scholars learned that Walt Whitman rarely left his room.”
—Annie Dillard (b. 1945)