Coastline of Norway

The coastline of Norway is formed along the Skagerrak, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, and Barents Sea. This considers only the mainland coastline and excludes Svalbard.

Map of coastal waters around Norway

A straight line along Norway's sea borders (the coastal perimeter) is 2,650 kilometers (1,650 mi) long.[1][2] Along the coast there are many fjords, islands, and bays, resulting in a low-resolution coastline of over 25,000 kilometers (16,000 mi).[3] At 30-meter (98 ft) linear intercepts, this length increases to 83,281 kilometers (51,748 mi)[4] (see the coastline paradox). Much of Norway's wealth is linked to its long coastline; for example, the petroleum industry, maritime transport, fishing, and fish farming.

The Norwegian landscape was formed by glaciers that eroded the basement rock and formed countless valleys and fjords, as well as the characteristic skerries that protect the land from the ocean along most of the mainland coastline. There are only a few shorter or longer stretches where the mainland is exposed to the open sea along the coast: at Lindesnes, Lista, Jæren, Stad, Hustadvika, and Folda in Trøndelag, and along the Varanger Peninsula.

Facts

Because of countless peninsulas and inlets, large and small islands, holms, and skerries, the Norwegian coast is among the longest in the world. Some facts about the Norwegian coastline:

  • Municipalities in Norway that have a coast: 279
  • Mainland coastline (with fjords and bays): 28,953 kilometers (17,991 mi)[5]
  • Island coastline: 71,963 kilometers (44,716 mi)[5]
  • Total coastline (mainland and islands): 100,915 kilometers (62,706 mi)[5]
  • Number of islands: 239,057[5]
  • Number of skerries: 81,192[6]

References
  1. United States Central Intelligence Agency (2009). The World Factbook 2009. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency. p. 474.
  2. Braun, Eric (2003). Norway in Pictures. Minneapolis: Lerner. p. 8.
  3. Luković, Tihomir (2013). Nautical Tourism. Wallingford: CAB International. p. 116.
  4. Nesje Atle (2014). "Fjords of Norway: Complex Origin of a Scenic Landscape". In Migoń, Piotr (ed.). Geomorphological Landscapes of the World. Dordrecht: Springer. p. 223.
  5. "Norges geografi". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  6. "Den norske redningstjenesten" (PDF). Nordland fylkeskommune. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
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