Norway, with its demanding topography and climate, is a gem on the surface of the planet, and a challenge that the early people set out to conquer.
The first people that came to these shores were hunters, fishers, and gatherers. As the millennia passed, and the population grew, the Norwegians also became farmers, and developed an identity and a culture.
Here is a list of the 15 main eras of Norwegian human history. Click to see a brief introduction to each historical period.
- The latest ice age
115,000-10,000 BC - The Stone age
10,000-1800 BC - The Bronze age
1800-500 BC - The Iron age
500 BC-AD 1050 - The High middle ages
AD 1050-1350 - The Late middle ages
AD 1350-1537 - The Early modern period
AD 1537-1814 - Norway reborn as a sovereign state
AD 1814 - Norway in union with Sweden
AD 1814-1905 - Full independence at last
AD 1905 - Prosperity, war and depression
AD 1905-1940 - World War 2 and occupation
AD 1940-1945 - The post World War 2 era
AD 1945-1970 - Transformation and neoliberalism
AD 1970-1990 - Technology and globalisation
AD 1990-today
BC = before Christ | AD = anno domini = after Christ
Main source: Store norske leksikon – snl.no