Biodiversity in Norway (NOR)
 
  FishBase Complete Literature Reference
Species Families Species Families
Marine 924 401 Yes
Freshwater 16 12 Yes
Total 952 417 Yes 289 10 %
Ref.   Microsoft, 1998
Conservation Only about 3.2 per cent (1995) of the country's total land area has been developed for agriculture. About 26.3 per cent (1995) is forested, and about 17.1 per cent (1996) is protected. The country's hydrogeology makes it particularly susceptible to acidification. Sulphur dioxide emissions from the United Kingdom and other industrialized countries have meant that large numbers of Norwegian lakes can no longer support fish. United Nations (UN) protocols will significantly improve the situation, although gains are already being undermined by increases in pollutants such as nitrogen deposition.
Geography and Climate Occupying the western and northern portions of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Norway is bordered on the north by the Barents Sea, on the northeast by Finland and Russia, on the east by Sweden, on the south by Skagerrak Strait and the North Sea, and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, also called the Norwegian Sea. The warm waters of the North Atlantic Drift, an extension of the Gulf Stream, flow along the Atlantic coast of Norway and have a pronounced moderating effect on the climate. A maritime climate prevails over most of the coastal islands and lowlands. Winters are mild and summers are normally cool. At Bergen, the mean January temperature is 2°C and the mean July temperature is 14°C. Moisture is plentiful all year round. The average annual precipitation on the coast is about 1,778 mm. In the interior a more continental climate prevails: winters are colder and summers are warmer. At Oslo, the January mean temperature is -3°C and the July mean is 17°C. Precipitation is generally less here than on the coast, averaging less than 1,016 mm annually. In the highlands of Nord Norge, the climate is subarctic. The coastal areas of this region, however, have a moderate maritime climate, and most ports, even in the far north, are free of ice in winter.

Ref.  Microsoft, 1998
Hydrography The Glåma, in the southeast, is the longest river in Norway. With its tributaries, it drains about one-eighth of the country. Rivers flowing in a southwest direction along the steep western slope are generally short and have many rapids and falls. Those flowing southeast along the gentle eastern slope are generally longer. Norway has many thousands of glacial lakes, the largest of which is Lake Mjøsa in the southeast.

Ref.  Microsoft, 1998
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