About one-third of the country lies within the Arctic Circle and the population is very sparse in this northern area. In the northernmost city, the sun shines almost continuously for twenty-four hours during the height of the summer. Most soils were removed by glaciers during the Pleistocene Epoch, and new soil has not yet had time to form over the land. As a result, the country s soils are poor and stony. In addition, high rainfall leads to the leaching of soil nutrients.
Timber is Norway s main natural resource.
In addition, Norway has tremendous resources in its offshore petroleum and natural gas fields as well as in the hydroelectricity-generating capacity of its numerous rapid rivers and waterfalls. The population is increasingly slowly and life expectancy is among the highest in the world. Although Norway is becoming increasingly urbanized, the majority of the population still live in villages and on small, isolated farmsteads. During the early years of the Christian era, a number of small tribal kingdoms emerged. Prolonged peace finally came to Norway in the 14th century under a new code of legal practice and it was at this time that the country began to develop economically.