May 17 is the national holiday and is celebrated with an abundance of flags and children celebrating. Although it occupies almost the same degrees of latitude as Alaska, Norway owes its warmer climate to the Norwegian Current which carries four to five million tons of tropical water per second into the surrounding seas. This current usually keeps the fjords from freezing, even in the Arctic Finnmark region. Even more important are the southerly air currents brought in above these warm waters, especially during the winter. Geography Northern Europe Norway borders the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden.
Smoking is restricted in public areas.
Norwegians will not make a big fuss over foreigners, and are not difficult to communicate with at first. It is acceptable for women to roll their own cigarettes. In an informal setting, smoking during meals is common.