Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1951-06-04
Norway
The CAPITAL


its Nj I h Centenary in 1850.
Its original site was at the foot
OF the Ekeberg mountain, at the
mouth Of the river Loelven. BY
royal command Oslo was moved
further west, below the protective
walls of the fortress of AkerShus.
At the same time its original
name OF Oslo was changed to
Christiania a. Streetnames like
''Grensen" 1.-THE boundary Id
"Noldgate" The raNparts) indi-
cate the boundaries of the town
in that period. This district is now
the business center, where many
OF the big shops banks and COM
pany offices are found. The site
of Medieval Oslo is part of the
goth century Oslo, and is called
the Old City ('Gamlebyen"). The
town was moved, and its name
changed to Christiania in 1924; in
1924 the old name of Oslo was re-
sumed.
Oslo is the capital That is OBJ
vious to any visitor. The city is
in constant development, and may
appear unfinished and may give
a certain impression of immatur-
ity, but nevertheless it has poise,
and gives the impression of being
conscious of its own power and
Importance. 1t is sufficient to look
at such a street as Karl Johan: it
shows more clearly than do even
the Palace, the University, and
the Parliament, that this is the
premier city of the country - the
Capital. Oslo may not be particu-
larry rich in ancient monuments
compared with other capitals. Its
strength is not in the past, Oslo
is in the midst of the turmoil Of
today. 1t is a city of the future
and of the present, in constant
and rapid development.
Oslo is the seat of the Parlia-
ment ("Storting') and of the Gov
eminent, as well as of most gov
eminent departments and offices.
1t is university city. The most
important theaters, newspapers,
banks are found there. The new
town hall, and other important
buildings have been erected in
Oslo. The great fountain by the
sculptor Gustav Vigeland is now.
nearly completed. Oslo is the CEN
ter of railway communications IN
Norway, it is the greatest port
in Scandinavia. 1t is the biggest
industrial city in Norway, and
the most important business cen
ter. And, finally, 1850 of the
population of Norway live in Oslo.
To know Norway it is necessary
to know Oslo.
Oslo. the capital of Norway, has
at present 427 800 inha bitants. The
boundaries of Oslo have been ex-
tended on several occasions, h e
last time as from LIST of January
1913, when the whole of the sur
rounding district of Aker was
made part of Oslo. Through this
extension the population scared
from 100000 to 424 900 and is now
APT, 500.
The adult population is distrib-
uted among the following voca-
tons: Industry and crafts, 10000
(of these 10000 laborers, 10000
clerical and administrative work.
ers, 1000 independently, house
wives without outside work but
with a family to look after, 10000,
trade 10000 (33, 900 administra-
tive and clerical workers, 1900
workers. and 10000 independent,
transport $4,000, professions 22,-
900. domestic service, $1,000,
farming, horticulture and forestry,
5000, fisheries 500
When Aker was joined to Oslo
the area of the city increased to
q times its former extent, and
is now 456 square ki!oYletefs t173
SO. miles,. The city offers
charming mixture of the urban
and the rural, 3/4 of the area is
forest. 1/20 is lakes. The town
boundary is 121 KIN Us miles, in
length, of this IS KIN IS miles, is
seaboard. If one were to take
walk along the city boundary, it
rx.o,,lI 10 1araSrar1- 20 fo,.r