Oslo

Oslo, capital city of Norway and seat of Oslo County (with which it is coextensive) and of Akershus County. It is on the Aker River, at the head of Oslofjorden, in the southeastern part of the country. Oslo is the largest city, leading seaport, and principal commercial, manufacturing, and cultural center of Norway. Major products include ships, electrical and electronic equipment, chemicals, textiles, processed food, wood and metal items, machinery, and printed materials. Government activities and tourism are also important to the city’s economy.

Oslo is predominantly modern in design and architecture and is noted for its many museums, parks, and public statues. In the city are the University of Oslo (1811), which includes museums of paleontology, ethnography, and mineralogy, as well as colleges of architecture, theology, veterinary medicine, fine arts, and music; the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (1857); the Norwegian Nobel Institute, which helps select the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize; and the National Archives. Other points of interest include the National Gallery, which contains collections of European, especially Norwegian, art; the Oslo Museum of Decorative Art; the Norwegian Folk Museum; Frogner Park, which contains about 150 works by the Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland; the Munch Museum, with paintings by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch; the Kon-Tiki Museum, with exhibits relating to the voyages of the Norwegian anthropologist and explorer Thor Heyerdahl; Akershus Fortress (1300?); the royal palace (1848); and the Storting (parliament) building.

The settlement, established as Oslo by Harald III of Norway around 1050, became the site of the royal residence about 1300. During the following century the community flourished as a trading center and port. After Oslo was destroyed by fire in 1624, it was rebuilt by Christian IV of Denmark and Norway and renamed Christiania (or Kristiania) in his honor. It did not reassume the historical name of Oslo until 1925. The city enjoyed an artistic and economic renaissance during the 19th century. From 1940 to 1945, during World War II, Oslo was occupied by German forces and suffered some damage. In 1952 the Winter Olympic Games were held here. In 1993 Oslo was the site of historic peace negotiations between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and representatives of the Israeli government. The agreements accepted by both parties in Oslo were signed at the White House in Washington, D.C., on September 13. Population (2005 estimate) 536,209.