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Storting

Storting

The Storting (Stortinget) is the Norwegian National Assembly, and is located in the capital city Oslo. It sits in the Storting building which was completed in 1866 and was designed by the architect Emil Victor Langlet.

History

Emil Victor Langlet The Storting in its present form was first constituted at Eidsvoll in 1814, although its origins can be traced back to the allting or common assemblies as early as the 9th century. The alltings were localised assemblies charged with discussing legal and political matters. These gradually were formalised so that the tings, or assemblies, grew into regionalised meetings and acquired backing and authority from the crown, even to the extent that on occasions they were instrumental in effecting change in the monarchy itself. As Norway became unified as a geopolitical entity in the 10th century the lagtings were established as superior regional assemblies. The archaic regional assemblies, the Frostating, the Gulating and the Eidsivating were amalgamated and the corpus of law was setdown under the command of King Magnus Lagabøte during the mid 13th century. This jurisdiction remained significant until King Frederick III of Denmark and Norway proclaimed absolute monarchy in 1660; this was ratified by the passage of the King Act of 1665, and this became the constitution of the Union of Denmark and Norway and remained so until 1814 and the foundation of the Storting. The number of seats in the Storting has varied: from 1882 there were 114 seats, from 1903 117, from 1906 123, from 1918 126, from 1921 150, from 1973 155, from 1985 157, from 1989 165 and from 2005 169 seats.

Qualified Unicameralism

2005 Officially, the Storting is unicameral, but elects a quarter of its membership to form an upper house or Lagting, with the remaining three quarters forming the Odelsting or lower house. Bills are submitted by the Government to the Odelsting first, having been considered by a Standing Committee, and subject to hearings. Only then are they sent to the Lagting for review or revision. If the Odelsting approves the Lagting amendments, then the bill is signed into law by the King. If it does not, then the bill returns to the Lagting. If still no agreement is reached, the Odelsting submits the bill to a plenary session of the Storting. In order to be passed, the bill must have the approval of two-thirds majority of the plenary session.

Presidium

The Storting's Presidium is chaired by the President of the Storting and consists of the Presidents and Vice Presidents of the Storting, the Lagting and the Odelsting. The current members are:
- President of the Storting: Thorbjørn Jagland
- Vice President of the Storting: Carl I. Hagen
- President of the Lagting: Inge Lønning
- Vice President of the Lagting: Jon Lilletun
- President of the Odelsting: Berit Brørby
- Vice President of the Odelsting: Olav Gunnar Ballo

External links

- [http://www.stortinget.no/english/ Stortinget] - Official site
- [http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=385 THE NORWAY'S ELECTIONS: The Victory of a "Red - Green" Alliance] - AIA special report. Norway Category:Government of Norway Category:Ting Category:Politics of Norway Category:Buildings and structures in Oslo

Norway

The Kingdom of Norway (Norwegian: Kongeriket Norge / Kongeriket Noreg) is a Nordic country on the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, bordering Sweden, Finland and Russia, with territorial waters bordering Danish and British waters. Norway's extensive coastline along the North Atlantic Ocean is home to its famous fjords. The country has a very elongated shape. The arctic island territories of Svalbard and Jan Mayen are under Norwegian sovereignty and are part of the Kingdom. Bouvet Island in the South Atlantic Ocean and Peter I Island in the South Pacific Ocean are also external dependencies, but these are not considered part of the Kingdom. Additionally, Norway has a claim for Dronning Maud Land in Antarctica.

History

In the 9th century Norway consisted of a number of petty kingdoms. According to tradition, Harald Fairhair gathered the small kingdoms into one and in 872 with the battle of Hafrsfjord, he established a feudal state. The Viking age (8th to 11th centuries) was one of national unification and expansion. The Norwegians settled on Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and parts of the British Islands and attempted to settle at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Canada (perhaps the Vinland of The Saga of Eric the Red). Norwegians founded the modern day Irish cities of Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Waterford and captured the Anglo-Saxon city of Eoforwic renaming it Jorvik, today known as York. The Norwegian Rollo invaded and was ceded Normandy by the French king Charles the Simple in 911. Rollo's great-great-great-grandson William the Conqueror successfully invaded and conquered England in 1066. The Norwegian royal line died out in 1387, partly because of the grand recession after the black plague in 1349, wiping out the majority of the population, and partly because Queen Margrethe's son, heir to the throne, died at barely 17 years of age. The country entered a long period as the weaker part of a union first with Denmark and Sweden – the Kalmar Union – then with Denmark. Margrethe was also queen of Denmark and Sweden. With the forced introduction of Protestantism in 1537, Norway lost the steady stream of pilgrims to the relics of Saint Olav at the Nidaros shrine. With them, ironically, went much of the contact with the cultural and economical life of the rest of Europe. Also, the 17th century saw Norway's total area decrease with the loss of the territories Bohuslän, Jämtland and Härjedalen to Sweden. In the light of national romanticism during the 19th century, this period was by some called the "400-year night". After Denmark-Norway sided with Napoleon in the Napoleonic Wars, Norway was ceded to the king of Sweden in 1814. However, Norway declared her independence, adopted a constitution based on American and French models and elected the Danish prince Christian Fredrik as king on 17 May 1814. Norway was forced into a personal union with Sweden, but kept its liberal constitution and independent institutions, except for the foreign service. Growing Norwegian dissatisfaction with the union during the late 19th century, national romanticism, growing national culture, literature (Henrik Ibsen, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson), painting (Hans Gude, Adolph Tiedemand), and music (Edvard Grieg) spawned the dissolution of the union on 7 June 1905. The Norwegian government offered the throne of Norway to Danish Prince Carl. After a referendum confirming the monarchy, the Parliament unanimously elected him king. He took the name of Haakon VII, after the medieval kings of independent Norway. In 1913, Norwegian women gained suffrage. Norway was a neutral country during World War I. Norway also attempted to claim neutrality during World War II, but was invaded by German forces on the 9th of April 1940 (Operation Weserübung). The Allies also had plans to invade Norway, in order to take advantage of her strategically important Atlantic coast, but were thwarted by the German operation. Norway put up a stiff fight against the German occupation and armed resistance in Norway went on for two months. King Haakon and the Norwegian government continued the fight from exile in Rotherhithe, London. On the day of the invasion, the collaborative leader of the small National-Socialist party Nasjonal Samling — Vidkun Quisling — tried to seize power, but was forced by the German occupiers to step aside. Real power was wielded by the leader of the German occupation authority, Reichskommissar Josef Terboven. Quisling, as minister president, later formed a government under German control. During the five years of Nazi occupation, Norwegians built a strong resistance movement which fought the German occupation forces with both armed resistance and civil disobedience. In 1944, the Germans evacuated the provinces of Finnmark and northern Troms, using a scorched earth tactic to create a vast area of No-man's land in response to the Red Army attacking their positions in eastern Finnmark. The Soviets attacked into eastern Finnmark to create a buffer zone after pushing the German forces out of the arctic Kola peninsula. The Russians peacefully returned the area to Norwegian control after the war. The German forces in Norway surrendered on 8 May 1945. The occupation during World War II disturbed the Norwegians' confidence in neutrality, and they turned instead to collective security. Norway was one of the signatories of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949 and was a founding member of the United Nations, providing its first secretary general – Trygve Lie. Norway has twice voted against joining the European Union (in 1972 and 1994), but is associated with the EU via the European Economic Area. However, Norway is a member of the much smaller European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

Politics

Norway is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government. The Royal House is a branch of the princely family of Glücksburg, originally from Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. [http://www.kongehuset.no/dt_kongehuset_allAtOnce.asp?ogid=21&mgid=21&gid=54&aid=] The functions of the King, Harald V, are mainly ceremonial, but he has influence as the symbol of national unity. Although the constitution of 1814 grants important executive powers to the king, these are almost always exercised by the Council of State in the name of the King (King's Council, or cabinet). The reserve powers vested in the Monarch by the constitution are however significant and an important security part of the role of the Monarchy, and were last used during World War II. The Council of State consists of a Prime Minister and his council, formally appointed by the King. Since 1884, parliamentarism has ensured that the cabinet must have the support of the parliament, so the appointment by the King is a formality. parliamentarism The Norwegian parliament, Stortinget, currently has 169 members (increased from 165, effective from the elections of 12 September 2005). The members are elected from the 19 counties for 4-year terms according to a system of proportional representation. After elections the Storting divides into two chambers, the Odelsting and the Lagting, which meet separately or jointly depending on the agenda. Laws are proposed by the Odelsting and decided by the Lagting or, in case of disagreement, by the joint Storting. Impeachment cases are raised by the Odelsting and judged by the Lagting as part of the High Court of the Realm. Apart from this, the Storting functions as a unicameral parliament. The regular courts include the Supreme Court or Høyesterett (17 permanent judges and a chief justice), courts of appeal, city and district courts, and conciliation councils. Judges attached to regular courts are appointed by the King in council after nomination by the Ministry of Justice. The special High Court of the Realm, which consists of the Supreme Court plus the Lagting, hears impeachment cases. In order to form a government, more than half (currently at least 10 out of 19 members) of the Council of State are required to belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Counties

Evangelical Lutheran Church Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called fylker (singular fylke) and 433 kommuner (singular kommune). Fylke and kommune are officially translated to English as county and municipality. The fylke is the intermediate administration between state and municipality.
- Akershus
- Aust-Agder
- Buskerud
- Finnmark
- Hedmark
- Hordaland
- Møre og Romsdal
- Nordland
- Nord-Trøndelag
- Oppland
- Oslo
- Østfold
- Rogaland
- Sogn og Fjordane
- Sør-Trøndelag
- Telemark
- Troms
- Vest-Agder
- Vestfold See also Regions of Norway.

Geography

Regions of Norway The landscape is generally rugged and mountainous, topped by glaciers, and its coastline of over 83,000 km [http://odin.dep.no/odin/engelsk/norway/environment/032091-991558/dok-bn.html] is punctuated by steep-sloped inlets known as fjords, as well as a multitude of islands and islets. The Northern part of the country is also known as the Land of the Midnight Sun because of its northern location, north of the Arctic Circle, where for part of each summer the sun does not set, and in winter much of its land remains dark for long periods. The southern part is not known for this, however in summertime, the sun is only away for a few hours. Norway is bounded for its entire length by seas of the North Atlantic Ocean: the North Sea to the southwest and its large inlet the Skagerrak to the south, the Norwegian Sea to the west, and the Barents Sea to the northeast. To the east, in order from south to north, it shares a long border with Sweden, a shorter one with Finland, and a still shorter one with Russia. Norway's highest point is the Galdhøpiggen at 2,469 m. With a maximum depth of 514 m, Hornindalsvatnet is Norway's and Europe's deepest lake. The Norwegian climate is fairly temperate, especially along the coast under the influence of the Gulf Stream. The inland climate can be more severe and to the north more subarctic conditions are found, especially in Finnmark. Climate data for some cities in different regions of the country; base period 1961-1990 (temperatures are 24hr average): Data from Norges Meteorologiske Institutt (Norwegian Meteorological Institute). Note: Temperatures have tended to be higher in recent years (see main article).
[http://met.no/english/climate/ Norwegian Meteorological Institute: The climate of Norway]

Economy

main article The Norwegian economy is a prosperous bastion of social capitalism, featuring a combination of free market activity and government intervention. The government controls key areas, such as the vital petroleum sector (through large-scale state enterprises). The country is richly endowed with natural resources - petroleum, hydropower, fish, forests, and minerals - and is highly dependent on its petroleum production and international oil prices; in 2004, oil and gas accounted for 50% of exports. Only Saudi Arabia and Russia export more oil than Norway, which is not a member of OPEC. The last 25 years, the Norwegian economy has shown various signs of the economic phenomenon called Dutch disease. Norway opted to stay out of the European Union during a referendum in 1972, and again in November 1994. However, Norway, together with Iceland and Liechtenstein, participate in the EU's single market via the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement. In 2000 the government sold one-third of the then 100% state-owned oil company Statoil. The economic growth was 0.8% in 1999, 2.7% in 2000, and 1.3% in 2001. After little growth in 2002 and 2003, the economy expanded more rapidly in 2004. With arguably the highest quality of life worldwide, Norwegians still worry about that time in the next two decades when the oil and gas begin to run out. Accordingly, Norway has been saving its oil-boosted budget surpluses in a Government Petroleum Fund, which is invested abroad and at the end of the second quarter of 2005 was valued at 181.5 billion US dollars . Economical overheating is avoided by the partial saving - rather than spending - of the oil revenues which are of very big importance for a relatively small country.

Demographics

The Norwegian population is 4.6 million and increases by 0.4% per year (estimate July 2004). Ethnically most Norwegians are Nordic / North Germanic, while small minorities in the north are Finnish (see also Cwen). The Sami are instead considered an indigenous people, and traditionally live in the Northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. The largest concentration of Sami people is, however, found in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. In recent years, immigration has accounted for more than half the population growth, and 7.9% of the population are immigrants as of 1 January 2005. Norway only takes in a very limited number of asylum seekers and aims to repatriate these people as quickly as possible. The largest immigrant groups are Pakistanis, Swedes, Danes, Iraqis, Vietnamese and Somalis. (Here, immigrants are defined as persons with two foreign-born parents [http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/00/minifakta_en/en/minifakta.pdf].) Approximately 86% of the inhabitants are members of the Evangelic Lutheran Church of Norway (state church). Other Christian societies total about 4.5% (the Evangelical Lutheran Free Church, the Catholic Church, Pentecostal congregations, the Methodist Church, etc.). Among non-Christian religions, Islam is the largest in Norway with about 1.5%, and other religions are at less than 1% each. About 1.5% belong to the secular Human Ethical Union. As of 1 January 2003 approximately 5% of the population are unaffiliated ([http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/07/02/10/trosamf_en/]). The Norwegian language has two official written forms, Bokmål and Nynorsk. They have officially equal status, i.e. they are both used in public administration, in schools, churches, and on radio and television, but Bokmål is used by the majority. Around 95 percent of the population speak Norwegian as their native tongue, although many speak dialects that differ significantly from the written language. Nevertheless, all of the Norwegian dialects are interintelligible. Several Sami languages are spoken and written throughout the country, especially in the north, by the Sami people. The Germanic Norwegian language and the Finno-Ugric Sami languages are entirely unrelated. However, the Finnish language bears some similarities to the Sami language.

Culture

Famous Norwegians include the playwrights/novelists Baron Ludvig Holberg and Henrik Ibsen, explorers Roald Amundsen, Fridtjof Nansen, and Thor Heyerdahl, expressionist painter Edvard Munch and the romanticist composer Edvard Grieg. The playwright/novelists Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Knut Hamsun and Sigrid Undset have all won the Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1903, 1920 and 1928 respectively. Norwegians celebrate their national day on May 17, Constitution Day. Many people wear bunad (traditional costumes) and most participate in or watch the 17 May parade through the towns. Henrik Wergeland was the founder of the 17 May parade. These parades differ markedly from those of many other countries in that, rather than the military parades of, for example, France, they consist of children.
- Music of Norway
- Norse mythology
- [http://www.nfi.no/english/norwegianfilms/ Norwegian films]
- Norwegian Theatres

Miscellaneous topics

- Holidays in Norway
- Infrastructure in Norway
- Car numberplates in Norway
- Communications
- Power supply
- Transportation
- Foreign relations of Norway
- Military of Norway
- List of cities in Norway
- List of national parks of Norway
- List of Norwegian companies
- List of Norwegian language radio stations
- List of Norwegian newspapers
- List of Norwegian television channels
- List of Norwegians
- List of schools in Norway
- Norwegian literature
- Norwegian national football team
- Norwegian Premier League
- Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund
- Regions of Norway
- Tourism in Norway
- Cuisine of Norway
- Philharmonic Orchestras in Norway
- Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
- Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra

International rankings

- [http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2004rank.html GDP per capita] - 4th of 231 countries
- Human Development Index - 1st of 177 countries 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001
- Index of Economic Freedom - 29th of 155 countries
- Reporters Without Borders Worldwide press freedom index - 1st of 166 countries 2003, 2002
- [http://www.savethechildren.org/mothers/report_2004/images/pdf/SOWM_2004_final.pdf Save the Children: State of the World's Mothers 2004] Children's Index: Rank 1, Women's Index: Rank 6, Mother's Index: Rank 6 (119 countries)
- [http://www.transparency.org/pressreleases_archive/2004/2004.10.20.cpi.en.html Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2004] - 8th of 145 countries
- [http://www.weforum.org/site/homepublic.nsf/Content/Global+Competitiveness+Programme%5CGlobal+Competitiveness+Report World Economic Forum: Global Competitiveness Report 2004-2005] - 6th of 104 countries

External links

- [http://www.norway.info Norway.info] - Norway - the Official site
- [http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/00/minifakta_en/en/index.html Minifacts about Norway from Statistics Norway]
- [http://odin.dep.no/odin/english/bn.html ODIN] Information from the Government and Ministries
- [http://www.stortinget.no/english Official site of the Parliament (Stortinget)]
- [http://www.kongehuset.no/default.asp?lang=eng Official site of the Royal House]
- [http://www.norway.org Official website for the Norwegian Embassy in Washington, DC]
- [http://www.norway.no Norway.no] - Official portal
- [http://www.lovdata.no/info/lawdata.html Translated Norwegian legislation]
- [http://www.odin.dep.no/odin/engelsk/norway/system/032005-990424/ The Norwegian Constitution in English]
- [http://www.ub.uio.no/ujur/publikasjoner/skriftserie/18/ Sources to Legal Information in Norway]
- [http://www.norges-bank.no/english/notes_and_coins/ Norges Bank - current notes and coins]
- [http://www.norges-bank.no/english/ The Central Bank of Norway]
- [http://www.world-newspapers.com/norway.html Norwegian news in English]
- [http://odin.dep.no/ud/html/2000/minifakta/e/eng-02.html Public holidays in Norway]
- [http://ngis2.statkart.no/norgesglasset/default.html Searchable map of Norway]
- [http://www.domstol.no/Domstolene/index.asp?startID=&topExpand=1000010&menuitemid=1000033&strUrl=//internet/showObject.asp?i=1000107 The Norwegian court system]
- [http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tpr_e/tp237_e.htm WTO: Trade Policy Review: Norway]
- [http://www.stavanger-web.com/jul/christma.htm Christmas in Norway]
- [http://www.studyinnorway.no/ Study In Norway] als:Norwegen zh-min-nan:Norge [[got:

Oslo

:This article is about the capital of Norway. For other meanings of Oslo, see the disambiguation page Oslo is the capital city of Norway, and has a population of 533,050 (July 2005). The conurbation extends into the surrounding county of Akershus, with a total population of 1,090,012. The urban municipality (bykommune) of Oslo and county (fylke) is the same entity. Of Oslo's total area, 115 km² is built-up and 7 km² is agricultural. The open areas within the built-up zone amounts to 22 km².

Physical environment

Oslo occupies an arc of land at the northern end of the Oslofjord. The fjord, which is nearly bisected by the Nesodden peninsula opposite Oslo, lies to the south; in all other directions Oslo is surrounded by green hills and mountains. There are 40 islands within the city limits, the largest being Malmøya (0.56 km²), and scores more around the Oslofjord. Oslo has 343 lakes, the largest being Maridalsvannet (3.91 km²). This is also a main source of drinking water for large parts of the western part of Oslo, mainly Vestre Aker and Nordre Aker. The highest point is Kirkeberget, at 629 m. Although the city's population is small compared to most European capitals, it occupies an unusually large land area. Its boundaries encompass many parks and open areas, giving it an airy and often very green appearance. Nordre Aker

History

According to the Norse sagas, Oslo was founded around 1048 by king Harald Hardråde. Recent archaeological research has uncovered Christian burials from before 1000, evidence of a preceding urban settlement. This called for the celebration of Oslo's millennium in 2000. The origin of the name is still somewhat unclear. While "-lo" almost certainly means "lee" or "harbour", "os" may have several connotations, including one of the norse pantheons, a river mouth or a hillside. It has been regarded as the capital city since the reign of Håkon V (1299-1319), who was the first king to reside permanently in the city. He also started the construction of the Akershus Fortress. A century later Norway was the weaker part in a personal union with Denmark, and Oslo's role was reduced to that of provincial administrative centre, with the kings residing in Copenhagen. The fact that the University of Oslo was founded as late as 1811 had an adverse effect on the development of the nation. :When I was young, the capital of Norway was not called Oslo. It was called Christiania. But somewhere along the line, the Norwegians decided to do away with that pretty name and call it Oslo instead. -- Roald Dahl, Boy. Boy Oslo was destroyed by fire in 1624, and was rebuilt at a new site across the bay, near Akershus Fortress, by king Christian IV of Norway and given the name Christiania (later, 1878-1924, Kristiania). The original name of Oslo was restored in 1925. But long before this, Christiania had started to regain its stature as a centre of commerce and culture in Norway. In 1814 Christiania once more became a real capital when the union with Denmark was dissolved. Many landmarks were built in the 19th century, including the Royal Palace (1825-1848), Stortinget (the Parliament) (1861-1866), the University, the National Theatre and the Stock Exchange. Among the world-famous artists who lived here during this period were Henrik Ibsen, Edvard Munch, Knut Hamsun and Sigrid Undset (the latter two were awarded the Nobel Prize for literature). In 1850, Oslo also overtook Bergen to became the most populous city in the country. Oslo's centrality in the political, cultural and economical life of Norway continues to be a source of considerable controversy and friction. Numerous attempts at decentralisation has not appreciably changed this during the last century. While continuing to be the main cause of the depopulation of the Norwegian countryside, any form of development is almost always opposed by neighbors, and as a consequence the growth of a modern urban landscape has all but stopped. Spesifically, the construction of highrises in the city centre have been met with skepticism. It is projected, however, that the city will need some 20 000 additional apartments before 2020, forcing the difficult decision of wether to build tall or the equally unpopular option of sprawling out. highrise A marked reluctance to encourage the growth of the city for fear of causing further depletion of the traditional farming and fishing communities has led to several successive bursts of construction both in infrastructure and building mass, as the authorities kept waiting in vain for the stream of people to diminish. Neoclassical city apartments built in the 1850s to 1900s dotted with remnants of "Christian Quart"'s renaissance grid dominate the architecture around the city centre, except where slums were demolished in the 1960's to construct modernist concrete and glass lowrises, now generally regarded as embarrassing eyesores. Indeed, as the old buildings prove very expensive to maintain properly, the city as a whole is not usually considered beautiful, even by most of its own residents. While most of the forests and lakes surrounding Oslo are in private hands, there is great public support for not developing it. Parts of Oslo suffer from congestion, yet it is the only European capital where people live with the wilderness literally in their back yard, or with access to a suburban train line that allows the city's many hikers to simply step off the train and start walking. highrise The city was once referred to as Tigerstaden (City of Tigers) by the author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson around 1870. This name has over the years achieved an almost official status, to the extent the 1000 year jubilee was celebrated by a row of tiger sculptures around the City Hall. A harsh picture of the city was drawn by Knut Hamsun in his novel Sult (Hunger) from 1890 (cinematised in 1966 by Henning Carlsen). 1890 1890

Some points of interest

- Akershus Castle and Fortress
- Norsk Folkemuseum, the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History at Bygdøy, with a large open air museum
- The Armed Forces Museum
- The City Hall, where the annual Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is held
- The Holmenkollen ski jump, arena of the 1952 Winter Olympic Games, Holmenkollen
- The Holmenkollen Ski Museum, Holmenkollen
- The Kon-Tiki Museum, Bygdøy
- The Munch Museum, Tøyen
- The river Akerselva
- The National Gallery
- The Norwegian Maritime Museum, including Gjøa, Bygdøy
- The Fram Museum, exibiting the ship Fram, Bygdøy
- The Oslo City Museum, at Frogner Manor
- The Royal Palace
- The Henie-Onstad Art Centre, Høvikodden in Bærum
- Oslo Cathedral Oslo Cathedral
- The Storting, parliament building
- The Vigeland Park in the Frogner park (Frognerparken)
- The Viking Ship Museum, displaying the Oseberg and Gokstad ships, Bygdøy
- Tryvannstårnet
- Olympen pub one of Oslo's oldest pubs

Institutions of higher learning

- University of Oslo (Universitetet i Oslo)
- Oslo University College (Høgskolen i Oslo)
- Norwegian School of Management (Handelshøyskolen BI)
- Norwegian School of Information Technology (Norges Informasjonsteknologiske Høyskole)
- Oslo School of Architecture and Design (Arkitektur- og designhøgskolen i Oslo)
- Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education (Norges idrettshøgskole)
- Norwegian Academy of Music (Norges musikkhøgskole)
- Norwegian Lutheran School of Theology (Det teologiske Menighetsfakultet - MF)

Communications

Air

- Oslo Airport Gardermoen served by high speed train (Flytoget)
- Sandefjord Airport Torp (Vestfold)

Sea

There are daily ferry connections to:
- Kiel (Germany), Copenhagen (Denmark), Frederikshavn (Denmark), Hirtshals (Denmark), Nesodden.

Train

Oslo Sentralstasjon is the main railway station in Oslo. From there, there are connections in the directions of: Trondheim, Bergen, Stavanger, Stockholm, Gothenburg and Copenhagen. In 2004 Norwegian trains were Europe's third most punctual national train company. For the 4 first months in 2005 the punctuality is 92.9%. During winter in particular, weather conditions such as snow and blizzards may cause delays and cancellations on the routes crossing the central mountains.

Local public transport

Copenhagen All public transport within Oslo operate on the Oslo Sporveier common ticket system, allowing free transfers within a period of one hour if you buy a regular ticket. Tickets also transfer to the local and inter-city trains, which are operated by the state transportation company (NSB), but not if you intend to cross the city border. Oslo has the following public transportation systems: Bus, Tram (Oslotrikken), Metro (the T-bane), Ferries to Oslo islands and Train. Oslo's Tram- and Metro system is the largest in Europe compared to the number of inhabitants, and Oslo is the smallest city in the world with a full Metro system.

Administration

The city of Oslo constitutes a county of Norway. It is governed by a city government (Byråd) based on the principle of Parliamentarism. The government consists of 6 government members called commissioners (byråder, sing. byråd), and is appointed by the city council, which is the supreme authority of the city. The council consists of 59 popularly elected representatives. Following the latest reform of January 1, 2004, the city is divided into 15 boroughs (bydel) that are to a considerable extent self governed. In addition, there is the main city centre and the rural/recreational areas (marka), not having an administration of their own.

Media

The newspapers Aftenposten, Verdens Gang, Dagbladet, Dagsavisen, Vårt Land, Nationen and Klassekampen are published in Oslo. The main office of the national broadcasting company NRK is also located at Marienlyst in Oslo, near Majorstuen. TVNorge (TVNorway) is also located in Oslo.

Sports

Oslo was the host city for the 1952 Winter Olympic Games. Except for the downhill skiing at Norefjell, all events took place within the city limits. The Bislett stadion was used for speed skating events at the Olympics, but in recent years it has been better known for its annual Bislett Games track and field event. The whole Bislett Stadion has been re-built and was formally opened for the Bislett Games on July 29th 2005. Two football teams from Oslo, Vålerenga I.F. Fotball and F.C. Lyn Oslo, play in the Norwegian premier league (2005).

Historical population

- 1801: 9,500 inhabitants
- 1825: 15,400
- 1855: 31,700
- 1875: 76,900
- 1900: 227,700
- 1925: 255,700
- 1951: 434,365
- 1960: 471,511
- 1970: 487,363
- 1980: 454,872
- 1990: 458,364
- 2000: 507,467
- 2005: 529,407 http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/02/02/folkendrhist_en/tables/tab/0301.html http://www.ssb.no/folkendrkv_en/2004k4/hittil02-en.html conurbation:
- 1999: 763.957
- 2005: 811.688 http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/02/01/10/beftett_en/ http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/02/01/10/beftett_en/arkiv/art-2000-12-18-01-en.html

Born in Oslo

- Grete Waitz (October 1, 1953), Norwegian marathon runner Grete Waitz]

External links

-
- [http://www.megaholiday.com/oslo/index.html Oslo in Pictures]
- [http://www.oslo.kommune.no/dok/felles/publ/brosjyrer/oslotall/oslofacts.pdf Oslo, fact and figures]
- [http://www.oslo.kommune.no/dok/felles/div/bydeler/nye/kart2.pdf District map]
- [http://www.trafikanten.no Trafikanten] Local transport information
- [http://www.ssb.no/kommuner/faktaark3.cgi?region=0301 Statistical information]
- [http://thefeed.no/oslo/ OpenGuides wiki about Oslo]
- [http://www.oslobymuseum.no Oslo City Museum]
- [http://oslomarka.net Oslomarka på internett] - Forest area for recreation surronding Oslo
- [http://oslooyene.no Osloøyene] - Islands in the inner Oslofjord for recreation
- [http://www.arild-hauge.com/oslo.htm History of early Oslo (in Norwegian)] Category:Capitals in Europe Category:Coastal cities Category:Counties of Norway Category:Municipalities of Norway Category:Cities in Norway Category:Host cities of the Winter Olympic Games ko:오슬로 ja:オスロ simple:Oslo

1866

1866 is a common year starting on Monday.

Events

January – June

- January 6 – Ottoman troops clash with men of a Maronite leader Karam in St. Doumit in Lebanon - Turks are defeated
- January 12 - Royal Aeronautical Society is formed (London)
- January 28 - 800 Maronite troops clash with Ottoman troops in Karem Saddah, modern-day Lebanon - more battles between nationalist Maronites and Ottoman army follow
- February 13 - The first daylight robbery in United States history during peacetime takes place in Liberty, Missouri. This is considered to be the first robbery committed by Jesse James and his gang, although James's role is disputed.
- February 26 - The Calaveras Skull is discovered. Purported to be evidence of humans during the Pliocene Age, it turns out to be a hoax.
- April 4 - Alexander II of Russia narrowly escapes an assassination attempt in the city of Kiev. A design for a city gate to commemorate his escape was the inspiration for Mussorgsky's The Great Gate of Kiev from Pictures at an Exhibition.
- April 10 - The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is founded in New York City by Henry Bergh.
- May - Student Choen Blind fails to assassinate Otto von Bismarck in Unter den Linden in Berlin
- May 2 - Peruvian defenders fight off Spanish fleet at the Battle of Callao.
- May 16 - The U.S. Congress eliminates the half dime coin and replaces it with the five cent piece, or nickel.
- May 16 - Charles Elmer Hires invents root beer.
- May 24 - Battle of Tuyuti - 32.000 soldiers of the Triple Alliance defeat 24.000 Paraguayan soldiers few miles north of the Parana - 18.000 dead
- June 2 - Fenian forces skirmish with Canadian militia at Ridgeway and Fort Erie
- June 5 - Calculations indicate Pluto reached its most recent aphelion (furthest point from Sun) on this day. The next aphelion will occur in August 2113.
- June 8 - The Canadian Parliament meets for the first time in Ottawa.
- June 11 - Agra High Court established (later shifted to Allahabad High Court.
- June 14 - Beginning of the Austro-Prussian War, when the Austrians and most of the medium German states declare war on Prussia.
- June 20 - The Kingdom of Italy declares war on Austria.
- June 24 - At the Second Battle of Custozza, the Austrian army under Archduke Albert defeats the main Italian army, commander by King Victor Emmanuel.
- June 27-29 - The Prussians defeat the Hanoverian army at the Battle of Langensalza.

July – December

- July 3 - At the Battle of Königgratz, the Prussian army under King Wilhelm and Helmuth von Moltke defeats the Austrian army of Ludwig von Benedek, leading to a decisive Prussian victory in the Austro-Prussian War.
- July 5 - Marriage of Princess Helena of the United Kingdom, third daughter of Queen Victoria to Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
- July 20 - At the Naval Battle of Lissa, the Austrian fleet under Wilhelm von Tegetthoff defeats the Italian fleet of Carlo di Persano.
- July 24 - Reconstruction: Tennessee becomes the first U.S. state to be readmitted to the Union following the American Civil War.
- July 25 - The U.S. Congress passes legislation authorizing the rank of General of the Army (now called "5-star general") Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant becomes the first to have this rank.
- July 27 - The Atlantic Cable is successfully completed, allowing transatlantic telegraph communication for the first time.
- July 28 - The Metric Act of 1866 becomes law and legalizes the standardization of weights and measures in the United States.
- August 23 - Treaty of Prague ends the Austro-Prussian War
- September 22 - Paraguay successfully defends Curupaity against the Triple Alliance, scoring more than 5000 with just about 50 casualties.
- October 12 - The Treaty of Vienna ends the war between Austria and Italy. It formalizes the annexation of Venetia by Italy.
- December 21 - Fetterman's massacre - Sioux ambush and wipe out 79 cavalrymen under lieutenant colonel William J. Fetterman
- Federalist revolts in Argentina
- In Sweden the Riksdag of the Estates is replaced by an elected two chamber assembly, the Riksdag.
- Alfred Nobel invents dynamite.
- First historical mention of gerbils, "yellow rats" sent to Museum of Natural History (Musée d'Histoire Naturelle) in Paris, by father Armand David from northern China
- First use of the term Ecology

Births

- January 13 - Vasily Kalinnikov, Russian composer (d. 1901)
- January 15 - Nathan Söderblom, Swedish archbishop, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1931)
- January 29 - Romain Rolland, French writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1944)
- March 30 - George Van Haltren, baseball player (d. 1945)
- April 1 - Ferruccio Busoni, Italian pianist and composer (d. 1924)
- April 6 - Butch Cassidy, American outlaw (d. 1909)
- April 17 - Ernest Starling, British physiologist (d. 1927)
- May 17- Erik Satie, French composer (d. 1925)
- June 26 - George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, English financier of Egyptian excavations (d. 1923)
- July 28 - Beatrix Potter, English children's author (d. 1943)
- August 12 - Jacinto Benavente, Spanish writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1954)
- September 1 - James J. Corbett, American boxer (d. 1933)
- September 7 - Tristan Bernard, French writer (d. 1947)
- September 10 - Jeppe Aakjaer, Danish poet and novelist

Architect

An architect is a person involved in the planning, designing and oversight of a building's construction. The most basic definition of an architect is a professional who is qualified to design and provide advice - functional, aesthetic and technical - on built objects in our public and private landscapes. More generally, an architect is the designer of a scheme or plan. "Architect" is derived from Latin: architectus, and from Greek: arkhitekton (master builder), arkhi (chief) + tekton (builder, carpenter). [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=architect&searchmode=none] In the broadest sense, an architect is a person who interfaces between the end user of a planned structure and the builder. That is, the architect translates the user's needs into the builder's requirements. The architect must be completely conversant with the user's environment, that is, the area of business or industry for which the structure is to be used, so that s/he can fully and completely understand the image of the final result that the user is trying to convey. Equally as important, the architect must thoroughly understand the building and operational codes with which the builder must conform and, upon completion, during use of the structure. That degree of knowledge is necessary so that s/he is not apt to omit any necessary requirements, or produce improper, conflicting, ambiguous, or confusing requirements. S/he must understand the various methods available to the builder for building the user's structure, so that s/he can negotiate with the user to produce a best possible compromise of the results desired within explicit cost and time boundaries. Architects are professionals considered on par with doctors, engineers, and lawyers, and they must frequently make building design and planning decisions that affect the safety and well being of the general public. Architects are required to obtain specialized education and documented work experience to obtain professional licensure, similar to the requirements for other professionals, with requirements for practice varying greatly from place to place (see below). The most prestigious award a living architect can receive is the Pritzker Prize. It is considered the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for architecture. Other awards for excellence in architecture are given by the American Institute of Architects and Royal Institute of British Architects. Although architect may be a specific term referring to a licensed professional, the word is frequently used in the broader sense noted above to define someone who brings order to the built or unbuilt environment through the use of rational constructs using (engineering) design tools. [Note: someone who brings order to the built and/or unbuilt environment through the use of rational or irrational constructs and who may or may not use design tools is normally referred to as an artist. Although structures described by architectures may often be said to contain artistic features, as a whole they are rarely referred to as works of art. Similarly, works of art are rarely referred to as having an architecture.] For example, naval architects, software architects, etc., and graduates of schools of architecture not doing regulated project/construction documents are often called architects. However, non-licensed architects and designers working in the construction industry are prohibited from referring to themselves as architects in most countries.

Canada

In Canada, architects are required to belong to provincial architectural associations that require them to complete an accredited degree in architecture, finish a multi-year internship process, pass a series of exams, and pay an annual fee to acquire and maintain a license to practice. The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada [http://www.raic.org/] aims to be "the voice of Architecture and its practice in Canada." Architects who are members of this organization are permitted to use the suffix MRAIC after their names. All members of the RAIC hold accredited degrees in architecture, but not all Canadian architects are members of the RAIC.

UK

Architects in the UK qualify through courses and exams recognized by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Architects Registration Board (ARB). Typically the sequence of education leading to full qualification and registration takes seven years and is:
- Three-year degree course
- RIBA Part 1 exam
- One year’s professional experience
- Further two-year course
- RIBA Part 2 exam
- Another year’s professional experience
- RIBA Part 3 exam The word ‘architect’ is legally protected; under the Architects Act 1997 it is against the law for people who are not registered architects to style themselves thus. However, many minor architectural tasks can be carried out by draughtsmen also known as architectural technologists (previously architectural technicians).

USA

In the United States, people wishing to become licensed architects (interns) are required to pass a series of multiple exams (depending on specific criteria set forth by the State in which the testing is conducted), referred to as the Architectural Registration Examination (the ARE). In addition, interns must have multiple years of documented practical work experience (quantity depends on type of educational experience and type of educational degree earned) working under a licensed Architect before they may become eligible to take the ARE. Although the ARE is a national exam, each state issues their own licenses. Some states, such as California and Hawaii, require supplemental exams in addition to the ARE. Other states have reciprocity agreements, so licenses may be easily transferred between certain states. Schooling is not always required in such states as New York, for someone who works at least 10 years under an accredited architect is eligible for a licensening test. There are three types of accredited ("professional") degrees in architecture in the United States; a Bachelor of Architecture, a Master of Architecture, or a Doctor of Architecture (abbreviated as B.Arch., M.Arch., and D.Arch., respectively). These are called professional degrees as they are required to enter the profession. A Bachelor of Arts in Architecture (BA), Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architecture (BFA Arch), Bachelor of Science in Architecture (BS), or Bachelor of Environmental Design (B.Envd) typically takes four years - as opposed to five for a B. Arch degree - and is considered a pre-professional degree. However a professional degree is still required (to take the ARE and to practice) and the programs are often combined usually leading to an M.Arch degree. A pre-professional degree is not necessary to enter a professional degree program, but accelerates completion. Following graduation from a professional program, documented apprenticeship (typically 3 year internship) is required before the individual is eligible to take the ARE and become licensed. The American Institute of Architects [http://www.aia.org] is the professional organization dedicated to offering a network of services to architects in the United States. Architects who are members of this organization are permitted to use the suffix AIA after their names. Not all architects who are licensed by their respective states are members of the AIA, and the general public often confuses the AIA suffix with actual credentials rather than participation in a business organization.

Hong Kong

In Hong Kong to be an architect, one must be a graduate of a university specified by the HKIA plus a two year internship, then take the architect registration examination. Architects from U.K. and U.S.A. with 10 years experience aren't required to take the examination, but are required to attend an interview just as a formality. Architects in Hong Kong are not authorised to submit building plans but use it as a 'title' only, unlike in most of the western world which carries a statutory obligation. To be able to submit building plans, architects, engineers or surveyors must go through another step by passing an authorized personal interview. Contrary to popular thought, most of the famous buildings in Hong Kong are designed by well-known international 'brand' architects and local architects act only as facilitators.

Notable architects

The architects in the list of notable architects are in chronological order of when they did their most important work (or emerged), and alphabetized within each time period.

Notable schools of Architecture

- Bauhaus, Weimar, Dessau, and Berlin
- Architectural Association School of Architecture, London
- École des Beaux Arts, Paris (until 1968 when 22 Écoles d'Architecture replaced it)
- Scott Sutherland School, Scotland
- National Technical University of Athens [http://www.arch.ntua.gr]
- Aristotle University of Thessaloniki [http://www.arch.auth.gr]
- Auburn University (Paul Rudolph, Samuel Mockbee) [http://www.auburn.edu]
- Glasgow School of Art,Glasgow,Scotland
- GSAPP [http://www.arch.columbia.edu/], Columbia University in the City of New York [http://www.columbia.edu/]
- Pennsylvania State University,Pennsylvania[http://www.psu.edu]
- Waterloo School of Architecture, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
- Berlage Institute, Rotterdam [http://www.berlage-institute.nl/]
- Dalhousie University (Technical University of Nova Scotia), Halifax, NS, Canada

External links

- [http://www.raic.org/ Royal Architectural Institute of Canada] - Professional association for architects in Canada
- [http://www.aia.org/ American Institute of Architects] - Professional association for architects in the United States
- [http://www.architectsindex.com/ Architects' Index] - Directory of UK registered architects
- [http://www.architecture.com.au Royal Australian Institute of Architects] - Professional association for architects in Australia
- [http://architect.architecture.sk/ Famous architects] Biographies of well-known architects, almost all of the Modern Movement. Category:Architecture and engineering occupations Architect Category:Professional qualifications ja:建築家

Eidsvoll

Eidsvoll is a municipality in the county of Akershus, Norway. In addition to being a bedroom community to Oslo, it also has agriculture and forestry industries. The main population and commercial centers are Sundet and Råholt.

Location

Eidsvoll municipality is bordered on the north by Toten and Stange, in the east by Nord-Odal, in Hedmark county. In the adjacent county of Akershus to the southeast lies Nes , to the south lies Ullensaker, and to the west lie Nannestad and Hurdal.

History

Eidsvoll is mentioned in Viking manuscripts. In the 11th century it became the site of court and assembly (ting) for eastern parts of Norway, replacing Vang, now a part of Hamar in Hedmark. Because of its access to the river Vorma and the lake Mjøsa is has long been provided a thoroughfare to northern parts of inland Norway. Eastern parts of Eidsvoll were for a short time the site of a minor gold rush when gold was found in 1758, and these areas are still known as Gullverket, (the Gold works). Eidsvoll Verk was opened to smelt iron ore by Christian IV of Denmark in 1624, relying on the excellent water power from the Andelva river. In 1688 it was owned by the director of the Kongsberg silver mine, Schlanbusch, and remained in his family until 1781. Carsten Anker came into possession of works in 1794, at which time it was in decay since many of the surrounding forests required for charcoal had been depleted. He restored it and set up the production of stoves and similar iron goods. He also took residence in Eidsvoll in 1811, rebuilding the house which is now the Eidsvollbygningen. Until recently, the main industry of Eidsvoll was agriculture, though the soil is rich in clay. Eidsvoll was the site where the constitutional assembly met to draft and sign the Norwegian Constitution on May 17 1814. The building (Eidsvollbygningen) in which the meetings were held is today a famous museum. In 1854, Eidsvoll became the end point for the first train line in Norway from Oslo. This became the transit point for travel with the steamship Skibladner to Hamar, Gjøvik, and Lillehammer. Henrik Wergeland was the eldest son of Professor Nikolai Wergeland (1780–1848), who had been a member of the constitutional assembly and was pastor of Eidsvold. Although not born there, the poet and his sister Camilla Collett were brought up in the rectory there.

External links

- [http://eidsvoll1814.museum.no/english/index.html Eidsvollbygningen museum] Category:Municipalities of Norway

1814

1814 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar).

Events

- January 14 - Denmark cedes Norway to Sweden in exchange for west Pomerania, as part of the Treaty of Kiel
- January 29 - French army of Emperor Napoleon I wins the Battle of Brienne
- January 31 - Gervasio Antonio de Posadas becomes Supreme Director of Argentina.
- February - Congress of Chatillon - see George Hamilton Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen
- February 1 - Mayon Volcano, in the Philippines, erupts, killing around 1,200 people; most devastating eruption of Mayon Volcano
- February 11 - Norway's independence is proclaimed, marking the ultimate end of the Kalmar Union
- February 14 - Napoleon wins the Battle of Vauchamps
- February 18 - Napoleon wins the Battle of Montereau
- March 7 - Napoleon wins the Battle of Craonne
- March 9 - the USS Enterprise reaches Wilmington, North Carolina, returning from the Caribbean.
- March 10 - Napoleon is defeated at the Battle of Laon in France
- March 27 - War of 1812: In northern Alabama, United States forces under General Andrew Jackson defeat the Creek at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.
- March 31 - Anti-Napoleonic troops occupy Paris
- April 4 or April 6 - Emperor Napoleon abdicates.
- April 10 - the Duke of Wellington wins the Battle of Toulouse
- May 3 - Duke of Provence, future Louis XVIII of France returns to Paris
- May 5 - British-American War (War of 1812): The British attack Fort Ontario at Oswego, New York.
- May 17 - Norway's new constitution signed at Eidsvoll
- May 17 - Occupation of Monaco changes from French to Austrian hands
- May 30 - The First Treaty of Paris is signed returning France's borders to their 1792 extent. Napoleon I of France is exiled to Elba on the same day.
- July 5 - War of 1812: Battle of Chippewa - American Major General Jacob Brown defeats British General Phineas Riall at Chippewa, Ontario.
- July 24 - War of 1812: General Phineas Riall advances toward Niagara Falls, Ontario to halt Jacob Brown's American invaders.
- July 25 - War of 1812: Battle of Lundy's Lane - Reinforcements arrive near Niagara Falls, Ontario for General Riall's British and Canadian force, and bloody, all-night battle with Jacob Brown's Americans commences at 18.00; Americans retreat to Fort Erie.
- August 13 - signing of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814
- August 24 - War of 1812: British troops burn Washington, DC, The Burning of Washington.
- August 28 - Alexandria, Virginia offers surrender to the British fleet without a fight.
- September 11 - USS Ticonderoga is victorious in the Battle of Lake Champlain
- September 14 - Francis Scott Key writes The Star-Spangled Banner.
- November 28 - London The Times newspaper becomes the first to be printed on a steam-powered press.
- December 24 - peace treaty of Ghent ends War of 1812 between United States and Britain.
- Missionaries attempt to write down the Maori_language
- George Stephenson designs his first locomotive Blutcher
- John Abernethy appointed lecturer in anatomy to the Royal College of Surgeons
- John Keats leaves apprenticeship to become a student at a local hospital
- Sir Walter Scott writes Waverley
- Guyana transferred from Netherlands to Britain; it is renamed "British Guiana"
- In England, the last hanging under the Black Act - William Potter for cutting down an orchard - even the judge petitioned for reprieve

Ongoing events

- Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815)-Peninsular War/Sixth Coalition
- War of 1812 (1812-1815)

Births

- January 27 - Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, French architect (b. 1879)
- February 18 - Samuel Fenton Cary, American politician and temperance activist (d. 1900)
- April 3 - Lorenzo Snow, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (d. 1901)
- April 21 - Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts, English philanthropist (d. 1906)
- May 30 - Mikhail Bakunin, Russian anarchist (d. 1876)
- August 8 - Esther Morris, American suffragist and judge (d. 1902)
- August 10 - Henri Nestlé, German-born Swiss chocolate magnate (d. 1890)
- August 13 - Anders Jonas Ångström, Swedish physicist (d. 1874)
- August 28 - Sheridan le Fanu, Irish writer (d. 1873)
- September 2 - Ernst Curtius, German archaeologist and historian (d. 1896)
- September 8 - Charles-Étienne Brasseur de Bourbourg, French writer and historian (d. 1874)
- October 4 - Jean-François Millet, French painter (d. 1875)
- October 15 - Mikhail Lermontov, Russian writer (d. 1841)
- November 6 - Adolphe Sax, Belgian instrument maker and inventor (d. 1894)
- Táhirih, Persian Bahá'í heroine

Deaths

- January 27 - Philip Astley, English circus promoter (b. 1742)
- March 28 - Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, French inventor (b. 1838)
- April 12 - Charles Burney, English music historian (b. 1726)
- May 29 - Josephine de Beauharnais, Empress of France (b. 1763)
- July 12 - William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, British general
- July 19 - Captain Matthew Flinders, English explorer of the coasts of Australia (b. 1774)
- August 21 - Benjamin Thompson, American physicist and inventor (b. 1753)
- August 31 - Arthur Phillip, British admiral and first governor of New South Wales (b. 1738)
- September 8 - Marie Caroline of Austria, queen of Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies, and de facto ruler (b. 1752)
- October 19 - Mercy Otis Warren, American playwright (b. 1728)
- November 23 - Elbridge Gerry, Vice President of the United States of America (b. 1744)
- December 2 - Donatien Alphonse Francois de Sade, French writer (b. 1740)
- December 13 - Charles Joseph, Prince de Ligne, Austrian field marshal (b. 1735)

Other

- 1814 was what inspired the name of Janet Jackson's 2nd hit album, Rhythm Nation 1814. It was the year women could get an education beyond the 8th grade level. ko:1814년 ms:1814 simple:1814 th:พ.ศ. 2357

Thing (assembly)

A thing or ting (Old Norse and Icelandic: þing; other modern Scandinavian: ting) was the governing assembly in Germanic societies, made up of the free men of the community and presided by lawspeakers. Today the term lives on in the official names of national legislatures, political and judicial institutions in the North-Germanic countries. The English word 'thing', meaning "object" is also derived from this; the evolution having been roughly "assembly" → "court" → "case" → "business" → "purpose" → "object". The German Tag (day, as in Bundestag the German parliament or Tagung) is called so because things were held at daylight and often lasted all day.

Viking and medieval society

lawspeaker.]] In the pre-Christian clan-culture of Scandinavia the members of a clan were obliged to avenge injuries against their dead and mutilated relatives. A balancing structure was necessary to reduce tribal feuds and avoid social anarchy. We know from the North-Germanic cultures the balancing institution was the thing although similar assemblies are reported also from other Germanic peoples. The thing was the assembly of the free men of a country, province or a hundred (hundare/härad/herred). There were consequently, hierarchies of things, so that the local things were represented at the thing for a larger area, for a province or land. At the thing, disputes were solved and political decisions were made. The place for the thing was often also the place for public religious rites and for commerce. The thing met at regular intervals, legislated, elected chieftains and kings, and judged according to the law, which was memorized and recited by the "law speaker" (the judge). The thing's negotiations were presided over by the law speaker and the chieftain or the king. In reality the thing was of course dominated by the most influential members of the community, the heads of clans and wealthy families, but in theory one-man one-vote was the rule. A famous incident took place when Þorgnýr the Lawspeaker told the Swedish king Olof Skötkonung that it was the people that held power in Sweden and not the king. The king realized that he was powerless against the thing and gave in. The island of Gotland, as an example, had in late medieval time twenty things, each represented at the island-thing called landsting by its elected judge. New laws were decided at the landsting, which also took other decisions regarding the island as a whole. The landsting's authority was successively eroded after the island was occupied by the Teutonic Order in 1398. In late medieval times the thing-court consisted of twelve representatives for the farmers, free-holders or tenants. The assembly of the thing was typically held at a specially designated place, often a field or common, like þingvellir, the old location of the Icelandic Thing. The parliament of the Isle of Man is still named after the meeting place of the thing, Tynwald, which etymologically is the same word as "þingvellir". Other equivalent placenames can be found across northern Europe; in the United Kingdom, there is Dingwall in Ross-shire; Tingwall, occurring both in Orkney and Shetland; and Thingwall in the Wirral. Similarly in Sweden, there are several places named Tingvalla, which is the modern Swedish form of "þingvellir". In the Yorkshire and former Danelaw areas of England, which were subject to much Norse invasion and settlement, wapentakes (another name for the same institution) were, until recently, still used in public records. Several places ending in the "by"(village) placename suffix originally possessed their own law (bylaw) and jurisdiction subject to the wapentake in which they served, which often extended over a surrounding ground called a "thorpe" (hamlet). If there was a riding surrounding the wapentake, the wapentake would merely be a local assembly coordinating the power of the Riding, which in Jorvik's case, would be under the king's command at what is now King's Square in York. The Kingdom of East Anglia was in control of the Danelaw which had been organised as the Five Boroughs. Those Five were martial law fortresses defending land against Wessex, or against the Vikings, depending on who ruled there; together with Lindsey, which was divided into three ridings like Yorkshire.

National parliaments and current institutions

The national parliaments of Iceland, Norway and Denmark all have names that incorporate thing:
- Alþingi - The Icelandic General Thing
- Folketing - The Danish People's Thing
- Storting - The Norwegian Great Thing The parliaments of the self-governing territories of Åland, Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Isle of Man also have names that refer to thing.
- Lagting - The Åland Law Thing
- Løgting - The Faroese Law Thing
- Landsting - The Green Land Thing
- Tynwald - The Manx Thing The Swedish national parliament, since medieval times, has borne a different style, Riksdag, which is cognate to the old name of the German national assembly, Reichstag. In Sweden ting is however used to name the subnational county councils, which are called Landsting. That name was also used in medieval times for the tings that governed the historical Landskap provinces, that were superseded by the Counties in the 17th century. The name ting is also found in the names of the first level instances of the Swedish and Finnish court system, which are called Tingsrätt (Finnish: käräjäoikeus), the Court of the Thing. Folkting is also the name of the Swedish Assembly of Finland, a semi-official body representing the Swedish-speaking population.