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Oslofjord

Coordinates: 59°48′08″N 10°33′09″E / 59.80229°N 10.55237°E / 59.80229; 10.55237
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For other uses, see Oslofjord (disambiguation).
Oslofjord
Oslofjorden
Map of the inlet
LocationSoutheast Norway
Coordinates59°48′08″N 10°33′09″E / 59.80229°N 10.55237°E / 59.80229; 10.55237
TypeFjord
Primary outflowsSkaggerak
Basin countriesNorway
Max. length120 kilometres (75 mi)
SettlementsOslo

The Oslofjord (Norwegian: Oslofjorden, Urban East Norwegian: [ˈʊ̂ʂlʊˌfjuːɳ]; English: Oslo Fjord[1][2][3]) is an inlet in southeastern Norway. The 120-kilometre (75 mi) fjord begins at the small village of Bonn in Frogn Municipality and stretching northwards to the city of Oslo, and then curving to the east and then south again. It then flows south to an imaginary line running between the Torbjørnskjær Lighthouse and Færder Lighthouse where it becomes part of the Skagerrak strait. The Skagerrak connects the North Sea and the Kattegat sea area, which leads to the Baltic Sea. The Oslofjord is not a fjord in the geological sense, but in the Norwegian language, the term fjord can refer to a wide range of waterways including inlets such as this one.[4]

The bay is divided into the inner (indre) and outer (ytre) Oslofjord, separated by the 17 km (11 mi) long by 1 km (0.62 mi) wide Drøbak Sound. The innermost part is known as Bunnefjorden.

Summer houses in the Oslofjord

Fjord

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From 1624 until 1925 the name of the fjord was Christianiafjorden (or Kristianiafjorden), since Christiania was the name of the capital during this period (the Ch was changed to a K in 1877). Before that time, the Old Norse name of the fjord was Fold. The old name Fold led to the names of the counties of Vestfold ('the district west of Fold') and Østfold ('the district east of Fold') as well as the nearby district of Follo.[4]

Geography

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Each of the islands in the innermost part of the fjord has its own identity and distinguishing history. Among them are Hovedøya, Lindøya, Nakholmen, Bleikøya, Gressholmen, and Langøyene. These islands can be reached with the Oslo boats from Aker Brygge. Hovedøya contains monastery ruins, Gressholmen for its rabbits, Nakholmen, Bleikøya, Lindøya for their cosy cabins at the water's edge, and finally Langøyene for its camping possibilities and beach.[5]

The inner part of the Oslofjord has steep and forest covered hill slopes down towards the fjord.[citation needed]

Climate

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Satellite image by Sentinel-2

The Oslofjord has Norway's highest all year temperature: 7.5 °C (45.5 °F). February is the coldest month in the fjord with −1.3 °C (29.7 °F), while July normally reaches 17.2 °C (63.0 °F). The islands in the middle of the fjord are among Norway's warmest with high summer temperatures and moderate winters. The Oslofjord's relatively high temperatures enable various flora to flourish.[citation needed]

History

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The oldest settlements in the area surrounding the Oslofjord date from the Stone Age and the Bronze Age. It was here on the eastern and western shores that three of the best preserved Viking ships were unearthed, including the Gokstad ship. In historical times, this bay was known by the current name of the region, Viken ('the bay').[6]

Oslofjord has been an important body of water strategically due to its proximity to the capital city of Oslo. During World War II, there were German installations at several points on its coastline. One installation in Hovedøya held 1,100 Wehrmacht soldiers and later women deemed Nazi collaborators at the National Internment Camp for Women in Hovedøya.[7]

Norwegian painter Edvard Munch had a cottage and studio in Åsgårdstrand on the fjord and the Oslofjord appears in several of his paintings, including The Scream and Girls on the Pier.[8]

Second World War

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Main article: German occupation of Norway
German cruiser Blücher

The fjord was the scene of a key event in the German invasion of Norway in April 1940, the Battle of Drøbak Sound. The invasion plan envisaged landing of 1,000 troops transported by ship to Oslo. Colonel Eriksen, Commander of the Oscarsborg fortress near Drøbak, mainly maintained for historical purposes, sank the German heavy cruiser Blücher in the Drøbak narrows.[9]

The fortress's resistance blocked the route to Oslo, thus delaying the rest of the invading group long enough for the Norwegian royal family, government, parliament, and national treasury to evacuate. Thus Norway never surrendered to the Germans, leaving the Quisling government illegitimate and permitting Norway to participate as an ally in the war, rather than as a conquered nation.[citation needed]

False-colour image of middle parts of Oslofjorden. North is to the left

Demographics

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The entire population situated around the Oslofjord including Oslo is about 1.96 million, and the total population of all the counties situated around the fjord is approximately 2.2 million.[citation needed]

More than 40% of Norway's population resides under 45 minutes of driving from the Oslofjord.[10] The Oslofjord has Norway's busiest traffic of ferries and cargo boats.[4]

Although the Oslofjord contains hundreds of populated islands, most of the population of the fjord resides on the mainland.[citation needed]

Recreation

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In the summer there are boats of all sizes on the fjord, and it is possible to go kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and sailing.

The Oslofjord is one of the nine venues of the Class 1 World Powerboat Championship.

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  • Oslofjord seen from Holmenkollen.
    Oslofjord seen from Holmenkollen.
  • Oslofjord seen from Ekeberg, in Oslo.
    Oslofjord seen from Ekeberg, in Oslo.
  • Boats in the fjord mid-2006.
    Boats in the fjord mid-2006.
  • Oslofjord from Oslo-Copenhagen ferry.
    Oslofjord from Oslo-Copenhagen ferry.

References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oslofjorden.
  1. ^ de Jong, Folkert (2007). Marine Eutrophication in Perspective: On the Relevance of Ecology for Environmental Policy. Berlin: Springer. p. 53. ISBN 9783540336471.
  2. ^ Braarud, Trygve (1945). A Phytoplankton Survey of the Polluted Waters of Inner Oslo Fjord. Oslo: I kommisjon hos Jacob Dybwad. p. 11ff.
  3. ^ Maishman, Elsa (12 August 2022). "Freya the Walrus Could Be Put Down Unless Public Back Off, Norway Warns". BBC News. Archived from the original on 24 August 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022. A walrus that has become a popular attraction in the Oslo Fjord ...
  4. ^ a b c Thorsnæs, Geir, ed. (5 December 2023). "Oslofjorden". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Badeplasser og temperaturer" (in Norwegian). Oslo kommune. 10 March 2015.
  6. ^ Nikel, David (13 May 2019). "This Is Viken: Norway's New Super County". LifeInNorway.net.
  7. ^ Ødemark, Erik, ed. (3 May 2021). "Hovedøya". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  8. ^ Kirkholt, Tore, ed. (25 May 2021). "Skrik". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  9. ^ Hastings, Max (29 September 2011). "Blitzkriegs in the West". All Hell Let Loose: The World at War 1939-1945. London: Harper Press (published 2011). p. 44. ISBN 9780007338122. Retrieved 10 June 2019. [...] the new cruiser Blücher, carrying thousands of German troops, approached Oscarsborg. [...] Local commander Colonel Birger Eriksen, knowing the gunners' limitations, held his fire until the last moment. [...] One shell hit the cruiser's anti-aircraft control centre, while the other smashed into an aviation fuel store, causing a pillar of flame to leap skywards. After suffering two further hits from shore-based torpedoes, within minutes Blücher was engulfed in fire and listing heavily, her ammunition exploding. The ship sank with the loss of a thousand German lives.
  10. ^ Nikel, David. "Discover The Oslofjord". Life in Norway. Retrieved 28 November 2023.

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