Oslo

Oslo
Southern Sami)
Bjørvika National Theater Frogner plass Victoria Terrasse Akershus Fortress Munch Museum Grünerløkka Karl Johans gate Møllergata 19, Youngstorget Huk at Bygdøy in Oslo
municipality and county		€70.970 billion (2021)[7]
• Metro	€132.716 billion (2021)[8]
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (Central European Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (Central European Summer Time)
Postal code	0001 – 1299[9]
ISO 3166 code	NO-03
HDI (2021)	0.980[10] very high · 1st
Website	oslo.kommune.no

Oslo

During the

, a municipality which surrounded the capital and which was 27 times larger, thus creating the modern, much larger Oslo municipality.

Oslo is the

intercultural cities programme.

Oslo is considered a global city and was ranked "Beta World City" in studies carried out by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network in 2008.^[16] It was ranked number one in terms of quality of life among European large cities in the European Cities of the Future 2012 report by fDi magazine.^[17] A survey conducted by ECA International in 2011 placed Oslo as the second most expensive city in the world for living expenses after Tokyo.^[18] In 2013, Oslo tied with the Australian city of Melbourne as the fourth most expensive city in the world, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)'s Worldwide Cost of Living study.^[19] Oslo was ranked as the 24th most liveable city in the world by Monocle magazine.^[20]

Oslo's population was increasing at record rates during the early 2000s, making it the fastest growing major city in Europe at the time.^[21] This growth stems for the most part from international immigration and related high birth rates, but also from intra-national migration. By 2010 the immigrant population in the city was growing somewhat faster than the Norwegian population,^[22] and in the city proper this had become more than 25% of the total population if the children of immigrant parents were included.^[23]

The municipality of Oslo has a population of 717,710 as of 1 January 2024.

a shape reminiscent of an upside-down reclining "Y" (on maps, satellite pictures, or from high above the city).

To the north and east, wide forested hills (Marka) rise above the city giving the location the shape of a giant amphitheatre. The urban municipality (bykommune) of Oslo and county (fylke) of Oslo are two parts of the same entity, making Oslo the only city in Norway where two administrative levels are integrated. Of Oslo's total area, 130 km² (50 sq mi) is built-up and 9.6 km² (3.7 sq mi) is agricultural. The open areas within the built-up zone amount to 22 km² (8.5 sq mi).^[25]

The city of Oslo was established as a municipality on 3 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). It was separated from the county of Akershus to become a county of its own in 1842. The rural municipality of Aker was merged with Oslo on 1 January 1948 (and simultaneously transferred from Akershus county to Oslo county). Furthermore, Oslo shares several important functions with Akershus county.

Boroughs as defined in January 2004 by the city council^[26][note]

Boroughs	Inhabitants (2024)[27]	Area in km2	Number
Alna	50,378	13.7	12
Bjerke	36,460	7.7	9
Frogner	60,646	8.3	5
Gamle Oslo	63,712	7.5	1
Grorud	28,065	8.2	10
Grünerløkka	65,577	4.8	2
Nordre Aker	54,199	13.6	8
Nordstrand	53,969	16.9	14
Sagene	47,660	3.1	3
St. Hanshaugen	40,095	3.6	4
Stovner	34,158	8.2	11
Søndre Nordstrand	39,069	18.4	15
Ullern	35,425	9	6
Vestre Aker	51,869	16.6	7
Østensjø	51,785	12.2	13
Overall	717,710	151.8

In addition is Marka (1,610 residents, 301.1 km²), that is administered by several boroughs; and Sentrum (1,471 residents, 1.8 km²) that is partially administered by St. Hanshaugen, and in part directly by the city council. As of 27 February 2020, there were 2,386 residents who were not allocated to a borough.

The 9 municipalities directly included in the Urban area of Oslo.^[28]

Municipalities	County	Population of the urban area (2023)	percentage of population
Oslo	Oslo	705 643	65,2 %
Bærum	Akershus	128 519	11,9 %
Asker	Akershus	71 355	6,6 %
Lillestrøm	Akershus	61 459	5,7 %
Lørenskog	Akershus	46 452	4,3 %
Nordre Follo	Akershus	40 876	3,8 %
Rælingen	Akershus	14 815	1,4 %
Nittedal	Akershus	10 909	1,0 %
Lier	Buskerud	2 547	0,2 %
TOTAL		1 082 575	100,0 %

After being destroyed by a fire in 1624, during the reign of King Christian IV, a new city was built closer to Akershus Fortress and named Christiania in the king's honour. The old site east of the Aker river was not abandoned, however, and the village of Oslo remained as a suburb outside the city gates. The suburb called Oslo was eventually included in the city proper. In 1925 the name of the suburb was transferred to the whole city, while the suburb was renamed "Gamlebyen", literally "the Old town", to avoid confusion.^{[29] [30] [31]} The Old Town is an area within the administrative district Gamle Oslo. The previous names are reflected in street names like Oslo gate (Oslo street)^[32] and Oslo hospital.^[33]

The origin of the name Oslo has been the subject of much debate. It is nigh-certainly derived from Old Norse and was—in all probability—originally the name of a large farm at Bjørvika, while the meaning of that name is disputed. Modern linguists generally interpret the original Óslo, Áslo or Ánslo as either "meadow at the foot of a hill" or "meadow consecrated to the Gods", with both considered equally likely.^[34]

Erroneously, it was once assumed that Oslo meant "the mouth of the Lo river", a supposed previous name for the

Seal

Main article:

Seal of Oslo

Oslo is one of very few cities in Norway, besides Bergen and Tønsberg, that does not have a formal coat of arms, but which uses a city seal instead.^[37] The seal of Oslo shows the city's patron saint, St. Hallvard, with his attributes, the millstone and arrows, with a naked woman at his feet. He is seated on a throne with lion decorations, which at the time was also commonly used by the Norwegian kings.^[38]

Oslo has various nicknames and names in other languages. The city is sometimes known as "The Tiger City" (Norwegian: Tigerstaden), probably inspired by an 1870 poem by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson which referenced then-Christiania in central Oslo. The nickname is mostly used by Norwegians from out of town, and rarely by people from the Oslo region.^[39]

During the

. Control over the area shifted between Danish and Norwegian kings in the Middle Ages, and Denmark continued to claim the area until 1241.

According to the Norse sagas, Oslo was founded around 1049 by Harald Hardrada.^[40] Recent archaeological research, however, uncovered Christian burials which could be dated to prior to AD 1000, evidence of a preceding urban settlement.^[41] This called for the celebration of Oslo's millennium in 2000 rather than 2049.^{[citation needed]}

Under the reign of Olaf III of Norway (1067-1093), Oslo became a cultural centre for Eastern Norway. Hallvard Vebjørnsson became the city's patron saint and is depicted on the city's seal.

In 1174, Hovedøya Abbey was built. The churches and abbeys became major owners of large tracts of land, which proved important for the city's economic development, especially before the Black Death.

At the end of the 12th century, Hanseatic League traders from Rostock moved into the city and gained major influence in the city.

On 25 July 1197, Sverre of Norway and his soldiers attacked Oslo from Hovedøya.^[42]

During the

.

The Black Death came to Norway in 1349 and, like other cities in Europe, the city suffered greatly. The churches' earnings from their land dropped so much that the Hanseatic traders dominated the city's foreign trade in the 15th century.

In 1380, 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 monarchs residing in Copenhagen.

Over the years, fires destroyed significant parts of the city multiple times, as many of the city's buildings were built entirely of wood. After the fourteenth calamity, in 1624, which lasted for three days,

is a historic timber framing house located on the north side of Christiania Torv; it was built in 1640.

The transformation of Christiania went slowly for the first hundred years. However, outside of the city at Vaterland, Grønland, and the old town of Oslo, a new, unmanaged part of the city arose populated by citizens of lower class status.^{[citation needed]}

The last Black Death outbreak in Oslo occurred in 1654.^[45]

In the 18th century, after the Great Northern War, the city's economy boomed with shipbuilding and trade. The strong economy transformed Christiania into a trading port.^{[citation needed]}

The Royal Frederick University (now the University of Oslo) was founded in 1811; the fact that it was founded this late reportedly had an adverse effect on the development of the nation.^[46]

In 1814 the former provincial town of Christiania became the capital of the independent Kingdom of Norway, when the union with Denmark was dissolved and replaced by a

(the latter was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature).

Large areas of the surrounding Aker municipality were incorporated in 1839, 1859, and 1878. The 1859 expansion included Grünerløkka, Grønland, and Oslo. At that time the area called Oslo (now Gamlebyen or Old Town) was a village or suburb outside the city borders east of Aker river.^[47] The population increased from approximately 10.000 in 1814 to 230.000 in 1900. In 1850, Christiania overtook Bergen and became the most populous city in the country. Christiania expanded its industry from 1840, most importantly around Akerselva. There was a spectacular building boom during the last decades of the 19th century, with many new apartment buildings and renewal of the city center, but the boom collapsed in 1899.

In 1877 the city was renamed Kristiania.

The city and municipality used the name Kristiania until 1 January 1925 when the original name of Oslo was restored.^[48] This was because Norway became fully independent in 1905, and Norwegians argued that a name memorializing a Danish king (Christian IV of Denmark) was inappropriate as the name of the capital of their country.^[49]

The municipality developed new areas such as Ullevål garden city (1918–1926) and Torshov (1917–1925). City Hall was constructed in the former slum area of Vika from 1931 to 1950. In 1948, Oslo merged with Aker, a municipality which surrounded the capital and was 27 times larger, thus creating the modern, vastly enlarged Oslo municipality. At the time, Aker was a mostly affluent, green suburban community, and the merger was unpopular in Aker.^[50] Other suburbs, such as Lambertseter, began to be developed in the 1950s. Aker Brygge was constructed on the site of the former shipyard, Akers Mekaniske Verksted, from 1982 to 1998.

Norway was

During the 2011 Norway attacks, Oslo was hit by a bomb blast that ripped through the Government Quarter, damaging several buildings including the building that houses the Office of the Prime Minister. Eight people died in the bomb attack.

On 25 June 2022, two people were killed and 21 others injured in a mass shooting. An Iranian-born Norwegian citizen was subsequently charged with "aggravated terrorism".^[52][53]

The city has continued to expand. For a few years, new large scale housing areas and infrastructure projects are being built and planned across the city, notably in Hasle,^[54] Helsfyr,^[55]Bjørvika,^[56] Nydalen^[57] and Sinsen, this is increasing the density in and around Ring 2 and Ring 3. The Fornebu line on the metro is under construction as of 2024, and further subway lines crossing the inner city are being planned.^[58]

Oslo occupies an arc of land at the northernmost 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 or 0.22 sq mi), and scores more around the Oslofjord. Oslo has 343 lakes, the largest being Maridalsvannet (3.91 km² or 1.51 sq mi). This is also a main source of drinking water for large parts of Oslo.

Although Eastern Norway has a number of rivers, none of these flow into the ocean at Oslo. Instead Oslo has two smaller rivers: Akerselva (draining Maridalsvannet, which flows into the fjord in Bjørvika), and Alna. The waterfalls in Akerselva gave power to some of the first modern industry of Norway in the 1840s. Later in the century, the river became the symbol of the stable and consistent economic and social divide of the city into an East End and a West End; the labourers' neighbourhoods lie on both sides of the river, and the divide in reality follows Uelands street a bit further west. River Alna flows through Groruddalen, Oslo's major suburb and industrial area. The highest point is Kirkeberget, at 629 m (2,064 ft). Although the city's population is small compared to most European capitals, it occupies an unusually large land area, of which two-thirds are protected areas of forests, hills and lakes. Its boundaries encompass many parks and open areas, giving it an airy and green appearance. ^{[citation needed]}

Oslo has a

The warmest month on record is July 1901 with mean 22.7 °C (72.9 °F), and the all-time high 35 °C (95 °F) was also recorded in July 1901.

27 July 2018

, the temperature in Oslo rose to 34.6 °C (94.3 °F), the hottest recorded since 1937, when weather recordings started at Blindern. In January, on average three out of four days are below freezing (0 °C [32 °F]) and one out of four days is colder than −10 °C (14 °F) (1961–1990).

hardiness zones

7a and 7b.

Oslo Gardermoen airport is located 35 km northeast of Oslo and has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfb) bordering on a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfc) in the 1991–2020 base period.^[69]

Vigeland Park

in Oslo

Oslo has many parks and green areas within the city core, as well as outside it.

• Frogner Park is a large park located a few minutes' walk away from the city centre. This is the biggest and best-known park in Norway, with a large collection of sculptures by Gustav Vigeland.
• Bygdøy is a large green area, commonly called the Museum Peninsula of Oslo. The area is surrounded by the sea and is one of the most expensive districts in Norway.^[72]
• Ekebergparken Sculpture Park is a sculpture park and a national heritage park with a panoramic view of the city at Ekeberg in the southeast of the city.
• St. Hanshaugen Park is an old public park on a high hill in central Oslo. "St. Hanshaugen" is also the name of the surrounding neighbourhood as well as the larger administrative district (borough) that includes major parts of central Oslo.^[73]
• Tøyen Park stretches out behind the old Munch Museum, and is a vast, grassy expanse. In the north, there is a lookout point known as Ola Narr. The Tøyen area also includes the Botanical Garden and Museum belonging to the University of Oslo.^[74]

Oslo (with neighbouring Sandvika-Asker) is built in a horseshoe shape on the shores of the Oslofjord and limited in most directions by hills and forests. As a result, any point within the city is relatively close to the forest. There are two major forests bordering the city: Østmarka (literally "Eastern Forest", on the eastern perimeter of the city), and the very large Nordmarka (literally "Northern Forest", stretching from the northern perimeter of the city deep into the hinterland).

• Sognsvann is a lake in Oslomarka, located at the land border, just north of Oslo. Sognsvann was drinking water for Oslo from 1876 to 1967.

The lake's altitude above sea level is 183 metres. The water is in a popular hiking area. Near the water itself, it is great for barbecues, swimming, beach volleyball and other activities.

The municipality operates eight public swimming pools.^[75] Tøyenbadet is the largest indoor swimming facility in Oslo and one of the few pools in Norway offering a 50-metre main pool. Another in that size is the outdoor pool Frognerbadet.

Oslo's cityscape is being redeveloped as a modern city with various access-points, an extensive metro-system with a new financial district and a cultural city. In 2008, an exhibition was held in London presenting the award-winning

Architecture

Aker brygge, Tjuvholmen, and the central station

area.

Oslo's architecture is very diverse. The architect

as a national monument.

When Christiania was made capital of Norway in 1814, there were practically no buildings suitable for the many new government institutions. An ambitious building program was initiated, but realised very slowly because of economic constraints. The first major undertaking was the

, the first neo-gothic church, completed by von Hanno in 1858.

A number of landmark buildings, particularly in Oslo, were built in the

(by the Aviaplan consortium) at Gardermoen, which opened in 1998, was Norway's largest construction project to date.

Oslo City Council after 2023^[78]

Party	Seats	+/-
Conservative	20	+5
Labour	11	-1
Green	6	-3
Socialist Left	6	0
Liberal	6	+2
Progress	4	+1
Red	4	0
Christian Democrats	1	0
Center (Partiet Sentrum)	1	+1
Total	59

Oslo is the capital of Norway, and as such is the seat of Norway's national government. Most government offices, including that of the

.

Constituting both a municipality and a county of Norway, the city of Oslo is represented in the Storting by twenty members of parliament. The

The combined municipality and county of Oslo has had a

standing committees

, each having its own areas of responsibility.

Recent elections

The largest parties in the City Council after the 2015-elections were the Labour Party and the Conservatives, with 20 and 19 representatives respectively. After 2015, the city government was a coalition of the Labour Party, the Green Party and the Socialist Left. With support from the Red Party, the coalition maintained a workable majority in the city council. Following the local elections of 2019, the centre-left coalition remained in government until the 2023 local elections.

After the Conservative Party's substantial gains in the 2023 election, they formed an alliance with the Liberal Party. With confidence and support from the Christian Democrats and the Progress Party, this alliance was able to form a government.[79]

The

The Governing Mayor of Oslo is the head of the City government. The post was created with the implementation of parliamentarism in Oslo and is similar to the role of the prime minister at the national level. The governing mayor is Eirik Lae Solberg.^[79]

Oslo has a varied and strong economy and was ranked number one among European large cities in economic potential in the

It was ranked 2nd in the category of business friendliness, behind Amsterdam.

Oslo is an important centre of maritime knowledge in Europe and is home to approximately 1980 companies and 8,500 employees within the maritime sector. Some of them are the world's largest shipping companies,

Port of Oslo

annually with a total of 6 million tonnes of cargo and over five million passengers.

The

Oslo is one of the

remain some of the highest of any city. Oslo hosts 2654 of the largest companies in Norway. Within the ranking of Europe's largest cities ordered by their number of companies Oslo is in fifth position. A whole group of oil and gas companies is situated in Oslo.

According to a report compiled by Swiss bank UBS in the month of August 2006,^[89] Oslo and London were the world's most expensive cities.

Oslo is a compact city. It is easy to move around by public transportation and rentable city bikes accessible to all in many places in the city centre. In 2003, Oslo received The European Sustainable City Award and in 2007 Reader's Digest ranked Oslo as number two on a list of the world's greenest, most livable cities.^[90][91]

The City of Oslo has set the goal of becoming a low carbon city, and reducing

By October 2022, Oslo had an extensive network of bicycle lanes and tram lines, most of its ferry boats had been electrified, and the city was "on course to become the first capital city in the world with an all-electric public transport system", including e-buses.[95]

• University of Oslo (Universitetet i Oslo [UiO])—undergraduate, graduate and PhD programs in most fields
• professional degree
  programs.
• BI Norwegian Business School (Handelshøyskolen BI)—primarily economics and business administration. The former college was granted a university status in 2018.
• Kristiania University College (Høyskolen Kristiania), a merger of many smaller independent colleges in Oslo, now offers education on bachelor's master's and PhD level in a broad range of subjects.^[96]
• Oslo School of Architecture and Design (Arkitektur-og designhøgskolen i Oslo [AHO])
• Norwegian School of Sport Sciences (Norges idrettshøgskole [NIH])—offers opportunities to study at the Bachelor, Masters and Doctoral level.^[97]
• Norwegian Academy of Music (Norges musikkhøgskole)
• MF Norwegian School of Theology
  (Det teologiske Menighetsfakultet – MF)
• Oslo National Academy of the Arts (Kunsthøgskolen i Oslo or Statens teaterhøgskole – KHIO)^[98]
• Norwegian University of Life Sciences (Norges miljø- og biovitenskapelige universitet – NMBU) located in Ås, right outside of Oslo^[99]
• Norwegian Army Academy (Krigsskolen)
• Norwegian Defence University College (Forsvarets høgskole)
• Norwegian Police University College (Politihøgskolen – PHS)
• Oslo Academy of Fine Arts (Statens kunstakademi)^[100]

The level of education and productivity in the workforce is high in Norway. Nearly half of those with education at tertiary level in Norway live in the Oslo region, placing it among Europe's top three regions in relation to education. In 2008, the total workforce in the greater Oslo region (5 counties) numbered 1,020,000 people. The greater Oslo region has several higher educational institutions and is home to more than 73,000 students. The University of Oslo is the largest institution for higher education in Norway with 27,400 students and 7,028 employees in total.^[101]

Oslo has a large and varied number of

every year.

Food

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (August 2017)

Grønland, the central areas around Youngstorget and Torggata, Karl Johans gate (the main pedestrian thoroughfare), Aker Brygge and Tjuvholmen, Sørenga, and the boroughs of Frogner, Majorstuen, St. Hanshaugen / Bislett, and Grünerløkka all have a high concentration of cafes and restaurants. There are several food markets, the largest being Mathallen Food Hall at Vulkan with more than 30 specialty shops, cafés, and eateries.^[103]

As of March 2018 six Oslo restaurants were mentioned in the Michelin Guide. Maaemo is the only Norwegian restaurant ever to have been awarded three Michelin stars. Statholdergaarden, Kontrast, and Galt each have one star. Only two restaurants in Oslo have a BIB gourmand mention: Restaurant Eik and Smalhans.^[104]

Due to its proximity to the

Museums, galleries

Oslo houses several major museums and galleries. The Munch Museum contains The Scream and other works by Edvard Munch, who donated all his work to the city after his death.^[106] The city council is planning a new Munch Museum which is most likely to be built in Bjørvika, in the southeast of the city.^[107] The museum will be named Munch/Stenersen.^[107] 50 different museums are located around the city.^[108]

The Vigeland Museum located in the large Frogner Park, is free to access and contains over 212 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland including an obelisk and the Wheel of Life.^[110] Another popular sculpture is Sinnataggen, a baby boy stamping his foot in fury. This statue is very well known as an icon in the city.^[111] There is also a newer landscaped sculpture park, Ekebergparken Sculpture Park, with works by Norwegian and international artists such as Salvador Dalí.^[112]

Norsk Folkemuseum

The Viking Ship Museum features three Viking ships found at Oseberg, Gokstad and Tune and several other unique items from the Viking Age.^[113] The museum is currently closed for renovation, but will open again in 2026.^[114][115] The new museum will be called Museum of the Viking Age, and has plans to feature more viking items than at the old location.^[114][116]

The Oslo City Museum holds a permanent exhibition about the people in Oslo and the history of the city.^[117]

The Kon-Tiki Museum houses Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-tiki and Ra II.^[118]

The Fram Museum features items from arctic and antarctic expeditions, including the wooden ship Fram used by Fritjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen during their expeditions.^[119][120]

The Nobel Peace Center is an independent organisation opened on 11 June 2005 by the

Music and events

Many festivals are held in Oslo, such as Oslo Jazz festival, a six-day jazz festival which has been held annually in August for the past 25 years.^[124] Oslo's biggest rock festival is Øyafestivalen or simply "Øya". It draws about 60,000 people to the Tøyen Park east in Oslo and lasts for four days.^[125] The Oslo International

Festival is held in August every year and world-class chamber musicians and soloists gather in Oslo to perform at this festival. The Norwegian Wood Rock Festival is held every year in June in Oslo.

The

land is far away from the capital, the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History marks the Sami National Day with a series of activities and entertainment.

The World Cup Biathlon in Holmenkollen is held every year and here male and female competitors compete against each other in Sprint, Pursuit and Mass Start disciplines.^[128]

Other examples of annual events in Oslo are Desucon, a convention focusing on Japanese culture^[129] and Færderseilasen, the world's largest overnight regatta with more than 1100 boats taking part every year.^[130]

, was born in Oslo in 1842.

Norway's principal orchestra is the Oslo Philharmonic, based at the Oslo Concert Hall since 1977. Although it was founded in 1919, the Oslo Philharmonic can trace its roots to the founding of the Christiania Musikerforening (Christiania Musicians Society) by Edvard Grieg and Johan Svendsen in 1879.^[131]

Oslo has hosted the Eurovision Song Contest twice, in 1996 and 2010.

Oslo houses over 20 theatres, such as the Norwegian Theatre and the

The names of

Literature

Most great Norwegian authors have lived in Oslo for some period in their life. For instance, Nobel Prize-winning author Sigrid Undset grew up in Oslo, and described her life there in the autobiographical novel Elleve år (1934; translated as The Longest Years; New York 1971).

The playwright Henrik Ibsen is probably the most famous Norwegian author. Ibsen wrote plays such as Hedda Gabler, Peer Gynt, A Doll's House and The Lady from the Sea. The Ibsen Quotes project completed in 2008 is a work of art consisting of 69 Ibsen quotations in stainless steel lettering which have been set into the granite sidewalks of the city's central streets.^[134]

In recent years, novelists like Lars Saabye Christensen, Tove Nilsen, Suresh Chandra Shukla, Jo Nesbø and Roy Jacobsen have described the city and its people in their novels. Early 20th-century literature from Oslo include poets Rudolf Nilsen and André Bjerke.

The newspapers

.

Sports

Lyn Oslo and Liverpool F.C.

Oslo is home to the Holmenkollen National Arena and Holmenkollbakken, the country's main biathlon and Nordic skiing venues. It hosts annual world cup tournaments, including the Holmenkollen Ski Festival. Oslo hosted the Biathlon World Championships in 1986, 1990, 2000, 2002 and 2016. FIS Nordic World Ski Championships have been hosted in 1930, 1966, 1982 and 2011, as well as the 1952 Winter Olympics.

Oslo is the home of several football clubs in the

league and the cup, KFUM-Kameratene entered the top division in 2024. while Mercantile SFK and Frigg

have won the cup.

2002 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship.^[135] Røa IL is Oslo's only team in the women's league, Toppserien. Each year, the international youth football tournament Norway Cup is held on Ekebergsletta

and other places in the city.

Due to the cold climate and proximity to major forests bordering the city, skiing is a popular recreational activity in Oslo. The

top league

.

bicycle road racing were hosted 1993

.

Oslo is also home to the

European Cup.^[137]

Oslo was bidding to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, but later withdrew on 2 October 2014.

Tourism

In 2018 Oslo is named one of Lonely Planet's Top Ten Cities. The travel guide's best-selling yearbook Best in Travel has selected Oslo as one of the ten best cities in the world to visit in 2018, citing the Norwegian capital's "innovative architecture and unmissable museums alongside cool bars, bistros and cafés".^[138]

Crime

Oslo is commonly regarded as one of the safest capitals in Europe.^[139][140] The Oslo Police District received 72,102 reported crimes in 2020, and crime is generally on the decrease in the city.^[141][142] The category of reported crime that's decreasing the quickest in Oslo is property theft.^[142] 11.6% of all crimes in Norway are reported to be within Oslo's six central boroughs, as of 2020.^[143]

Police

PST

is also located in the Oslo District. PST is a security agency which was established in 1936 and is one of the non-secret agencies in Norway.

Terrorist attacks

Main articles: 2011 Norway attacks and 2022 Oslo shooting

• One part of the
  neo-Nazi with political motives.^[144]
• The
  LGBTQ movement. Two people were killed, and a further 21 injured.^[145] Due to safety concerns, the pride parade in Oslo planned for 26 June was quickly cancelled.^[146]

Transport

Main article:

Transportation in Oslo

Oslo Central Station

Public transport

Oslo has Norway's most extensive public transport system, managed by Ruter.^[147] This includes the five-line Oslo Metro,^[148] the world's most extensive metro per resident; the six-line Oslo Tramway;^[149] and the eight-line Oslo Commuter Rail.^[150] The tramway operates within the areas close to the city centre, while the metro, which runs underground through the city centre, operates to suburbs further away; this includes two lines that operate to Bærum, and the Ring Line which loops to areas north of the centre.^[151] Oslo is also covered by a bus network consisting of 52 city lines, as well as regional buses to the neighboring county of Akershus.^[152]

Oslo Central Station acts as the central hub,^[153] and offers rail services to most major cities in southern Norway as well as Stockholm and Gothenburg in Sweden.^[154] The Airport Express Train operates along the high-speed Gardermoen Line. The Drammen Line runs under the city centre in the Oslo Tunnel.^[155] Some of the city islands and the neighbouring municipality of Nesodden are connected by ferry.^[156] Daily cruiseferry services operate to Copenhagen and Frederikshavn in Denmark, and to Kiel in Germany.^[157]

Airports

Main articles: Oslo Airport, Gardermoen and Sandefjord Airport, Torp

Airports around Oslo

Airport	IATA/ICAO	Distance to Oslo	Passengers (2018)
Gardermoen	OSL/ENGM	47 km (29 mi)	28,518,584
Torp	TRF/ENTO	110 km (68 mi)	1,963,000
Rygge (closed 2016)	RYG/ENRY	69 km (43 mi)	0 (1,890,889 in 2013)

The main airport serving Oslo is

low-cost carriers

.

Roads and automobiles

Many of the motorways pass through the downtown and other parts of the city in tunnels. The construction of the roads is partially supported through a toll ring.^[162] The major motorways through Oslo are European Route E6 and E18. There are three ring roads in Oslo; the innermost 2 being city streets and the outermost, Ring 3, being an expressway.^[163][164]

Oslo has made an effort since the late 2000s in restricting private car use, as well promoting the use of electric vehicles above fossil-fueled vehicles. In 2018, Oslo banned all non-resident cars from its downtown areas.^[165][166] Oslo has been called the electric vehicle capital of the world, as 41% of all registered cars in the municipality are fully electric.^[167]

VAT, free parking, and access to bus lanes throughout the city.^[170][167]

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Oslo

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1500 2,500 —     1801 8,931 +257.2% 1855 31,715 +255.1% 1890 151,239 +376.9% 1951 434,365 +187.2% 1961 475,663 +9.5%	Year Pop. ±% 1971 481,548 +1.2% 1981 452,023 −6.1% 1991 461,644 +2.1% 2001 508,726 +10.2% 2011 599,230 +17.8% 2021 697,010 +16.3%
Source: Statistics Norway.[171][172][173]

Number of minorities (1st and 2nd gen.) in Oslo county by country of origin in 2023^[174]

Nationality	Population (2023)
Pakistan	22,330
Somalia	17,455
Poland	16,070
Sweden	11,266
Iraq	8,278
India	7,731
Morocco	6,938
Iran (Incl. Kurdistan province)	6,808
Vietnam	6,570
Philippines	6,565
Turkey	6,423
Sri Lanka	6,394
Russia	4,739
Eritrea	4,609
Afghanistan	4,469

The population of Oslo was by 2010 increasing at a record rate of nearly 2% annually (17% over the last 10 years), making it the fastest-growing Scandinavian capital.^[175] In 2015, according to Statistics Norway annual report, there were 647,676 permanent residents in the Oslo municipality, of which 628,719 resided in the city proper. There were also 1,019,451 in the city's urban area^{[3][171][176]} and an estimated 1,710,000 in the Greater Oslo Region, within 100 km (62 mi) of the city centre.^[15]

According to the most recent census 432,000 Oslo residents (70.4% of the population) were ethnically Norwegian, an increase of 6% since 2002 (409,000).^[177] Oslo has the largest population of immigrants and Norwegians born to immigrant parents in Norway, both in relative and absolute figures. Of Oslo's 624,000 inhabitants, 189,400 were immigrants or born to immigrant parents, representing 30.4 percent of the capital's population. All suburbs in Oslo were above the national average of 14.1 percent. The suburbs with the highest proportions of people of immigrant origin were Søndre Nordstrand, Stovner and Alna, where they formed around 50 percent of the population.^[178]

ethnic minority, followed by Poles, Somalis

, and

Kordestan province.^{[179][180][181][182]}

In 2013, 40% of Oslo's primary school pupils were registered as having a

Sami.^[183] The western part of the city is predominantly ethnic Norwegian, with several schools having less than 5% pupils with an immigrant background.^{[citation needed]} The eastern part of Oslo is more mixed, with some schools up to 97% of immigrant background. In the borough of Groruddalen in 2008 for instance, the ethnic Norwegian population decreased by 1,500, while the immigrant population increased by 1,600.^[184]

As of 2022, immigrants of non-Western origin and their children enumerated 164,824, and made up an estimated 24% of Oslo's population.[185]^[186]

Immigrants of Western origin and their children enumerated 71,858, and made up an estimated 10% of the city's population. Immigrants made up a total of 35% of Oslo's population in 2022.^{[185][186][187]}

Religion in Oslo (1 January 2019)[188][189]
religion			percent
Church of Norway			48.7%
Other Christian denominations			8.4%
Islam			9.5%
Buddhism			0.6%
Other religions			1.1%
Life stance communities			2.8%
Unaffiliated			28.9%

Oslo has numerous religious communities. In 2019, 48.7% of the population were members of the Church of Norway, lower than the national average of 69.9%.^[190] Members of other Christian denominations make up 8.4% of the population. Islam was followed by 9.5%^[191] and Buddhism by 0.6% of the population. Adherents of other religions formed 1.1% of the population. Life stance communities, mainly the Norwegian Humanist Association, were represented by 2.8% of the population. 28.9% of the Oslo population were unaffiliated with any religion or life stance community.^[188][189]

Notable residents

Main category: People from Oslo

Public figures

• Niels Juel (1629–1697), Danish-Norwegian admiral and Danish naval hero^[192]
• Fridtjof Nansen (1861–1930), polar explorer, scientist, diplomat, Nobel peace prize laureate
• Vilhelm Bjerknes (1862–1951), physicist and meteorologist, founded weather forecasting
• Einar Woxen (1878–1937), barrister and journalist
• Margrethe Parm (1882–1966), Christian leader and scout leader
• Margit Haslund (1885–1963), women's advocate, local politician and first female city Mayor
• Ragnar Frisch (1895–1973), economist, Nobel Prize laureate in 1969
• Trygve Lie (1896–1968), politician, first Secretary-General of the United Nations
• Lars Onsager (1903–1976), physical chemist, Nobel Prize laureate in 1968
• Johan Galtung (born 1930), sociologist, founder of peace and conflict studies
• Gro Harlem Brundtland (born 1939), former Prime Minister of Norway and Director-General of WHO 1998–2003
• Mette Kongshem (born 1941), diplomat and politician
• Eva Joly (born 1943), magistrate, politician and MEP
• John Fredriksen (born 1944), shipping magnate
• Frank Murud (born 1955), former Oslo chief of real estate
• Fabian Stang (born 1955), lawyer and politician, Mayor of Oslo 2007–2015
• Jens Stoltenberg (born 1959), former Prime Minister of Norway, Secretary General of NATO
• Børge Ousland (born 1962), polar explorer, writer; first person to cross the Antarctic solo
• Erling Kagge (born 1963) polar explorer, author, lawyer, art collector, entrepreneur and politician
• Tamil Tigers
• Souhaila Andrawes, former terrorist and Lebanese member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

Arts

• Øystein Aarseth (1968–1993), stage name Euronymous
  , Black Metal musician
• Fritz Arlberg (1830-1896), Swedish baritone, teacher, composer and opera singer
• Peter Christen Asbjørnsen (1812–1885), writer and scholar^[193]
• Rosa Asmundsen (1846–1911), actress and singer^[194]
• Johanne Bruhn (1890–1921), actress^[195]
• Mette Bull (1876–1946), actress^[196]
• Kjersti Døvigen (1943–2021), actress^[197]
• Sandra Drouker
  (1875–1944), Russian concert pianist, composer and music pedagogue
• Thorbjørn Egner (1912–1990), playwright of children's books, songwriter and illustrator
• Fanny Elsta (1899–1978), opera singer^[198]
• Jacobine Gjertz (1819–1862), pianist, composer and writer^[199]
• Hans Gude (1825–1903), Norwegian romanticist landscape painter^[200]
• Lona Gyldenkrone (1848–1934), opera singer
• Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906), playwright, theatre director and poet
• Fanny Ingvoldstad (1857–1935), painter^[201]
• Christian Krohg (1852–1925), naturalist painter, illustrator, author and journalist
• Edvard Munch (1863–1944), painter
• Magna Lykseth-Skogman (1874–1949), opera singer
• Tine Thing Helseth (born 1987), solo classical trumpeter
• Torleif S. Knaphus (1881–1965), artist and monument sculptor in Utah, US
• Cliff Moustache (born 1952), playwright, film director, and actor from Seychelles^[202]
• Lars Saabye Christensen (born 1953), Norwegian/Danish novelist
• Morten Harket (born 1959), singer, songwriter and leader of A-ha; Knight of the Order of St Olav
• Jo Nesbø (born 1960), writer, musician, economist, and former soccer player
• Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (born 1961), guitarist, songwriter of A-ha and Savoy; Knight of the Order of St Olav
• Magne Furuholmen (born 1962), keyboardist, songwriter of A-ha and Apparatjik; Knight of the Order of St Olav
• Erik Poppe (born 1966), film director, producer and screenwright
• Valborg Seeberg (1851–1929), writer^[203]
• Astrid Sommer (1906–1990), actress^[204]
• Sigrid Undset (1882–1949), writer, awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1928
• Mathilde Grooss Viddal (born 1969), composer and jazz musician
• Nico & Vinz (formed 2010), singers of a fusion of genres from pop to reggae to soul

Sport

• Sonja Henie (1912–1969), three-time Olympic champion figure skater and actress^[205]
• Knut Johannesen (born 1933), twice Olympic Champion speed skater
• Grete Waitz (1953–2011), marathon runner, silver medallist at the 1984 Olympic Games
• Jørn Goldstein (born 1953), Olympic ice hockey goalie
• Espen Bredesen (born 1968), ski jumper, gold and silver medallist at the 1994 Winter Olympics
• Kjetil André Aamodt
  (born 1971), alpine skier with eight Olympic medals
• Espen Knutsen (born 1972), former professional ice hockey player
• LPGA Tour
• Mats Zuccarello (born 1987), professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League
• Joshua King (born 1992), footballer, 172 caps for AFC Bournemouth and 51 for Norway
• Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (born 17 July 1997), Norwegian professional racing cyclist
• Viktor Hovland (born 1997), professional golfer
• Casper Ruud (born 1998), professional tennis player
• Dennis Hauger (born 2003), racing driver, FIA Formula 3 Champion and Formula One reserve driver

International relations

Oslo is a pilot city of the Council of Europe and the European Commission's Intercultural cities programme, along with a number of other European cities.^[206][207]

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Norway

Oslo was formerly twinned with Madison, Tel Aviv and Vilnius, but has since abolished the concept of twin cities.

Cooperation agreements

As of 2012, Oslo had cooperation agreements with:^[208]

• Artvin, Turkey
• Gothenburg, Sweden
• Mbombela, South Africa
• Saint Petersburg, Russia
• Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
• Shanghai, China
• Vilnius, Lithuania
• Warsaw, Poland

Christmas trees as gifts

Oslo has a tradition of sending a

spruce, as an expression of gratitude toward Britain for its support of Norway during World War II.^[210][211]

See also

• Oslo Accords
• Image gallery sorted by neighbourhood in Oslo
• Timeline of transport in Oslo

References

Further reading

See also: Bibliography of the history of Oslo

• Christie, Haakon (1966). "Old Oslo". Medieval Archaeology. 10: 45–58.
  doi:10.5284/1071442
  .
• Ebert, Bettina (2018). "A skewed balance? Examining the display and research history of the medieval collection at the Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo". Journal of the History of Collections. 30 (1): 139–151.
  hdl:10852/75244
  .
• Kolbe, Laura (2008). "Symbols of civic pride, national history or European tradition? City halls in Scandinavian capital cities". Urban History. 35 (3): 382–413.
  doi:10.1017/S0963926808005701
  . – covers Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Oslo.
• Liden, Hans-Emil (1977). "Urban Archaeology in Norway". European towns: their archaeology and early history. pp. 83–102.
• Luccarelli, Mark; Røe, Per Gunnar, eds. (2012). Green Oslo: Visions, Planning and Discourse. Ashgate.
  ISBN 978-1-4094-7351-0
  .
• Stagg, Frank Noel (1956). East Norway and its frontier; a history of Oslo and its uplands. London: George Allen & Unwin.
• Streeton, Noëlle L. W. (2018). "Perspectives (Old and New) on Late Medieval Church Art in Norway: Questioning the Hegemony of Lübeck Workshops". Scandinavian Studies. 90 (1): 50–77.
  JSTOR 10.5406/scanstud.90.1.0050
  .

External links

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Christiania".

• City of Oslo: official website (in Norwegian)
• City of Oslo: official website (in English)
• Official Travel and Visitors Guide to Oslo.
• Oslo travel guide from Wikivoyage
• "Christiania" .
  The American Cyclopædia
  . 1879.