Norway

Norway (pronounced /ˈnɔrweɪ/ ( listen); Norwegian: Norge (Bokmål), Noreg (Nynorsk) or Norga (North Sami)), officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty. The majority of the country shares a border to the east with Sweden; its northernmost region is bordered by Finland to the south and Russia to the east. Scotland and Faroe Islands lie to its west across the North Sea, Iceland, and Greenland lie to its west across the Norwegian Sea, and Denmark lies south of its southern tip across the Skagerrak Strait. The capital city of Norway is Oslo. Bouvet Island and Peter I Island are dependent territories (Norwegian: biland) of Norway, but not considered part of the Kingdom. Norway also lays claim to a section of Antarctica known as Queen Maud Land, a claim that has been recognised by Australia, France, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.^[7] Norway's extensive coastline, facing the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea, is home to its famous fjords.

Additional info

Åland

The Åland Islands (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈoːland]; Finnish: Ahvenanmaa) form an archipelago in the Baltic Sea. It is situated at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia and forms an autonomous, demilitarized, monolingually Swedish-speaking region and historical province of Finland. It is the smallest region of Finland, comprising 0.5% of Finland's population and 0.49% of land area.

Ålesund

Ålesund (help·info) is a city and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. It is a sea port, and is noted for its unique concentration of Jugendstil architecture.

Ériu

In Irish mythology, Ériu (Irish pronunciation: [ˈeːrʲu]; modern Irish Éire), daughter of Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, was the eponymous matron goddess of Ireland. Her husband was Mac Gréine (‘Son of the Sun’).^[1] She was the mother of Bres by Prince Elatha of the Fomorians.

Østfold

Østfold (help·info) is a county in southeastern Norway, bordering Akershus and southwestern Sweden (Västra Götaland County and Värmland), while Buskerud and Vestfold is on the other side of the bay. The county administration is in Sarpsborg, and Fredrikstad is the largest city.

.no

.no is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Norway. Registrations are processed via accredited registrars and internationalized domain names may also be registered (see details).

.sj

.sj is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) reserved for the designation Svalbard and Jan Mayen. It is administered by UNINETT Norid. Currently it is not used as Svalbard and Jan Mayen are parts of Norway. Home page owners on Svalbard have .no or .com as in Norway. Jan Mayen has no indigenous population.

1 E11 m²

To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here surface areas between 100,000 km² and 1,000,000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude.

A Doll's House

A Doll's House (Norwegian: Et dukkehjem) is an 1879 play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Written one year after The Pillars of Society, the play was the first of Ibsen's to create a sensation and is now perhaps his most famous play, and required reading in many secondary schools and universities. The play was controversial when first published, as it is sharply critical of 19th century marriage norms.^[1] It follows the formula of well-made play up until the final act, when it breaks convention by ending with a discussion, not an unravelling. It is often called the first true feminist play. The play is also an important work of the naturalist movement, in which real events and situations are depicted on stage in a departure from previous forms such as romanticism. The influence of the play was recognized by UNESCO in 2001 when Henrik Ibsen's autographed manuscripts of A Doll's House were inscribed on the Memory of the World Register in recognition of their historical value. ^[2]

Aasmund Olavsson Vinje

Aasmund Olavsson Vinje (6 April 1818 - 30 July 1870) was a famous Norwegian poet and journalist who is remembered for poetry, travel writing, and his pioneering use of Landsmål (now known as Nynorsk).

Abdication

Abdication (from the Latin abdicatio, disowning, renouncing, from ab, away from, and dicare, to declare, to proclaim as not belonging to one) is the act of renouncing and resigning from a formal office, especially from the supreme office of state. In Roman law the term was also applied to the disowning of a family member, as the disinheriting of a son. The term commonly applies to monarchs, or those who have been formally crowned. A similar term for an elected or appointed official is resignation.

Abraham Berge

Abraham Theodor Berge (20 August 1851 – 10 July 1936) was a Norwegian politician representing Venstre, the social liberal party, and later Frisinnede Venstre, a right-of-centre party. Born in Lyngdal in present-day Vest-Agder, he was Prime Minister of Norway from 1923 to 1924.

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) is a sovereign wealth fund owned by Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. ADIA has never published how much it has in assets. As a result of this, there is some debate on how much the fund has under control. Accepted estimates have been between $650 billion to approximately $875 billion in assets.^[1] On November 26, 2007, ADIA agreed to invest $7.5 billion in Citigroup, the largest United States bank. This deal gives ADIA 4.9% of the New York–based bank, making it the second largest shareholder, with Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Al Saud of Kingdom Holding of Saudi Arabia the third largest shareholder, with 4.3%.

Adolph Tidemand

Adolph Tidemand (1814-1876) was a Norwegian painter who was born in Mandal in 1814. At this time there were no art schools in Norway, so he moved to Copenhagen, Denmark at the age of 18 to attend the art academy. He studied there for five years and then began a journey to Italy to study further. But when Tidemand came to Düsseldorf, Germany, he liked it so much that he settled down there. Tidemand was preoccupied by Norwegian history, particularly after returning on a journey to Norway in 1843. After that he often traveled to Norway.

Afghanistan

The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is a landlocked country in South-Central Asia. It is variously described as being located within Central Asia,^[5]^[6] South Asia,^[7]^[8] or the Middle East.^[9] It is bordered by Iran in the west, Pakistan in the south and east, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the north, and China in the far northeast.

Aftenposten

Aftenposten (Norwegian for "The Evening Post") is Norway's largest subscription newspaper (by circulation), and second largest newspaper over all (after the tabloid Verdens Gang). It is based in Oslo. The morning edition, which is distributed across all of Norway, had a circulation of 250,179 in 2007.^[1] In addition, the evening edition, which is only distributed to the populous central eastern part of Norway has a circulation of 131,089. Aftenposten has a long tradition of serious journalism, and is by many considered to be the leading Norwegian newspaper. Strong competition in a shrinking market has made the paper opt for a broader appeal, however, as signified by the conversion from broadsheet to compact format in 2005.

Agnes Buen Garnås

Agnes Buen Garnås (born 23 November 1946) is a Norwegian folk singer from the county of Telemark. She comes from a famous musical family from the town of Jondalen, and is known particularly for her singing of ancient unaccompanied Norwegian ballads, as well as her updated arrangements of these songs in collaboration with the Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek on the ECM album Rosensfole.

Albania

Albania

/ælˈbeɪniə/ (help·info) (Albanian: Shqipëri/Shqipëria, Gheg Albanian: Shqipnia or Shqypnia), officially the Republic of Albania (Albanian: Republika e Shqipërisë, pronounced [ɾɛpuˈblika ɛ ʃcipəˈɾiːs]), is a Mediterranean country in South Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo^[a] to the northeast, Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the west, and on the Ionian Sea to the southwest. It is less than 72 km (45 mi) from Italy, across the Strait of Otranto which links the Adriatic Sea to the Ionian Sea.

Alexander Kielland

Alexander Lange Kielland (Norwegian pronunciation: [ɑlɛksɑndər ˈlɑŋːə ˈçɛlːɑn]) (18 February 1849 – 6 April 1906) was one of the most famous Norwegian authors of the 19th century. Born in Stavanger, Norway, he grew up in a rich merchant family.^[1] Even though he was born rich he had a sincere affection for the less fortunate. And he treated his workers well when he was a factory owner. He remained a spokesman for the weak and a critic of society throughout his time as a writer. Among his most famous works are the novels Garman & Worse (1880), Skipper Worse (1882), and Poison (Gift, 1883). His short stories are also well known.

Algae

Algae (pronounced /ˈældʒiː,ˈælgiː/; singular alga /ˈælɡə/, Latin for "seaweed") are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms. The largest and most complex marine forms are called seaweeds. They are photosynthetic, like plants, and "simple" because they lack the many distinct organs found in land plants. For that reason they are currently excluded from being considered plants.^[3]

Algeria

Algeria (Formal Arabic: الجزائر, al-Jazā’ir; ), officially the People's Republic of Algeria, is a country located in North Africa. In terms of land area, it is the largest country on the Mediterranean Sea, the second largest on the African continent^[6] and the Arab world after Sudan, and the eleventh-largest country in the world.^[7]

Allies of World War II

The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War (1939-1945).^[1] The Allies became involved in World War II either because they had already been invaded or were directly threatened with invasion by the Axis or because they were concerned that the Axis powers would come to control the world.^[2] After 1941, the leaders of the United Kingdom, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the United States of America, known as "The Big Three",^[3] held leadership of the Allied powers. France, before its defeat in 1940 and after Operation Overlord in 1944, as well as China^[4]^[1]^[5] at that time, were also major Allies.^[6] Other Allies included Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia, Greece, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippine Commonwealth, Poland, the Union of South Africa, and Yugoslavia.^[7]

Amaterasu Omikami

Amaterasu (天照^?), Amaterasu-ōmikami (天照大神／天照大御神^?) or Ōhiru-menomuchi-no-kami (大日孁貴神^?) is a sun goddess and one of the principal Shinto deities (神 kami^?). Her name, Amaterasu, means literally "(that which) illuminates Heaven". She was born from the left eye of Izanagi as he purified himself in a river and went on to become the ruler of the Higher Celestial Plain (Takamagahara).

Americas

The Americas, or America,^[1]^[2] are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, comprising the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions. America may be ambiguous in English, as it is more commonly used to refer to the United States of America.^[3]^[2] The Americas cover 8.3% of the Earth's total surface area (28.4% of its land area) and contain about 13.5% of the human population (about 900 million people).

Ancient Norwegian property laws

Two Norwegian property laws, so ancient that the time of their enactment is lost, govern Norwegian property. These are the Åsetesrett (homestead right), and the Odelsrett (also referred to as allodial right).

Andorra

Andorra

/ænˈdɒrə/ (help·info), officially the Principality of Andorra (Catalan: Principat d'Andorra), also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra,^[4] is a small country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of 468 km² (181 sq mi) and an estimated population of 84,484 in 2008. Its capital is Andorra la Vella. The official language is Catalan, although Spanish, French, and Portuguese are also commonly spoken.

Andrea Een

Andrea Een is a violist/violinist and Associate Professor of Music at St Olaf College.^[1] She is a founding member of the Hardanger Fiddle Association of America and, in 2002, was awarded the St. Olav's Medal by H.M. Harald V of Norway for helping to reintroduce the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle tradition to the United States (in the 1980s). She was presented with the medal in Urness Recital Hall by the Norwegian Consul General, Thor Johansen on 8 May 2002.

Annbjørg Lien

Annbjørg Lien (born October 15, 1971 in Ålesund and raised in Mauseidvåg) is a Norwegian musician. She plays the hardingfele (Hardanger fiddle), violin, and nyckelharpa.

Appellate court

An appellate court is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In most jurisdictions, the court system is divided into at least three levels: the trial court, which initially hears cases and reviews evidence and testimony to determine the facts of the case; at least one intermediate appellate court; and a supreme court (or court of last resort) which primarily reviews the decisions of the intermediate courts. A supreme court is therefore itself a kind of appellate court. Appellate courts worldwide can operate by varying rules. For example, the Isle of Man's traditional local appellate court is the Staff of Government Division which has only two Justices, titled "Deemsters," whose decisions are joined to the original trial decision. They almost always have a majority, if either Deemster agrees with the trial Judge.

Arctic

The Arctic (pronounced /ˈɑrktɪk/ or /ˈɑrtɪk/) is the region around the Earth's North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. The Arctic includes the Arctic Ocean (which overlies the North Pole) and parts of Canada, Greenland (a territory of Denmark), Russia, the United States (Alaska), Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland.

Arctic Circle

The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. In 2010, it is the parallel of latitude that runs approximately 66° 33′ 39″ (or 66.56083°) north of the Equator. The region north of this circle is known as the Arctic, and the zone just to the south is called the Northern Temperate Zone. The equivalent polar circle in the Southern Hemisphere is called the Antarctic Circle.

Area

Area is a quantity expressing the two-dimensional size of a defined part of a surface, typically a region bounded by a closed curve. The term surface area refers to the total area of the exposed surface of a 3-dimensional solid, such as the sum of the areas of the exposed sides of a polyhedron. Area is an important invariant in the differential geometry of surfaces.^[1]

Arendal

Arendal (help·info) is a town and municipality in the county of Aust-Agder, Norway. The town is the administrative center the municipality and of Aust-Agder county. Arendal belongs to the traditional region of Sørlandet. The municipality is bordered to the southwest by Grimstad, to the northwest by Froland, and to the northeast by Tvedestrand.

Argentina

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic (Spanish: República Argentina, pronounced [reˈpuβlika aɾxenˈtina]), is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth-largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico, Colombia and Spain are more populous.

Armenia

Armenia

/ɑrˈmiːniə/ (help·info) (Armenian: Հայաստան, transliterated: Hayastan, IPA: [hɑjɑsˈtɑn]), officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն, Hayastani Hanrapetut’yun, [hɑjɑstɑˈni hɑnɾɑpɛtuˈtʰjun]), is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Situated at the juncture of Western Asia and Eastern Europe,^[8] it is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, the de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran and the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan to the south.

Arne Nordheim

Arne Nordheim (born 20 June 1931 in Larvik) is a Norwegian composer, since 1982 living in the Norwegian State's honorary residence, Grotten, next to the Royal Palace in Oslo. Nordheim has received numerous prizes for his compositions, and was elected honorary member of the International Society for Contemporary Music in 1997.

Arne Skouen

Arne Skouen (October 18, 1913 – May 24, 2003) was best known for his work as a film director and as a journalist. He was internationally famed for his 1957 film Ni Liv (Nine Lives). His first film was released in 1949, titled Gategutter (Street Boys).

Arnulf Øverland

Ole Peter Arnulf Øverland (27 April 1889 - 25 March 1968) was a Norwegian author born in Kristiansund and raised in Bergen. His works include Berget det blå (1927) and Hustavler (1929).

Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau (French pronunciation: [aʁ nuvo], anglicised to /ˈɑrt nuːˈvou/) is an international movement^[2] and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that peaked in popularity at the turn of the 20th century (1890–1905).^[3] The name 'Art nouveau' is French for 'new art'. It is also known as Jugendstil, German for 'youth style', named after the magazine Jugend, which promoted it, and in Italy, Stile Liberty from the department store in London, Liberty & Co., which popularized the style. A reaction to academic art of the 19th century, it is characterized by organic, especially floral and other plant-inspired motifs, as well as highly-stylized, flowing curvilinear forms.^[4] Art Nouveau is an approach to design according to which artists should work on everything from architecture to furniture, making art part of everyday life.^[5]

Athena

In Greek mythology, Athena (also called Athene and Pallas Athene, Attic: Ἀθηνᾶ, Athēnâ or Ἀθηναία, Athēnaía, Epic: Ἀθηναίη, Athēnaíē, Ionic: Ἀθήνη, Athḗnē, Doric: Ἀθάνα, Athána; Latin: Minerva) is the goddess of wisdom, war, strategy, industry, justice and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies these same exact attributes.^[2] Athena is also a shrewd companion of heroes and the goddess of heroic endeavour. She is the virgin patron of Athens. The Athenians built the Parthenon, on the Acropolis of her namesake city, Athens, in her honour (Athena Parthenos)^[3]

Aust-Agder

Aust-Agder (help·info) is a county (fylke) in Norway, bordering Telemark, Rogaland, and Vest-Agder. In 2002, there were 102,945 inhabitants, which is 2.2% of the total population in Norway. Its area is 9,212 square kilometres (3,557 sq mi). The administrative center of the county is in Arendal.

Australia

Australia (pronounced /əˈstreɪljə/ ə-STRAYL-yə or /ɒˈstreɪljə/ o-STRAYL-yə,^[7] or more formally as /ɔːˈstreɪliə/ aw-STRAY-lee-ə), officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent (the world's smallest),^[8]^[9] the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.^N4 Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor, and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia to the north-east, and New Zealand to the southeast.

Austria

Austria

/ˈɔːstriə/ (help·info) (German:

Österreich (help·info)), officially the Republic of Austria (German:

Republik Österreich), is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people^[3] in Central Europe. It borders Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The territory of Austria covers 83,872 square kilometres (32,383 sq mi), and is influenced by a temperate and alpine climate. Austria's terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 metres (1,640 ft), and its highest point is 3,797 metres (12,457 ft).^[6] The majority of the population speaks German,^[7] which is also the country's official language.^[1] Other local official languages are Croatian, Hungarian and Slovene.^[6]

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan (pronounced /ˌæzərbaɪˈdʒɑːn/ (

listen); Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan), formally the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Respublikası), is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia,^[4] it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south. The exclave of Nakhichevan is bounded by Armenia to the north and east, Iran to the south and west, while having a short borderline with Turkey to the northwest. The Nagorno-Karabakh region in the southwest of Azerbaijan proper declared itself independent from Azerbaijan in 1991, but it is not recognized by any nation and considered a legal part of Azerbaijan.

Bærum

Bærum (help·info) is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the coast west of the city. Bærum has the highest per capita income in Norway^[2] and the highest proportion of university-educated individuals.^[3]

Bachelor degree

A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for four years, but can range from two to six years depending on the region of the world. It may also be the name of a "postgraduate" degree, such as a Bachelor of Civil Law, the Bachelor of Music, or the Bachelor of Philosophy.

Baptism

In Christianity, baptism (from Greek baptizo: "immersing", "performing ablutions", i.e., "washing")^[1] is the ritual act, with the use of water, by which one is admitted to membership of the Christian Church and as a member of the particular Christian tradition in which the baptism is administered.^[2] ^[3]

Barents Sea

Barents Sea (Norwegian: Barentshavet, Russian: Баренцево море) is a part of the Arctic Ocean located north of Norway and Russia.^[1] Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents. It is a rather deep shelf sea (average depth 760 feet (230 m) and maximum depth 1,480 feet (450 m) ), bordered by the shelf edge towards the Norwegian Sea in the west, the island of Svalbard (Norway) in the northwest, and the islands of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya (Russia) in the northeast and east. Novaya Zemlya separates the Kara Sea from the Barents Sea. Significant fossil fuel energy resources exist in the Barents Sea region.^[2]

Basking shark

The basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus, is the second largest living shark, after the whale shark. It is a cosmopolitan species, found in all the world's temperate oceans. It is a slow moving and generally harmless filter feeder.

Battle of Hafrsfjord

The Battle of Hafrsfjord has traditionally been regarded as the battle in which western Norway for the first time was unified under one monarch. Eastern Norway was ruled by the Danish king. Although most scholars currently tend to regard the unification as a process lasting centuries, rather than being the result of a single battle, the Battle of Hafrsfjord ranks high in the popular imagination of Norway. It was the conclusion of Harald's declaration to become the sole ruler of Norway. This battle may well have been the largest in Norway up to that time and for a good while after.

Battles of Narvik

Altmark Incident - Denmark - Operation Weserübung - Norwegian Campaign - Allied campaign in Norway - Occupation of the Faroe Islands - Invasion of Iceland - Lofoten Islands - Raids on Spitsbergen - Tirpitz - Heavy water sabotage - Swedish iron ore - Operation Silver Fox - Raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo - Petsamo–Kirkenes Offensive

Belarus

Belarus

/ˈbɛləruːs/ (help·info) (Belarusian: Беларусь or Biełaruś, Russian: Беларусь) is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe,^[3] bordered by Russia to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the north. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno (Hrodna), Gomel (Homiel), Mahilyow (Mahiloŭ) and Vitebsk (Viciebsk). Forty percent of the country is forested,^[4] and its strongest economic sectors are agriculture and manufacturing.

Belgium

The Kingdom of Belgium

/ˈbɛldʒəm/ (help·info) is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO.^[5] Belgium covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres (11,787 sq mi) and has a population of about 10.7 million.

Bergen

Bergen (

pronunciation (help·info)) is the second largest city in Norway and the largest in Western Norway, with a population of 255,490 as of October 1st 2009.^[1] Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of 375,489 as of October 2009.^[2]

Bergljot Hobæk Haff

Bergljot Hobæk Haff (born 1 May 1925) is a Norwegian novel writer. Upon completing her education, she traveled to Denmark, and taught there for 24 years before returning to Oslo. She made her debut with the novel Raset in 1956.^[1] Her books are translated into languages as English, French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Swedish and Lithuanian.

Berit Nesheim

Berit Nesheim is Norwegian film director. Nesheim graduated from the University of Oslo in foreign languages, literature and psychology to go on to a career as a director of television films. Her first feature-film was Frida - Straight from the Heart in 1991, which was the Norwegian entry to the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1992. Her next feature film was Beyond the Sky (1994, starring with Swedish actress Harriet Anderson. Her film The Other Side of Sunday was nominated to Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1997.

Bharat Mata

Bhārat Mātā (Hindi, from Sanskrit भारत माता, Bhārata Mātā), Mother India, or Bhāratāmbā (from अंबा ambā 'mother') is the national personification of India as a mother goddess. She is usually depicted as a woman clad in an orange or saffron sari holding a flag, and sometimes accompanied by a lion.

Billy Yank

Billy Yank is the personification of the Northern states of the United States, or less generally, the Union during the American Civil War. The latter part of his name is derived from yankee, a slang term for Americans in general and for inhabitants of northeastern states in particular. Political cartoonists used Billy Yank and his Confederate counterpart Johnny Reb to symbolize the combatants in the American Civil War of the 1860s.

Bird

Birds (class Aves) are winged, bipedal, endothermic (warm-blooded), vertebrate animals that lay eggs. There are around 10,000 living species, making them the most numerous tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Birds range in size from the 5 cm (2 in) Bee Hummingbird to the 3 m (10 ft) Ostrich. The fossil record indicates that birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs during the Jurassic period, around 150–200 Ma (million years ago), and the earliest known bird is the Late Jurassic Archaeopteryx, c 150–145 Ma. Most paleontologists regard birds as the only clade of dinosaurs to have survived the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event approximately 65.5 Ma.

Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson

Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson (8 December 1832 – 26 April 1910) was a Norwegian writer and the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. Bjørnson is considered as one of "The Great Four" Norwegian writers; the others being Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, and Alexander Kielland.^[1] Bjørnson is celebrated for his lyrics to the Norwegian National Anthem, "Ja, vi elsker dette landet".^[2]

Black Death

The Black Death was one of the deadliest pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. It is widely thought to have been an outbreak of bubonic plague caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, but this view has recently been challenged. Usually thought to have started in Central Asia, it had reached the Crimea by 1346 and from there, probably carried by fleas residing on the black rats that were regular passengers on merchant ships, it spread throughout the Mediterranean and Europe. The Black Death is estimated to have killed 30% to 60% of Europe's population, reducing the world's population from an estimated 450 million to between 350 and 375 million in 1400. This has been seen as creating a series of religious, social and economic upheavals which had profound effects on the course of European history. It took 150 years for Europe's population to recover. The plague returned at various times, resulting in a larger number of deaths, until it left Europe in the 19th century.

Black Metal

Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It often uses fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, double-kick drumming, and unconventional song structure.

Bohuslän

Bohuslän (help·info) is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden (landskap in Swedish), situated on the west coast of the country. It borders Dalsland and Västergötland as well as the Skagerrak arm of the North Sea and Østfold in Norway.

Bologna process

The purpose of the Bologna process (or Bologna accords) is to create the European higher education area by making academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more comparable and compatible throughout Europe, in particular under the Lisbon Recognition Convention. It is named after the place it was proposed, the University of Bologna in the Italian city of Bologna, with the signing in 1999 of the Bologna declaration by Ministers of Education from 29 European countries. This was opened up to other countries signatory to the European Cultural Convention of the Council of Europe; further governmental meetings have been held in Prague (2001), Berlin (2003), Bergen (2005), London (2007) and Leuven (2009).