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Statens Kartverk-Norwegian Mapping Authority Posted by on Apr 20, 2011 in Culture

Founded in 1773, Statens Kartverk is the Norwegian Mapping Authority.  NMA is a public agency of the Ministry of  the Environment responsible for Research and Development, surveying and mapping both land and sea, and generating and producing both digital and printed information (including loads of really cool maps).

My dad and I traveled around Norway after I graduated from High School almost 10 years ago and visited many of our family members.  My father´s mother´s family comes from a small place near Ålesund called Sæbø, which lies on the Hjørundford.  This is an absolutely spectacular area that I hope to visit again sometime.  In the meantime, I enjoy looking at the kart (map) of Hjørundfjord that my dad purchased and gave to me.  It is an extremely detailed kart that shows høyde (elevation), and fjellnavn (mountain names).  On these kart, you will find additional information with symbols indicating:

hytte og koie-cottage and cabin

gård og sæter-farm and chalet

skole-school

hotell-hotel

turisthytte-tourist hut (including betjent-staffed lodge, selvbetjent-selfservice chalet, and ubetjent-unstaffed hut)

sykehus-hospital

campingplass-campsite

kirke-church

gravplass-cemetary

kraftverk-power plant

tårn-tower

gruve-mine

grustak-gravel pit

skytebane-rifle range

foss-waterfall

stryk-rapid

fyr-lighthouse

sjømerke-beacon

høyde på vann-lake elevation

dyrket mark-cultivated land

park-park

frukthage-fruit orchard

myr-marsh

skog-forest

motorveg-motorway

sti-footpath

lysløype-illuminated ski track

bilferje-car ferry

passasjerferje-passenger ferry

jernbane-railway

tunnel-tunnel

riksgrense-international boundary, border

verneområde-nature conservation area

friområde-recreational area

And if that´s not enough information for you, knowing what the following words mean will help you read these kart as well:

bre-glacier

fjell-mountain

dal-valley

elv-river

grov-stream

horn, tind-peak

li-mountain, slope

vatn-lake

vik-cove

øy-island

I could seriously sit and look at kart like these for hours, dreaming about climbing all of the fjell and wandering around the fjords.

This is a kart of villreinområder (wild reindeer areas)

If you would like to view the NMA website, click here to read it in Norwegian and here for English.

 

 

 

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About the Author: kari

I attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, where I majored in Norwegian and History. During college, I spent almost a year living in Oslo, Norway, where I attended the University of Oslo and completed an internship at the United States Embassy. I have worked for Concordia Language Villages as a pre-K Norwegian teacher and have taught an adult Norwegian language class. Right now, I keep up by writing this Norwegian blog for Transparent Language. Please read and share your thoughts! I will be continuing this blog from my future residence in the Norwegian arctic!