Oslo

Oslo (English pronunciation: /ˈɒzloʊ/, OZ-loh,Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈuʂˈlu]  ( listen) or, rarer [ˈusˈlu] or [ˈuʂlu]) is the capital and the most populous city in Norway.

Oslo constitutes both a county and a municipality. Founded in the year 1040, and established as a "kaupstad" or trading place in 1048 by King Harald III, the city was elevated to a bishopric in 1070 and a capital under Haakon V around 1300. Personal unions with Denmark from 1397 to 1523 and again from 1536 to 1814 and with Sweden from 1814 to 1905 reduced its influence. After being destroyed by a fire in 1624, the city was moved closer to Akershus Fortress during the reign of King Christian IV and renamed Christiania in his honour. It was established as a municipality (formannskapsdistrikt) on 1 January 1838. Following a spelling reform, it was known as Kristiania from 1877 to 1925, at which time its original Norwegian name was restored.

Oslo is the economic and governmental centre of Norway. The city is also a hub of Norwegian trade, banking, industry and shipping. It is an important centre for maritime industries and maritime trade in Europe. The city is home to many companies within the maritime sector, some of which are among the world's largest shipping companies, shipbrokers and maritime insurance brokers. Oslo is a pilot city of the Council of Europe and the European Commission intercultural cities programme.

Oslo Central Station

Oslo Central Station (Norwegian: Oslo sentralstasjon, abbreviated Oslo S) is the main railway station in Oslo, and the largest railway station within the entire Norwegian railway system. It is the terminus of Drammen Line, Gardermoen Line, Gjøvik Line, Hoved Line and Østfold Line. It serves express, regional and local rail services by four companies. The railway station is owned and operated by Norwegian National Rail Administration and was opened in 1980.

Oslo Central was built on the site of the older Oslo East Station (Oslo Østbanestasjon, Oslo Ø), the combining of the former east and west stations being made possible by the opening of the Oslo Tunnel. Oslo Central has nineteen tracks, thirteen of which have connections through the Oslo Tunnel. The station has two buildings, the original Oslo East building and the newer main building for Oslo Central. Each building houses a large shopping centre. The square in front of the station is called Jernbanetorget.

History

Two stations

Popstars (French TV series)

Popstars is a French musical reality TV series based on the international series of the same name. The French television series was broadcast on M6 for 4 seasons and was a pioneer in musical competitions in France. It is currently broadcast on D8.

The first season of Fremch Popstars was launched on 20 September 2001 and continued until 20 December 2001 won by L5, followed by a second season 2002 won by Whatfor, a third season in 2004 (known as Popstars - le duel) won by Linkup, and a fourth season after 4 years of interruption, held in 2007 and won by Sheryfa Luna.

The first series was to launch pop groups from casting to the launch of a debut album, whereas series 4 was for launching of a solo artist. Genres of music presented ranged form pop to rock, R&B, rap and hip hop. Contrary to other competitions, eliminations were decided by a jury and not by the public.

Season 1 (2001)

Oslo (band)

Oslo is a rock band based in California. They have existed together as a trio, with a core of Mattia Borrani on lead vocals, Kerry Wayne James on bass, and Gabrial McNair on guitars. Famously, McNair was a touring member of the band No Doubt.

They have since added keyboardist Damon Ramirez and went through twelve drummers, settling on original drummer Charlie Walker, who initially left the band to live in New York. They released their second album, The Rise and Fall of Love and Hate, in November 2007.

In popular culture

Norway

Norway (ⁱ/ˈnɔːrweɪ/ NAWR-way; Norwegian:  Norge (Bokmål) or  Noreg (Nynorsk)), officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a sovereign and unitary monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula plus the island Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard. The Antarctic Peter I Island and the sub-Antarctic Bouvet Island are dependent territories and thus not considered part of the Kingdom. Norway also lays claim to a section of Antarctica known as Queen Maud Land. Until 1814, the Kingdom included the Faroe Islands (since 1035), Greenland (1261), and Iceland (1262). It also included Shetland and Orkney until 1468.

Norway has a total area of 385,252 square kilometres (148,747 sq mi) and a population of 5,109,059 people (2014). The country shares a long eastern border with Sweden (1,619 km or 1,006 mi long). Norway is bordered by Finland and Russia to the north-east, and the Skagerrak Strait to the south, with Denmark on the other side. Norway has an extensive coastline, facing the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea.

Norway Pavilion at Epcot

The Norway Pavilion is a Norway-themed pavilion that is part of the World Showcase, within Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Its location is between the Mexican and Chinese Pavilions.

Layout

The 58,000-square-foot (5,400 m²) Norway Pavilion is designed to look like a Norwegian village. The village includes a detailed Stave church, and the exterior of its main table-service restaurant, Restaurant Akershus, resembles its namesake in Oslo. The exhibit showcases 4 styles of Norwegian architecture: Setesdal-style, Bergen-style, Oslo-style and Ålesund-style.

Much of the pavilion is taken up by interconnected shops. These shops are decorated with large wooden trolls and sell assorted Norwegian goods, including clothing, candy, and statuettes of Norse gods and trolls. The courtyard of the pavilion contains the entrance to Maelstrom, a boat ride into Norway's past and present. Kringla Bakeri og Kafé is a bakery, featuring assorted Norwegian pastries, such as cream horns and open-faced salmon sandwiches. The courtyard contains the entrance to Restaurant Akershus, featuring a hot and cold buffet and "Princess Storybook Dining."

Norway (song)

"Norway" is a song by American dream pop band Beach House, from their third studio album, Teen Dream. The song was released on January 18, 2010, with "Baby" as its B-side. The song was released as a free download on the band's site on November 17, 2009, before its commercial release.

Track listing

Reception

"Norway" received very positive reviews from contemporary music critics. The song was chosen upon release as Pitchfork Media's "Best New Track". Aaron Leitko stated that, "'Norway', the lead track from Teen Dream, the duo's Sub Pop debut, raises the temperature a few degrees. A percussive intro yields to an explosion of twinkling guitars and a chorus of woozy backing vocals. The core elements of Beach House's sound-- the drum machine, the thrift store keyboards-- are still present; they're just a few ticks faster. This makes a big difference. As it turns out, Beach House goes from dour to exuberant in just a few BPM." Leitko continues by saying, "Legrand, whose vocals have been saddled with Nico comparisons, can finally breathe a sigh of relief, too. The 1960s chanteuse's shadow is nowhere to be found here. 'You let us in the wooden house/ To share in all the wealth,' sings Legrand over a carsick slide guitar riff. No, 'Norway' is radiant with the sunshiny 70s pop vibes. It's Stevie Nicks territory, for sure. Climate change has come to Beach House, and the weather suits them beautifully."