A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Oslo | |
|---|---|
| Oslo kommune (Norwegian) Osloven tjïelte (Southern Sami) | |
 Flag | |
| Motto(s): Unanimiter et constanter (Latin) "United and constant" | |
 Oslo highlighted in red in Norway | |
 Oslo highlighted in red within Akershus County | |
| Coordinates: 59°54′48″N 10°44′20″E / 59.91333°N 10.73889°E | |
| Country | Norway |
| District | Østlandet |
| County | Oslo |
| Established | 1048 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Anne Lindboe (H) |
| • Governing mayor | Eirik Lae Solberg (H) |
| Area | |
| • Capital city, municipality and county | 480 km2 (190 sq mi) |
| • Land | 454.20 km2 (175.37 sq mi) |
| • Water | 26.64 km2 (10.29 sq mi) |
| • Rural | 310 km2 (120 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 631 m (2,070 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 1 m (3 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Capital city, municipality and county | 709,037 |
| • Urban | 1,064,235 |
| • Metro | 1,588,457 |
| GDP | |
| • Capital city, municipality and county | €70.970 billion (2021) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 0001 – 1299 [8] |
| ISO 3166 code | NO-03 |
| HDI (2021) | 0.980[9] very high · 1st |
| Website | www |
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Oslo[11] Norwegian: [ˈʊ̂ʂlʊ] or [ˈʊ̂slʊ, ˈʊ̀ʂlʊ]; Southern Sami: Oslove[12]) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of 709,037 in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022,[13] and the metropolitan area had an estimated population of 1,546,706 in 2021.[14]
During the Viking Age, the area was part of Viken. Oslo was founded as a city at the end of the Viking Age in 1040 under the name Ánslo, and established as a kaupstad or trading place in 1048 by Harald Hardrada. The city was elevated to a bishopric in 1070 and a capital under Haakon V of Norway around the year 1300. Personal unions with Denmark from 1397 to 1523 and again from 1536 to 1814 reduced its influence. 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 honour of the king. It became a municipality (formannskapsdistrikt) on 1 January 1838. The city functioned as the capital of Norway during the 1814–1905 union between Sweden and Norway. From 1877, the city's name was spelled Kristiania in government usage, a spelling that was adopted by the municipal authorities in 1897, although 'Christiania' was also used. In 1925, the city, after incorporating the village retaining its former name, was renamed Oslo. In 1948 Oslo merged with Aker, a municipality which surrounded the capital and which was 27 times larger, thus creating the modern, much larger Oslo municipality.
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 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.[15] 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.[16] A survey conducted by ECA International in 2011 placed Oslo as the second most expensive city in the world for living expenses after Tokyo.[17] 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.[18] Oslo was ranked as the 24th most liveable city in the world by Monocle magazine.[19]
Oslo's population was increasing at record rates during the early 2000s, making it the fastest growing major city in Europe at the time.[20] 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,[21] and in the city proper this had become more than 25% of the total population if the children of immigrant parents were included.[22]
Urban region
The municipality of Oslo has a population of 717,710 as of 1 January 2024.[23] The urban area extends far beyond the boundaries of the municipality into the surrounding county of Akershus (municipalities of Asker, Bærum, Lillestrøm, Enebakk, Rælingen, Lørenskog, Nittedal, Gjerdrum, Nordre Follo); being, to a great degree suburbs of Oslo making up approximately 500,000 of the population of the greater Oslo region. the total population of this agglomeration was 1,546,706 in 2023.[13] The city centre is situated at the end of the Oslofjord, from which point the city sprawls out in three distinct "corridors"—inland north-eastwards, and southwards along both sides of the fjord—which gives the urbanized area 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).[24]
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.