Kingdom of Norway (872–1397)

Kingdom of Norway
Norwegian Realm ᚴᚮᚿᚢᚿᚵᛋᚱᛁᚴᛁ ᚾᚢᚱᛁᚴᛁ (Younger Futhark) Konungsríki Nuriki  (Old Norse) ᚴᚬᚾᚢᚾᚴᛋᚱᛁᚴᛁ ᚿᚮᚱᚡᛂᚵᚱ (Medieval Futhork) Konungsríki Norvegr (Old Norwegian) Konungsríki Noregi (Middle Norwegian) Kongeriket Noreg  (Norwegian Nynorsk) Kongeriket Norge  (Norwegian Bokmål)
Greater Norway 1027 – 1814
872–1397
Flag used by rulers from 9th – 10th century Coat of arms used in seals from the 13th century
Norway at its greatest extent, around 1263
Capital		Niðaróss (Trondheim) 997 – 1016 ∙ 1030 – 1217 Borg (Sarpsborg) 1016 – 1030 Konungahella(Kungälv) 1111 – c. 1150 Biorgvin (Bergen) 1217 – 1314 Ósló 1314 – 1536
Languages		Majority languages: Old West Norse Old Norwegian Old Norn Old Icelandic Old Faroese Greenlandic Norse Other languages: Gaelic Old Swedish Sami Greenlandic Old Danish Brythonic Lingua franca: Latin Middle Low German Writing system: Runic Futhark 8th – 14th Latin (+) cince 11th
Religion		State religion: Norse Paganism before 1015 Roman Catholicism 1015 – 1537 Other religion: Sámi Paganism by Finno-Ugric people
Demonym		Norwegian Synonyms: Northman Norseman
Government		Feudal monarchy
Monarch
•	872–932	Harald I first
•	1299–1319	Haakon V last
Legislature		Council of Realm c. 1300 – 1536
Historical era		Middle Ages
•	Established	872
•	Disestablished	8 May 1319
Area
•	1263	2,322,755 km² (896,821 sq mi)
Currency		Norwegian penning 995 – 1513
Preceded by Succeeded by Unification of Norway Kalmar Union Hanseatic League
Today part of		England Ireland Sweden Scotland Iceland Greenland Faroe Islands Isle of Man Wales Tax territory Finland Russia Colony Canada

Tax territory

Colony

The terms Norwegian Empire,Hereditary Kingdom of Norway (Old Norse: Norégveldi, Bokmål: Norgesveldet, Nynorsk: Noregsveldet), Colonial Norway and Norwegian Realm refer to the Kingdom of Norway's peak of power at the 13th century after a long period of civil war before 1240. The empire was a loosely unified nation including the territory of modern-day Norway, modern-day Swedish territory of Jämtland, Herjedalen, Ranrike and Idre and Særna, as well as Norway's overseas possessions which had been colonised by Norwegian seafarers for centuries before being annexed or incorporated into the kingdom as 'tax territories'. To the North, Norway also bordered extensive tax territories on the mainland. As one of the original colonial powers of Europe, Norway, whose expansionalism starts from the very foundation of the Kingdom in 872, reached the peak of its power in the years between 1240 and 1319. During this period of about 450 years, Norway was an influential European power both intellectually and militarily. The Norwegians also established trade relations and fought battles in North America, the Middle East and North Africa.

They settled in the British Isles and controlled the Irish Sea with international slave trade, through powerful Viking city states. Under leadership of the Norwegian noble Viking Rollo, Danes and Norwegians sacked Paris and established the Duchy of Normandy, under Danish leadership of Canute the Great they conquered England, and Norwegians also conquered Northumbria alone. However, Norway would become more concerned with diplomacy and intellectual culture after the death of Saint Olav. The death of Norway's patron saint marks the modern-day city of Trondheim becoming the most important pilgrimage site in Northern Europe. In the years 1042–1047 the King of Norway Magnus the Good did also rule Denmark, before he made Sweyn II his heir.