The climate of Norway

With its northern location, Norway is often regarded as a cold and wet country. In some aspects this is true, because we share the same latitude as Alaska, Greenland and Siberia. But compared to these areas we have a pleasant climate. Thanks to its location in the westerlies, on the east side of a vast ocean, with a huge, warm and steady ocean current near its shores, Norway has a much friendlier climate than the latitude indicates.
Norway's climate shows great variations. From its southernmost point, Lindesnes, to its northernmost, North Cape, there is a span of 13 degrees of latitude, or the same as from Lindesnes to the Mediterranean Sea. Furthermore we have great variations in received solar energy during the year. The largest differences we find in Northern Norway, having midnight sun in the summer months and no sunshine at all during winter. The rugged topography of Norway is one of the main reasons for large local differences over short distances.