Reine - Lofoten Islands

Reine - Lofoten Islands

Reine on the Lofoten islands, northwest of Norway and north of the polarcircle. Lofoten is a group of islands in the northern part of Norway. With its postcard looking small fishing villages nestled in fjords, dotting a very rugged coast with abrupt peaks rising directly from the ocean, the archipelago is often described as one of the most scenic parts of Norway. The Kingdom of Norway is a Nordic country on the western side of the Scandinavian peninsula. It has a size of 385,252 square kilometers, and a population of close to 5 million people. Norway shares a long border with Sweden, some 1,619 kilometers in length, and a much shorter one with Finland, about 727 km. It also shares a 196-km border with Russia to the east.

As with its Scandinavian neighbors, Norway is a very wealthy country - the third wealthiest in the world in monetary value. It is also the world's fifth biggest oil exporter, with petroleum accounting for a quarter of its GDP. The Norwegian krone is said to be the strongest currency in the world.

Tuvalu

Tuvalu Island(S)

The island nation Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world. It lies between Australia and Hawaii, in one of the most remote areas of the Pacific Ocean and stretches south of the Pacific to only 26 square kilometres. This smallest country on earth consists exclusively of tropical reef islands and narrow coral atolls encompassing blue lagoons. Twelve thousands people live on nine small islands here. They have a distinctive Polynesian culture and a traditional way of life, where each family has its own societal task to perform in the community such as fishing or building of houses.

Tuvaluan came from Samoa and Tonga to settle on the islands about 3,000 years ago. However, some evidence of fire in the Caves of Nanumanga may give indication of human living there before this date. The islands were under British influence during the late 19th century and Tuvalu-islands were known as Ellice Islands. Britain administered those islands as protectorate from 1892 to 1916 and then the islands moved to be part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony from 1916 to 1974. However, Ellice Islands voted for separation and born as Tuvalu with Funafuti as capital city. Then the country became fully independent within the Commonwealth in 1978.