The capital of Norway is named Oslo. The city includes the regions in the inner part of the Oslo fjord, the outdoor areas Nordmarka and Østmarka, and some islands located in the Oslo fjord.
The number of inhabitants was more than 575 000 (2009). Originally the settlement was in the area which today is called Old Town. This section is located at the end of Loelva that is name in the entire river valley from Alnsjøen to the Oslo fjord. It was also here that the Norwegian king Harald Hardråde (b. 1015 - d. 1066) built his royal residence, and at the end of the 11th century it was also the Bishop's headquarters for the entire district. Oslo was also an important city for trade, and at the end of 14th century Akershus Fortress was built. The Hanseatic League was also active in Oslo and after a short time period they had gone past the Norwegian merchants.
In 1624 a big fire burned down large parts of Oslo and King Christian (b. 1577 - d. 1648) rebuilt the city the following year and named the town Christiania. It was only the settlement where the town originally had been located that kept the name Oslo. After this the town grew and this time with wood as the most important commodity.
Norway had for a long been in union with Denmark, and it was Oslo's riches ship-owners and merchants who played the decisive role for the country's independence. In 1814 Norway got its own constitution and Christiania became the country's capital. There was a strong population growth in the period 1850 - 1900, and in 1925 the city was once again named Oslo.
Today is Oslo a modern city, but one can still find parts of the Middle Ages especially Akershus Fortress. Trough Oslo runs Akerselva which is a river. The suburbs that lie west of this river is called Vestkanten, and the suburbs east of it is called Østkanten. Northwest in the city lies Majorstua that is Oslo's business district. Greenland is an area east of the city center where there live many immigrants. In summary Oslo is today Norway's most important city and the center for commerce, industry, shipping and public administration.
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