Moving to a New Country

There are plenty of countries in this world to visit, but how about living in. Located north of Denmark and Germany, to the west of Sweden, and north-east to the United Kingdom is the unique and lovely country Norway. Not many people might be interested in living in this pretty small country off the coast of Sweden. Even though the weather might not be extremely hot and have beach days, there are so many other reasons why this is the place for everyone. Norway is categorized as one of the top countries in the world, and there are great reasons for that. Everyone will want to settle here after reading why. Providing information about Norway’s stunning scenery and geography, education system, healthcare benefits, and the government, it will be clear why this is the desired country to live in. Loving nature, or anything to do with the outdoors, Norway is the perfect place. As written in “15 Reasons Why Living in Norway Is Awesome”, “You have everything from majestic mountains, waterfalls, glaciers and green hillsides—not to mention the wonderful fjords” (Locke, 2018). There is a variety of wonderful scenery in this country. Anyone would love it after visiting. Norway has similar seasons to the United States, so it will not be much of a difference.

People who especially enjoy it being a little cooler, instead of intense heat, will enjoy living here. With the summer temperatures being around 70 degrees. With living in Norway, always dress appropriately since it will be on the colder side. Since this country has so many reasons to be outdoors, dressing warm will help it be more enjoyable. From seeing the northern lights, hiking up mountains, camping, walking under waterfalls or kayaking through fjords, which are inlets of sea between cliffs, everyone will have an experience of a lifetime here. Norway is very individualistic in the geography. It is the most northerly and one of the greatest mountainous countries in Europe. As said before, Norway has so many different landforms to view and discover. Waterfalls, glaciers, and mountains can be seen all over. Tours can be taken to view certain ones and will be breathtaking and unlike any other place saw before. A law that is put in place in Norway is called “allemannsrett”. This law says how people can camp anywhere in Norway, except of course private homes and properties, and national parks. This is such a creative law because camping is so much cheaper than fancy hotels. It can really get a person in the outdoors and become one with nature and experience the full view. So, if hiking and camping sound like an adventure, then Norway can fill that desire. With discussing some of the amazing scenery, outdoor activities, and geography to be experienced in Norway, the next piece of information to be learned is all about the education system. Learning is vital for everyone no matter where in the world. Parents want children to be smart and happy. Education is the key to success in life and can be shown in many different ways. In Norway, receiving an education is important. Norway is known for valuable education benefits. When deciding on what country will help certain families or people, look to Norway, for this choice is obvious. Since this country has completely free public schooling, families will not have to carry that burden of money with paying for school. In the article titled “WHY NORWEGIAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IS THE BEST IN EUROPE”, it says “All public studying is totally free and different municipal corporations are responsible for effective functioning of local public schools” (Adler, 2015). Families looking for a good education for children, need to research into Norway.

Norway’s school system is unique. It is similar to the United States in the way that children must attend school starting at six years old till the age of sixteen. But, they have three educational levels called Barneskole (primary school), Ungdomsskole (lower secondary school) and Videregående Skole (upper secondary school). Primary school lasts from six years old until the child is thirteen. No actual grades are given to students in this first level of schooling. Lower secondary school starts at age thirteen. Here, students have to get good points to be able to attend upper secondary school. With the Norwegian school system being a little different from the United States, it still gives a lot of good principals and learning skills that children are being taught. It is especially helpful that there is no cost to parents, so there are no worries for children to not get a great education. At the college level, international students get free tuition. But, that does not include living expenses, which can be true for anywhere. Knowing that education is free in this country can be a huge pro for people looking to seek higher education, or looking to start a family. After figuring out the education part of this country, what about the healthcare? That is essential for every person in the world. Everyone wants free healthcare and to be able to have access to it, so is that the case for Norway. In Norway, healthcare is accessible to everyone.

This is not something prevalent in all countries in the world. A lot of countries have little to no healthcare at all, or it is way too expensive. Living in Norway people have this great advantage with healthcare. This being the numerous benefits, easy access, and how inexpensive it is. According to the website InterNations, they say, “The healthcare policy is controlled centrally by the government; the system is financed through taxes, social security contributions, and out-of-pocket co-payments, and it is equally accessible by all residents, regardless of their income. With a total annual health expenditure of 8.3% of the GDP (as of 2016), this sector also acts as one of the largest employers in Norway” (Healthcare in Norway, n.d.). So in Norway, the reason there is mostly free healthcare is that of taxes. Just like in the United States and how taxes are taken out of paychecks, same goes there. A national insurance scheme is what this system is called in Norway. Living in Norway just might be the perfect fit for a lot of people looking into what the healthcare system is like. With this being said, there are also other benefits that go along with the healthcare. The United States does not guarantee paid maternity leave but only in three states. Employers can give paid leave if they choose to do so though. This is wrong for the employers of the pregnant women and the fathers to get to choose if they get paid time off. It should be a right for parents to recieve this time off to spend time with new children. If a person is looking to live somewhere where precious time will be recieved after birth, Norway is an option. It is a different story in Norway with maternity leave.

In Norway, up to forty-six weeks of parental leave paid at full is given. Fathers can also get fourteen weeks, unlike the United States and many other countries. This is such a necessity for any parents, to be able to spend time with new children and recover from pregnancy for women. Also, a good benefit for elderly citizens is that when over the age of sixty-seven, and if the requirements are met, a state pension of a thousand dollars a month is received. Including shorter work weeks and longer paid holidays. Having a guarantee to these benefits makes living in Norway more dependable. Growing older, it can cuase worry sometimes if there will be enough money to last a person. Knowing that everyone has this opportunity to get these healthcare benefits is relieving. Anyone can find a reason to move here, especially with healthcare being a top priority, since everyone needs healthcare in life. It is a necessity. Healthcare does tie in with the government, because of it being paid and controlled by it. So, next talking about Norway's government will help people better understand this country with healthcare and why it is superior to others. Norway's government is considered a constitutional monarchy type of democracy. It is not too different from the United States. People are voted into office but go through the monarch and other chosen people to approve.

In Norway, the people are heard when participating in government-related actions. Such as voting in Norway, everyone is automatically registered to vote. So numbers are so much higher than the United States for example. Just from learning this, people who are so into politics and standing for certain rules with the country should want to be a part of a place that has everyone so involved. The government can get into the wrong hands and turn bad. It also can be used to be all about money as well. In Norway that is not the case. The government elects people who only want to improve the country and do well being in charge. Individuals who hope for a better secure government that will help with everyday living, such as healthcare and education, will look towards this location. The government in Norway plays a huge role in the free healthcare idea. The government controls the healthcare system as said before. It is financed by the taxes taken out of co-payments and checks. It is so gratifying to know that Norway does not discriminate against any type of age, race, gender, income, or area of residence. So no matter what, healthcare will be available for anyone who lives in Norway. No person will ever have to worry about being treated differently because of any of these factors. Norway is the perfect place to go to, where there are no harsh judgments. With all of these healthcare benefits from the government, Norway has been shown to be one of the most respectful places in the world to live in. Altogether, with these factors put in place, Norway can be the country with all kinds of different advantages for the people.

No matter the circumstances, Norway itself can be there for people. In conclusion, Norway has breathtaking scenery and different kinds of geography all over the country, an outstanding education system, healthcare benefits for anyone no matter who, and government not too different from the United States, but shows increased involvement from the country. With scenery that is not found anywhere else in the world, Norway is unique. Any person who is just the slightest bit interested in this country should go for a visit. The results are amazing and could even end up in living there. From magnificent mountains, icy glaciers, grand hillsides to uncommon fjords between land masses. If an individual is an environment lover, Norway is just the place. The education methods followed is also very similar to the U.S., but has many advantages. With all schooling being free, and children not being brought down by grades, kids excel in learning. Higher education is also free to all students who study abroad. Many people are choosing to go to Norweigan universities because of the lesser expenses with school. This has shown to bring Norway up to a higher level. Also with the healthcare benefits, people are being able to afford more. The elderly are getting state pensions, and mothers and fathers are able to receive maternity leave with pay to spend more time at home instead of worrying about losing jobs. Everyone would love to acquire these healthcare benefits in life. Norway will guarantee them. The government is related to the United States, where people are voted into offices. But, it has been shown that everyone is automatically registered to vote, and it is a huge deal over there where it is wrong if people do not vote. This is showing increased society involvement with the government. If a person is into the government and being invloved, then Norway is a considerable location to start at. With all of these special terms being set into perspective, it is clear why this would be an interesting and significant place to settle down. When deciding on a home that benefits everyone in life, look to Norway that gives off beauty and uniqueness.     

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