- 1. Which century saw the city's economy boom with shipbuilding and trade after the Great Northern War?
A) 19th century
B) 20th century
C) 17th century
D) 18th century
- 2. What transformed Christiania into a trading port in the 18th century?
A) A strong economy
B) A foreign invasion
C) The discovery of oil
D) A royal decree
- 3. What was founded in 1811 and is now known as the University of Oslo?
A) The Bank of Norway
B) The Stock Exchange
C) The National Theatre
D) The Royal Frederick University
- 4. What effect did the late founding of the Royal Frederick University reportedly have on the nation?
A) Rapid industrialization
B) No effect at all
C) An adverse effect on its development
D) A massive economic boost
- 5. In what year did Christiania become the capital of the independent Kingdom of Norway?
A) 1825
B) 1899
C) 1811
D) 1814
- 6. The union with which country was dissolved in 1814, leading to a personal union with Sweden?
A) Finland
B) Denmark
C) Germany
D) Great Britain
- 7. What initiated a period of rapidly increasing population in Christiania after 1814?
A) The opening of the railways
B) Its role as a capital
C) The abolition of taxes
D) The gold rush
- 8. During which years was the Royal Palace erected?
A) 1825–1848
B) 1890–1899
C) 1861–1866
D) 1826–1828
- 9. When was the Stock Exchange built?
A) 1825–1848
B) 1826–1828
C) 1896–1899
D) 1861–1866
- 10. In what year was the Bank of Norway established as a landmark mentioned in the text?
A) 1850
B) 1814
C) 1828
D) 1811
- 11. During which years was the Storting building erected?
A) 1825–1848
B) 1895–1899
C) 1861–1866
D) 1875–1880
- 12. In what year was the National Theatre built?
A) 1828
B) 1899
C) 1814
D) 1866
- 13. Which world-famous writer was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature?
A) Edvard Grieg
B) Knut Hamsun
C) Hans Christian Andersen
D) Henrik Ibsen
- 14. Which world-famous artist lived in Christiania during the 19th century alongside Knut Hamsun?
A) Sigrid Undset
B) Henrik Ibsen
C) Gustav Vigeland
D) Edvard Munch
- 15. Large areas of which surrounding municipality were incorporated in 1839, 1859, and 1878?
A) Aker
B) Stavanger
C) Trondheim
D) Bergen
- 16. Which area was included in the city expansion of 1859?
A) Holmenkollen
B) Frogner
C) Majorstuen
D) Grünerløkka
- 17. What was the area called Oslo (now Gamlebyen or Old Town) in 1859?
A) The royal hunting grounds
B) The central commercial district
C) A village or suburb outside the city borders east of Aker river
D) A military fortress
- 18. Approximately what was the population of Christiania in 1814?
A) 50,000
B) 10,000
C) 5,000
D) 230,000
- 19. Approximately what was the population of Christiania in 1900?
A) 230,000
B) 10,000
C) 500,000
D) 100,000
- 20. Which city did Christiania overtake in 1850 to become the most populous city in the country?
A) Trondheim
B) Stavanger
C) Bergen
D) Drammen
- 21. Around which river did Christiania expand its industry starting from 1840?
A) Drammenselva
B) Akerselva
C) Glomma
D) Aker river
- 22. In what year was the city renamed Kristiania?
A) 1850
B) 1814
C) 1877
D) 1899
- 23. What type of buildings were constructed in large numbers during the building boom in the last decades of the 19th century?
A) Universities
B) Apartment buildings
C) Churches
D) Factories
- 24. What war preceded the 18th-century economic boom in the city?
A) The Thirty Years' War
B) The Seven Years' War
C) The Napoleonic Wars
D) The Great Northern War
- 25. In what year was the city destroyed by a fire before being rebuilt closer to Akershus Fortress?
A) 1624
B) 1600
C) 1925
D) 1870
- 26. Who was the king during the reign when the new city was built after the 1624 fire?
A) King Hallvard
B) King Christian IV
C) King Christian III
D) King Peder
E) King Bjørnstjerne
- 27. What was the city named in honour of the king after the 1624 fire?
A) Nidaros
B) Akershus
C) Gamlebyen
D) Christiania
- 28. What was the old suburb of Oslo renamed to in 1925 to avoid confusion?
A) Gamlebyen
B) Christiania
C) Bjørvika
D) Akershus
- 29. What does the name 'Gamlebyen' literally mean in English?
A) The Meadow at the Foot
B) The Old Fortress
C) The Tiger City
D) The Old town
- 30. Which administrative district contains the Old Town?
A) Christiania district
B) Akershus district
C) Gamle Oslo
D) Bjørvika district
- 31. Which street name reflects the previous name of the area?
A) Oslo gate
B) Akershus road
C) Loaros avenue
D) Christiania street
- 32. What language is the origin of the name Oslo almost certainly derived from?
A) Modern Norwegian
B) Old English
C) Old Norse
D) Latin
- 33. What was Oslo originally believed to be the name of?
A) A royal palace
B) A large farm at Bjørvika
C) A monastery in Gamlebyen
D) A fortress by the Aker river
- 34. What is the second possible modern linguistic interpretation for the original name Óslo, Áslo or Ánslo?
A) Meadow consecrated to the Gods
B) A fortress near the water
C) The golden valley
D) The village by the gates
- 35. Who erroneously assumed that Oslo meant 'the mouth of the Lo river'?
A) St. Hallvard
B) Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
C) King Christian IV
D) Peder Claussøn Friis
- 36. What would the correct grammatical form of Loaros have been compared to?
A) Christiania
B) Bjørvika
C) Nidaros
D) Gamlebyen
- 37. Which second city besides Oslo and Bergen uses a city seal instead of a formal coat of arms?
A) Kristiansand
B) Tønsberg
C) Fredrikstad
D) Aalesund
- 38. Who is featured on the city seal of Oslo as its patron saint?
A) King Christian IV
B) Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
C) Peder Claussøn Friis
D) St. Hallvard
- 39. What attributes of St. Hallvard are shown on the seal of Oslo?
A) A cross and a key
B) A crown and a sword
C) The millstone and arrows
D) A tiger and a shield
- 40. What is at the feet of St. Hallvard on the seal of Oslo?
A) A flowing river
B) A sleeping lion
C) A burning fire
D) A naked woman
- 41. What animal decorations are on the throne where St. Hallvard is seated in the seal?
A) Tigers
B) Bears
C) Eagles
D) Lions
- 42. What is the Norwegian name for 'The Tiger City' nickname?
A) Gamlebyen
B) Bjørvika
C) Christiania
D) Tigerstaden
- 43. Who wrote the 1870 poem that likely inspired the nickname 'The Tiger City'?
A) Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
B) St. Hallvard
C) Peder Claussøn Friis
D) King Christian IV
- 44. In what year was the poem that inspired 'The Tiger City' nickname published?
A) 1870
B) 1500
C) 1624
D) 1925
- 45. Who rarely uses the nickname 'The Tiger City'?
A) Norwegians from out of town
B) Historians
C) People from the Oslo region
D) Poets
- 46. What is the population of the municipality of Oslo as of 1 January 2025?
A) 724,290
B) 1,610
C) 1,546,706
D) 500,000
- 47. Which county surrounds the municipality of Oslo where the urban area extends?
A) Trondheim
B) Akershus
C) Bergen
D) Stavanger
- 48. What was the total population of the Oslo agglomeration in 2023?
A) 500,000
B) 2,386
C) 1,546,706
D) 724,290
- 49. At the end of which body of water is Oslo's city centre situated?
A) Trondheimsfjord
B) Geirangerfjord
C) Oslofjord
D) Sognefjord
- 50. The shape of Oslo's urbanized area resembles an upside-down reclining version of which letter?
A) Y
B) X
C) T
D) V
- 51. What are the wide forested hills that rise to the north and east of Oslo called?
A) Aker
B) Marka
C) Fjord
D) Sentrum
- 52. The forested hills to the north and east give Oslo's location the shape of what structure?
A) Flat plain
B) Giant amphitheatre
C) Pyramid
D) Crescent moon
- 53. What is the total built-up area of Oslo?
A) 301.1 km2
B) 22 km2
C) 9.6 km2
D) 130 km2
- 54. What is the total agricultural area of Oslo?
A) 22 km2
B) 1.8 km2
C) 130 km2
D) 9.6 km2
- 55. How much do the open areas within the built-up zone of Oslo amount to?
A) 301.1 km2
B) 9.6 km2
C) 130 km2
D) 22 km2
- 56. On what date was the city of Oslo established as a municipality?
A) 1 January 1948
B) 27 February 2020
C) 3 January 1838
D) 1 January 1842
- 57. In what year was Oslo separated from the county of Akershus to become a county of its own?
A) 1838
B) 1948
C) 2023
D) 1842
- 58. What is the population of Marka according to the text?
A) 1,610 residents
B) 1,471 residents
C) 724,290 residents
D) 2,386 residents
- 59. What is the area of Marka?
A) 22 km2
B) 1.8 km2
C) 130 km2
D) 301.1 km2
- 60. How many residents live in Sentrum?
A) 500,000
B) 1,471
C) 1,610
D) 2,386
- 61. What is the area of Sentrum?
A) 9.6 km2
B) 22 km2
C) 301.1 km2
D) 1.8 km2
- 62. How many residents were not allocated to a borough as of 27 February 2020?
A) 1,610
B) 724,290
C) 2,386
D) 1,471
- 63. Which of the following municipalities is located in Akershus and part of Oslo's urban area?
A) Stavanger
B) Asker
C) Trondheim
D) Bergen
- 64. Which municipality from Akershus is listed as part of Oslo's urban area alongside Asker?
A) Kristiansand
B) Tromsø
C) Bærum
D) Drammen
- 65. Which municipality is part of the urban area of Oslo in Akershus county?
A) Sandnes
B) Bodø
C) Ålesund
D) Lillestrøm
- 66. Which of these Akershus municipalities is included in the urban area of Oslo?
A) Larvik
B) Enebakk
C) Haugesund
D) Molde
- 67. Name the municipality in Akershus that is part of the greater Oslo urban area.
A) Hamar
B) Arendal
C) Rælingen
D) Halden
- 68. Which Akershus municipality is mentioned as part of the Oslo urban area?
A) Lørenskog
B) Horten
C) Kongsberg
D) Mo i Rana
- 69. Along with Lørenskog, which other municipality in Akershus is part of Oslo's urban region?
A) Porsgrunn
B) Narvik
C) Sandefjord
D) Nittedal
- 70. Which municipality in Akershus county forms part of the Oslo agglomeration?
A) Tønsberg
B) Fredrikstad
C) Gjerdrum
D) Skien
- 71. Which of the following is the final Akershus municipality listed as part of Oslo's urban area?
A) Nordre Follo
B) Moss
C) Sarpsborg
D) Drammen
- 72. During which historical age was the Oslo area part of Viken?
A) Bronze Age
B) Viking Age
C) Middle Ages
D) Iron Age
- 73. In what year was Oslo founded as a city?
A) 1040
B) 1048
C) 1300
D) 1070
- 74. What was the original name of Oslo when founded in 1040?
A) Ánslo
B) Viken
C) Christiania
D) Kristiania
- 75. Who established Oslo as a kaupstad or trading place in 1048?
A) King Christian IV
B) Haakon V of Norway
C) Olav Haraldsson
D) Harald Hardrada
- 76. In what year was the city established as a trading place (kaupstad)?
A) 1048
B) 1624
C) 1040
D) 1070
- 77. In what year was Oslo elevated to a bishopric?
A) 1300
B) 1040
C) 1070
D) 1048
- 78. In what year did municipal authorities adopt the spelling 'Kristiania'?
A) 1925
B) 1897
C) 1624
D) 1877
- 79. In what year was the city renamed back to 'Oslo'?
A) 1905
B) 1948
C) 1897
D) 1925
- 80. How much larger was Aker municipality compared to Oslo before they merged in 1948?
A) 3.5 times larger
B) 27 times larger
C) 50 times larger
D) 10 times larger
- 81. According to a 2011 ECA International survey, which city was the only one more expensive for living expenses than Oslo?
A) Melbourne
B) Tokyo
C) New York
D) London
- 82. With which Australian city did Oslo tie as the fourth most expensive city in the world in 2013?
A) Perth
B) Brisbane
C) Melbourne
D) Sydney
- 83. By 2010, what percentage of Oslo's city proper population consisted of immigrants and children of immigrant parents?
A) More than 25%
B) More than 50%
C) Exactly 15%
D) Less than 10%
- 84. During the Viking Age, what province was the area of modern Oslo part of?
A) Viken
B) Vestfold
C) Trøndelag
D) Hordaland
- 85. Until what year did Denmark continue to claim the area including modern Oslo?
A) 1380
B) 1049
C) 1624
D) 1241
- 86. According to the Norse sagas, around what year was Oslo founded?
A) 1000
B) 1174
C) 1299
D) 1049
- 87. What are the regnal dates of Olaf III of Norway as mentioned in the text?
A) 1174–1197
B) 1067–1093
C) 1049–1067
D) 1299–1319
- 88. In what year was Hovedøya Abbey built?
A) 1049
B) 1349
C) 1174
D) 1299
- 89. Traders from which city belonging to the Hanseatic League moved into Oslo at the end of the 12th century?
A) Hamburg
B) Rostock
C) Bremen
D) Lübeck
- 90. What are the regnal dates of Haakon V of Norway?
A) 1380–1400
B) 1067–1093
C) 1299–1319
D) 1174–1197
- 91. In what year did the Black Death come to Norway?
A) 1380
B) 1241
C) 1349
D) 1654
- 92. Which group dominated Oslo's foreign trade in the 15th century due to the churches' dropped earnings?
A) Local lower class citizens
B) Danish monarchs
C) Hanseatic traders
D) Norwegian nobility
- 93. In what year did Norway enter a personal union with Denmark in which Norway was the weaker part?
A) 1380
B) 1349
C) 1241
D) 1624
- 94. After 1380, where did the monarchs reside when Oslo's role was reduced to a provincial administrative centre?
A) Trondheim
B) Bergen
C) Copenhagen
D) Rostock
- 95. What material were many of Oslo's buildings entirely made of, causing significant destruction by fires over the years?
A) Timber framing
B) Stone
C) Brick
D) Wood
- 96. What is the part of the city built starting in 1624 often called due to its orthogonal layout in regular, square blocks?
A) Grønland
B) Kvadraturen
C) Akershagen
D) Vaterland
- 97. What is Anatomigården?
A) A historic timber framing house
B) A fortress started by Haakon V
C) An abbey built in 1174
D) A church built prior to AD 1000
- 98. On which side of Christiania Torv is Anatomigården located?
A) North side
B) West side
C) East side
D) South side
- 99. In what year was Anatomigården built?
A) 1654
B) 1174
C) 1624
D) 1640
- 100. In what year did the last Black Death outbreak in Oslo occur?
A) 1624
B) 1654
C) 1640
D) 1349
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