Kingdom of Norway ~ CoA Grunge Flag (1280 - )

The Kingdom of Norway (Norwegian: Kongeriket Norge) spent much of its history in union with Denmark and/or Sweden. From 1380, it was united with Denmark and Sweden in the Kalmar Union until the Swedish declared independence in 1523, after which Denmark and Norway continued their union until 1814. Having sided with Napoleon in the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark-Norway was broken up by Sweden, putting Norway in a Swedish-led personal union at the Treaty of Kiel in 1814. Norway finally gained independence in a 1905 referendum.

The Norwegian coat of arms consists of a gold lion with a gold crown and a silver axe on a red shield. The design is said to date back to the days of the Sverre dynasty, which ruled Norway from 1184 to 1319. As such, the Norwegian arms are among the oldest in Europe.

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