ABSTRACT
Stockfish has been a chief export of Norway since the twelth century, and some historians date it as a source of trade as far as back to the ninth century, or even earlier. The large amount of cod relying on the waters around Norway as a spawning ground, particularly the Lofoten Islands north of Bodo, ensures a bountiful supply of fish. The Norwegian climate is also ideal for drying fish outdoors. Consistent cool, dry temperatures and sunlight mean the best conditions for stockfish production in the world. Oil represents Norway's future; fishing represents its past, a centuries-old way of life. Many credit the oil fields with Norway's metamorphosis from one of the poorer countries in Europe at the start of the twentieth century to one of the richest by the end. There is much debate within Norway regarding how to continue to manage the money they've made from oil.
