plateau in southwestern Norway. The largest peneplain (an eroded, almost level plain) in Europe, it has an area of about 2,500 square miles (6,500 square km) and an average elevation of 3,500 feet (1,100 metres). It traditionally has been home to an important stock of wild reindeer, although reports in the early 21st century suggested that the number was in decline. It has many lakes and rivers, which, draining westward, drop in huge waterfalls such as the Vørings Falls (476 feet). The Oslo–Bergen Railroad and a main east–west highway cross the plain. In 1979 the Hardanger Plateau was designated a national park, occupying about 1,300 square miles (3,400 square km).