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| Introduction | Norway |
| Background: | Two centuries of Viking raids into Europe tapered off following the adoption of Christianity by King Olav TRYGGVASON in 994. Conversion of the Norwegian kingdom occurred over the next several decades. In 1397, Norway was absorbed into a union with Denmark that was to last for more than four centuries. In 1814, Norwegians resisted the cession of their country to Sweden and adopted a new constitution. Sweden then invaded Norway but agreed to let Norway keep its constitution in return for accepting the union under a Swedish king. Rising nationalism throughout the 19th century led to a 1905 referendum granting Norway independence. Although Norway remained neutral in World War I, it suffered heavy losses to its shipping. Norway proclaimed its neutrality at the outset of World War II, but was nonetheless occupied for five-years by Nazi Germany (1940-45). In 1949, neutrality was abandoned and Norway became a member of NATO. Discovery of oil and gas in adjacent waters in the late 1960s boosted Norway's economic fortunes. The current focus is on containing spending on the extensive welfare system and planning for the time when petroleum reserves are depleted. In referenda held in 1972 and 1994, Norway rejected joining the EU. |
| People | Norway |
| Population: | 4,574,560 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 19.8% (male 462,899; female 440,725) 15-64 years: 65.4% (male 1,520,481; female 1,473,101) 65 years and over: 14.8% (male 284,170; female 393,184) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 37.9 years male: 37 years female: 38.8 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.41% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 11.89 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 9.51 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 1.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 3.73 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 4.11 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 79.25 years male: 76.64 years female: 82.01 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.78 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.1% (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 1,800 (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | less than 100 (2001 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Norwegian(s) adjective: Norwegian |
| Ethnic groups: | Norwegian, Sami 20,000 |
| Religions: | Evangelical Lutheran 86% (state church), other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3%, other 1%, none and unknown 10% (1997) |
| Languages: | Bokmal Norwegian (official), Nynorsk Norwegian (official) note: small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% male: NA female: NA |
| Government | Norway |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Kingdom of Norway conventional short form: Norway local short form: Norge local long form: Kongeriket Norge |
| Government type: | constitutional monarchy |
| Capital: | Oslo |
| Administrative divisions: | 19 counties (fylker, singular - fylke); Akershus, Aust-Agder, Buskerud, Finnmark, Hedmark, Hordaland, More og Romsdal, Nordland, Nord-Trondelag, Oppland, Oslo, Ostfold, Rogaland, Sogn og Fjordane, Sor-Trondelag, Telemark, Troms, Vest-Agder, Vestfold |
| Dependent areas: | Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard |
| Independence: | 7 June 1905 Norway declared the union with Sweden dissolved; 26 October 1905 Sweden agreed to the repeal of the union |
| National holiday: | Constitution Day, 17 May (1814) |
| Constitution: | 17 May 1814, modified in 1884 |
| Legal system: | mixture of customary law, civil law system, and common law traditions; Supreme Court renders advisory opinions to legislature when asked; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991); Heir Apparent Crown Prince HAAKON MAGNUS, son of the monarch (born 20 July 1973) head of government: Prime Minister Kjell Magne BONDEVIK (since 19 October 2001) cabinet: State Council appointed by the monarch with the approval of Parliament elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following parliamentary elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch with the approval of the Parliament |
| Legislative branch: | modified unicameral Parliament or Storting (165 seats; members are elected by popular vote by proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 10 September 2001 (next to be held NA September 2005) note: for certain purposes, the Parliament divides itself into two chambers and elects one-fourth of its membership to an upper house or Lagting election results: percent of vote by party - Labor Party 24.3%, Conservative Party 21.2%, Progress Party 14.6%, Socialist Left Party 12.5%, Christian People's Party 12.4%, Center Party 5.6%, Liberal Party 3.9%, Coastal Party 1.7%, other 3.8%; seats by party - Labor Party 43, Conservative Party 38, Progress Party 26, Socialist Left Party 23, Christian People's Party 22, Center Party 10, Liberal Party 2, Coastal Party 1 |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court or Hoyesterett (justices appointed by the monarch) |
| Political parties and leaders: | Center Party [Aslaug Marie HAGA]; Christian People's Party [Dagfinn HOYBRATEN]; Coastal Party [Steinar BASTESEN]; Conservative Party [Erna SOLBERG]; Labor Party [Jens STOLTENBERG]; Liberal Party [Lars SPONHEIM]; Progress Party [Carl I. HAGEN]; Socialist Left Party [Kristin HALVORSEN] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, ESA, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Knut VOLLEBAEK chancery: 2720 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, and San Francisco FAX: [1] (202) 337-0870 telephone: [1] (202) 333-6000 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador John D. ONG embassy: Drammensveien 18, 0244 Oslo mailing address: PSC 69, Box 1000, APO AE 09707 telephone: [47] (22) 44 85 50 FAX: [47] (22) 44 33 63 |
| Flag description: | red with a blue cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) |
| Communications | Norway |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 3.343 million (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 4,163,400 (2003) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: modern in all respects; one of the most advanced telecommunications networks in Europe domestic: Norway has a domestic satellite system; moreover, the prevalence of rural areas encourages the wide use of cellular mobile systems instead of fixed-wire systems international: country code - 47; 2 buried coaxial cable systems; 4 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - NA Eutelsat, NA Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Norway shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden) (1999) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 5, FM at least 650, shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Radios: | 4.03 million (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 360 (plus 2,729 repeaters) (1995) |
| Televisions: | 2.03 million (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .no |
| Internet hosts: | 593,850 (2004) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 13 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 2.288 million (2002) |
| Transportation | Norway |
| Railways: | total: 4,077 km standard gauge: 4,077 km 1.435-m gauge (2,518 km electrified) (2003) |
| Highways: | total: 91,454 km paved: 69,505 km (including 143 km of expressways) unpaved: 21,949 km (2000) |
| Pipelines: | condensate 411 km; gas 6,199 km; oil 2,213 km; oil/gas/water 746 km; unknown (oil/water) 38 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: | Bergen, Drammen, Floro, Hammerfest, Harstad, Haugesund, Kristiansand, Larvik, Narvik, Oslo, Porsgrunn, Stavanger, Tromso, Trondheim |
| Merchant marine: | total: 693 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 18,820,495 GRT/27,449,456 DWT foreign-owned: Cyprus 3, Denmark 23, Estonia 2, Germany 12, Greece 15, Hong Kong 1, Iceland 2, Japan 10, Lithuania 1, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 1, Monaco 33, Poland 1, Saudi Arabia 3, Singapore 12, Sweden 31, United Kingdom 4, United States 5 registered in other countries: 695 (2003 est.) by type: bulk 62, cargo 128, chemical tanker 124, combination bulk 7, combination ore/oil 32, container 15, liquefied gas 84, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 6, petroleum tanker 113, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 48, short-sea/passenger 22, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 43 |
| Airports: | 101 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 65 2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 under 914 m: 26 (2004 est.) 914 to 1,523 m: 14 |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 36 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 29 (2004 est.) |
| Heliports: | 1 (2003 est.) |
| Military | Norway |
| Military branches: | Norwegian Army, Royal Norwegian Navy (including Coast Artillery and Coast Guard), Royal Norwegian Air Force (Kongelige Norske Luftforsvaret, RNoAF), Home Guard |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age in wartime; 17 years of age for male volunteers; 18 years of age for women; 16 years of age for volunteers to the Home Guard; conscript service obligation - 12 months (2004) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 1,106,484 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 916,155 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 27,252 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $4,033.5 million (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 1.9% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues | Norway |
| Disputes - international: | Norway asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land and its continental shelf); despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway continue to dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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