Background: Norway gained its independence from Sweden in 1905. As a separate realm, Norway stayed free of World War I but suffered German occupation in World War II. Discovery of oil and gas in adjacent waters in the late 1960s gave a strong boost to Norway's economic fortunes. Norway is planning for the time when its oil and gas reserves are depleted and is focusing on containing spending on its extensive welfare system. It has decided at this time not to join the European Union and the new euro currency regime.

Land boundaries: 2,582 km total; Finland 729 km, Sweden 1,657, USSR 196 km

Coastline: 21,925 km (3,419 km mainland; 2,413 km large islands; 16,093 km long fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations)

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 10 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 4 nm

Climate: temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior; rainy year-round on west coast

Terrain: glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north

Natural resources: crude oil, copper, natural gas, pyrites, nickel, iron ore, zinc, lead, fish, timber, hydropower

Land use: 3% arable land; 0% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 27% forest and woodland; 70% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Geography
Note: strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and air routes in North Atlantic; one of most rugged and longest coastlines in world; Norway and Turkey only NATO members having a land boundary with the USSR

Population: 4,252,806 (July 1990), growth rate 0.5% (1990)

Nationality: noun--Norwegian(s; adjective--Norwegian

Ethnic groups: Germanic (Nordic, Alpine, Baltic) and racial-cultural minority of 20,000 Lapps

Languages: Norwegian (official; small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities

Religions: 94% Evangelical Lutheran (state church), 4% other Protestant and Roman Catholic, 2% other

Birth rate: 14 births/1000 population (1990)

Death rate: 11 deaths/1000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1000 population (1990)

Environment
Current issues: air and water pollution; acid rain

Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 81 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1990)

Literacy: 100%

Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of Norway

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Oslo

Administrative divisions: 19 provinces (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: (3) Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard

Independence: 26 October 1905 (from Sweden)

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: universal at age 18

Executive branch: Chief of State--King OLAV V (since 21 September 1957; Heir Apparent Crown Prince HARALD (born 21 February 1937; Head of Government--Prime Minister Jan P. SYSE (since 16 October 1989)

Legislative branch: Royal Norwegian Army, Royal Norwegian Navy, Royal Norwegian Air Force

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Hoiesterett)

International organization participation: ADB, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EFTA, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IEA (associate member), IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC--International Whaling Commission, IWC--International Wheat Council, NATO, Nordic Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Kjeld VIBE; Chancery at 2,720 34th Street NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 333-6,000; there are Norwegian Consulates General in Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Miami and New Orleans; US--Ambassador Loret Miller RUPPE; Embassy at Drammensveien 18, Oslo 2 (mailing address is APO New York 9,085; telephone p47o (2) 44-85-50

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)

Economy overview: Norway is a prosperous capitalist nation with the resources to finance extensive welfare measures. Since 1975 exploitation of large crude oil and natural gas reserves has helped achieve an average annual growth of roughly 4%, the third-highest among OECD countries. Growth slackened in 1987-88 because of the sharp drop in world oil prices and a slowdown in consumer spending, but picked up again in 1989. Future economic issues involve the aging of the population, the increased economic integration of Europe, and the balance between private and public influence in economic decisions.

Agriculture products: accounts for 3.1% of GNP and 6.5% of labor force; among world's top 10 fishing nations; livestock output exceeds value of crops; over half of food needs imported; fish catch of 1.9 million metric tons in 1987

Industries: petroleum and gas, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles, fishing

Industrial production growth rate: 15.8% (1989)

Labor force:

Unemployment rate: 3.9% (1989 est., excluding people in job-training programs)

Budget: revenues $40.6 billion; expenditures $41.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $22.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 25%, natural gas 11%, fish 7%, aluminum 6%, ships 3.5%, pulp and paper
Partners: UK 26%, EFTA 16.3%, less developed countries 14%, Sweden 12%, FRG 12%, US 6%, Denmark 5% (1988)

Imports: $18.7 billion (c.i.f., 1989)
Commodities: machinery, fuels and lubricants, transportation equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, clothing, ships
Partners: Sweden 18%, less developed countries 18%, FRG 14%, Denmark 8%, UK 7%, US 7%, Japan 5% (1988)

Debt external: $18.3 billion (December 1989)

Exchange rates: Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1--6.5405 (January 1990), 6.9045 (1989), 6.5170 (1988), 6.7375 (1987), 7.3947 (1986), 8.5972 (1985)

Electricity
Capacity: 26,735,000 kW capacity; 121,685 million kWh produced, 28,950 kWh per capita (1989)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 3.3% of GDP, or $2.5 billion (1989 est.)

Airports: 104 total, 104 usable; 64 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Pipelines: refined products, 53 km

Waterways: 1,577 km along west coast; 1.5-2.4 m draft vessels maximum

Merchant marine: 660 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 16,702,254 GRT/28,722,304 DWT; includes 11 passenger, 19 short-sea passenger, 104 cargo, 3 passenger-cargo, 19 refrigerated cargo, 6 container, 40 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 6 vehicle carrier, 1 railcar carrier, 128 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 86 chemical tanker, 62 liquefied gas, 26 combination ore/oil, 142 bulk, 7 combination bulk; note--the government has created a captive register, the Norwegian International Ship Register (NIS), as a subset of the Norwegian register; ships on the NIS enjoy many benefits of flags of convenience and do not have to be crewed by Norwegians; the majority of ships under the Norwegian flag are now registered with the NIS

Disputes international: maritime boundary dispute with USSR; territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land; Denmark has challenged Norway's maritime claims beween Greenland and Jan Mayen