Background: Despite its neutrality Norway was not able to avoid occupation by Germany in World War II. 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.

Geographic coordinates: 62 00 N 10 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Comparative: slightly larger than New Mexico

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

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: petroleum copper natural gas pyrites nickel iron ore zinc lead fish timber hydropower

Irrigated land: 970 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: about two-thirds mountains; some 50,000 islands off its much indented coastline; strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and air routes in North Atlantic; one of most rugged and longest coastlines in world; Norway is the only NATO member having a land boundary with Russia

Population: 4,481,162 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 0.5% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Ethnic groups: Norwegian (Nordic Alpine Baltic) Lapps (Sami) 20,000

Languages: Norwegian (official)

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 86% (state church) other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3% other 1% none and unknown 10% (1997)

Population growth rate: 0.5% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 12.79 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 9.89 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.13 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Environment
Current issues: water pollution; acid rain damaging forests and adversely affecting lakes threatening fish stocks; air pollution from vehicle emissions

Infant mortality rate: 3.98 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.81 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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: (1) 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

Legislative branch: modified unicameral Parliament or Storting which for certain purposes divides itself into two chambers (165 seats; members are elected by popular vote by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Hoyesterett justices appointed by the monarch

Political parties and leaders: Center Party [Johan J. JAKOBSEN]; Christian People's Party [Valgerd HAUGLAND]; Conservative Party [Jan PETERSEN]; Labor Party [Thorbjorn JAGLAND]; Liberal Party [Lars SPONHEIM]; Norwegian Communist Party [Kare Andre NILSEN]; Progress Party [Carl I. HAGEN]; Red Electoral Alliance [Erling FOLKVORD]; Socialist Left Party [Kristin HALVORSEN]

International organization participation: AfDB AsDB Australia Group BIS CBSS CCC CE CERN EAPC EBRD ECE EFTA ESA FAO IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICFTU ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Inmarsat Intelsat Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU MINURSO NAM (guest) NATO NC NEA NIB NSG OECD OPCW OSCE PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNMIBH UNMIK UNMOP UNTSO UPU WEU (associate) WHO WIPO WMO WTrO ZC

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: The Norwegian economy is a prosperous bastion of welfare capitalism featuring a combination of free market activity and government intervention. The government controls key areas such as the vital petroleum sector (through large-scale state enterprises) and extensively subsidizes agriculture fishing and areas with sparse resources. The extensive welfare system helps propel public sector expenditures to more than 50% of GDP. A major shipping nation with a high dependence on international trade Norway is basically an exporter of raw materials and semiprocessed goods. The country is richly endowed with natural resources - petroleum hydropower fish forests and minerals - and is highly dependent on its oil production and international oil prices. Only Saudi Arabia exports more oil than Norway. Norway imports more than half its food needs. Oslo opted to stay out of the EU during a referendum in November 1994. Growth was a meager 0.8% in 1999 because of weak private consumption and anemic investment activity in the oil and other sectors. Growth should pick up in 2000 perhaps to 2.7%. Despite their high per capita income and generous welfare benefits Norwegians worry about that time in the next two decades when the oil and gas begin to run out.

Real gdp growth rate: 0.8% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $25,100 (1999 est.)

Agriculture products: barley other grains potatoes; beef milk; fish

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

Industrial production growth rate: 0.7% (1999 est.)

Labor force: 2.7 million (1999 est.)
By occupation services: 74%
By occupation industry: 22%
By occupation agriculture forestry and fishing: 4% (1995)

Unemployment rate: 2.9% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.8% (1999 est.)

Exports: $47.3 billion (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: petroleum and petroleum products machinery and equipment metals chemicals ships fish
Partners: EU 77% (UK 17% Germany 12% Netherlands 10% Sweden 10% France 8%) US 7% (1998)

Imports: $38.6 billion (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment chemicals metals foodstuffs
Partners: EU 69% (Sweden 15% Germany 14% UK 10% Denmark 7%) US 7% Japan 4% (1998)

Debt external: $0 (Norway is a net external creditor)

Exchange rates: Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1 - 8.0129 (January 2000) 7.7992 (1999) 7.5451 (1998) 7.0734 (1997) 6.4498 (1996) 6.3352 (1995)

Electricity
Production: 115.485 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 111.001 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 4.4 billion kWh (1998)
Imports: 8 billion kWh (1998)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 2,325,010 (1997)
Mobile cellular: 1,676,763 (1997)

Telephone system: high-quality domestic and international telephone telegraph and telex services

Internet
Service providers isps: 21 (1999)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $3.113 billion (FY98)
Percent of gdp: 2.1% (FY98)

Airports: 103 (1999 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1999 est.)

Pipelines: refined petroleum products 53 km

Waterways: 1577 km along west coast; navigable by 2.4 m draft vessels maximum

Disputes international: territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land)