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.

Geographic coordinates: 62 00 N 10 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 324,220 km²
Land: 307,860 km²
Water: 16,360 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than New Mexico

Land boundaries
Total: 2,551 km
Border countries: (3) Finland 736 km; , Sweden 1,619 km; , Russia 196 km

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)

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 10 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm

Climate: temperate along coast modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior with increased precipitation and colder summers; 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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Galdhopiggen 2,469 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 2.87%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 97.13% (2001)

Irrigated land: 1270 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: rockslides avalanches

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

Population: 4,574,560 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 0.41% (2004 est.)
Below poverty line: NA

Nationality
Noun: Norwegian
Adjective: Norwegian

Ethnic groups: Norwegian Sami 20,000

Languages
Note: small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities

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

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/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 9.51 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.74 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 est.)

Environment
Current issues: water pollution; acid rain damaging forests and adversely affecting lakes threatening fish stocks; air pollution from vehicle emissions
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male/female
Total population: 0.98 male/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.73 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 4.11 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.34 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

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.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 1800 (2001 est.)
Deaths: less than 100 (2003 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 100%
Male: NA
Female: NA

Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Norway
Conventional short form: Norway
Local long form: Kongeriket Norge
Local short form: 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: (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

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
Elections: last held 10 September 2001 (next to be held NA September 2005)
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
Note: for certain purposes, the Parliament divides itself into two chambers and elects one-fourth of its membership to an upper house or Lagting

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]

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 MIGA NAM (guest) NATO NC NEA NIB NSG OAS (observer) OECD OPCW OSCE Paris Club PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNMEE UNMIK UNTSO UPU WCO WEU (associate) WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Knut VOLLEBAEK
In the us chancery: 2,720 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 333-6,000
In the us fax: [1] (202) 337-0870
In the us consulates general: Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, and San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John D. ONG
From the us embassy: Drammensveien 18, 0244 Oslo
From the us mailing address: PSC 69, Box 1000, APO AE 9,707
From the us telephone: [47] (22) 44 85 50
From the us 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)

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). 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 with oil and gas accounting for one-third of exports. Only Saudi Arabia and Russia export more oil than Norway. Norway opted to stay out of the EU during a referendum in November 1994. The government has moved ahead with privatization. With arguably the highest quality of life worldwide Norwegians still worry about that time in the next two decades when the oil and gas begin to run out. Accordingly Norway has been saving its oil-boosted budget surpluses in a Government Petroleum Fund which is invested abroad and now is valued at more than $43 billion. GDP growth was a lackluster 1% in 2002 and 0.5% in 2003 against the background of a faltering European economy.

Real gdp growth rate: 0.6% (2003 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $37,800 (2003 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.5%
Industry: 36.2%
Services: 61.2% (2003)

Agriculture products: barley wheat potatoes; pork beef veal milk; fish

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

Industrial production growth rate: -3.5% (2003 est.)

Labor force: 2.38 million (2003 est.)
By occupation agriculture forestry and fishing: 4%
By occupation industry: 22%
By occupation services: 74% (1995)

Unemployment rate: 4.7% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 4.1%
Highest 10: 21.8% (1995)

Distribution of family income gini index: 25.8 (1995)

Budget
Revenues: $129.8 billion
Expenditures: $105.5 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)

Public debt: 22.1% of GDP (2003)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.5% (2003 est.)

Current account balance: $29.34 billion (2003)

Exports: $67.27 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: petroleum and petroleum products machinery and equipment metals chemicals ships fish
Partners: UK 21.3% Germany 13% Netherlands 9.6% US 8.7% France 8.2% Sweden 7.4% (2003)

Imports: $40.19 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment chemicals metals foodstuffs
Partners: Sweden 16.1% Germany 13.3% Denmark 7.9% UK 7.2% US 5.2% Netherlands 4.5% China 4.4% France 4.3% Italy 4% (2003)

Debt external: $0 (Norway is a net external creditor) (2003 est.)

Exchange rates: Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 7.0802 (2003) 7.9838 (2002) 8.9917 (2001) 8.8018 (2000) 7.7992 (1999)

Electricity
Production: 120.1 billion kWh (2001)
Consumption: 115.3 billion kWh (2001)
Exports: 7.162 billion kWh (2001)
Imports: 10.76 billion kWh (2001)

Natural gas
Production: 54.6 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 4.1 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 50.5 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 1.716 trillion m³ (1 January 2002)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 3.343 million (2002)
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)

Internet
Country code: .no
Hosts: 593,850 (2004)
Users: 2.288 million (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $4,034 million (2003)
Percent of gdp: 1.9% (2003)

Airports: 101 (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 65
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 13
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 12
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 14
With paved runways under 914 m: 26 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 36
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 29 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 1 (2003 est.)

Pipelines: condensate 411 km; gas 6,199 km; oil 2,213 km; oil/gas/water 746 km; unknown (oil/water) 38 km (2004)

Railways
Total: 4,077 km
Standard gauge: 4,077 km 1.435-m gauge (2,518 km electrified) (2003)

Merchant marine
Total: 693 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 18,820,495 GRT/27,449,456 DWT
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
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 (2004 est.)

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