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 lasted 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: 323,802 km²
Land: 307,442 km²
Water: 16,360 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than New Mexico

Land boundaries
Total: 2,542 km
Border countries: (3) Finland 727 km; , Sweden 1,619 km; , Russia 196 km

Coastline: 25,148 km (includes mainland 2,650 km as well as long fjords numerous small islands and minor indentations 22,498 km; length of island coastlines 58,133 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: 2.7%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 97.3% (2005)

Irrigated land: 1270 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 381.4 km³ (2005)

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 the world

Population: 4,644,457 (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: 0.35% (2008 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Norwegian
Adjective: Norwegian

Ethnic groups: Norwegian 94.4% (includes Sami about 60,000) other European 3.6% other 2% (2007 estimate)

Languages: Bokmal Norwegian (official) Nynorsk Norwegian (official) small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities; note - Sami is official in six municipalities

Religions: Church of Norway 85.7% Pentecostal 1% Roman Catholic 1% other Christian 2.4% Muslim 1.8% other 8.1% (2004)

Age structure
0-14 years: 18.8% (male 446,146/female 426,166)
15-64 years: 66.2% (male 1,559,750/female 1,516,217)
65 years and over: 15% (male 297,175/female 399,003) (2008 est.)

Median age
Total: 39 years
Male: 38.2 years
Female: 39.9 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.35% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 11.12 births/1000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 9.33 deaths/1000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.71 migrant(s)/1000 population (2008 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: 0.74 male/female
Total population: 0.98 male/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.61 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 3.96 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.24 deaths/1000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 79.81 years
Male: 77.16 years
Female: 82.6 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.78 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 2,100 (2001 est.)
Deaths: fewer than 100 (2003 est.)

Education expenditures: 7.2% of GDP (2005)

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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 17 years
Male: 17 years
Female: 18 years (2006)

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
Name: Oslo
Geographic coordinates: 59 55 N, 10 45 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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; amended many times

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 Jens STOLTENBERG (since 17 October 2005)
Cabinet: State Council appointed by the monarch with the approval of parliament
Elections: 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 12 September 2005 (next to be held in September 2009)
Election results: percent of vote by party - Labor Party 32.7%, Progress Party 22.1%, Conservative Party 14.1%, Socialist Left Party 8.8%, Christian People's Party 6.8%, Center Party 6.5%, Liberal Party 5.9%, other 3.1%; seats by party - Labor Party 61, Progress Party 38, Conservative Party 23, Socialist Left Party 15, Christian People's Party 11, Center Party 11, Liberal Party 10
Note: for certain purposes, the parliament divides itself into two chambers and elects one-fourth of its membership in the Lagting and three-fourths of its membership in the Odelsting

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]; Conservative Party [Erna SOLBERG]; Labor Party [Jens STOLTENBERG]; Liberal Party [Lars SPONHEIM]; Progress Party [Siv JENSEN]; Socialist Left Party [Kristin HALVORSEN]

International organization participation: ADB (nonregional members) AfDB (nonregional members) Arctic Council Australia Group BIS CBSS CE CERN EAPC EBRD EFTA ESA FAO IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA NAM (guest) NATO NC NEA NIB NSG OAS (observer) OECD OPCW OSCE Paris Club PCA Schengen Convention UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIFIL UNITAR UNMIS UNRWA UNTSO UNWTO UPU WCO WEU (associate) WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Wegger C. STROMMEN
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, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Benson K. WHITNEY
From the us embassy: Henrik Ibsens gate 48, 0244 Oslo; note - the embassy will move to Huseby in the near future
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, 56 27 51

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; nonetheless as a member of the European Economic Area it contributes sizably to the EU budget. The government has moved ahead with privatization. Although Norwegian oil production peaked in 2000 natural gas production is still rising. Norwegians realize that once their gas production peaks they will eventually face declining oil and gas revenues; accordingly Norway has been saving its oil-and-gas-boosted budget surpluses in a Government Petroleum Fund which is invested abroad and now is valued at more than $250 billion. After lackluster growth of less than 1% in 2002-03 GDP growth picked up to 3-5% in 2004-07 partly due to higher oil prices. Norway's economy remains buoyant. Domestic economic activity is and will continue to be the main driver of growth supported by high consumer confidence and strong investment spending in the offshore oil and gas sector. Norway's record high budget surplus and upswing in the labor market in 2007 highlight the strength of its economic position going into 2008.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $246.6 billion (2007 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 3.7% (2007 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $53,300 (2007 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.4%
Industry: 41.9%
Services: 55.7% (2007 est.)

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: 0.1% (2007 est.)

Labor force: 2.507 million (2007 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 4%
By occupation industry: 22%
By occupation services: 74% (1995)

Unemployment rate: 2.5% (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.9%
Highest 10: 23.4% (2000)

Distribution of family income gini index: 28 (2005)

Budget
Revenues: $226.3 billion
Expenditures: $158.7 billion (2007 est.)

Public debt: 83.1% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate consumer prices: 0.8% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate: 6.25% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 6.65% (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit: NA (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $191 billion (2005)

Current account balance: $64.07 billion (2007 est.)

Exports: $140.3 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: petroleum and petroleum products machinery and equipment metals chemicals ships fish
Partners: UK 26.3% Germany 12.3% Netherlands 10.2% France 8% Sweden 6.5% US 6.2% (2007)

Imports: $77.24 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment chemicals metals foodstuffs
Partners: Sweden 14.7% Germany 13.6% UK 6.9% Denmark 6.4% China 6.1% US 4.8% Canada 4.3% (2007)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $60.84 billion (2006 est.)

Debt external: $469.1 billion; note - Norway is a net external creditor (30 June 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $62.63 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $126.1 billion (2007 est.)

Exchange rates: Norwegian kroner (NOK) per US dollar - 5.8396 (2007) 6.4117 (2006) 6.4425 (2005) 6.7408 (2004) 7.0802 (2003)

Electricity
Production: 135 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption: 111.5 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Exports: 15.32 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Imports: 5.284 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 92.6 billion m³ (2007 est.)
Consumption: 6.5 billion m³ (2007 est.)
Exports: 86.1 billion m³ (2007 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Proven reserves: 2.241 trillion m³ (1 January 2008 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.988 million (2007)
Mobile cellular: 5.192 million (2007)

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; submarine cables provide links to other Nordic countries and Europe; 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: 2.995 million (2008)
Users: 3.8 million (2007)

Military expenditures: 1.9% of GDP (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation: 18-44 years of age for male compulsory military service; 16 years of age in wartime; 17 years of age for male volunteers; 18 years of age for women; 12-month service obligation in practice shortened to 8 to 9 months; although all males between ages of 18 and 44 are liable for service in practice they are seldom called to duty after age 30; reserve obligation to age 35-60; 16 years of age for volunteers to the Home Guard who serve 6-month duty tours (2006)

Airports: 98 (2007)
With paved runways total: 67
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 12
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 12
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 13
With paved runways under 914 m: 29 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 31
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 25 (2007)

Heliports: 1 (2007)

Pipelines: condensate 508 km; gas 6,529 km; oil 2,444 km; oil/gas/water 457 km (2007)

Railways
Total: 4,114 km
Standard gauge: 4,114 km 1.435-m gauge (2,552 km electrified) (2008)

Roadways
Total: 92,946 km
Paved: 72,033 km (includes 664 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 20,913 km (2007)

Waterways: 1577 km (2007)

Merchant marine
Total: 688
By type: bulk carrier 46, cargo 141, carrier 3, chemical tanker 137, combination ore/oil 12, container 4, liquefied gas 65, passenger/cargo 117, petroleum tanker 85, refrigerated cargo 14, roll on/roll off 13, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 50
Foreign owned: 199 (Canada 3, Canada 7, Chile 2, China 36, Denmark 25, Estonia 1, Finland 1, France 3, Germany 1, Greece 3, Hong Kong 20, Iceland 3, Italy 4, Japan 29, Lithuania 1, Malaysia 1, Monaco 5, Poland 3, Saudi Arabia 3, Singapore 1, Sweden 34, UK 5, US 8)
Registered in other countries: 923 (Antigua and Barbuda 8, Australia 1, Bahamas 189, Barbados 38, Belize 3, Bermuda 5, Brazil 5, Canada 3, Cayman Islands 1, China 1, Comoros 1, Cook Islands 5, Cyprus 18, Denmark 1, Denmark 2, Dominica 1, Estonia 2, Faroe Islands 4, Finland 3, France 5, Gibraltar 33, Hong Kong 40, Indonesia 1, Isle of Man 20, Italy 2, South Korea 2, Liberia 40, Libya 1, Malta 93, Marshall Islands 66, Netherlands 12, Netherlands Antilles 3, Panama 89, Philippines 10, Russia 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13, Singapore 143, Spain 5, Sweden 7, Tuvalu 1, UK 31, US 9, unknown 4) (2008)

Ports and terminals: Bergen Borg Havn Haugesund Maaloy Mongstad Narvik Oslo Sture

Disputes international: Norway asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land and its continental shelf); despite dialogue 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