Norway
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, Norway abandoned neutrality and became a member of NATO. Discovery of oil and gas in adjacent waters in the late 1960s boosted Norway's economic fortunes. In referenda held in 1972 and 1994, Norway rejected joining the EU. Key domestic issues include immigration and integration of ethnic minorities, maintaining the country's extensive social safety net with an aging population, and preserving economic competitiveness.

geography

location

62.0° N, 10. 0° E
Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden

area

323,802 sq km
land
304,282 sq km
water
19,520 sq km

land boundaries

2,566 km

coastline

25,148 km

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

460 m
lowest point
Norwegian Sea
0 m
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
2.2 %
permanent crops
0 %
permanent pasture
0.5 %
forest
27.8 %
other
69.5 %

population distribution

most Norweigans live in the south where the climate is milder and there is better connectivity to mainland Europe; population clusters are found all along the North Sea coast in the southwest, and Skaggerak in the southeast; the interior areas of the north remain sparsely populated

people

population

  • 5,467,439
  • 119
    global rank

nationality

  • Norwegian(s)
    noun
  • Norwegian
    adjective

ethnic groups

Norwegian
83.2 %
other European
8.3 %
other
8.5 %

languages

  • Bokmal Norwegian
    official
  • Nynorsk Norwegian
    official
  • small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities

religions

Church of Norway
70.6 %
Muslim
3.2 %
Roman Catholic
3 %
other Christian
3.7 %
other
2.5 %
unspecified
17 %

birth rate

  • 12.2
    per 1,000 population
  • 159
    global rank

death rate

  • 8.1
    per 1,000 population
  • 89
    global rank

urban population

83 %

major urban areas

  • Oslo
    pop. 1,041,000

life expectancy

  • 82.1
    total population
  • 23
    global rank
80
male
84.4
female

adult obesity rate

  • 23.1%
    percent of adults
  • 68
    global rank

government

country name

    conventional

  • Kingdom of Norway
    long form
  • Norway
    short form

    local

  • Kongeriket Norge
    long form
  • Norge
    short form

government type

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

capital

Oslo
59.55 N, 10.45 E

independence

national holidays

  • Constitution Day
    17 May

legal system

mixed legal system of civil, common, and customary law; Supreme Court can advise on legislative acts

age of suffrage

18

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); the colors recall Norway's past political unions with Denmark (red and white) and Sweden (blue)

national colors

  • red
  • white
  • blue

national anthem

"Ja, vi elsker dette landet" (Yes, We Love This Country)

economy

overview

Norway has a stable economy with a vibrant private sector, a large state sector, and an extensive social safety net. Norway opted out of the EU during a referendum in November 1994. However, as a member of the European Economic Area, Norway partially participates in the EU’s single market and contributes sizably to the EU budget. The country is richly endowed with natural resources such as oil and gas, fish, forests, and minerals. Norway is a leading producer and the world’s second largest exporter of seafood, after China. The government manages the country’s petroleum resources through extensive regulation. The petroleum sector provides about 9% of jobs, 12% of GDP, 13% of the state’s revenue, and 37% of exports, according to official national estimates. Norway is one of the world's leading petroleum exporters, although oil production is close to 50% below its peak in 2000. Gas production, conversely, has more than doubled since 2000. Although oil production is historically low, it rose in 2016 for the third consecutive year due to the higher production of existing oil fields and to new fields coming on stream. Norway’s domestic electricity production relies almost entirely on hydropower. In anticipation of eventual declines in oil and gas production, Norway saves state revenue from petroleum sector activities in the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, valued at over $1 trillion at the end of 2017. To help balance the federal budget each year, the government follows a "fiscal rule," which states that spending of revenues from petroleum and fund investments shall correspond to the expected real rate of return on the fund, an amount it estimates is sustainable over time. In February 2017, the government revised the expected rate of return for the fund downward from 4% to 3%. After solid GDP growth in the 2004-07 period, the economy slowed in 2008, and contracted in 2009, before returning to modest, positive growth from 2010 to 2017. The Norwegian economy has been adjusting to lower energy prices, as demonstrated by growth in labor force participation and employment in 2017. GDP growth was about 1.5% in 2017, driven largely by domestic demand, which has been boosted by the rebound in the labor market and supportive fiscal policies. Economic growth is expected to remain constant or improve slightly in the next few years.

GDP

381,200,000,000 USD
2017

agriculture products

  • barley
  • wheat
  • potatoes
  • pork
  • beef
  • veal
  • milk
  • fish

budget

  • 217,100,000,000
    revenue (USD)
  • 199,500,000,000
    expenditures (USD)

communications

telephones

    fixed lines

  • 560,945
    total subscriptions
  • 91
    global rank

    mobile cellular

  • 5,720,892
    total subscriptions
  • 117
    global rank

broadcast media

state-owned public radio-TV broadcaster operates 3 nationwide TV stations, 3 nationwide radio stations, and 16 regional radio stations; roughly a dozen privately owned TV stations broadcast nationally and roughly another 25 local TV stations broadcasting; nearly 75% of households have access to multi-channel cable or satellite TV; 2 privately owned radio stations broadcast nationwide and another 240 stations operate locally; Norway is the first country in the world to phase out FM radio in favor of Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), a process scheduled for completion in late 2017 (2019)

internet

.no
country code

    users

  • 5,183,627
    total
  • 96.49
    % of population
  • 82
    global rank

energy

electricity access

100%
2016

transportation

air transport

    national system

  • 3
    registered air carriers
  • 12,277,220
    annual passenger traffic

    airports

  • 95
    total
  • 67
    paved

railways

4,200 km
total length

roadways

94,902 km
total length

waterways

1,577 km
total length

military

expenditures

expenditures here

service age

19