GENERAL:

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.


GEOGRAPHY:

Location:	Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden

Geographic coordinates:	62 00 N, 10 00 E

Map references:	Europe

Area:	total:	324,220 sq km
	land:	307,860 sq km
	water:	16,360 sq km

Land boundaries:	total:	2,542 km
	border countries:	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
	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:	2.70%
	permanent crops:	0%
	other:	97.30%

Irrigated land:	1,270 sq km

Natural hazards:	rockslides, avalanches

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

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


PEOPLE:

Population:	4,610,820

Age structure:	0-14 years:	19.3% (male 455,122/female 434,009)
	15-64 years:	65.9% (male 1,542,439/female 1,496,745)
	65 years and over:	14.8% (male 288,509/female 393,996)

Median age:	total:	38.4 years
	male:	37.6 years
	female:	39.3 years

Population growth rate:	0.38%

Birth rate:	11.46 births/1,000 population

Death rate:	9.4 deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate:	1.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population

Sex ratio:	at birth:	1.05 male(s)/female
	under 15 years:	1.05 male(s)/female
	15-64 years:	1.03 male(s)/female
	65 years and over:	0.73 male(s)/female
	total population:	0.98 male(s)/female

Infant mortality rate:	total:	3.67 deaths/1,000 live births
	male:	4.03 deaths/1,000 live births
	female:	3.29 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:	total population:	79.54 years
	male:	76.91 years
	female:	82.31 years

Total fertility rate:	1.78 children born/woman

Nationality:	noun:	Norwegian(s)
	adjective:	Norwegian

Ethnic groups:	Norwegian, Sami 20,000

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

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

Literacy:	definition:	age 15 and over can read and write
	total population:	100%
	male:	100%
	female:	100%


GOVERNMENT:

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:	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:	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:	modified unicameral Parliament or Storting (169 seats; members are elected by popular vote by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections:	last held 12 September 2005 (next to be held 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%, Red Electoral Alliance 1.2%, other 1.9%; 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 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 [Roy WAAGE]; Conservative Party [Erna SOLBERG]; Labor Party [Jens STOLTENBERG]; Liberal Party [Lars SPONHEIM]; Progress Party [Carl I. HAGEN]; Red Electoral Alliance [Torstein DAHLE]; Socialist Left Party [Kristin HALVORSEN]

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:

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, it contributes sizably to the EU budget. The government has moved ahead with privatization. Norwegians worry about that time in the next two decades when the oil and gas will 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 $150 billion. After lackluster growth of 1% in 2002 and 0.5% in 2003, GDP growth picked up to 3.3% in 2004 and to 3.7% in 2005.

GDP - real growth rate:	3.70%

GDP - per capita (PPP):	$42,400

GDP - composition by sector:	agriculture:	2.20%
	industry:	37.20%
	services:	60.60%

Labor force:	2.4 million

Labor force - by occupation:	agriculture, forestry, and fishing 4%, industry 22%, services 74%

Unemployment rate:	4.20%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):	2.10%

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:	2.90%

Exports - commodities:	petroleum and petroleum products, machinery and equipment, metals, chemicals, ships, fish

Exports - partners:	UK 22.3%, Germany 12.9%, Netherlands 9.9%, France 9.6%, US 8.4%, Sweden 6.7%

Imports - commodities:	machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:	Sweden 15.7%, Germany 13.6%, Denmark 7.3%, UK 6.5%, China 5%, US 4.9%, Netherlands 4.4%, France 4.3%, Finland 4.1%

Currency (code):	Norwegian krone (NOK)

Fiscal year:	calendar year


TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES:

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