Norway

constitutional monarchyIndependence 26 October 1905 (from Sweden)

Norway as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 70 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalOslo

Area324,220 km2

Populationas each edition published it

4.27 million July 1991 · 4.25m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 0.41% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 37.7 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 77.16 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.8 children per woman 1991 · 1.8 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

7 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 7 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $17,700 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.9% in 1993

Geography

11 fields

Total area

324,220km2

land area: 307,860 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico

Land boundaries

2,544km total

Finland 729 km, Sweden 1,619 km, USSR 196 km

Coastline

21,925 km (3,419 km mainland; 2,413 km large islands; 16,093 km long fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations) Contiguous zone: 10 nm;
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 4 nm

Disputes

maritime boundary dispute with USSR;
territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land);
Denmark has challenged Norway's maritime claims beween Greenland and Jan Mayen

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

crude oil, copper, natural gas, pyrites, nickel, iron ore, zinc, lead, fish, timber, hydropower

Land use

arable land 3%;
permanent crops 0%;
meadows and pastures NEGL%;
forest and woodland 27%;
other 70%;
includes irrigated NEGL%

Note

strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and air routes in North Atlantic;
one of most rugged and longest coastlines in world;
Norway and Turkey only NATO members having a land boundary with the USSR

People

14 fields

Population

4,273,442

(July 1991), growth rate 0.5% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

14Death

11Net migration

Religion(1980)

Evangelical Lutheran (state church) 87.8%other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3.8%none 3.2%unknown 5.2% (1980)

Literacy

99%

(male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1976 est.)

Nationality

noun--Norwegian(s); adjective--Norwegian

Ethnic divisions

Germanic (Nordic, Alpine, Baltic) and racial-cultural minority of 20,000 Lapps

Language

Norwegian (official); small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities

2,167,000 (September 1990); services 34.7%, commerce 18%, mining and manufacturing 16.6%, banking and financial services 7.5%, transportation and communications 7.2%, construction 7.2%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 6.4% (1989)

Organized labor

66% of labor force (1985)

Government

Constitutional monarchy

17 fields

Storting, 165 seats, elected 11 September 1989one dot, one seat

Labor 63Conservative 37Progress 22Socialist Left 17Christian People's 14Center Party 11Finnmark List 1

Percent of vote

Labor 34.3%Conservative 22.2%Progress 13.0%Socialist Left 10.1%Christian People's 8.5%Center Party 6.6%Finnmark List 0.3%other 5%

Long-form name

Kingdom of Norway

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

Independence

26 October 1905 (from Sweden)

Constitution

17 May 1814, modified in 1884

Dependent areas

Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard

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

National holiday

Constitution Day, 17 May (1814)

Executive branch

monarch, prime minister, State Council (cabinet)

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament (Stortinget) with an Upper Chamber (Lagting) and a Lower Chamber (Odelsting)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Hoiesterett) Chief of State--King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991);
Heir Apparent Crown Prince HAAKON MAGNUS (born 20 July 1973);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Gro Harlem BRUNDTLAND (since 3 November 1990) Labor, Gro Harlem BRUNDTLAND;
Conservative, Kaci Kullmann FIVE;
Center Party, Anne Enger LAHNSTEIN;
Christian People's, Kjell Magne BONDEVIK;
Socialist Left, Eric SOLHEIM;
Norwegian Communist, Kare Andre NILSEN;
Progress, Carl I. HAGEN;
Liberal, Arne FJORTOFT;
Finnmark List, leader NA

Suffrage

universal at age 18 Storting--last held on 11 September 1989 (next to be held 6 September 1993);
results--Labor 34.3%, Conservative 22.2%, Progress 13.0%, Socialist Left 10.1%, Christian People's 8.5%, Center Party 6.6%, Finnmark List 0.3%, other 5%;
seats--(165 total) Labor 63, Conservative 37, Progress 22, Socialist Left 17, Christian People's 14, Center Party 11, Finnmark List 1

Communists

15,500 est.;
5,500 Norwegian Communist Party (NKP);
10,000 Workers Communist Party Marxist-Leninist (AKP-ML, pro-Chinese)

Member of

AfDB, AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, PCA, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Kjeld VIBE;
Chancery at 2720 34th Street NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 333-6000;
there are Norwegian Consulates General in Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Miami and New Orleans;
US--Ambassador Loret Miller RUPPE;
Embassy at Drammensveien 18, 0244 Oslo 2 (mailing address is APO New York 09085);
telephone [47] (2) 44-85-50

Flag

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

Norway is a prosperous capitalist nation with the resources to finance extensive welfare measures.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$74.2billion

per capita $17,400; real growth rate 3.1% (1990)

Inflation, consumer prices

4.1%

(1990)

Unemployment rate

5.2%

(1990, excluding people in job-training programs)

External debt

$15billion

(December 1990)

Exports $33.8 billion (f.o.b., 1990)commodities, where a share is given

petroleum and petroleum products

25%natural gas

11%fish

7%aluminum

6%ships

3.5%

also pulp and paper; partners--EC 64.9%, Nordic countries 19.5%, developing countries 6.9%, US 6.2%, Japan 1.7% (1990)

Budget

Revenues

$47.9 billionExpenditures

$48.7 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990)

Overview

Norway is a prosperous capitalist nation with the resources to finance extensive welfare measures. Since 1975 exploitation of large crude oil and natural gas reserves has helped maintain high growth; for the past five years growth has averaged 4.1%, the fourth-highest among OECD countries.

Growth slackened in 1987-88 partially because of the sharp drop in world oil prices, but picked up again in 1989. The Brundtland government plans to push hard on environmental issues, as well as cutting unemployment, improving child care, upgrading major industries, and negotiating an EC - European Free Trade Association (EFTA) agreement on an Economic European Area.

Imports

$26.8 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities--machinery, fuels and lubricants, transportation equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, clothing, ships;
partners--EC 46.3%, Nordic countries 25.7%, developing countries 14.3%, US 8.1%, Japan 4.7% (1990)

Industrial production

growth rate 3.6% (1990)

Electricity

26,735,000 kW capacity; 121,685 million kWh produced, 28,950 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for 2.8% of GNP and 6.4% of labor force;
among world's top 10 fishing nations;
livestock output exceeds value of crops;
over half of food needs imported;
fish catch of 1.76 million metric tons in 1989

Economic aid

donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $4.4 billion

Currency

Norwegian krone (plural--kroner); 1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 ore

Exchange rates

Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1--5.9060 (January 1991), 6.2597 (1990), 6.9045 (1989), 6.5170 (1988), 6.7375 (1987), 7.3947 (1986), 8.5972 (1985)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 867 ships by type

passenger 11short-sea passenger 23cargo 121passenger-cargo 3refrigerated cargo 24container 14roll-on/roll-off cargo 50vehicle carrier 18railcar carrier 1petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 186chemical tanker 98liquefied gas 69specialized tanker 1combination ore/oil 35bulk 204combination bulk; note--the government has created a captive register, the Norwegian International Ship Register (NIS), as a subset of the Norwegian register; ships on the NIS enjoy many benefits of flags of convenience and do not have to be crewed by Norwegians; the majority of ships (777) under the Norwegian flag are now registered with the NIS 9867 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 23,270,845 GRT/41,199,182 DWT

Airports, 104 total, 103 usable

permanent-surface runways

64runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

12runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

79,540Railroads

4,223Inland waterways

1,577

Highways: ; 18,600 km concrete, bituminous, stone block; 19,980 km bituminous treated; 40,960 km gravel, crushed stone, and earth · Railroads: ; Norwegian State Railways (NSB) operates 4,219 km (2,450 km electrified and 96 km double track); 4 km other · Inland waterways: ; 1.5-2.4 m draft vessels maximum

Railroads

4,223 km 1.435-meter standard gauge;
Norwegian State Railways (NSB) operates 4,219 km (2,450 km electrified and 96 km double track);
4 km other

Highways

79,540 km total;
18,600 km concrete, bituminous, stone block;
19,980 km bituminous treated;
40,960 km gravel, crushed stone, and earth

high-quality domestic and international telephone, telegraph, and telex services;
3,102,000 telephones;
stations--8 AM, 46 (1,400 relays) FM, 55 (2,100 relays) TV;
4 coaxial submarine cables;
communications satellite earth stations operating in the EUTELSAT, INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean), MARISAT, and domestic systems