Norway

Kingdom of NorwayKongeriket Norge

constitutional monarchyIndependence 26 October 1905 (from Sweden)

Norway as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 109 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
Position62 00 N, 10 00 E
Area324,220 sq km
LocationNorthern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North
1999

Every edition of Norway

Populationas each edition published it
4.44 million July 1999 est. · 4.25m in 1990
Population growth% a year
0.4% 1999 est. · 0.41% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 37.7 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
78.36 years 1999 est. · 77.16 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.77 children per woman 1999 est. · 1.8 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
4.96 deaths per 1,000 live births 1999 est. · 7 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$24,700 1998 est. · $17,700 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
2.4% 1998 est. · 2.9% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

Norway gained its independence from Sweden in 1905. As a separate realm, Norway stayed free of World War I but suffered German occupation in World War II. Discovery of oil and gas in adjacent waters in the late 1960s gave a strong boost to Norway's economic fortunes. Norway is planning for the time when its oil and gas reserves are depleted and is focusing on containing spending on its extensive welfare system. It has decided at this time not to join the European Union and the new euro currency regime.

Geography

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

18 fields

Land useshare of 324,220 sq km

arable land 3%permanent pastures 0%forests and woodland 27%other 70% (1993 est.)irrigated 970 sq km (1993 est.)permanent crops: NA%
Area
324,220sq km
land: 307,860 sq kmwater: 16,360 sq kmslightly larger than New Mexico
Coastline
21,925km
(includes mainland 3,419 km, large islands 2,413 km, long fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations 16,093 km)contiguous zone: 10 nmcontinental shelf: 200 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 4 nm
Highest point
2,472m
Glittertindenlowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m
Land boundaries
2,515km
border countries: Finland 729 km, Sweden 1,619 km, Russia 167 km

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

62 00 N, 10 00 E

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

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

Environment--current issues

  • water pollution;
  • acid rain damaging forests and adversely affecting lakes, threatening fish stocks;
  • air pollution from vehicle emissions

Environment--international agreements

party to:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

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;
  • Norway is the only NATO member having a land boundary with Russia

People

15 fields
Population
4,438,547
(July 1999 est.)growth rate: 0.4% (1999 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1999 est.)

Birth
12.54Death
10.12Net migration
1.62

Religions(1980)

Evangelical Lutheran 87.8% (state church)other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3.8%none 3.2%unknown 5.2% (1980)
Literacy
99%
(1976 est.)definition: age 15 and over can read and writemale: NA%female: NA%

Age structure

0-14 years:
20% (male 447,607; female 423,844)
15-64 years:
65% (male 1,462,906; female 1,415,992)
65 years and over:
15% (male 286,339; female 401,859) (1999 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.71 male(s)/female
total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

4.96 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:
78.36 years
male:
75.55 years
female:
81.35 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.77 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Norwegian(s)
adjective:
Norwegian

Ethnic groups

Germanic (Nordic, Alpine, Baltic), Lapps (Sami) 20,000

Languages

Norwegian (official) note: small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities

Government

Constitutional monarchy; King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991); Prime Minister Kjell Magne BONDEVIK (since 15 October 1997)

19 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

35%
-Labor 35%Center Party 7.9%Conservatives 14.3%Christian People's 13.7%Socialist Left 6%Progress 15.3%Liberal Party 4.4%other parties 1.6%last held 15 September 1997 (next to be held NA September 2001)

Legislature, 165 seats, elected 15 September 1997one dot, one seat

-Labor 65Center Party 11Conservatives 23Christian People's 25Socialist Left 9Progress 25Liberal Party 6other parties 1

Percent of vote

-Labor 35%Center Party 7.9%Conservatives 14.3%Christian People's 13.7%Socialist Left 6%Progress 15.3%Liberal Party 4.4%other parties 1.6%

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

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

Dependent areas

Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard

Independence

26 October 1905 (from Sweden)

National holiday

Constitution Day, 17 May (1814)

Constitution

17 May 1814, modified in 1884

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 15 October 1997)
cabinet:
State Council appointed by the monarch with the approval of the Parliament
elections:
  • none;
  • the monarch is hereditary;
  • following parliamentary elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch with the approval of the Parliament

Legislative branch

modified unicameral Parliament or Storting which, for certain purposes, divides itself into two chambers (165 seats; members are elected by popular vote by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

elections:
last held 15 September 1997 (next to be held NA September 2001)
election results:
  • percent of vote by party--Labor 35%, Center Party 7.9%, Conservatives 14.3%, Christian People's 13.7%, Socialist Left 6%, Progress 15.3%, Liberal Party 4.4%, other parties 1.6%;
  • seats by party--Labor 65, Center Party 11, Conservatives 23, Christian People's 25, Socialist Left 9, Progress 25, Liberal Party 6, other parties 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

Labor Party [Thorbjorn JAGLAND];

International organization participation

AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUA, MTCR, NAM (guest), NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UPU, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Tom Erik VRAALSON
chancery:
2720 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general:
Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador David B. HERMELIN
embassy:
Drammensveien 18, 0244 Oslo
mailing address:
PSC 69, Box 1000, APO AE 09707

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

Norway is a prosperous bastion of welfare | capitalism.

31 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$24,700
purchasing power parity? · (1998 est.)
Real growth rate
2.4%
(1998 est.)industrial production growth: 2.7% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate
2.6%
(yearend 1997)

GDP--composition by sector(1997)

agriculture 2%industry 30%services 68% (1997)

Budget

Revenues
$48.6 billionExpenditures
$53 billion (1994 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Electricity

fossil fuel 0.76%hydro 99.23%other 0.01% (1996)nuclear 0%
Electricity production
103.374 billion (1996)Electricity consumption
112.374 billion (1996)Electricity exports
4.2 billion (1996)Electricity imports
13.2 billion (1996)

Economy--overview

Norway is a prosperous bastion of welfare capitalism. The economy consists of 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), and extensively subsidizes agriculture, fishing, and areas with sparse resources.

Norway maintains an extensive welfare system that helps propel public sector expenditures to more than 50% of GDP and results in one of the highest average tax levels in the world. A major shipping nation, with a high dependence on international trade, Norway is basically an exporter of raw materials and semiprocessed goods.

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. Only Saudi Arabia exports more oil than Norway. Norway imports more than half its food needs. Oslo opted to stay out of the EU during a referendum in November 1994.

Economic growth in 1999 should drop to about 1%. Despite their high per capita income and generous welfare benefits, Norwegians worry about that time in the 21st century when the oil and gas run out.

GDP

purchasing power parity--$109 billion (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%:
4.1%
highest 10%:
21.2% (1991)

Labor force

2.3 million (1998 est.)

Labor force--by occupation

services 71%, industry 23%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 6% (1993)

Industries

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

Agriculture--products

  • oats, other grains;
  • beef, milk;
  • fish

Exports

$39.8 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports--commodities

petroleum and petroleum products 55%, machinery and equipment, metals, chemicals, ships, fish (1997)

Exports--partners

EU 76% (UK 19%, Germany 10%, Netherlands 11%, Sweden 9%, France 8%), US 6% (1997)

Imports

$37.1 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Imports--commodities

machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, foodstuffs

Imports--partners

EU 68% (Sweden 16%, Germany 14%, UK 9%, Denmark 7%, Netherlands 4%), US 6%, Japan 4%(1997)

Debt--external

none?Norway is a net external creditor

Economic aid--donor

ODA, $1.4 billion (1998)

Currency

1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 oere

Exchange rates

Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1--7.4524 (January 1999), 7.5451 (1998), 7.0734 (1997), 6.4498 (1996), 6.3352 (1995), 7.0576 (1994)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields
Fixed lines
2.39 million
(1994 est.); 470,000 cellular telephone subscribers (1994)

Telephone system

high-quality domestic and international telephone, telegraph, and telex services

domestic:
NA domestic satellite earth stations
international:
  • 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)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 46, FM 493 (350 private and 143 government), shortwave 0

Radios

3.3 million (1993 est.)

Televisions

1.5 million (1993 est.)

Transportation

10 fields

Merchant marine, 788 ships by typeships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 21,200,416 GRT/33,642,888 DWT

bulk 106cargo 150chemical tanker 99combination bulk 8combination ore/oil 39container 19liquefied gas tanker 86multifunction large-load carrier 1oil tanker 143passenger 12refrigerated cargo 15roll-on/roll-off cargo 52short-sea passenger 22vehicle carrier 36note: the government has created an internal 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 (1998 est.)

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m
29
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 11

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m
32
total: 37 914 to 1,523 m: 5

Networkskm

Highways
91,180Railways
4,012Waterways
1,577
Highways: paved: 67,473 km (including 109 km of expressways) · unpaved: 23,707 km (1997 est.) · Railways: standard gauge: 4,012 km 1.435-m gauge (2,422 km electrified; 96 km double track) (1996) · Waterways: ; navigable by 2.4 m draft vessels maximum

Railways

total:
4,012 km
standard gauge:
4,012 km 1.435-m gauge (2,422 km electrified; 96 km double track) (1996)

Highways

total:
91,180 km
paved:
67,473 km (including 109 km of expressways)
unpaved:
23,707 km (1997 est.)

Waterways

1,577 km along west coast; navigable by 2.4 m draft vessels maximum

Pipelines

refined petroleum products 53 km

Ports and harbors

Bergen, Drammen, Floro, Hammerfest, Harstad, Haugesund, Kristiansand, Larvik, Narvik, Oslo, Porsgrunn, Stavanger, Tromso, Trondheim

Airports

103 (1998 est.)

Heliports

1 (1998 est.)

Military

Norwegian Army, Royal Norwegian Navy (includes | Coast Artillery and Coast Guard), Royal Norwegian Air Force, Home | Guard

7 fields

Military branches

Norwegian Army, Royal Norwegian Navy (includes Coast Artillery and Coast Guard), Royal Norwegian Air Force, Home Guard

Military manpower--availability

males age 15-49: 1,103,738 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service

males age 15-49: 917,244 (1999 est.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes--international

territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land); Svalbard is the focus of a maritime boundary dispute in the Barents Sea between Norway and Russia

Illicit drugs

minor transshipment point for drugs shipped via the CIS and Baltic states for the European market; increasing domestic consumption of cannabis and amphetamines

Central Intelligence Agency. “Norway.” The World Factbook 1999. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/norway/1999.

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