Norway
Kingdom of NorwayKongeriket Norge
constitutional monarchy
Norway as the 2013 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 166 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
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
Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden
20 fieldsLand useshare of 323,802 sq 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
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, titanium, pyrites, nickel, fish, timber, hydropower
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 2.94 cu km/yr (28%/43%/29%)
- per capita:
- 622.4 cu m/yr (2006)
Natural hazards
rockslides, avalanches; volcanism: Beerenberg (elev. 2,227 m) on Jan Mayen Island in the Norwegian Sea is the country's only active volcano
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-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
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
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 the most rugged and longest coastlines in the world
People and Society
34 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2013 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2013 est.)
Male · female
Religions(2004)
Languages
Bokmal Norwegian (official), Nynorsk Norwegian (official), small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities note: Sami is official in six municipalities
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.78 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.98 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
Government
Constitutional monarchy; King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991); Prime Minister Erna SOLBERG (since 9 September 2013)
22 fieldsParliament or Storting, 169 seats, elected 9 September 2013one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Kingdom of Norway
- conventional short form:
- Norway
- local long form:
- Kongeriket Norge
- local short form:
- Norge
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
Independence
7 June 1905 (Norway declared the union with Sweden dissolved); 26 October 1905 (Sweden agreed to the repeal of the union)
Constitution
drafted spring 1814, adopted 16 May 1814, signed by Constituent Assembly 17 May 1814; amended many times, last in 2012 (2012)
Legal system
mixed legal system of civil, common, and customary law; Supreme Court can advise on legislative acts
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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 Erna SOLBERG (since 9 September 2013)
- cabinet:
- State Council appointed by the monarch with the approval of parliament; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
- elections:
- the monarchy is hereditary; following parliamentary elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch with the approval of the parliament
Legislative branch
modified unicameral Parliament or Storting (169 seats; members elected by popular vote by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
- elections:
- last held on 9 September 2013 (next to be held in September 2017)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - Ap 30.8%, H 26.3%, FrP 16.3%, KrF 5.6%, Sp 5.5%, V 5.2%, SV 4.1%, MDG 2.8, other 2.7%;
- seats by party - Ap 55, H 48, FrP 29, Sp 10, KrF 10, V 9, SV 7, MDG 1
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Supreme Court or Hoyesterett (consists of the chief justice and 18 associate justices); note - in addition to professionally trained judges, there are elected lay judges that sit on the bench with professional judges in the Courts of Appeal and district courts
- judge selection and term of office:
- justices appointed by the monarch (King in Council) upon the recommendation of the Judicial Appointments Board; justice retirement mandatory at age 70
- subordinate courts:
- Courts of Appeal or Lagmensrett;
- regional and district courts;
- Conciliation Boards;
- ordinary and special courts
Political parties and leaders
- Center Party or Sp [Liv Signe NAVARSETE]
- Christian Democratic Party or KrF [Knut Arild HAREIDE]
- Conservative Party or H [Erna SOLBERG]
- Labor Party or Ap [Jens STOLTENBERG]
- Liberal Party or V [Trine SKEI-GRANDE]
- Progress Party or FrP [Siv JENSEN]
- Socialist Left Party or SV [Audun LYSBAKKEN]
Political pressure groups and leaders
Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (Naeringslivets Hovedorganisasjon) or NHO [President Kristin SKOGEN LUND; CEO John Gordon BERNANDER]
Norwegian Association of the Disabled
Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (Landsorganisasjonen i Norge) or LO [Roar FLATHEN]
- other:
- environmental groups;
- media;
- digital privacy movements
International organization participation
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, EITI (implementing country), ESA, FAO, FATF, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Kare Reidar AAS (since 22 August 2013)
- chancery:
- 2720 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 333-6000
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 469-3990
- consulate(s) general:
- Houston, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Barry B. WHITE (since 21 October 2009)
- embassy:
- Henrik Ibsens gate 48, 0244 Oslo; note - the embassy will move to Huseby in the near future
- mailing address:
- PSC 69, Box 1000, APO AE 09707
- telephone:
- [47] 21-30-85-40
- FAX:
- [47] 22-44-33-63, 22-56-27-51
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);
- the colors recall Norway's past political unions with Denmark (red and white) and Sweden (blue)
Economy
The Norwegian economy is a prosperous mixed economy, with a vibrant private sector, a large state sector, and an extensive social safety net.
41 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2012 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP
Economy - overview
The Norwegian economy is a prosperous mixed economy, with a vibrant private sector, a large state sector, and an extensive social safety net. The government controls key areas, such as the vital petroleum sector, through extensive regulation and large-scale state-majority-owned enterprises.
The country is richly endowed with natural resources - petroleum, hydropower, fish, forests, and minerals - and is highly dependent on the petroleum sector, which accounts for the largest portion of export revenue and about 20% of government revenue. Norway is the world's third-largest natural gas exporter;
and seventh largest oil exporter, making one of its largest offshore oil finds in 2011. 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. In anticipation of eventual declines in oil and gas production, Norway saves state revenue from the petroleum sector in the world's second largest sovereign wealth fund, valued at over $700 billion in January 2013 and uses the fund''s return to help finance public expenses.
After solid GDP growth in 2004-07, the economy slowed in 2008, and contracted in 2009, before returning to positive growth in 2010-12, however, the government budget is set to remain in surplus.
Gross national saving
39.4% of GDP (2012 est.) · 37% of GDP (2011 est.) · 35.2% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 13
Industries
petroleum and gas, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles, fishing
Distribution of family income - Gini index
25 (2008) · 25.8 (1995) country comparison to the world: 131
Public debt
29.1% of GDP (2012 est.) · 28.4% of GDP (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 119 note: data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data exclude treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
Central bank discount rate
6.25% (31 December 2010 est.) · 1.75% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
Commercial bank prime lending rate
3.7% (31 December 2012 est.) · 4.4% (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 163
Stock of narrow money
$152.1 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $138.9 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 26
Stock of broad money
$309.2 billion (31 December 2011 est.) · $280.4 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
Stock of domestic credit
$705.4 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $615.3 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Current account balance
$71.87 billion (2012 est.) · $63.06 billion (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 6
Exports - commodities
petroleum and petroleum products, machinery and equipment, metals, chemicals, ships, fish
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$51.86 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $49.4 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
Debt - external
$659.1 billion (31 December 2012) · $595.7 billion (31 December 2011) country comparison to the world: 20 note: Norway is a net external creditor
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$256.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $236.5 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
$241.3 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $210.6 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 22
Exchange rates
Norwegian kroner (NOK) per US dollar - 5.82 (2012 est.) · 5.61 (2011 est.) · 6.04 (2010 est.) · 6.29 (2009) · 5.64 (2008)
Energy
23 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 30.18 million kW(2010 est.)
Crude oil - proved reserves
5.366 billion bbl (1 January 2010 es) country comparison to the world: 24
Natural gas - proved reserves
2.07 trillion cu m (1 January 2013 es) country comparison to the world: 17
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
45.87 million Mt (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 67
Communications
7 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- modern in all respects; one of the most advanced telecommunications networks in Europe
- domestic:
- Norway has a domestic satellite system; the prevalence of rural areas encourages the wide use of mobile-cellular 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) (2011)
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 television 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 (2008)
Transportation
10 fieldsMerchant marine, 585 ships by type
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Pipelines
- condensate 578 km;
- condensate/gas 220 km;
- gas 8,044 km;
- oil 3,794 km;
- oil/gas/water 457 km;
- water 96 km (2013)
Railways
- total:
- 4,237 km
country comparison to the world: 39
- standard gauge:
- 4,237 km 1.435-m gauge (2,784 km electrified) (2012)
Roadways
- total:
- 93,870 km (includes 393 km of expressways)
country comparison to the world: 51
- paved:
- 75,754 km
- unpaved:
- 18,116 km (2013)
Military
6 fieldsMilitary branches
Norwegian Army (Haeren), Royal Norwegian Navy (Kongelige Norske Sjoeforsvaret, RNoN; includes Coastal Rangers and Coast Guard (Kystvakt)), Royal Norwegian Air Force (Kongelige Norske Luftforsvaret, RNoAF), Home Guard (Heimevernet, HV) (2013)
Military service age and obligation
- 19-35 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;
- 1-year service obligation followed by 4-5 refresher training periods through ages 35-60, totalling 18 months (2012)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 1,079,043
- females age 16-49:
- 1,051,210 (2010 est.)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
- Norway asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land and its continental shelf);
- Denmark (Greenland) and Norway have made submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental shelf (CLCS) and Russia is collecting additional data to augment its 2001 CLCS submission;
- Norway and Russia signed a comprehensive maritime boundary agreement in 2010
Refugees and internally displaced persons
- refugees (country of origin):
- 8,870 (Somalia);
- 5,727 (Iraq);
- 7,129 (Eritrea);
- 5,984 (Afghanistan) (2012)
- stateless persons:
- 2,313 (2012)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Norway.” The World Factbook 2013. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/norway/2013.