2000 Edition

Background

Despite its neutrality, Norway was not able to avoid occupation by Germany in World War II. 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.

Area

land

307,860 sq km

total

324,220 sq km

water

16,360 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than New Mexico

Climate

temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior; rainy year-round on west coast

Coastline

21,925 km (includes mainland 3,419 km, large islands 2,413 km, long fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations 16,093 km)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Galdhopiggeh 2,469 m

lowest point

Norwegian Sea 0 m

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-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: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geographic coordinates

62 00 N, 10 00 E

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

Irrigated land

970 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Finland 729 km, Sweden 1,619 km, Russia 167 km

total

2,515 km

Land use

arable land

3%

forests and woodland

27%

other

70% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

0%

permanent pastures

0%

Location

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

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

10 nm

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

4 nm

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

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

Terrain

glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north

Age structure

0-14 years: 20% (male 459,608; female 434,809) 15-64 years: 65% (male 1,472,974; female 1,430,526) 65 years and over: 15% (male 283,741; female 399,504) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

12.79 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

9.89 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

3.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

Norwegian (official)

note

small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities

Life expectancy at birth

female

81.77 years (2000 est.)

male

75.73 years

total population

78.65 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

NA%

male

NA%

total population

100%

Nationality

adjective

Norwegian

noun

Norwegian(s)

Net migration rate

2.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

4,481,162 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

0.5% (2000 est.)

Religions

Evangelical Lutheran 86% (state church), other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3%, other 1%, none and unknown 10% (1997)

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 (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.81 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

Capital

Oslo

Constitution

17 May 1814, modified in 1884

Country name

conventional long form

Kingdom of Norway

conventional short form

Norway

local long form

Kongeriket Norge

local short form

Norge

Data code

NO

Dependent areas

Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard

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

telephone

(22) 44 85 50

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2720 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Tom Erik VRAALSEN

telephone

(202) 333-6000

Executive branch

cabinet

State Council appointed by the monarch with the approval of the Parliament

chief of state

King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991); Heir Apparent Crown Prince HAAKON MAGNUS, son of the monarch (born 20 July 1973)

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

head of government

Prime Minister Jens STOLTENBERG (since 17 March 2000)

FAX

(202) 337-0870

(22) 43 07 77

consulate(s) general

Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, and San Francisco

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)

Government type

constitutional monarchy

Independence

7 June 1905 Norway declared the union with Sweden dissolved; 26 October 1905 Sweden agreed to the repeal of the union

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, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Hoyesterett, justices appointed by the monarch

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

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)

election results

percent of vote by party - Labor Party 35%, Center Party 7.9%, Conservative Party 14.3%, Christian People's Party 13.7%, Socialist Left Party 6%, Progress Party 15.3%, Liberal Party 4.4%, other parties 1.6%; seats by party - Labor Party 65, Center Party 11, Conservative Party 23, Christian People's Party 25, Socialist Left Party 9, Progress Party 25, Liberal Party 6, other parties 1

elections

last held 15 September 1997 (next to be held NA September 2001)

note

for certain purposes, the Parliament divides itself into two chambers and elects one-fourth of its membership to an upper house or Lagting

National holiday

Constitution Day, 17 May (1814)

Political parties and leaders

Center Party ; Christian People's Party ; Conservative Party [Jan PETERSEN]; Labor Party ; Liberal Party [Lars SPONHEIM]; Norwegian Communist Party ; Progress Party ; Red Electoral Alliance ; Socialist Left Party

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

barley, other grains, potatoes; beef, milk; fish

Budget

expenditures

$60.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

revenues

$69.7 billion

Currency

1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 oere

Debt - external

$0 (Norway is a net external creditor)

Economic aid - donor

ODA, $1.4 billion (1998)

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), and extensively subsidizes agriculture, fishing, and areas with sparse resources. The extensive welfare system helps propel public sector expenditures to more than 50% of GDP. 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. Growth was a meager 0.8% in 1999 because of weak private consumption and anemic investment activity in the oil and other sectors. Growth should pick up in 2000, perhaps to 2.7%. Despite their high per capita income and generous welfare benefits, Norwegians worry about that time in the next two decades when the oil and gas begin to run out.

Electricity - consumption

111.001 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

4.4 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

8 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

115.485 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

0.58%

hydro

99.16%

nuclear

0%

other

0.26% (1998)

Exchange rates

Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1 - 8.0129 (January 2000), 7.7992 (1999), 7.5451 (1998), 7.0734 (1997), 6.4498 (1996), 6.3352 (1995)

Exports

$47.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum and petroleum products, machinery and equipment, metals, chemicals, ships, fish

Exports - partners

EU 77% (UK 17%, Germany 12%, Netherlands 10%, Sweden 10%, France 8%), US 7% (1998)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $111.3 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

2.2%

industry

26.3%

services

71.5% (1998)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $25,100 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

0.8% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$38.6 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

EU 69% (Sweden 15%, Germany 14%, UK 10%, Denmark 7%), US 7%, Japan 4% (1998)

Industrial production growth rate

0.7% (1999 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.8% (1999 est.)

Labor force

2.7 million (1999 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

services 74%, industry 22%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 4% (1995)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

2.9% (1999 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

21 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 5, FM at least 650, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios

4.03 million (1997)

Telephone system

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

domestic

domestic satellite system

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)

Telephones - main lines in use

2,325,010 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1,676,763 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

209 (1997)

Televisions

2.03 million (1997)

Airports

103 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

67 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 29 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

36 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 31 (1999 est.)

Heliports

1 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

67,602 km (including 128 km of expressways)

total

90,741 km

unpaved

23,139 km (1998 est.)

Merchant marine

note

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.)

ships by type

bulk 100, cargo 142, chemical tanker 111, combination bulk 9, combination ore/oil 35, container 18, liquified gas 86, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 11, petroleum tanker 157, refrigerated cargo 11, roll-on/roll-off 48, short-sea passenger 22, vehicle carrier 37 (1999 est.)

total

788 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 21,460,260 GRT/34,178,125 DWT

Pipelines

refined petroleum products 53 km

Ports and harbors

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

Railways

standard gauge

4,012 km 1.435-m gauge (2,530 km electrified; 96 km double track) (1998)

total

4,012 km

Waterways

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

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$3.113 billion (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.1% (FY98)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 1,103,256 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 915,949 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

20 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

27,417 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land)

OMAN