Norway

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

3.3 million (1993 est.)

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)

2.39 million (1994 est.); 470,000 cellular telephone subscribers (1994)

209 (1997)

1.5 million (1993 est.)

oats, other grains; beef, milk; fish

revenues: $48.6 billion expenditures: $53 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.)

1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 oere

none?Norway is a net external creditor

ODA, $1.4 billion (1998)

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.

112.374 billion kWh (1996)

4.2 billion kWh (1996)

13.2 billion kWh (1996)

103.374 billion kWh (1996)

fossil fuel: 0.76% hydro: 99.23% nuclear: 0% other: 0.01% (1996)

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)

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

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

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

calendar year

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

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

purchasing power parity?$24,700 (1998 est.)

2.4% (1998 est.)

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

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

machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, foodstuffs

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

2.7% (1998 est.)

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

2.3% (1998 est.)

2.3 million (1998 est.)

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

NA%

2.6% (yearend 1997)

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

slightly larger than New Mexico

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

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

lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m highest point: Glittertinden 2,472 m

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

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

62 00 N, 10 00 E

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

970 sq km (1993 est.)

total: 2,515 km border countries: Finland 729 km, Sweden 1,619 km, Russia 167 km

arable land: 3% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 27% other: 70% (1993 est.)

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

Europe

contiguous zone: 10 nm continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 4 nm

NA

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

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

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

Oslo

17 May 1814, modified in 1884

conventional long form: Kingdom of Norway conventional short form: Norway local long form: Kongeriket Norge local short form: Norge

NO

Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard

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

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

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

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)

constitutional monarchy

26 October 1905 (from Sweden)

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

Supreme Court or Hoyesterett, justices appointed by the monarch

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

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

Constitution Day, 17 May (1814)

Labor Party [Thorbjorn JAGLAND];

18 years of age; universal

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.

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

NA

2.2% (1998)

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

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

20 years of age

males: 27,448 (1999 est.)

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.)

12.54 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

10.12 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

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

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

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

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

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% (1976 est.) male: NA% female: NA%

noun: Norwegian(s) adjective: Norwegian

1.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

4,438,547 (July 1999 est.)

0.4% (1999 est.)

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

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.)

1.77 children born/woman (1999 est.)

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

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

103 (1998 est.)

total: 66 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 under 914 m: 29 (1998 est.)

total: 37 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 32 (1998 est.)

1 (1998 est.)

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

total: 788 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 21,200,416 GRT/33,642,888 DWT ships by type: bulk 106, cargo 150, chemical tanker 99, combination bulk 8, combination ore/oil 39, container 19, liquefied gas tanker 86, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 143, passenger 12, refrigerated cargo 15, roll-on/roll-off cargo 52, short-sea passenger 22, vehicle carrier 36 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.)

refined petroleum products 53 km

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

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

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