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.

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

62 00 N, 10 00 E

Europe

slightly larger than New Mexico

25,148 km (includes mainland 2,650 km, as well as long fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations 22,498 km; length of island coastlines 58,133 km)

temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior with increased precipitation and colder summers; rainy year-round on west coast

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

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

1,180 sq km (2003)

381.4 cu km (2005)

rockslides, avalanches

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

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

Norwegian 94.4% (includes Sami, about 60,000), other European 3.6%, other 2% (2007 estimate)

Bokmal Norwegian (official), Nynorsk Norwegian (official), small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities

Church of Norway (Evangelical Lutheran - official) 85.7%, Pentecostal 1%, Roman Catholic 1%, other Christian 2.4%, Muslim 1.8%, other 8.1% (2004)

4,707,270 (July 2012 est.)

0.327% (2012 est.)

10.8 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

9.22 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

1.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

OSLO (capital) 875,000 (2009)

7 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

1.77 children born/woman (2012 est.)

9.7% of GDP (2009)

4.076 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

3.52 beds/1,000 population (2008)

0.1% (2009 est.)

4,000 (2009 est.)

fewer than 100 (2009 est.)

10% (2009)

6.8% of GDP (2007)

constitutional monarchy

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

Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard

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

Constitution Day, 17 May (1814)

17 May 1814; amended many times

mixed legal system of civil, common, and customary law; Supreme Court can advise on legislative acts

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

modified unicameral Parliament or Storting (169 seats; members elected by popular vote by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

Supreme Court or Hoyesterett (justices appointed by the monarch)

Center Party (Senterpartiet) [Liv Signe NAVARSETE]; Christian People's Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) or KrF [Knut Arild HAREIDE]; Conservative Party (Hoyre) [Erna SOLBERG]; Labor Party (Arbeiderpartiet) [Jens STOLTENBERG]; Liberal Party (Venstre) [Trine SKEI-GRANDE]; Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) or FrP [Siv JENSEN]; Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) or SV [Audun LYSBAKKEN]

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]

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, ESA, FAO, FATF, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, 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

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)

lion

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 second-largest 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 $500 billion in 2011 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 2010-11, however, the government budget is set to remain in surplus.

$269.3 billion (2011 est.)

$264.8 billion (2010 est.)

$263.1 billion (2009 est.)

$483.7 billion (2011 est.)

1.7% (2011 est.)

0.7% (2010 est.)

-1.7% (2009 est.)

$54,200 (2011 est.)

$54,000 (2010 est.)

$54,300 (2009 est.)

2.629 million (2011 est.)

3.3% (2011 est.)

3.6% (2010 est.)

NA%

25 (2008)

25.8 (1995)

20.3% of GDP (2011 est.)

58% of GDP (2011 est.)

14.7% of GDP (2011 est.)

57.5% of GDP (2011 est.)

43.7% of GDP (2010 est.)

1.3% (2011 est.)

2.4% (2010 est.)

6.25% (31 December 2010 est.)

1.75% (31 December 2009 est.)

5% (31 December 2011 est.)

4.6% (31 December 2010 est.)

$137.4 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$134.6 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$309.2 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$280.4 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$658.6 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$584.4 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$219.2 billion (31 December 2011)

$250.9 billion (31 December 2010)

$227.2 billion (31 December 2009)

barley, wheat, potatoes; pork, beef, veal, milk; fish

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

-4.3% (2011 est.)

$70.2 billion (2011 est.)

$51.44 billion (2010 est.)

$162.4 billion (2011 est.)

$132.7 billion (2010 est.)

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

UK 27.2%, Netherlands 11.6%, Germany 11.1%, France 7.2%, Sweden 6.5%, US 5.6% (2011)

$88.47 billion (2011 est.)

$74.3 billion (2010 est.)

machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, foodstuffs

Sweden 13.4%, Germany 12%, China 9%, Denmark 6.3%, UK 5.6%, US 5.4%, Netherlands 4.2% (2011)

$49.27 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$52.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$644.5 billion (30 June 2011)

$NA (30 June 2010)

$182.5 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$171.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$182 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$170.5 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Norwegian kroner (NOK) per US dollar -

5.6046 (2011 est.)

6.0442 (2010 est.)

6.288 (2009)

5.6361 (2008)

5.86 (2007)

calendar year

122.2 billion kWh (2010 est.)

110.8 billion kWh (2009 est.)

7.123 billion kWh (2010 est.)

14.67 billion kWh (2010 est.)

30.95 million kW (2009 est.)

2.6% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

91.1% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

2% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

1.998 million bbl/day (2011 est.)

1.759 million bbl/day (2009 est.)

19,960 bbl/day (2009 est.)

5.32 billion bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

324,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

255,200 bbl/day (2011 est.)

412,600 bbl/day (2009 est.)

98,340 bbl/day (2009 est.)

103.1 billion cu m (2011 est.)

4.809 billion cu m (2011 est.)

98.3 billion cu m (2011 est.)

0 cu m (2011 est.)

2.007 trillion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

41.8 million Mt (2010 est.)

2.104 million (2011)

5.75 million (2011)

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)

.no

3.584 million (2010)

4.431 million (2009)

98 (2012)

1 (2012)

condensate 31 km; gas 64 km (2010)

1,577 km (2010)

Bergen, Haugesund, Maaloy, Mongstad, Narvik, Sture

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) (2011)

18-44 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; 12-month service obligation, in practice shortened to 8 to 9 months; although all males between ages of 18 and 44 are liable for service, in practice they are seldom called to duty after age 30; reserve obligation to age 35-60; 16 years of age for volunteers to the Home Guard, who serve 6-month duty tours (2009)

1.9% of GDP (2005 est.)

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