Norway is a monarchy situated in Northern Europe. The name Norway is thought to mean “Path to the North”.
28/02/2008 :: The Kingdom of Norway shares borders with Sweden, Finland and Russia, and to the north,west and south the country is surrounded by ocean areas. Only a small percentage of Norway’s land area is suitable for productive agriculture or forestry, but the country is richly endowed with natural resources, including petroleum, natural gas, various ores, fish, timber and hydropower. These resources, particularly in the offshore sector, have helped Norway to develop into one of the world’s richest countries per capita. The 1900s heralded a period of increasing wealth, with the development of hydropower starting in 1905 and the discovery and exploitation of oil and gas starting in the 1970s. Norway also has longstanding maritime traditions, and is the fourth largest shipping nation in the world.
Facts at a glance:
Head of State: His Majesty King Harald V of Norway
Head of Government: Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg Area: 385 155 km2
Population (as per 1 January 2006): 4 640 219
Population per km2: 12.1
Capital city: Oslo
Language: Norwegian (Bokmål and Nynorsk)
(In some districts, Sámi is also an
official language)
State Church: Church of Norway (Evangelical Lutheran)
GDP (2005): NOK 1 906 billion (EUR 243,3 billion)
GDP (per capita, 2005): NOK 412 000 (EUR 52 600)
Currency: Norwegian kroner (NOK)
1 krone = 100 øre
Constitution Day: 17 May
Population growth (2005): 0.7
Average life expectancy
(2005): female: 82.5 years
male: 77.7 years
Edited from Aschehoug and Gyldendal's Norwegian Encyclopedia and Statistics Norway