Bouvet Island is an uninhabited island situated in the South Atlantic Ocean. The island is a Norwegian dependency meaning it is politically dependent on Norway though it is not considered to be part of Norway. The Dependency Act of March 24, 1933 is used to govern the dependencies and it allows for the secession of a dependency without violating the constitution of Norway. Norway’s procedural, criminal and private laws are all applicable on the Island. Norway is a constitutional monarchy, and the island is considered to be headed by King Harald V of Norway.

Bouvet Island was officially claimed by Norway in 1930 and was made a natural reserve in 1971. The island is one of three Norwegian dependencies, and all the dependencies are governed by a department of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security named, Polar Affairs Department, located in Oslo. The ministry has been led by Anders Anundsen since October 2013. The king appoints a prime minister who in turn chooses members to form the Cabinet, also known as the King’s Council. The prime minister leads the cabinet. The parliament of Norway is known as Storting, and it is made up of 169 elected members who are elected every four years.

There is no physical house of parliament in Bouvet Island or a presidential residence. The cabinet members of Norway usually meet every Friday at 11 a.m. at the Royal Palace in Oslo. The King chairs the meetings. Members of parliament hold their meetings at the Storting building at 22 Karl Johans gate in Oslo. Emil Victor Langlet designed the building, and it was first put to use on March 5, 1866. The King resides at the Royal Palace in Oslo.

Norway is a multiparty country with several parties. Some of the parties represented in parliament in Norwegian politics include the Labour Party, Conservative Party, Progress Party, Center Party, the Liberal Party, Christian Democratic Party, the Socialist Left Party, the Red Party, and the Green Party. Several other parties have no representatives in parliament.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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