Norway

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Norway's Information


Capital	Oslo
Languages	Bokmal Norwegian (official), Nynorsk Norwegian (official), small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities
Ethnic Groups	Norwegian 94.4% (includes Sami, about 60,000), other European 3.6%, other 2% (2007 est.)
Religion	Church of Norway (Evangelical Lutheran - official) 82.1%, other Christian 3.9%, Muslim 2.3%, Roman Catholic 1.8%, other 2.4%, unspecified 7.5% (2011 est.)
Government	Parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Independance	7 June 1905 (Norway declared the union with Sweden dissolved); 26 October 1905 (Sweden agreed to the repeal of the union)
Area	323,802.00 km²
Water Area	19,520.00 km²
Land Area	304,282.00 km²
Population	5,265,158.00 Most Norweigans live in the south where the climate is more mild and there is better connectivity to mainland Europe; population clusters are found all along the North Sea coast in the southwest, and Skaggerak in the southeast; the interior areas of the north remain sparsely populated
Location	Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden
No. Bordering Countries	3
Bordering Countries	Finland 709 km, Sweden 1,666 km, Russia 191 km
GDP(PPP)	$365,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$69,300.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are petroleum and petroleum products, machinery and equipment, metals, and chemicals.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Sweden, Germany, and China.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, and foodstuffs.
Climate	Temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior with increased precipitation and colder summers; rainy year-round on west coast
Terrain	Glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north

Where is Norway?

Located in Northern Europe, Norway has a 2,566.00 km border with Finland (709 km), Sweden (1,666 km) and Russia (191 km). It has a 58,133.00 km coastline. Norway asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica.

The capital city of Norway, Oslo, has been the capital city since the reign of Haakon V of Norway between 1299 and 1319. The growth of the city is attributed to the founding of the University of Oslo in 1811. The city is the most populous city in the country. In the early 2000s, Oslo was termed the city with the highest population growth in Europe. The high population growth in the city is attributed to high birth rate and immigration to the city. Oslo hosts a number of notable museums and galleries, where the artworks of famous artists have been preserved. Besides the museums and galleries, Oslo hosts a number of top tourist sites that keep attracting a large number of tourists. Oslo has been previously experiencing humid continental climate. However, in the recent past, the climate has gradually been changing to a blend of the humid continental climate and the temperate oceanic climate. There are no extreme temperatures during the summer and winter seasons.

Geography

Norway has a mean elevation of 460 m above sea level.

It has a temperate climate along the coast, with an interior climate that is colder and wetter. Its terrain is glaciated, with high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile valleys and small, scattered plains.

Population

Norway has a population of 5,265,158 making it the 120th largest in the world. The majority of the population can be found in the south.

Bokmal Norwegian and Nynorsk Norwegian are both official languages. The major ethnic group reported is Norwegian. The majority of the population belongs to the Church of Norway.

Norwegian is the official and the most commonly used language in Norway. It is a North Germanic language and closely related to Danish and Swedish, all of which are descendants of the Old Norse. The Norwegian language has 29 letters in its alphabet. There are two writings standards used in Norwegian, the Bokmal, and Nynorsk. Approximately 95% of the people living in Norway use Norwegian as their first language. Norwegian, just like most Indo-European languages categorizes its nouns into the three genders. The language has been borrowing vocabulary from languages such as English and French. Apart from Norwegian, a considerable number of people living in Norway can comfortably speak English. Other minority languages in the country include Romani, Norwegian Traveller, and the Sami languages.

Government

Norway is an independent country. In 1905, Norway declared the union with Sweden dissolved. Its constitution was last ratified in 1814.

The Norwegian government is a constitutional monarchy and a representative parliamentary democratic state. The state exercises multi-party democracy whereby the numerous parties compete against each other to garner the highest number of seats. The parties usually collaborate to form coalition governments. The executive powers are vested on the monarch. The judiciary is independent of the legislature and the executive. The prime minister is the head of the government whereas the king is the head of state. The storting is the unicameral parliamentary house of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The official residence of the monarch, the royal palace, is also located in Oslo. The parliamentary elections are held after every four years to elect the 169 representatives of the storting. After the elections, the elected members of the storting elect a president.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Norway's GDP is $365,000,000,000.00 (USD) with $69,300.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 48th largest economy and its citizens the 12th richest in the world. The currency of Norway is the Krone (NOK).

Its major export partners are the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands. Its main exports are petroleum and petroleum products, machinery and equipment, metals, and chemicals. Its major import partners are Sweden, Germany, and China. Its major imports include machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, and foodstuffs.

Flag

The Norwegian flag has had different designs over the years. The country shared a flag with Denmark for many years running from the 16th century to the year 1814. The shared flag was as a result of the former union, known as the Kalmar Union, which lasted from the period of 1397 to 1523 between Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. The current tricolored flag of red, white, and blue with a Scandinavian cross was adopted in 1821. The design and colors were the work of Fredrik Meltzer. The Nordic cross on the current Norwegian flag is one of the major concepts borrowed from other Nordic countries. The cross denotes Christianity. The national flag day of Norway is 6th February.