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Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
October 2004
Background Note: Norway
Flag of Norway is 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.
PROFILE
OFFICIAL NAME:
Kingdom of Norway
Geography
Area* (including the island territories of Svalbard and Jan Mayen):
385,155
sq. km. (approx 150,000 sq. mi.); slightly larger than New Mexico.
Cities* (2004): Capital--Oslo (pop. 521,886). Other cities--Bergen
(237,430),
Trondheim (154,351), Stavanger (112,405).
Terrain: Rugged with high plateaus, steep fjords, mountains, and fertile
valleys.
Climate: Temperate along the coast, colder inland.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Norwegian(s).
Population* (2004 est.): 4,574,560.
Annual growth rate* (2004): 0.41%.
Density: Approx. 15 per sq. km.
Ethnic groups: Norwegian (Nordic, Alpine, Baltic), Sami, a
racial-cultural
minority of 20,000; foreign nationals (315,147) from Nordic and other
countries.
Religion (2002): Evangelical Lutheran, 86%; other Christian, 4%; Muslim,
1.5%; other, none, and unknown, 8.5%.
Languages: Bokmaal Norwegian (official), Nynorsk Norwegian (official),
small
Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities, English is widely spoken.
Education: Years compulsory--10. Literacy--100%.
Health: Infant mortality rate (2004)--3.73/1,000. Life expectancy (2004
est.)
--men 76.64 yrs; women 82.01 yrs.
Work force* (2003, 2.33 million): Government, social, personal
services--37.6%; wholesale and retail trade, hotels, restaurants--17.5%;
manufacturing and mining--12.7%; transport and communications--7.4%;
financing, insurance, real estate, business services--12%; agriculture,
forestry, fishing--3.9%; construction--6.7%; oil extraction--1.4%.
*(Source: Central Bureau of Statistics Norway 2004).
Government
Type: Hereditary constitutional monarchy.
Independence: 1905.
Constitution: May 17, 1814.
Branches: Executive--king (chief of state), prime minister (head of
government), Council of Ministers (cabinet). Legislative--modified
unicameral
parliament (Storting). Judicial--Supreme Court, appellate courts, city
and
county courts.
Political parties: Labor, Conservative, Center, Christian Democratic,
Liberal, Socialist Left, Progress.
Suffrage: Universal over 18.
Administrative subdivisions: 19 fylker (counties), and Svalbard.
National holiday: May 17.
Economy (Source: Central Bureau of Statistics Norway 2004).
GDP (2003 est.): $171.6 billion.
Annual growth rate (2003 est.): 0.3%.
Per capita GDP (2003 est.): Purchasing power parity $37,700.
Natural resources: Oil, gas, fish, timber, hydroelectric power, mineral
ores.
Arable land: 3%.
Agriculture: Products--dairy, livestock, grain (barley, oats, wheat),
potatoes and other vegetables, fruits and berries, furs, wool.
Industry: Types--food processing, pulp and paper, ships, aluminum,
ferroalloys, iron and steel, nickel, zinc, nitrogen, fertilizers,
transport
equipment, hydroelectric power, refinery products, petrochemicals,
electronics.
Trade (2003): Exports (f.o.b.)--$62.27 billion. Major markets: U.K.,
Germany,
France, Netherlands, U.S. (2002, 8.6%), Sweden. Imports (f.o.b.)--$40.19
billion. Major suppliers: Sweden, Germany, Denmark, U.K., U.S. (2002,
6.2%),
France, Netherlands.
GDP by activity (2003): Agriculture, hunting, forestry, fishing, and
fish
farming 1.9%; Oil and gas extraction incl. services and mining and
quarrying
12.3%; Manufacturing 18.2%; Electricity, gas, and water supply 2.0%;
Construction 6.4%; Wholesale and retail trade, motor vehicle repair,
hotels
and restaurants 10.7%; Transport industries 9.7%; Post and
telecommunications, financial intermediation, dwellings, business
services
20.6%; Public administration and defense 4.8%; Education, health and
social
work, and other social and personal services 13.4%
PEOPLE
Ethnically, Norwegians are predominantly Germanic, although in the far
north
there are communities of Sami who came to the area more than 10,000
years
ago, probably from central Asia. In recent years, Norway has become home
to
increasing numbers of immigrants, foreign workers, and asylum-seekers
from
various parts of the world. Immigrants now total over 300,000; some have
obtained Norwegian citizenship.
Although the Evangelical Lutheran Church is the state church, Norway has
complete religious freedom. Education is free through the university
level
and is compulsory from ages 6 to 16. At least 12 months of military
service
and training are required of every eligible male. Norway's health system
includes free hospital care, physician's compensation, cash benefits
during
illness and pregnancy, and other medical and dental plans. There is a
public
pension system.
Norway is in the top rank of nations in the number of books printed per
capita, even though Norwegian is one of the world's smallest language
groups.
Norway's most famous writer is the dramatist Henrik Ibsen. Artists
Edvard
Munch and Christian Krogh were Ibsen's contemporaries. Munch drew part
of his
inspiration from Europe and in turn exercised a strong influence on
later
European expressionists. Sculptor Gustav Vigeland has a permanent
exhibition
in the Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo. Musical development in Norway
since
Edvard Grieg has followed either native folk themes or, more recently,
international trends.
HISTORY
The Viking period (9th to 11th centuries) was one of national
unification and
expansion. The Norwegian royal line died out in 1387, and the country
entered
a period of union with Denmark. By 1586, Norway had become part of the
Danish
Kingdom. In 1814, as a result of the Napoleonic wars, Norway was
separated
from Denmark and combined with Sweden. The union persisted until 1905,
when
Sweden recognized Norwegian independence.
The Norwegian Government offered the throne of Norway to Danish Prince
Carl
in 1905. After a plebiscite approving the establishment of a monarchy,
the
Parliament unanimously elected him king. He took the name of Haakon VII,
after the kings of independent Norway. Haakon died in 1957 and was
succeeded
by his son, Olav V, who died in January 1991. Upon Olav's death, his son
Harald was crowned as King Harald V.
Norway was a nonbelligerent during World War I, but as a result of the
German
invasion and occupation during World War II, Norwegians generally became
skeptical of the concept of neutrality and turned instead to collective
security. Norway was one of the signers of the North Atlantic Treaty in
1949
and was a founding member of the United Nations. The first UN General
Secretary, Trygve Lie, was a Norwegian. Under the terms of the will of
Alfred
Nobel, the Storting (Parliament) elects the five members of the
Norwegian
Nobel Committee who award the Nobel Peace Prize to champions of peace.
GOVERNMENT
The functions of the king are mainly ceremonial, but he has influence as
the
symbol of national unity. Although the 1814 constitution grants
important
executive powers to the king, these are almost always exercised by the
Council of Ministers in the name of the king (King's Council). The
Council of
Ministers consists of a prime minister--chosen by the political parties
represented in the Storting--and other ministers.
The 165 members of the Storting are elected from 19 fylker (counties)
for
4-year terms according to a complicated system of proportional
representation. After elections, the Storting divides into two chambers,
the
Odelsting and the Lagting, which meet separately or jointly depending on
the
legislative issue under consideration.
The special High Court of the Realm hears impeachment cases; the regular
courts include the Supreme Court (17 permanent judges and a president),
courts of appeal, city and county courts, the labor court, and
conciliation
councils. Judges attached to regular courts are appointed by the king in
council after nomination by the Ministry of Justice.
Each fylke is headed by a governor appointed by the king in council,
with one
governor exercising authority in both Oslo and the adjacent county of
Akershus.
POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Until the 1981 election, Norway had been governed by majority Labor
Party
governments since 1935, except for three periods (1963, 1965-71, and
1972-73). The Labor Party lost its majority in the Storting in the 1981
elections. Since that time, minority and coalition governments have been
the
rule.
From 1981 to 1997, governments alternated between Labor minority
governments
and Conservative-led governments. Labor leader Gro Harlem Brundtland
served
as Prime Minister from 1990 until October 1996 when she decided to step
out
of politics. Labor Party leader Thorbjorn Jagland formed a new Labor
government that stayed in office until October 1997. A three-party
minority
coalition government (Center, Christian Democratic, and Liberal parties)
headed by Christian Democrat Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik moved
into
office when Jagland, after the September 1997 election, declared that
his
government would step down because the Labor Party failed to win at
least
36.9% of the national vote, the percentage Labor had won in the 1993
election. That government fell in March 2000 over the issue of proposed
gas-fired power plants, opposed by Bondevik due to their impact on
climate
change. The Labor Party's Jens Stoltenberg, a Brundtland protégé, took
over
in a minority Labor government but lost power in the September 2001
election
when Labor posted its worse performance since World War I. Bondevik once
again became Prime Minister, this time as head of a minority government
with
the Conservatives and Liberals in a coalition heavily dependent upon the
right-populist Progress Party.
Principal Government Officials
King--Harald V
Prime Minister--Kjell Magne Bondevik
Minister of Foreign Affairs--Jan Petersen
Minister of Defense--Kristin Krohn Devold
Ambassador to the United States--Knut Vollebaek
Ambassador to NATO--Kai Eide
Ambassador to the United Nations--Johan L. Lřvald
Norway maintains an embassy in the United States at 2720 - 34th Street
NW,
Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202-333-6000) and consulates in Houston,
Minneapolis, New York, and San Francisco.
ECONOMY
Norway is one of the world's richest countries in per capita terms. It
has an
important stake in promoting a liberal environment for foreign trade.
Its
large shipping fleet is one of the most modern among maritime nations.
Metals, pulp and paper products, chemicals, shipbuilding, and fishing
are the
most significant traditional industries.
Norway's emergence as a major oil and gas producer in the mid-1970s
transformed the economy. Large sums of investment capital poured into
the
offshore oil sector, leading to greater increases in Norwegian
production
costs and wages than in the rest of western Europe up to the time of the
global recovery of the mid-1980s. The influx of oil revenue also
permitted
Norway to expand an already extensive social welfare system. Norway has
established a state Petroleum Fund that exceeded $119 billion as of
April
2004. The fund primarily will be used to help finance government
programs
once oil and gas resources become depleted. Norway is currently enjoying
large foreign trade surpluses thanks to high oil prices. Unemployment
remains
currently low (3%-4% range), and the prospects for economic growth are
encouraging thanks to the government's stimulative fiscal policy and
economic
recovery in the United States and Europe.
Norway voted against joining the European Union (EU) in a 1994
referendum.
With the exception of the agricultural and fisheries sectors, however,
Norway
enjoys free trade with the EU under the framework of the European
Economic
Area. This agreement aims to apply the four freedoms of the EU's
internal
market (goods, persons, services, and capital) to Norway. As a result,
Norway
normally adopts and implements most EU directives. Norwegian monetary
policy
is aimed at maintaining a stable exchange rate for the krone against
European
currencies, of which the euro is a key operating parameter. Norway is
not a
member of the EU's Economic and Monetary Union and does not have a fixed
exchange rate. Its principal trading partners are in the EU; the United
States ranks sixth.
Energy Resources
Offshore hydrocarbon deposits were discovered in the 1960s, and
development
began in the 1970s. The growth of the petroleum sector has contributed
significantly to Norwegian economic vitality. Current petroleum
production
capacity is more than 3 million barrels per day. Production has
increased
rapidly during the past several years as new fields are opened. Total
production in 2003 was about 263 million cubic meters of oil
equivalents,
over 63% of which was crude oil. This represents a slight decline in
crude
oil production over the past year, accompanied by sharp increases in gas
and
liquefied natural gas (LNG) production. Hydropower provides nearly all
of
Norway's electricity, and all of the gas and most of the oil produced is
exported. Production increased significantly in the 1990s as new fields
come
on stream.
Norway is the world's third-largest oil exporter and provides much of
western
Europe's crude oil and gas requirements. In 2003, Norwegian oil and gas
exports accounted for 56% of total merchandise exports. In addition,
offshore
exploration and production have stimulated onshore economic activities.
Foreign companies, including many American ones, participate actively in
the
petroleum sector.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Norway supports international cooperation and the peaceful settlement of
disputes, recognizing the need for maintaining a strong national defense
through collective security. Accordingly, the cornerstones of Norwegian
policy are active membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO)
and support for the United Nations and its specialized agencies. Norway
also
pursues a policy of economic, social, and cultural cooperation with
other
Nordic countries--Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland--through the
Nordic
Council.
In addition to strengthening traditional ties with developed countries,
Norway seeks to build friendly relations with developing countries and
has
undertaken humanitarian and development aid efforts with selected
African and
Asian nations. Norway also is dedicated to encouraging democracy,
assisting
refugees, and protecting human rights throughout the world.
U.S.-NORWAY RELATIONS
The United States and Norway enjoy a long tradition of friendly
association.
The relationship is strengthened by the millions of Norwegian-Americans
in
the United States and by about 10,000 U.S. citizens who reside in
Norway. The
two countries enjoy an active cultural exchange, both officially and
privately.
Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador--John Doyle Ong
Deputy Chief of Mission--Christopher W. Webster
Counselor for Political-Economic Affairs--Mike Hammer
Counselor for Public Affairs--Andy Schilling
Management Officer--James K. Stiegler
Chief, Consular Section--Ellen Conway
Senior Commercial Officer--vacant
Defense Attache--Capt. James G. Stevens, USN
Labor Attache--Ned Nyman
The U.S. Embassy is located at Drammensveien 18, 0244 Oslo (tel. 47-22-
44-
85-50; FAX: 47-22-43-07-77).
TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION
The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program provides
Consular
Information Sheets, Travel Warnings, and Public Announcements. Consular
Information Sheets exist for all countries and include information on
entry
requirements, currency regulations, health conditions, areas of
instability,
crime and security, political disturbances, and the addresses of the
U.S.
posts in the country. Travel Warnings are issued when the State
Department
recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. Public
Announcements are issued as a means to disseminate information quickly
about
terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas
which
pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Free
copies of
this information are available by calling the Bureau of Consular Affairs
at
202-647-5225 or via the fax-on-demand system: 202-647-3000. Consular
Information Sheets and Travel Warnings also are available on the
Consular
Affairs Internet home page: http://travel.state.gov. Consular Affairs
Tips
for Travelers publication series, which contain information on obtaining
passports and planning a safe trip abroad are on the internet and hard
copies
can be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government
Printing Office, telephone: 202-512-1800; fax 202-512-2250.
Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be
obtained
from the Office of Overseas Citizens Services at (202) 647-5225. For
after-hours emergencies, Sundays and holidays, call 202-647-4000.
The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S. Department
of
State's single, centralized public contact center for U.S. passport
information. Telephone: 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778). Customer
service
representatives and operators for TDD/TTY are available Monday-Friday,
8:00
a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays.
Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers
for
Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at
877-FYI-TRIP
(877-394-8747) and a web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm
give the
most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or
requirements,
and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries.
A
booklet entitled Health Information for International Travel (HHS
publication
number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S. Government Printing
Office,
Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202) 512-1800.
Information on travel conditions, visa requirements, currency and
customs
regulations, legal holidays, and other items of interest to travelers
also
may be obtained before your departure from a country's embassy and/or
consulates in the U.S. (for this country, see "Principal Government
Officials" listing in this publication).
U.S. citizens who are long-term visitors or traveling in dangerous areas
are
encouraged to register at the Consular section of the U.S. embassy upon
arrival in a country by filling out a short form and sending in a copy
of
their passports. This may help family members contact you in case of an
emergency.
Further Electronic Information
Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at http://
www.state.gov, the Department of State web site provides timely, global
access to official U.S. foreign policy information, including Background
Notes and daily press briefings along with the directory of key officers
of
Foreign Service posts and more.
Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance and market
information offered by the federal government and provides trade leads,
free
export counseling, help with the export process, and more.
STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce,
provides
authoritative economic, business, and international trade information
from
the Federal government. The site includes current and historical
trade-related releases, international market research, trade
opportunities,
and country analysis and provides access to the National Trade Data
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