Norway

Youth for Christ ministry in Norway is still in the target stage. This means key contacts have been identified, and a ministry plan is being developed but ministry has not yet commenced.

About Norway

Introduction

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. The current focus is on containing spending on the extensive welfare system and planning for the time when petroleum reserves are depleted. In referenda held in 1972 and 1994, Norway rejected joining the EU.

Geography

Location

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

Geographic Coordinates: 62 00 N, 10 00 E

Area

Total Area: 323,802 sq km Rank: 67

Land Area: 304,282 sq km

Water Area: 19,520 sq km

Comparison: slightly larger than New Mexico

Land Boundaries: 2,542 km

Bordering Countries: Finland 727 km, Sweden 1,619 km, Russia 196 km

Coastline: 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)

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

Elevations

Lowest Point: Norwegian Sea 0 m

Highest Point: Galdhopiggen 2,469 m

Natural Resources

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

Land Use

Arable land: 2.7%

Permanent Crops: 0%

Other: 97.3% (2005)

Irrigated Land: 1,270 sq km (2003)

Renewable Water Resources: 381.4 cu km (2005)

Total Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): 2.4 cu km/yr (23%/67%/10%)

Freshwater Withdrawal Per Capita: 519 cu m/yr (1996)

Environment

Natural Hazards: rockslides, avalanches

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

Environmental Agreements: Party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

Geography Notes

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

People

Population: 4,660,539 (July 2010 est.) Rank: 116

Age Structure

0-14 years: 18.5% (male 441,508/female 422,050)

15-64 years: 66.2% (male 1,564,482/female 1,522,519)

65 years and over: 15.2% (male 305,120/female 404,860) (2010 est.)

Median Age: 38.8 years

Population Growth

Growth Rate: 0.341% (2010 est.) Rank: 170

Birth Rate: 10.99 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Rank: 179

Death Rate: 9.29 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Rank: 74

Net Migration Rate: 1.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) Rank: 45

Urbanization

Urban Population: 77% of total population (2008)

Rate of Urbanization: 0.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Life and Death

Infant Mortality Rate: 3.58 deaths/1,000 live births Rank: 214

Life Expectancy at Birth: 79.95 years Rank: 23

Fertility Rate: 1.77 children born/woman (2010 est.) Rank: 163

Health and Disease

HIV/AIDS - Adult Prevalence Rate: 0.1% (2007 est.) Rank: 130

People living with HIV/AIDS: 3,000 (2007 est.) Rank: 132

HIV/AIDS Deaths: fewer than 100 (2003 est.) Rank: 134

Nationality and Culture

Noun: Norwegian(s)

Adjective: Norwegian

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

Religion: Church of Norway 85.7%, Pentecostal 1%, Roman Catholic 1%, other Christian 2.4%, Muslim 1.8%, other 8.1% (2004)

Languages: Bokmal Norwegian (official), Nynorsk Norwegian (official), small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities; note - Sami is official in six municipalities

Education

Literacy (Meaning, age 15 and over can read and write): 100% Male: 100% Female: 100%

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): 17 years Male: 17 years Female: 18 years (2006)

Education expenditures: 7.2% of GDP (2005) Rank: 20

Government

Country Name

Conventional Long Form: Kingdom of Norway

Conventional Short Form: Norway

Local Long Form: Kongeriket Norge

Local Short Form: Norge

Government Type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Oslo Geographic Coordinates: 59 55 N, 10 45 E

Administrative divisions

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

Dependent Areas: Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard

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

National holiday: Constitution Day, 17 May (1814)

Constitution: 17 May 1814; amended many times

Legal system: mixture of customary law, civil law system, and common law traditions; Supreme Court renders advisory opinions to legislature when asked; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Chief of State: King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991); Heir Apparent Crown Prince HAAKON MAGNUS, son of the monarch (born 20 July 1973)

Head of Government: Prime Minister Jens STOLTENBERG (since 17 October 2005)

Cabinet: State Council appointed by the monarch with the approval of parliament

Elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following parliamentary elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch with the approval of the parliament

Legislative Branch

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

Elections: last held on 14 September 2009 (next to be held in September 2013)

Election Results: percent of vote by party - DNA 35.4%, FrP 22.9%, H 17.2%, SV 6.2%, Sp 6.2%, KrF 5.5%, V 3.9%, other 2.7%; seats by party - DNA 64, FrP 41, H 30, SV 11, Sp 11, KrF 10, V 2

Note: for certain purposes, the parliament divides itself into two chambers and elects one-fourth of its membership in the Lagting and three-fourths of its membership in the Odelsting

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Hoyesterett (justices appointed by the monarch)

Politics

Political Parties and Leaders: Center Party (Senterpartiet or Sp) [Liv Signe NAVARSETE]; Christian People's Party (Kristelig Folkeparti or KrF) [Dagfinn HOYBRATEN]; Conservative Party (Hoyre or H) [Erna SOLBERG]; Labor Party (Det norske Arbeiderpartiet or DNA) [Jens STOLTENBERG]; Liberal Party (Venstre or V) [Trine SKEI-GRANDE]; Progress Party (Framstegspartiet or FrP) [Siv JENSEN]; Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti or SV) [Kristin HALVORSEN]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Norwegian Aid Committee or NORWAC; Norwegian Association of the Disabled; Pure Salmon Campaign; The Consumer Council (consumer advocacy group)

Other: environmental groups; media; reform movements

International Organization Participation: 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, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, MONUC, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Flag Description: 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)

Economy

Economy Overview: The Norwegian economy is a prosperous bastion of welfare capitalism, featuring a combination of free market activity and government intervention. The government controls key areas, such as the vital petroleum sector, through 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 nearly half of exports and over 30% of state revenue. Norway is the world's third-largest gas exporter; its position as an oil exporter has slipped to seventh-largest as production has begun to decline. 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 almost all state revenue from the petroleum sector in a sovereign wealth fund. After lackluster growth of less than 1.5% in 2002-03, GDP growth picked up to 2.5-6.2% in 2004-07, partly due to higher oil prices. Growth fell to 2.1% in 2008, and the economy contracted by 1% in 2009 as a result of the slowing world economy and the drop in oil prices.

Gross Domestic Product

GDP (purchasing power parity): $267.4 billion (2009 est.) Rank: 41

GDP - real growth rate: -1.5% (2009 est.) Rank: 139

GDP - per capita (PPP): $57,400 (2009 est.) Rank: 5

GDP - Composition by Sector: Agriculture: 2.1% Industry: 39.5% Services: 58.3% (2009 est.)

Labor Force

Labor Force: 2.59 million (2009 est.) Rank: 110

Labor force - by occupation: Agriculture: 2.9% Industry: 21.1% Services: 76% (2008)

Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (2009 est.) Rank: 26

Poverty

Population below poverty line: NA

Stock of money:

$NA

Debt - external:

$548.1 billion (30 June 2009)

country comparison to the world: 18

$475.9 billion (31 December 2008)

note: Norway is a net external creditor

country comparison to the world: 17

$171.2 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: Norway asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land and its continental shelf); despite dialogue, Russia and Norway continue to dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone

Breaking News from Norway