Country Summary: Norway (Kingdom of Norway)
Country Name: Norway (Kingdom of Norway)
Capital: Oslo
Government Type: parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Background: 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. Norway remained neutral in World War I and proclaimed its neutrality at the outset of World War II but was nonetheless occupied for five years by Nazi Germany (1940-45) and suffered heavy losses to its shipping fleet. In 1949, Norway abandoned neutrality and became a member of NATO. Discovery of oil and gas in adjacent waters in the late 1960s boosted Norway's economic fortunes. In referenda held in 1972 and 1994, Norway rejected joining the EU. Key domestic issues include immigration and integration of ethnic minorities, maintaining the country's extensive social safety net with an aging population, and preserving economic competitiveness.
Continent: Europe
Population: 5,597,924 (2023 est.)
Ethnic Groups: Norwegian 81.5% (includes about 60,000 Sami), other European 8.9%, other 9.6% (2021 est.)
Languages: Bokmal Norwegian (official), Nynorsk Norwegian (official), small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities; note - Sami has three dialects: Lule, North Sami, and South Sami; Sami is an official language in nine municipalities in Norway's three northernmost counties: Finnmark, Nordland, and Troms
Religions: Church of Norway (Evangelical Lutheran - official) 67.5%, Muslim 3.1%, Roman Catholic 3.1%, other Christian 3.8%, other 2.6%, unspecified 19.9% (2021 est.)
Economic Overview: high-income non-EU European economy; aging labor force; large state-owned energy company constrains budget and spending; largest oil sovereign wealth fund; major fishing, forestry, and extraction industries; large welfare system
Currency: Norwegian Krone (NOK)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange & Gold: $72.077 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $368.139 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars
Real GDP Growth Rate: 3.28% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP per Capita: $67,500 (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars
Exports:
$321.093 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Comparison Ranking: 29
Export Commodities: natural gas, crude petroleum, salmon, refined petroleum, aluminum (2021)
Export Partners: United Kingdom 21%, Germany 19%, Sweden 8%, Netherlands 7%, China 6% (2021)
Imports:
$156.892 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Comparison Ranking: 36
Import Commodities: cars, refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, computers, ships, nickel (2021)
Import Partners: Sweden 18%, Germany 12%, China 10%, Denmark 6%, United States 5% (2021)
Natural Resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, titanium, pyrites, nickel, fish, timber, hydropower
Agricultural Products: milk, barley, wheat, potatoes, oats, pork, poultry, beef, eggs, rye
Industries: petroleum and gas, shipping, fishing, aquaculture, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles
Industrial Production Growth Rate:
0.61% (2022 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Comparison Ranking: 155
Labor Force: 2.981 million (2022 est.)
Unemployment Rate: 3.23% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment
Natural Hazards: rockslides, avalanches
Volcanism: Beerenberg (2,227 m) on Jan Mayen Island in the Norwegian Sea is the country's only active volcano
Geography:
Total: 323,802 sq km
Land: 304,282 sq km
Water: 19,520 sq km
(Country Summary, The World Factbook, CIA.gov)
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