+47 is the dialing code for Norway.
Norway is Europe’s northernmost country with a scenic landscape of fjords and mountains. The old fishing and seafaring nation has, with its large assets of oil and natural gas, developed into one of the richest countries in the world.
- Abbreviationfinder: Brief profiles of Norway, including geography, history, politics, economics as well as common acronyms about this country.
Geography and climate
Norway and Europe’s northernmost point is Knivskjellodden on Magerøya. The country is located in northwestern Europe with coast to the Atlantic in the west and the North Arctic Ocean in the north. The country borders Sweden in the east and Finland and Russia in the northeast.
The landscape is dominated by the Scandinavian mountain range and by large high plateaus. The highest mountains are found in Jotunheimen with more than a hundred peaks over 2,000 meters. The 265 km long coast is the disintegration of a large number of deep fjords, which are surrounded by mountains and mountains. Less than a quarter of the land area is wooded and almost three percent is cultivated, mainly in the southeast and in the river valleys. Six percent of the land area is covered by lakes and streams.
As one of countries that start with N, Norway is divided into Eastern Norway, Southern Norway, Western Norway, Trøndelag and Northern Norway. Lowland areas are found in Trøndelag around the Trondheim Fjord and in Sørlandet. Vestlandet is largely covered by glaciers (glaciers). Østlandet is characterized by long valleys, which run in a southerly and south-easterly direction. Perhaps the best known is Gudbrandsdalen.
Country Facts
Geography
| Cultivated land | 2.7 % |
| Land area | 323802 km 2 |
Population and health
| Population development | 1.13 ‰ |
| Urban population (Urbanization) | 80.5 % |
| Death rate | 8.12 per 1000 residents |
| Life expectancy: Women | 83.81 years |
| Life expectancy: Men | 79.7 years |
| Birth rate | 12.14 births per 1000 residents |
| HDI index | 0.944 |
| Population | 5207689 |
| Infant mortality | 2.48 deaths / 1000 births |
Population Graph Source: Countryaah.com
Energy
| Electricity, production | 142000 million kWh |
| Energy consumption per resident | 6486.5 kg. oil per resident |
| Natural gas, production | 114900 million cubic meters |
| Crude oil, production | 88 million tons |
Infrastructure
| Internet users | 96.2 per 100 residents |
| Mobile subscriptions | 115 per 100 residents |
| Passenger cars | 584 per 1000 residents |
Business and economics
| Unemployment | 4.4% of the workforce |
| GDP | 68400 per resident |
| Primary occupations | 2.9 % |
| Secondary profession | 21.1 % |
| Tertiary professions | 76 % |
In Northern Norway lies the plateau Finnmarksvidda. Also included is the archipelago of Svalbard (read more here) and the island of Jan Mayen in the North Atlantic, Bouvet Island in the South Atlantic, Peter I’s Island in the South Pacific and Queen Maud’s land, which is a sector in the Antarctic.
Norway is strongly affected by the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic, which makes the climate milder than it would otherwise have been so far north. At Lofoten, the average temperature in January is 24 degrees higher than is normal for that latitude.
The temperature does not vary much between seasons. However, the temperature varies greatly between the northern and southern parts of the country, as well as between the coast and inland. The coldest is in Østlandet and Finnmarksvidda, where it is not uncommon for the temperature to fall below 40 minus degrees.
Winters are also relatively mild. Then the ice can settle in the longest fjords, otherwise the coast in the west is virtually ice-free up to the north. The inner parts of Norway are usually snow-covered during the winter season.
FACTS – GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
Surface
323 878 km2 (2018)
Time
Swedish
Adjacent country (s)
Sweden, Finland, Russia
Capital with number of residents
Oslo 647 700
Other major cities
Bergen 275 100, Trondheim 185 000, Stavanger 132 100 (2015)
Highest mountain
Galdhopiggen (2469 m asl)
Important rivers
Glomma
Largest lake
Mjosa
Average Precipitation / month
Oslo 90 mm (sept), 36 mm (feb)
Average / day
Oslo 16 °C (July), –4 °C (Jan)
2012
December
Norway intensifies the fight against right-wing extremism
Foreign Minister Eide announces that Norwegian Foreign Ministry, through its diplomats, will gather information on right-wing extremes in Europe. Norway must clearly express its attitude towards right-wing extremism, racism and xenophobia. According to Eide, Norway has a special responsibility in view of the right-wing terrorist acts in Oslo and Utøya in 2011.
September
Stoltenberg reforms his government
Espen Barth Eide leaves the post of defense minister to become new foreign minister after Jonas Gahr Støre, who will take care of the problematic Ministry of Health.
August
Breivik receives life imprisonment
On August 24, Anders Behring Breivik is sentenced to the strictest sentence of the law, 21 years in prison with the possibility of extension five years at a time as long as the convicted person is considered a danger to society. A unanimous right explains that Breivik is punishable by criminal law, a ruling that is welcomed by both the victims of the murder victims and the Norwegian public.
Government reform, new Foreign Minister
Defense Minister Espen Barth Eide is appointed Foreign Minister. New Minister of Defense becomes Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen.
The chief of police resigns
In the wake of the July 22 Commission report, Norway’s highest police chief, Chief of Police Öystein Maeland, resigns. The Minister of Justice and other high-ranking politicians do not want to express their full confidence in him.
Stoltenberg takes on the responsibility
In a comment on the July 22 Commission report, Prime Minister Stoltenberg says that he, as head of government, is ultimately responsible for the shortcomings that exist in the state apparatus. He calls for an extra session in the Storting to discuss the consequences of the report’s conclusions.
Defamatory criticism of the police
The July 22 Commission, appointed by the government, publishes its report on the terrorist attacks in Oslo and Utøya (see July 2011). The police receive sharp criticism for poorly organized work and a number of shortcomings in the efforts against Breivik. The criticism ranges from lack of routines and communication problems to poor preparedness and failing judgments in individuals. With better organized police work, Breivik could have been stopped earlier, according to the commission. The attack on the government building in Oslo could have been completely avoided if the existing security regulations had been followed. A faster police response to Utøya would also have been possible, according to the commission.
July
The government cancels strike among oil workers
The government is using its extraordinary powers to stop a strike among oil workers. After 16 days, the government orders the workers back to work in the interests of the nation.
June
Unclear about Breivik’s health condition
After almost ten weeks of negotiations, the prosecutor declares that Breivik is mentally ill and should be sentenced to closed psychiatric care. Forensic psychiatrists and lawyers are divided on Breivik’s mental health. The defense claims that Breivik is criminally accountable and should be sentenced to prison.
May
Major strike among government employees
On May 24, more than 30,000 civil servants embark on a nationwide strike for higher wages and better working conditions.
April
The trial of Breivik begins
The trial against Breivik will be prolonged and painful for the survivors and relatives gathered in the courtroom. Many testify about the perpetrator’s brutality on Utøya. The trial is televised and many viewers are upset over the perpetrator’s emotional turmoil.
The electoral support for the Labor Party drops
In a poll, the large government party receives 29 percent of voter support, compared to 32 percent for Høyre. The Progress Party stays at 14 percent.
March
Mulla Krekar receives five years in prison
Terrorist-suspected Islamist leader Mulla Krekar is sentenced to five years in prison for murder, terrorist threat and solicitation for crime.
Socialist Left Party switches leaders
Kristin Halvorsen resigns as leader of the Socialist Left Party after 15 years in the post. Audun Lysbakken is elected new party leader.