Title: Background Note: Norway
PA
Source: Office of Public Communication, Bureau of Public
Affairs
Description: Historical, Political and Economic Overviews of the
Countries of the World
Date: Aug, 15 19928/15/92
Category: Country Data
Region: Europe
Country: Norway
Subject: Travel, History, International Organizations,
Trade/Economics, Military Affairs, Cultural Exchange,
State Department
[TEXT]
Official Name:
Kingdom of Norway
PROFILE
Geography
Area
(including the island territories of Svalbard and Jan
Mayen): 386,000 sq. km. (150,000 sq. mi.); slightly larger than New
Mexico.
Cities:
Capital--Oslo (pop. 467,000). Other cities--Bergen
(216,000), Trondheim (139,600), Stavanger (99,800).
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 (1991 est.):
4.3 million.
Annual growth rate (1991):
0.5%.
Density:
14 per sq. km.
Ethnic groups:
Norwegian (Nordic, Alpine, Baltic), Lapp (or
Sami, a racial-cultural minority of 20,000); foreign nationals
(148,000 from Denmark, UK, Sweden, US, Pakistan, Vietnam,
Germany, Turkey).
Religion:
Evangelical Lutheran 94%.
Languages:
Norwegian (official), Lapp.
Education:
Years compulsory--9. Literacy--100%.
Health:
Infant mortality rate--7/1,000. Life
expectancy--men 73 yrs; women 80 yrs.
Work force (1991, 2.1 million):
Government, social,
personal services--37%. Wholesale and retail trade, hotels,
restaurants--18%. Manufacturing--15%. Transport and
communications--8%. Financing, insurance, real estate, business
services--8%. Agriculture, forestry, fishing--8%. Construction--
6%. Oil extraction--1%.
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
People's, Socialist Left, Progress.
Suffrage:
Universal over 18.
Administrative subdivisions:
18 fylker (counties), the city
of Oslo, and Svalbard.
National holiday:
May 17.
Central government budget (1991):
$52 billion.
Defense (1991):
3.2% of GNP.
Flag:
White cross with blue inner cross on red field. The
white cross and red field are derived from the Danish flag; the blue
cross was added to symbolize Norway's independence.
Economy GNP (1991):
$103 billion.
Annual growth rate (1991):
1.9%.
Per capita GNP (1991):
$24,200.
Natural resources:
Oil, gas, fish, timber, hydroelectric
power, mineral ores.
Agriculture and fishing (3% of GNP):
Products--dairy,
livestock, grain (barley, oats, wheat), potatoes and other vegetables,
fruits and berries, furs, wool. Arable land--3%.
Oil, gas, shipping:
19% of GNP.
Industry (manufacturing, 13% of GNP):
Types--food
processing, pulp and paper, ships, aluminum, ferroalloys, iron and
steel, nickel, zinc, nitrogen, fertilizers, transport equipment,
hydroelectric power, refinery products, petrochemicals, electronics.
Construction:
4% of GNP.
Trade (1991):
Exports (f.o.b.)--$36 billion: crude oil,
natural gas, pulp and paper, metals, chemicals, fish and fish
products. Major markets--UK, Germany, Sweden, US (5%). Imports
(c.i.f.)--$26 billion: machinery and transport equipment, foodstuffs,
iron and steel, textiles and clothing. Major suppliers--Sweden,
Germany, UK, US (8%).
Official exchange rate (average 1991):
6.5 Norwegian
kroner=US$1.
Aid sent (1991):
$1.1 billion. Primary recipients--
Tanzania, Mozambique, Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Zambia, UN
organizations.
PEOPLE
Ethnically, Norwegians are predominantly Germanic, although in the
far north there are communities of Sami (Lapps) 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 nearly 150,000; some
5,000 obtained Norwegian citizenship in 1991.
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 7 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
contemporaries of Ibsen. 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 since
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 non-belligerent 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.
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 the prime
minister--chosen by the political parties represented in the
Storting (parliament)--and other ministers.
The 165 members of the Storting are elected from 18 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.
Principal Government Officials
King--Harald V
Prime Minister--Gro Harlem Brundtland
Minister of Foreign Affairs--Thorvald Stoltenberg
Ambassador to the United States--Kjeld Vibe
Ambassador to NATO--Bjorn Kristvik
Ambassador to the United Nations--Martin Huslid
Norway maintains an embassy in the United States at 2720 34th
Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008, tel.202-388-6000 and
consulates in Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, and San
Francisco.
POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Until the 1981 election, Norway had been governed by 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 1961 elections; thereafter, when in power, its rule has depended
largely upon support of other parties, according to the issue under
consideration.
Labor dropped to 66 seats in the 1981 election, and the Conservative
Party formed a minority government with the parliamentary backing
of the two other nonsocialist parties, the Center Party, and the
Christian People's Party. In June 1988, the Conservative government
was reorganized into a majority coalition government with those
two parties. The three-party coalition government suffered a
setback in the 1985 election and lost a vote of confidence in April
1986 when the Progress Party withdrew its support over a proposed
gasoline tax increase. Since under the Norwegian constitution the
parliament cannot be dissolved, the Labor Party had to form a
minority government in May 1986 with the same parliamentary
composition as existed before the no-confidence vote. The Labor
Party governed for over 3 years with the support of the Socialist
Left Party and individual members of the other parties on a case-by-
case basis. After suffering losses in the September 1989 elections,
the Labor Party left the government in October 1989 and was
replaced by a minority nonsocialist coalition led by the Conservative
Party of Jan P. Syse. One year later, the Syse Government fell over
the issue of Norwegian policy toward the European Community and
was replaced in November 1990 by a minority Labor Party
government. Gro Harlem Brundtland is again Prime Minister after
forming her third government in 10 years. Norway holds national
elections in September 1993.
ECONOMY
Norway is one of the world's richest countries. 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.
High oil prices in the 1983-85 period led to significant increases in
consumer spending, wages, and inflation. The subsequent decline in
oil prices since 1985 has sharply reduced tax revenues and required
a tightening of both the government budget and private sector
demand. As a result, the non-oil economy showed almost no growth
during 1986-88, and the current account went into deficit. As oil
prices recovered sharply in 1990 following the Persian Gulf crisis,
the 1990 current account posted a large surplus which continued
into 1991. Unemployment as of the first quarter of 1991 rose to a
post-1945 high of 6.2%. Given the volatility of the oil and gas
market, Norway is seeking to restructure its non-oil economy to
reduce subsidies and stimulate efficient, nontraditional industry.
Norway's exports have continued to grow every year, largely because
of favorable world demand. Moreover, the flight of Norwegian-
owned ships from the country's traditional register ended in 1987,
as the government established an international register, replete
with tax breaks and relief from national crewmember requirements.
At the same time, a drop in private consumption has helped to reduce
Norway's imports.
Norway continues to adapt its economic policy to international
developments, notably the emerging European Community (EC) single
market. Norway and the other European Free Trade Association
(EFTA) members are in the process of concluding an economic
cooperation agreement with the EC under the framework of the
European Economic Area (EEA). This agreement, which promotes free
trade, is being designed to limit the distortive impact of the EC
single market on commodity trade and the movements of labor and
capital. On EC membership, Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland
has indicated that Norway may submit an application before the end
of 1992. Its principle trading partners are the EC countries and its
Scandinavian neighbors; the United States ranks fifth.
Energy Resources
Offshore hydrocarbons were discovered in the 1960s, and
development began in the 1970s. The growth of the petroleum
sector has contributed significantly in recent years to Norwegian
economic vitality. Current petroleum production capacity is over 2
million barrels per day. Production has increased rapidly during the
past several years as new fields are opened. Total production in
1991 was about 118 million metric tons of oil equivalents, nearly
80% of which was crude oil. Hydropower provides nearly all of
Norway's electricity, and all of the gas and most of the oil produced
were exported. Production is expected to increase significantly in
the 1990s as new fields come onstream.
Although not a major energy supplier to the world, Norway provides
about 40% of Western Europe's crude oil requirements and 16% of gas
requirements. In 1991, Norwegian oil and gas exports accounted for
44% 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 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 is also
dedicated to encouraging democracy, assisting refugees, and
protecting human rights throughout the world.
DEFENSE
Norway has a draft system in which all able-bodied males are
subject to military service. The Royal Norwegian Navy and Air Force
are technically sophisticated organizations and manned by a core of
professionals. The Norwegian Army is a mobile infantry force.
US-NORWEGIAN 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 US
citizens who reside in Norway. The two countries enjoy an active
cultural exchange, both officially and privately.
Principal US Officials
Ambassador--Loret Miller Ruppe
Deputy Chief of Mission--William C. McCahill, Jr.
Chief, Political Section--Elizabeth P. Spiro
Chief, Economic Section--F. Brenne Bachmann
Public Affairs Officer (USIS)--William M. Zavis
Administrative Officer--Vacant
Chief, Consular Section--Eli N. Lauderdale, Jr.
Commercial Attache--Scott Bozek
Defense Attache--Capt. Richard P. Vidosic
Labor Attache--Elaine Papazian
The US Embassy is located at Drammensveien 18, 0244 Oslo (tel. 47-
2- 44-85-50; FAX: 47-2-43-07-77).
Further Information
For information on economic trends, commercial development,
production, trade regulations, and tariff rates, contact the
International Trade Administration, US Department of Commerce,
Washington, DC 20230.
TRAVEL NOTES:
Customs:
A passport is required. No visa is required if the
total stay in Norway, Sweden, Finland, or Denmark is less than 3
months. A residence permit is required for longer stays.
Health:
Standards for public health and medical facilities
are high. Tapwater is potable.
Telecommunications:
Service is efficient to most of
Norway and the world. Norway is six standard time zones ahead of
eastern standard time.
Transportation:
Daily flights connect Oslo with the US and
major European cities. Public transportation is efficient.
HOW TO ORDER BACKGROUND NOTES IN PAPER
Published by the United States Department of State -- Bureau of
Public Affairs -- Office of Public Communication -- Washington, DC
-- August 1992 -- Editor: Jo Brooks
Department of State Publication 8228
Background Notes Series -- This material is in the public domain and
may be reprinted without permission; citation of this source is
appreciated. For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, US
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