Includes the mainland,Svalbard and Jan Mayen.[10] Without the integral territories, it is the 67th largest country at 323,802[15] square kilometres.
This percentage is for the mainland, Svalbard, and Jan Mayen. This percentage counts glaciers as "land". It's calculated as 19,940.14/(365,246.17+19,940.14).[citation needed]
Two more TLDs have been assigned, but are not used:.sj for Svalbard and Jan Mayen;.bv forBouvet Island.
The unified kingdom of Norway was established in 872 as a merger ofpetty kingdoms and has existed continuously for1,152–1,153 years. From 1537 to 1814, Norway was part ofDenmark–Norway, and, from 1814 to 1905, it was in apersonal union with Sweden. Norway was neutral during theFirst World War, and in theSecond World War until April 1940 when it wasinvaded andoccupied byNazi Germany until the end of the war.
Opening ofOhthere'sOld English account, translated: "Ohthere told his lordÆlfrede king that he lived northmost of allNorwegians…"
Norway has two official names:Norge inBokmål andNoreg inNynorsk. The English name Norway comes from theOld English wordNorþweg in the account provided byOhthere of Hålogaland around 890, meaning "northern way" or "way leading to the north", which is how theAnglo-Saxons referred to the coastline of Atlantic Norway.[24][25][26] The Anglo-Saxons of Britain also referred to Norway in 890 asNorðmanna land.[24][25]
There is some disagreement about whether the native name of Norway originally had the same etymology as the English form. According to the traditional dominant view, the first component was originallynorðr, acognate of Englishnorth, so the full name wasNorðrvegr, "the way northwards", referring to the sailing route along the Norwegian coast, and contrasting withsuðrvegar "southern way" (fromOld Norsesuðr) for (Germany), andaustrvegr "eastern way" (fromaustr) for theBaltic.[27]
The earliest traces of human occupation in Norway are found along the coast, where the huge ice shelf of thelast ice age first melted between 11,000 and 8000 BC. The oldest finds are stone tools dating from 9500 to 6000 BC, discovered inFinnmark (Komsa culture) in the north andRogaland (Fosna culture) in the southwest. Theories about the two cultures being separate were deemed obsolete in the 1970s.[28]
Between 3000 and 2500 BC, new settlers (Corded Ware culture) arrived ineastern Norway. They wereIndo-European farmers who grew grain and kept livestock, and gradually replaced the hunting-fishing population of the west coast.
From about 1500 BC,bronze was gradually introduced. Burial cairns built close to the sea as far north asHarstad and also inland in the south are characteristic of this period, with rock carving motifs that differ from those of theStone Age, depicting ships resembling theHjortspring boat, while large stone burial monuments known asstone ships were also erected.[29]
There is little archaeological evidence dating to the earlyIron Age, which were the last 500 years B.C. The dead were cremated, and their graves contained little goods. During the first four centuries AD, the people of Norway were in contact with Roman-occupiedGaul; about 70 Roman bronze cauldrons, often used as burial urns, have been found. Contact with countries farther south brought a knowledge ofrunes; the oldest known Norwegian runic inscription dates from the third century.[30]
By the time of the first historical records of Scandinavia, about the 8th century, several small political entities existed in Norway. It has been estimated that there were nine petty realms in Western Norway during the earlyViking Age.[31] Archaeologist Bergljot Solberg on this basis estimates that there would have been at least 20 in the whole country.[32]
In the Viking period, Norwegian Viking explorers discoveredIceland by accident in the ninth century when heading for theFaroe Islands, and eventually came acrossVinland, known today asNewfoundland, in Canada. The Vikings from Norway were most active in the northern and westernBritish Isles and easternNorth America isles.[33]
According to tradition,Harald Fairhair unified them into one in 872 after theBattle of Hafrsfjord inStavanger, thus becoming the first king of a united Norway.[34] Harald's realm was mainly a South Norwegian coastal state. Fairhair ruled with a strong hand and according to the sagas, many Norwegians left the country to live in Iceland, theFaroe Islands,Greenland, and parts ofBritain and Ireland.[35]
Haakon I the Good was Norway's first Christian king, in the mid-10th century, though his attempt to introduce the religion was rejected.Norse traditions were replaced slowly byChristian ones in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. This is largely attributed to the missionary kingsOlaf I Tryggvasson andOlaf II Haraldsson (St. Olaf). Olaf Tryggvasson conducted raids in England, including attacking London. Arriving back in Norway in 995, Olaf landed inMoster where he built a church which became the firstChristian church in Norway. From Moster, Olaf sailed north toTrondheim where he was proclaimed King of Norway by the Eyrathing in 995.[36] One of the most important sources for the history of the 11th century Vikings is the treaty between the Icelanders and Olaf II Haraldsson, king of Norway circa 1015 to 1028.[37]
Feudalism never really developed in Norway or Sweden, as it did in the rest of Europe. However, the administration of government took on a very conservative feudal character. TheHanseatic League forced royalty to cede to them greater and greater concessions over foreign trade and the economy, because of the loans the Hansa had made to the royals and the large debt the kings were carrying. The League's monopolistic control over the economy of Norway put pressure on all classes, especially the peasantry, to the degree that no realburgher class existed in Norway.[38]
From the 1040s to 1130, the country was at peace.[39] In 1130, thecivil war era broke out on the basis ofunclear succession laws, which allowed the king's sons to rule jointly. TheArchdiocese of Nidaros was created in 1152 and attempted to control the appointment of kings.[40] The church inevitably had to take sides in the conflicts. The wars ended in 1217 with the appointment ofHåkon IV Håkonsson, who introduced clear laws of succession.[41]
From 1000 to 1300, the population increased from 150,000 to 400,000, resulting both in more land being cleared and the subdivision of farms. While in the Viking Age farmers owned their own land, by 1300, seventy per cent of the land was owned by the king, the church, or the aristocracy, and about twenty per cent of yields went to these landowners.[42]
The 14th century is described as Norway'sgolden age, with peace and increase in trade, especially with the British Islands, although Germany became increasingly important towards the end of the century. Throughout theHigh Middle Ages, the king established Norway as a sovereign state with a central administration and local representatives.[43]
In 1349, theBlack Death spread to Norway and within a year killed a third of the population. Later plagues reduced the population to half the starting point by 1400. Many communities were entirely wiped out, resulting in an abundance of land, allowing farmers to switch to moreanimal husbandry. The reduction in taxes weakened the king's position,[44] and many aristocrats lost the basis for their surplus. Hightithes to church made it increasingly powerful and the archbishop became a member of theCouncil of State.[45]
TheHanseatic League took control over Norwegian trade during the 14th century and established a trading centre inBergen. In 1380,Olaf Haakonsson inherited both the Norwegian (as Olaf IV) and Danish thrones (as Olaf II), creating a union between the two countries.[45] In 1397, underMargaret I, theKalmar Union was created between the three Scandinavian countries. She waged war against the Germans, resulting in a trade blockade and higher taxation on Norwegian goods, which led toa rebellion. However, the Norwegian Council of State was too weak to pull out of the union.[46]
Margaret pursued a centralising policy which inevitably favoured Denmark because of its greater population.[47] Margaret also granted trade privileges to the Hanseatic merchants ofLübeck in Bergen in return for recognition of her rule, and these hurt the Norwegian economy. The Hanseatic merchants formed a state within a state in Bergen for generations.[48] The "Victual Brothers" launched three devastating pirate raids on the port (the last in 1427).[49]
Norway slipped ever more to the background under theOldenburg dynasty (established 1448). There was one revolt underKnut Alvsson in 1502.[50] Norway took no part in the events which led to Swedish independence from Denmark in the 1520s.[51]
Upon the death of KingHaakon V in 1319,Magnus Eriksson, at just three years old, inherited the throne as King Magnus VII. A simultaneous movement to make Magnus King of Sweden proved successful (he was a grandson of KingMagnus Ladulås of Sweden), and both the kings of Sweden and of Denmark were elected to the throne by their respective nobles. Thus Sweden and Norway were united under King Magnus VII.[52]
In 1349, theBlack Death killed between 50% and 60% of Norway's population[53] and led to a period of social and economic decline.[54] Although the death rate was comparable with the rest of Europe, economic recovery took much longer because of the small, scattered population.[54] Even before the plague, the population was only about 500,000.[55] After the plague, many farms lay idle while the population slowly increased.[54] However, the few surviving farms' tenants found their bargaining positions with their landlords greatly strengthened.[54]
King Magnus VII ruled Norway until 1350, when his son, Haakon, was placed on the throne asHaakon VI.[56] In 1363, Haakon marriedMargaret, daughter of KingValdemar IV of Denmark.[54] Upon the death of Haakon in 1379, his 10-year-old sonOlaf IV acceded to the throne.[54] As Olaf had already been elected to the throne of Denmark in 1376,[54] Denmark and Norway entered apersonal union.[57] Olaf's mother and Haakon's widow, Queen Margaret, managed the foreign affairs of Denmark and Norway during Olaf's minority.[54]
Margaret was on the verge of achieving a union of Sweden with Denmark and Norway when Olaf IV suddenly died.[54] Denmark made Margaret temporary ruler on the death of Olaf. On 2 February 1388, Norway followed suit and crowned Margaret.[54] Queen Margaret knew that her power would be more secure if she were able to find a king to rule in her place. She settled onEric of Pomerania, grandson of her sister. Thus at an all-Scandinavian meeting held at Kalmar, Erik of Pomerania was crowned king of all three Scandinavian countries, bringing the thrones of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden under the control of Queen Margaret when the country entered into theKalmar Union.
After Sweden broke out of theKalmar Union in 1521, Norway tried to follow suit,[citation needed] but the subsequent rebellion was defeated, and Norway remained in a union with Denmark until 1814. This period wasby some referred to as the "400-Year Night", since all of the kingdom's intellectual and administrative power was centred inCopenhagen.
TheBattle of the Sound between an allied Dano-Norwegian–Dutch fleet and the Swedish navy, 8 November 1658 (29 OctoberOS)
With theintroduction of Protestantism in 1536, the archbishopric in Trondheim was dissolved; Norway lost its independence and effectually became a colony of Denmark. The Church's income and possessions were instead redirected to the court in Copenhagen. Norway lost the steady stream of pilgrims to the relics ofSt. Olav at theNidaros shrine and, with them, much of the contact with cultural and economic life in the rest of Europe.
Eventually restored as a kingdom (albeit in legislative union with Denmark) in 1661, Norway saw its land area decrease in the 17th century with the loss of the provincesBåhuslen,Jemtland, andHerjedalen to Sweden, as the result of a number of disastrous wars. In the north, its territory was increased by the acquisition of the provinces ofTroms andFinnmark, at the expense of Sweden and Russia.
Thefamine of 1695–1696 killed roughly 10% of Norway's population.[58] The harvest failed in Scandinavia at least nine times between 1740 and 1800, with great loss of life.[59]
After Denmark–Norway was attacked by theUnited Kingdom at the 1807Battle of Copenhagen, it entered into an alliance withNapoleon, with the war leading to dire conditions and massstarvation in 1812. As the Danish kingdom was on the losing side in 1814, it was forced by theTreaty of Kiel to cede Norway to Sweden, while the old Norwegian provinces of Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands remained with the Danish crown.[60] Norway took this opportunity to declare independence, adopted a constitution based onAmerican andFrench models, and elected the Crown Prince of Denmark and Norway,Christian Frederick, as king on 17 May 1814 – celebrated as theSyttende mai (Seventeenth of May) holiday.
Norwegian opposition to the decision to link Norway with Sweden caused theNorwegian–Swedish War to break out as Sweden tried to subdue Norway by military means. As Sweden's military was not strong enough to defeat the Norwegian forces outright, and Norway's treasury was not large enough to support a protracted war, and as British and Russian navies blockaded the Norwegian coast,[61] the belligerents were forced to negotiate theConvention of Moss. Christian Frederik abdicated the Norwegian throne and authorised theParliament of Norway to make the necessary constitutional amendments to allow for thepersonal union that Norway was forced to accept. On 4 November 1814, the Parliament (Storting) electedCharles XIII of Sweden as king of Norway, thereby establishing theunion with Sweden.[62] Under this arrangement, Norway kept its liberal constitution and its own independent institutions, though it shared a monarch and foreign policy with Sweden. Following the recession caused by theNapoleonic Wars, economic development of Norway remained slow until 1830.[63]
King Charles III John came to the throne of Norway and Sweden in 1818 and reigned to 1844. He protected the constitution and liberties of Norway and Sweden during the age ofMetternich.[neutrality isdisputed] As such, he was regarded as a liberal monarch. However, he was ruthless in his use of paid informers, secret police and restrictions on the freedom of the press to put down public movements for reform—especially the Norwegian national independence movement.[64]
TheRomantic Era that followed the reign of Charles III John brought some significant social and political reforms. In 1854, women won the right to inherit property. In 1863, the last trace of keeping unmarried women in the status of minors was removed. Furthermore, women were eligible for different occupations, particularly the common school teacher.[65] By mid-century, Norway's democracy was limited; voting was limited to officials, property owners, leaseholders and burghers of incorporated towns.[66]
Norway remained a conservative society. Life in Norway (especially economic life) was "dominated by the aristocracy of professional men who filled most of the important posts in the central government".[67] There was no strong bourgeois class to demand a breakdown of this aristocratic control.[68] Thus, even while revolution swept over most of the countries of Europe in 1848, Norway was largely unaffected.[68]
Marcus Thrane was aUtopian socialist who in 1848 organised a labour society inDrammen. In just a few months, this society had a membership of 500 and was publishing its own newspaper. Within two years, 300 societies had been organised all over Norway, with a total membership of 20,000 drawn from the lower classes of both urban and rural areas.[69] In the end, the revolt was easily crushed; Thrane was captured and jailed.[70]
The slogan "Norge for Nordmænd" (Norway for Norwegians) at a School in Oslo on 13 August 1905, a voting place during the referendum on the dissolution of the union with Sweden
Christian Michelsen, Prime Minister of Norway from 1905 to 1907, played a central role in the peaceful separation of Norway from Sweden on 7 June 1905. A national referendum confirmed the people's preference for a monarchy over a republic. However, no Norwegian could legitimately claim the throne, since none of Norway's noble families could claimroyal descent.
The government then offered the throne of Norway to Prince Carl of Denmark, a prince of the Dano-German royalhouse of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and a distant relative of Norway's medieval kings. Following the plebiscite, he was unanimously elected king by the NorwegianParliament; he took the nameHaakon VII.
King Haakon and the Norwegian government escaped toRotherhithe in London. Throughout the war they sent radio speeches and supported clandestine military actions against the Germans. On the day of the invasion, the leader of the small National-Socialist partyNasjonal Samling,Vidkun Quisling, tried to seize power, but was forced by the German occupiers to step aside. Real power was wielded by the leader of the German occupation authority,Josef Terboven. Quisling, asminister president, later formed acollaborationist government under German control. Up to 15,000 Norwegians volunteered to fight in German units, including theWaffen-SS.[72]
Many Norwegians and persons of Norwegian descent joined the Allied forces as well as theFree Norwegian Forces. In June 1940, a small group had left Norway following their king to Britain. This group included 13 ships, five aircraft, and 500 men from the Royal Norwegian Navy. By the end of the war, the force had grown to 58 ships and 7,500 men in service in the Royal Norwegian Navy, 5 squadrons of aircraft in the newly formed Norwegian Air Force, and land forces including theNorwegian Independent Company 1 and 5 Troop as well as No. 10Commandos.[citation needed]
Since the 1970s oil production has helped to expand the Norwegian economy and finance the Norwegian state (Statfjord oil field).
From 1945 to 1962, theLabour Party held an absolute majority in the parliament. The government, led by prime ministerEinar Gerhardsen, embarked on a programme inspired byKeynesian economics, emphasising state financedindustrialisation and co-operation between trade unions andemployers' organisations. Many measures of state control of the economy imposed during the war were continued, although therationing of dairy products was lifted in 1949, while price controls and rationing of housing and cars continued until 1960.
The wartime alliance with the United Kingdom and the United States continued in the post-war years. Although pursuing the goal of a socialist economy, the Labour Party distanced itself from the Communists, especially after the Communists' seizure of power inCzechoslovakia in 1948, and strengthened its foreign policy and defence policy ties with the US. Norway receivedMarshall Plan aid from the United States starting in 1947, joined theOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) one year later, and became a founding member of theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949.
Oil was discovered at the small Balder field in 1967, but production only began in 1999.[75] In 1969, thePhillips Petroleum Company discovered petroleum resources at theEkofisk field west of Norway. In 1973, the Norwegian government founded the State oil company, Statoil (nowEquinor). Oil production did not provide net income until the early 1980s because of the large capital investment required. Around 1975, both the proportion and absolute number of workers in industry peaked. Since then labour-intensive industries and services like factory mass production and shipping have largely been outsourced.
Town Hall Square in Oslo filled with people with roses mourning the victims of theUtøya massacre of 22 July 2011.
In 1981, aConservative Party government led byKåre Willoch replaced the Labour Party with a policy of stimulating thestagflated economy with tax cuts, economic liberalisation, deregulation of markets, and measures to curb record-high inflation (13.6% in 1981).
Norway's first female prime ministerGro Harlem Brundtland of the Labour Party continued many of the reforms, while backing traditional Labour concerns such associal security, high taxes, the industrialisation of nature, and feminism. By the late 1990s, Norway had paid off its foreign debt and had started accumulating asovereign wealth fund. Since the 1990s, a divisive question in politics has been how much of the income from petroleum production the government should spend, and how much it should save.
Norway comprises the western and northernmost part ofScandinavia in Northern Europe,[88] between latitudes57° and81° N, and longitudes4° and32° E. Norway is the northernmost of theNordic countries and if Svalbard is included also the easternmost.[89] Norway includes the northernmost point on the European mainland.[90] The rugged coastline is broken by hugefjords and thousands of islands. The coastalbaseline is 2,532 kilometres (1,573 mi). The coastline of the mainland including fjords stretches 28,953 kilometres (17,991 mi), when islands are included the coastline has been estimated to 100,915 kilometres (62,706 mi).[91] Norway shares a 1,619-kilometre (1,006 mi) land border with Sweden, 727 kilometres (452 mi) with Finland, and 196 kilometres (122 mi) with Russia to the east. To the north, west and south, Norway is bordered by theBarents Sea, theNorwegian Sea, theNorth Sea, andSkagerrak.[92] TheScandinavian Mountains form much of the border with Sweden.
At 385,207 square kilometres (148,729 sq mi) (includingSvalbard andJan Mayen; 323,808 square kilometres (125,023 sq mi) without),[10] much of the country is dominated by mountainous or high terrain, with a great variety of natural features caused by prehistoricglaciers and variedtopography. The most noticeable of these are the fjords.Sognefjorden is the world's second deepest fjord, and the world's longest at 204 kilometres (127 mi). The lakeHornindalsvatnet is the deepest lake in Europe.[93] Norway has about 400,000 lakes[94][95] and 239,057 registered islands.[88]Permafrost can be found all year in the higher mountain areas and in the interior of Finnmark county.Numerous glaciers are found in Norway. The land is mostly made of hardgranite andgneiss rock, butslate,sandstone, andlimestone are also common, and the lowest elevations contain marine deposits.
Climate
Köppen climate classification types of Norway 1991–2020 (0C/32F isotherm for coldest month dividing C and D climates).Map of Norway showing the normal precipitation (annual average). Period 1961–1990.
Because of theGulf Stream and prevailing westerlies, Norway experiences higher temperatures and more precipitation than expected at such northern latitudes, especially along the coast. The mainland experiences four distinct seasons, with colder winters and less precipitation inland. The northernmost part has a mostly maritimeSubarctic climate, while Svalbard has anArctictundra climate. The southern and western parts of Norway, fully exposed to Atlantic storm fronts, experience more precipitation and have milder winters than the eastern and far northern parts. Areas to the east of the coastal mountains are in arain shadow, and have lower rain and snow totals than the west. The lowlands around Oslo have the warmest summers, but also cold weather and snow in wintertime. The sunniest weather is along the south coast, but sometimes even the coast far north can be very sunny – the sunniest month with 430 sun hours was recorded in Tromsø.[96][97]
Because of Norway's highlatitude, there are large seasonal variations in daylight. From late May to late July, the sun never completely descends beneath the horizon in areas north of theArctic Circle, and the rest of the country experiences up to 20 hours of daylight per day. Conversely, from late November to late January, the sun never rises above the horizon in the north, and daylight hours are very short in the rest of the country.
Temperature anomalies found in coastal locations are exceptional, with southern Lofoten andBø Municipality having all monthly means above freezing in spite of being north of the Arctic Circle. The very northernmost coast of Norway would be ice-covered in winter if not for the Gulf Stream.[98] The east of the country has a more continental climate, and the mountain ranges have subarctic and tundra climates. There is also higher rainfall in areas exposed to the Atlantic, especially the western slopes of the mountain ranges and areas close, such as Bergen. The valleys east of the mountain ranges are the driest; some of the valleys are sheltered by mountains in most directions.Saltdal Municipality in Nordland is the driest place with 211 millimetres (8.3 inches) precipitation annually (1991–2020). In southern Norway,Skjåk Municipality in Innlandet county gets 295 millimetres (11.6 inches) precipitation.Finnmarksvidda and some interior valleys ofTroms county receive around 400 millimetres (16 inches) annually, and the high ArcticLongyearbyen 217 millimetres (8.5 inches).[99]
Parts of southeastern Norway including parts ofMjøsa have ahumid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), the southern and western coasts and also the coast north to Bodø have anoceanic climate (Cfb), and the outer coast further north almost to North Cape has a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc). Further inland in the south and at higher altitudes, and also in much of Northern Norway, thesubarctic climate (Dfc) dominates. A small strip of land along the coast east of North Cape (including Vardø) earlier hadtundra/alpine/polar climate (ET), but this is mostly gone with the updated 1991–2020 climate normals, making this also subarctic. Large parts of Norway are covered by mountains and high altitude plateaus, and about one third of the land is above the treeline and thus exhibittundra/alpine/polar climate (ET).[96][100][101][97][102]
Norway has a larger number of differenthabitats than almost any other European country. There are approximately 60,000 species in Norway and adjacent waters (excluding bacteria and viruses). The Norwegian Shelf large marine ecosystem is considered highly productive.[103] The total number of species include 16,000 species of insects (probably 4,000 more species yet to be described), 20,000 species ofalgae, 1,800 species oflichen, 1,050 species ofmosses, 2,800 species ofvascular plants, up to 7,000 species offungi, 450 species of birds (250 species nesting in Norway), 90 species of mammals, 45 fresh-water species of fish, 150 salt-water species of fish, 1,000 species of fresh-waterinvertebrates, and 3,500 species of salt-water invertebrates.[104] About 40,000 of these species have been described by science. Thered list of 2010 encompasses 4,599 species.[105] Norway contains five terrestrial ecoregions:Sarmatic mixed forests,Scandinavian coastal conifer forests,Scandinavian and Russian taiga,Kola Peninsula tundra, andScandinavian montane birch forest and grasslands.[106]
Seventeen species are listed mainly because they are endangered on a global scale, such as theEuropean beaver, even if the population in Norway is not seen as endangered. The number of threatened and near-threatened species equals to 3,682; it includes 418 fungi species, many of which are closely associated with the small remaining old-growth forests,[107] 36 bird species, and 16 species of mammals. In 2010, 2,398 species were listed as endangered or vulnerable; of these 1,250 were listed as vulnerable (VU), 871 as endangered (EN), and 276 species as critically endangered (CR), among which were thegrey wolf, theArctic fox, and thepool frog.[105]
The largest predator in Norwegian waters is thesperm whale, and the largest fish is thebasking shark. The largest predator on land is thepolar bear, while thebrown bear is the largest predator on the Norwegian mainland. The largest land animal on the mainland is the elk (American English:moose).
Environment
Attractive and dramatic scenery and landscape are found throughout Norway.[108] The west coast of southern Norway and the coast of northern Norway present some of the most visually impressive coastal sceneries in the world.National Geographic has listed the Norwegian fjords as the world's top tourist attraction.[109] The country is also home to the natural phenomena of themidnight sun (during summer), as well as theaurora borealis known also as the northern lights.[110]
Norway is considered to be one of the most developed democracies andstates of justice in the world. According toInternational IDEA’s Global State of Democracy (GSoD) Indices and Democracy Tracker, Norway performs in the high range on overall democratic measures, with particular strengths in elected government and gender equality.[114][115][116] Since 2010, Norway has been classified as the world's most democratic country by theDemocracy Index.[117][118][119]
In practice, the Prime Minister exercises the executive powers. Constitutionally, legislative power is vested with both the government and the Parliament of Norway, but the latter is the supreme legislature and aunicameral body.[123] Norway is fundamentally structured as arepresentative democracy. The Parliament can pass a law by simple majority of the 169 representatives, of which 150 are elected directly from 19 constituencies, and an additional 19 seats ("levelling seats") are allocated on a nationwide basis to make the representation in parliament correspond better with the popular vote for the political parties. A 4% election threshold is required for a party to gain levelling seats in Parliament.[124]
The Parliament of Norway, called theStorting, ratifies nationaltreaties developed by the executive branch. It canimpeach members of the government if their acts are declared unconstitutional. If an indicted suspect is impeached, Parliament has the power to remove the person from office.
The position ofprime minister is allocated to the member of Parliament who can obtain the confidence of a majority in Parliament, usually the current leader of the largest political party or, more effectively, through a coalition of parties; Norway has often been ruled by minority governments. The prime minister nominates the cabinet, traditionally drawn from members of the same political party or parties in the Storting, making up the government. The PM organises the executive government and exercises its power as vested by the Constitution.[125]
Norway has a state church, the LutheranChurch of Norway, which has gradually been granted more internal autonomy in day-to-day affairs, but which still has a special constitutional status. Formerly, the PM had to have more than half the members of cabinet be members of the Church of Norway; this rule was removed in 2012. The issue ofseparation of church and state in Norway has been increasingly controversial. A part of this is the evolution of the public school subject Christianity, a required subject since 1739. Even the state's loss in a battle at theEuropean Court of Human Rights atStrasbourg[126] in 2007 did not settle the matter. As of 1 January 2017, the Church of Norway is a separate legal entity, and no longer a branch of the civil service.[127]Through theCouncil of State, aprivy council presided over by the monarch, the prime minister and the cabinet meet at theRoyal Palace and formally consult the Monarch. All government bills need formal approval by the monarch before and after introduction to Parliament. The Council approves all of the monarch's actions as head of state.[122]
In national elections in September 2013, two political parties,Høyre andFremskrittspartiet, were elected on promises of tax cuts, more spending on infrastructure and education, better services and stricter rules on immigration, formed a government.Erna Solberg became prime minister, the second female prime minister afterGro Harlem Brundtland and the first conservative prime minister sinceJan P. Syse. Solberg said her win was "a historic election victory for the right-wing parties".[131] Her centre-right government won re-election in the2017 Norwegian parliamentary election.[80] Norway's new centre-left cabinet under Prime MinisterJonas Gahr Støre, the leader of the Labour Party, took office on 14 October 2021.[132]
A municipal and regional reform: "From 14 June 2022, the Storting decided the following division of counties."
Norway, aunitary state, is divided into fifteen first-level administrativecounties (fylke).[133] The counties are administered through directly electedcounty councils who elect theCounty Mayor. Additionally, theKing and government are represented in every county by aCounty Governor (Norwegian:statsforvalteren).[134] The counties are then sub-divided into 357 second-level municipalities (Norwegian:kommuner), which in turn are administered by directly electedmunicipal council, headed by a mayor and a small executive cabinet. The capital ofOslo is considered both a county and a municipality. Norway has two integral overseas territories out of mainland:Jan Mayen andSvalbard, the only developed island in the archipelago of the same name, located far to the north of the Norwegian mainland.[135]
There are 108 settlements that havetown/city status in Norway (the Norwegian wordby is used to represent these places and that word can be translated as either town or city in English). Cities/towns in Norway were historically designated by the King and used to have special rules and privileges under the law. This was changed in the late 20th century, so now towns/cities have no special rights and a municipality can designate an urban settlement as a city/town. Towns and cities in Norway do not have to be large. Some cities have over a million residents such as Oslo, while others are much smaller such asHonningsvåg with about 2,200 residents. Usually, there is only one town within a municipality, but there are some municipalities that have more than one town within it (such asLarvik Municipality which has thetown of Larvik and the town ofStavern.[136]
Norway uses acivil law system where laws are created and amended in Parliament and the system regulated through theCourts of justice of Norway. It consists of theSupreme Court of 20 permanent judges and aChief Justice,appellate courts, city anddistrict courts, andconciliation councils.[138] The judiciary is independent of executive and legislative branches. While the Prime Minister nominates Supreme Court Justices for office, their nomination must be approved by Parliament and formally confirmed by the Monarch. Usually, judges attached to regular courts are formally appointed by the Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister.
The Courts' formal mission is to regulate the Norwegian judicial system, interpret the Constitution, and implement the legislation adopted by Parliament. In its judicial reviews, it monitors the legislative and executive branches to ensure that they comply with provisions of enacted legislation.[138]
Norway abolished the death penalty for regular criminal acts in 1902 and for high treason in war and war-crimes in 1979. Norwegian prisons are humane, rather than tough, with emphasis on rehabilitation. At 20%, Norway's re-conviction rate is among the lowest in the world.[139]
Reporters Without Borders, in its 2024World Press Freedom Index, ranked Norway in first place out of 180 countries.[140] In general, the legal and institutional framework in Norway is characterised by a high degree of transparency, accountability and integrity, and the perception and the occurrence of corruption are very low.[141]
Norway has long been considered a progressive country, and has adopted legislation and policies to support women's rights, minority rights, andLGBT rights. As early as 1884, 171 of the leading figures, among them five Prime Ministers, co-founded theNorwegian Association for Women's Rights.[142] They successfully campaigned for women'sright to education,women's suffrage, theright to work, and other gender equality policies. From the 1970s, gender equality also came high on the state agenda, with the establishment of a public body to promote gender equality, which evolved into theGender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud. In the 21st centuryintersectional feminists have organized in theInitiative for Inclusive Feminism, which seeks to build a broad, intersectional feminist movement rooted in the universality and indivisibility of human rights.[143]
In 1990, the Norwegian constitution was amended to grantabsolute primogeniture to the Norwegian throne, meaning that the eldest child, regardless of gender, takes precedence in the line of succession. As it was not retroactive, the current successor to the throne is the eldest son of the King, rather than his eldest child.[144]
The Sámi people have for centuries been the subject of discrimination and abuse by the dominant cultures in Scandinavia and Russia, those countries claiming possession of Sámi lands.[145] Norway has been greatly criticised by the international community for the politics ofNorwegianization of and discrimination against the indigenous population of the country.[146] Nevertheless, Norway was, in 1990, the first country to recogniseILO-convention 169 onindigenous people recommended by the UN.
Norway was the first country in the world to enact an anti-discrimination law protecting the rights of gay men and lesbians. In 1993, Norway became the second country to legalisecivil union partnerships for same-sex couples, and on 1 January 2009,Norway became the sixth country to legalisesame-sex marriage.[147] As a promoter of human rights, Norway has held the annualOslo Freedom Forum conference, a gathering described byThe Economist as "on its way to becoming a human-rights equivalent of the Davos economic forum".[148]
Norway maintains embassies in 75 countries.[149] 73 countries maintain an embassy in Norway, all of them in the capital, Oslo.
Norway is a founding member of theUnited Nations (UN), theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), theCouncil of Europe and theEuropean Free Trade Association (EFTA). Norway issued applications for accession to the European Union (EU) and its predecessors in 1962, 1967 and 1992, respectively. While Denmark, Sweden and Finland obtained membership, the Norwegian electorate rejected the treaties of accession in referendums in1972 and1994.
After the 1994 referendum, Norway maintained its membership in theEuropean Economic Area (EEA), granting the country access to theinternal market of the Union, on the condition that Norway implements the Union's pieces of legislation which are deemed relevant.[150] Successive Norwegian governments have, since 1994, requested participation in parts of the EU's co-operation that go beyond the provisions of the EEA agreement. Non-voting participation by Norway has been granted in, for instance, the Union'sCommon Security and Defence Policy, theSchengen Agreement, and theEuropean Defence Agency, as well as 19 separate programmes.[151]
The Norwegian Armed Forces numbers about 25,000 personnel, including civilian employees. According to 2009 mobilisation plans, full mobilisation produces approximately 83,000 combatant personnel. Norway hasconscription (including 6–12 months of training);[152] in 2013, the country became the first in Europe and NATO to draft women as well as men. However, due to less need for conscripts after theCold War, few people have to serve if they are not motivated.[153] The Armed Forces are subordinate to theNorwegian Ministry of Defence. The Commander-in-Chief isKing Harald V. The military of Norway is divided into theNorwegian Army, theRoyal Norwegian Navy, theRoyal Norwegian Air Force, theNorwegian Cyber Defence Force and theHome Guard.
Norwegians enjoy the second-highestGDP per capita among European countries (afterLuxembourg), and the sixth-highestGDP (PPP) per capita in the world. Norway ranks as the second-wealthiest country in monetary value, with the largest capital reserve per capita of any nation.[155] According to the CIA World Factbook, Norway is a net external creditor of debt.[92] Norway reclaimed first place in the world in theUNDPHuman Development Index (HDI) in 2009.[156] The standard of living in Norway is among the highest in the world.Foreign Policy magazine ranks Norway last in itsFailed States Index for 2009 and 2023, judging Norway to be the world's most well-functioning and stable country. TheOECD ranks Norway fourth in the 2013 equalisedBetter Life Index and third in intergenerational earnings elasticity according to a 2010 study.[157][158]
The Norwegian economy is an example of amixed economy; a prosperous capitalistwelfare state, it features a combination offree market activity and large state ownership in certain key sectors, influenced by both liberal governments from the late 19th century and later bysocial democratic governments in the postwar era.[citation needed]Public healthcare in Norway is free (after an annual charge of around 2000kroner for those over 16), and parents have 46 weeks paid[159] parental leave. The state income derived from natural resources includes a significant contribution from petroleum production. As of February 2025[update], Norway has an unemployment rate of 3.9%, with 69.7% of the population aged 15–74 employed.[160] People in the labour force are either employed or looking for work.[161] As of 2023[update], 10.6% of the population aged 18–67 receive a disability benefit[162] and 30% of the labour force are employed by the government, the highest in theOECD.[163] The hourly productivity levels, as well as average hourly wages in Norway, are among the highest in the world.[164][165]
Theegalitarian values of Norwegian society have kept the wage difference between the lowest paid worker and the CEO of most companies as much less than in comparable western economies.[166] This is also evident inNorway's low Gini coefficient.
The state has large ownership positions in key industrial sectors, such as the strategic petroleum sector (Equinor), hydroelectric energy production (Statkraft), aluminium production (Norsk Hydro), the largest Norwegian bank (DNB), and telecommunication provider (Telenor). Through these big companies, the government controls approximately 30% of the stock values at the Oslo Stock Exchange.[167] When non-listed companies are included, the state has even higher share in ownership (mainly from direct oil licence ownership).[citation needed] Norway is a major shipping nation and has the world's sixth largestmerchant fleet, with 1,412 Norwegian-owned merchant vessels.[168]
By referendums in1972 and1994, Norwegians rejected proposals to join the European Union (EU). However, Norway, together withIceland andLiechtenstein, participates in the European Union's single market through theEuropean Economic Area (EEA) agreement. The EEA Treaty between the European Union countries and the EFTA countries—transposed into Norwegian law via "EØS-loven"[169]—describes the procedures for implementing European Union rules in Norway and the other EFTA countries. Norway is a highly integrated member of most sectors of the EU internal market. Some sectors, such as agriculture, oil and fish, are not wholly covered by the EEA Treaty. Norway has also acceded to theSchengen Agreement and several other intergovernmental agreements among the EU member states.
The country is richly endowed with natural resources including petroleum,hydropower, fish,forests, and minerals. Large reserves of petroleum and natural gas were discovered in the 1960s, which led to an economic boom.[170] Norway has obtained one of the highest standards of living in the world in part by having a large amount of natural resources compared to the size of the population.[171] In 2011, 28% of state revenues were generated from the petroleum industry.[172][failed verification]
Norway was the first country to ban deforestation, with a view to preventing its rain forests from vanishing. The country declared its intention at the UN Climate Summit in 2014 alongside Great Britain and Germany.[173]
Resources
Agriculture is a significant sector, in spite of the mountainous landscape (Øysand).Stockfish has been exported fromLofoten in Norway for at least 1,000 years.
Export revenues from oil and gas have risen to over 40% of total exports and constitute almost 20% of the GDP.[174] Norway is the fifth-largest oil exporter and third-largest gas exporter in the world, but it is not a member ofOPEC. In 1995, the Norwegian government established the sovereign wealth fund ("Government Pension Fund – Global") to be funded with oil revenues.
The government controls its petroleum resources through a combination of state ownership in major operators in the oil fields (with approximately 62% ownership in Equinor in 2007) and the fully state-ownedPetoro, which has a market value of about twice Equinor, andSDFI. Finally, the government controls licensing of exploration and production of fields. The fund invests in developed financial markets outside Norway. Spending from the fund is constrained by the budgetary rule (Handlingsregelen), which limits spending over time to no more than the real value yield of the fund, lowered in 2017 to 3% of the fund's total value.[175]
Between 1966 and 2013, Norwegian companies drilled 5,085 oil wells, mostly in theNorth Sea.[176] Oil fields not yet in the production phase include:Wisting Central—calculated size in 2013 at 65–156 million barrels of oil and 10 to 40 billion cubic feet (0.28 to 1.13 billion cubic metres), (utvinnbar) of gas.[177] and theCastberg Oil Field (Castberg-feltet[177])—calculated size at 540 million barrels of oil, and 2 to 7 billion cubic feet (57 to 198 million cubic metres) (utvinnbar) of gas.[178] Both oil fields are located in theBarents Sea.
Norway is also the world's second-largest exporter of fish (in value, after China).[179][180] Fish from fish farms and catch constitutes the second largest (behind oil/natural gas) export product measured in value.[181][182] Norway is the world's largest producer of salmon, followed byChile.[183]
Hydroelectric plants generate roughly 98–99% of Norway's electric power, more than any other country in the world.[184]
Norway contains significant mineral resources, and in 2013, its mineral production was valued at US$1.5 billion (Norwegian Geological Survey data). The most valuable minerals are calcium carbonate (limestone), building stone,nepheline syenite,olivine, iron,titanium, andnickel.[185]
In 2017, the Government Pension Fund controlled assets surpassed a value of US$1 trillion (equal to US$190,000 per capita),[186] about 250% of Norway's 2017 GDP.[187] It is the largestsovereign wealth fund in the world.[188]
Other nations with economies based on natural resources, such as Russia, are trying to learn from Norway by establishing similar funds. The investment choices of the Norwegian fund are directed byethical guidelines; for example, the fund is not allowed to invest in companies that produce parts for nuclear weapons. Norway's highlytransparent investment scheme[189] is lauded by the international community.[190]
Due to the low population density, narrow shape and long coastlines of Norway, its public transport is less developed than in many European countries, especially outside the major cities. The country has long-standing water transport traditions, but theNorwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications has in recent years implemented rail, road, and air transport through numerous subsidiaries to develop the country's infrastructure.[191] Under discussion is development of a new high-speed rail system between the nation's largest cities.[192][193]
Norway's main railway network consists of 4,114 kilometres (2,556 mi) ofstandard gauge lines, of which 242 kilometres (150 mi) isdouble track and 64 kilometres (40 mi)high-speed rail (210 km/h) while 62% is electrified at15 kV 16.7 Hz AC. In 2023, the railways transported 78,220,000 passengers, 3,153 millionpassenger-kilometres, and 32,230,000 tonnes of cargo for 3,928 milliontonne-kilometres.[194] The entire network is owned byBane NOR.[195] Domestic passenger trains are operated by various companies, includingVy,SJ,Go-Ahead andFlytoget, while freight trains are operated byCargoNet andOnRail.[196]
Investment in new infrastructure and maintenance is financed through the state budget,[197] and subsidies are provided for passenger train operations.[198] NSB operates long-haul trains, includingnight trains, regional services and fourcommuter train systems, aroundOslo,Trondheim,Bergen andStavanger.[199]
Norway has approximately 95,120 kilometres (59,100 mi) of road network, of which 72,033 kilometres (44,759 mi) are paved and 664 kilometres (413 mi) are motorway.[92] The four tiers of road routes are national, county, municipal and private, with national and primary county roads numbered en route. The most important national routes are part of theEuropean route scheme. The two most prominent are theEuropean route E6 going north–south through the entire country, and theE39, which follows the West Coast. National and county roads are managed by theNorwegian Public Roads Administration.[200]
Norway has the world's largest registered stock ofplug-in electric vehicles per capita.[201][202][203] In March 2014, Norway became the first country where over 1 in every 100 passenger cars on the roads is a plug-in electric.[204] The plug-in electric segmentmarket share of new car sales is also the highest in the world.[205] According to a report byDagens Næringsliv in June 2016, the country would like to ban sales of gasoline and diesel powered vehicles as early as 2025.[206]
Of the 146 airports in Norway,[92] 52 are public,[207] and 43 are operated by the state-ownedAvinor.[208]Seven airports have more than one million passengers annually.[207] A total of 41,089,675 passengers passed through Norwegian airports in 2007, of whom 13,397,458 were international.[207]
The central gateway to Norway by air isOslo Airport, Gardermoen.[207] Located about 35 kilometres (22 mi) northeast of Oslo, it ishub for the two major Norwegian airlines:Scandinavian Airlines[209] andNorwegian Air Shuttle,[210] and for regional aircraft from Western Norway.[211] There are departures to most European countries and some intercontinental destinations.[212][213] A direct high-speed train connects to Oslo Central Station every 10 minutes for a 20 min ride.
Research
Niels Henrik Abel made pioneering contributions in a variety of fields. TheAbel Prize in mathematics, originally proposed in 1899 to complement theNobel Prizes, is named in his honour.
Norway has a rich history of contributions to science, mathematics, and technology, with several internationally recognized scientists and innovators.
In 2019, Norway ranked 20th in theWorld Economic Forum'sTravel and Tourism Competitiveness Report.[216] Tourism in Norway contributed to 4.2% of the gross domestic product as reported in 2016.[217] Every one in fifteen people throughout the country work in the tourism industry.[217] Tourism is seasonal in Norway, with more than half of total tourists visiting between the months of May and August.[217]
Norway's population was 5,585,044 people in the fourth quarter of 2024.[218]Norwegians are an ethnic NorthGermanic people. Thetotal fertility rate (TFR) in 2023 was estimated at 1.40 children born per woman,[219] below the replacement rate of 2.1, it remains considerably below the high of 4.69 children born per woman in 1877.[220] In 2024 themedian age of the Norwegian population was 40 years.[221]
TheSámi people are indigenous to the Far North and have traditionally inhabited central and northern parts of Norway and Sweden, as well as areas in northern Finland and in Russia on theKola Peninsula. Another national minority are theKven people, descendants of Finnish-speaking people who migrated to northern Norway from the 18th up to the 20th century. From the 19th century up to the 1970s, the Norwegian government tried to assimilate both the Sámi and the Kven, encouraging them to adopt the majority language, culture and religion.[222] Because of this "Norwegianization process", many families of Sámi or Kven ancestry now identify as ethnic Norwegian.[223]
Norwegians of two Norwegian parents, either born abroad or in Norway as a percentage proportionally and nationally in Norway as of 2021
Particularly in the 19th century, when economic conditions were difficult in Norway, tens of thousands of people migrated to the United States and Canada, where they could work and buy land in frontier areas. Many went to the Midwest and Pacific Northwest. In 2006, according to the US Census Bureau, almost 4.7 million persons identified asNorwegian Americans,[227] which was larger than the population of ethnic Norwegians in Norway itself.[228] In the 2021 Canadian census, 466,500 Canadian citizens identified as havingNorwegian ancestry.[229]
In 2024, approximately 931,081 individuals (16.8% of the population) of the population of Norway were immigrants. Of these, 386,559 (41.5%) had aWestern background (Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand), while 544,521 (58.5%) had a non-Western background (Asia,Africa, South and Central America). 221,459 individuals (4% of the population) were children of immigrants, born in Norway.[230]
Immigrants have settled in all Norwegian municipalities. In 2013, the cities with the highest share of immigrants wereOslo (32%) andDrammen (27%).[231] According toReuters, Oslo is the "fastest growing city in Europe because of increased immigration".[232] In recent years, immigration has accounted for most of Norway's population growth.[233]
Separation of church and state happened significantly later in Norway than in most of Europe, and remains incomplete. In 2012, the Norwegian parliament voted to grant theChurch of Norway greater autonomy,[234] a decision which was confirmed in a constitutional amendment on 21 May 2012.[235]
Until 2012, at least half of all government ministers had to be a member of the state church. As state church, the Church of Norway's clergy were viewed as state employees, and the central and regional church administrations were part of the state administration. Members of the Royal family are required to be members of the Lutheran church. On 1 January 2017, Norway made the church independent of the state, but retained the Church's status as the "people's church".[236][237]
Most Norwegians are registered at baptism as members of the Church of Norway. Many remain in the church to participate in the community and practices such asbaptism,confirmation, marriage, and burial rites. About 61.7% of Norwegians were members of the Church of Norway in 2024. In the same year, approximately 50.4% of all newborns were baptised and about 47.6% of all 15-year-olds wereconfirmed in the church.[238]
Religious affiliation
Official religious affiliation in Norway (31 December 2019):[239][240][241]
According to the 2010 Eurobarometer Poll, 22% of Norwegian citizens responded that "they believe there is a God", 44% responded that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 29% responded that "they don't believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force". Five per cent gave no response.[242] In the early 1990s, studies estimated that between 4.7% and 5.3% of Norwegians attended church on a weekly basis.[243] This figure has dropped to about 2%.[244][245]
In 2010, 10% of the population wasreligiously unaffiliated, while another 9% were members of religious communities outside the Church of Norway.[246] Other Christian denominations total about 4.9%[246] of the population, the largest of which is theRoman Catholic Church, with 83,000 members, according to 2009 government statistics.[247] TheAftenposten (Evening Post) in October 2012 reported there were about 115,234 registered Roman Catholics in Norway; the reporter estimated that the total number of people with a Roman Catholic background may be 170,000–200,000 or higher.[248]
Other religions comprise less than 1% each, including 819 adherents ofJudaism.[250] Indian immigrants introduced Hinduism to Norway, which in 2011 has slightly more than 5,900 adherents, or 1% of non-Lutheran Norwegians.[250]Sikhism has approximately 3,000 adherents, with most living in Oslo, which has twogurdwaras. Drammen also has a sizeable population of Sikhs; the largest gurdwara in north Europe was built inLier. There are eleven Buddhist organisations, grouped under theBuddhistforbundet organisation, with slightly over 14,000 members,[250] which make up 0.2% of the population. TheBaháʼí Faith religion has slightly more than 1,000 adherents.[250] Around 1.7% (84,500) of Norwegians belong to the secularNorwegian Humanist Association.
From 2006 to 2011, the fastest-growing religious communities in Norway wereEastern Orthodox Christianity andOriental Orthodox Christianity, which grew in membership by 80%; however, their share of the total population remains small, at 0.2%. It is associated with the immigration from Eritrea and Ethiopia, and to a lesser extent fromCentral and Eastern European and Middle Eastern countries. Other fast-growing religions wereRoman Catholicism (78.7%),Hinduism (59.6%),Islam (48.1%), andBuddhism (46.7%).[251]
Indigenous religions
As in other Scandinavian countries, the ancient Norse followed a form ofGermanic paganism known asNorse paganism. By the end of the 11th century, when Norway had beenChristianised, the indigenous Norse religion and practices were prohibited. Remnants of the native religion and beliefs of Norway survive today in the form of names, referential names of cities and locations, the days of the week, and everyday language. Modern interest in the old ways has led to a revival of pagan religious practices in the form ofÅsatru. The NorwegianÅsatrufellesskapet Bifrost formed in 1996; in 2011, the fellowship had about 300 members.Foreningen Forn Sed was formed in 1999 and has been recognised by the Norwegian government.
The Sámi minority retained theirshamanistic religion well into the 18th century, when most converted to Christianity under the influence of Dano-Norwegian Lutheranmissionaries. Today there is a renewed appreciation for the Sámi traditional way of life, which has led to a revival ofNoaidevuohta.[252] Some Norwegian and Sámi celebrities are reported to visitshamans for guidance.[253][254]
Norway was awarded first place according to the UN'sHuman Development Index (HDI) for 2013.[255] From the 1900s, improvements in public health occurred as a result of development in several areas such as social andliving conditions, changes in disease and medical outbreaks, establishment of the health care system, and emphasis on public health matters.Vaccination and increased treatment opportunities with antibiotics resulted in great improvements within the Norwegian population. Improved hygiene and better nutrition were factors that contributed to improved health.
The disease pattern in Norway changed from communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases and chronic diseases ascardiovascular disease. Inequalities and social differences are still present in public health in Norway.[256]
In 2024 the infant mortality rate was 2.1 per 1,000 live births among children under the age of one. For girls it was 1.7 and for boys 2.4, which is the lowest infant mortality rate for boys ever recorded in Norway.[257]
Public education is virtually free for citizens from EU/EEA and Switzerland, but other nationalities need to pay tuition fees.[259][260][261] Higher education has historically been free for everyone regardless of nationality, but tuition fees for all students from outside EU/EEA and Switzerland was implemented in 2023.[262][263]
The map shows the division of the Norwegian dialects within the main groups.
Norwegian in its two forms,Bokmål andNynorsk, is the main national official language of all of Norway. Sámi, a group which includes three separate languages, is recognised as a minority language on the national level and is a co-official language alongside Norwegian in the Sámi administrative linguistic area (Forvaltningsområdet for samisk språk) in Northern Norway.[2]Kven is a minority language and is a co-official language alongside Norwegian in one municipality, also in Northern Norway.[264][265][266]
Norwegian
Norwegian is aNorth Germanic language descended fromOld Norse. It is the main national language of Norway and is spoken throughout the country. Norwegian is spoken natively by over 5 million people mainly in Norway, but is generally understood throughoutScandinavia and to a lesser degree otherNordic countries. It has two official written forms,Bokmål andNynorsk. Both are used in public administration, schools, churches, and media. Bokmål is the written language used by a majority of about 85%. Around 95% of the population speak Norwegian as their first or native language, although many speak dialects that may differ significantly from the written languages. Norwegian dialects are mutually intelligible, although listeners with limited exposure to dialects other than their own may struggle with certain phrases and pronunciations.
Norwegian is closely related to and generally mutually intelligible with its neighbourScandinavian languages;Danish andSwedish, and the three main Scandinavian languages thus form both adialect continuum and a larger language community with about 25 million speakers. All three languages are commonly employed in communication among inhabitants of the Scandinavian countries. As a result of the co-operation within theNordic Council, inhabitants of all Nordic countries always have the right to communicate with Norwegian authorities in Danish or Swedish as equal alternatives to Norwegian.[267] In the 19th and 20th centuries, the Norwegian language was subject tostrong political and cultural controversies. This led to the development of Nynorsk in the 19th century and to the formation of alternative spelling standards in the 20th century.
Sámi and Kven
SeveralUralic Sámi languages, which are related but not generally mutually intelligible, are traditionally spoken by the Sámi people primarily in Northern Norway and to much lesser extent in some parts of Central Norway. Around 15,000 people have officially registered as Sámi in the Sámi census (Samemanntallet), but the number of people of recent Sámi heritage is often estimated at 50,000 people. The number of people who have some knowledge of Northern Sámi, including as a second language, is estimated at 25,000 people, but only a minority are native speakers. The other Sámi languages are heavily endangered and spoken by at most a few hundred people. Most people of Sámi heritage are today native speakers of Norwegian as a result of past assimilation policies.[268]
Speakers have a right to be educated and to receive communication from the government in their own language in a specialforvaltningsområde (administrative area) for Sámi languages.[269][270] TheKven minority historically spoke the UralicKven language (considered a separate language in Norway, but generally perceived as a Finnish dialect in Finland). Today the majority of ethnic Kven have little or no knowledge of the language.[271] As Norway has ratified theEuropean Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) the Kven language together withRomani andScandoromani language has become officially recognised minority languages.[272][273]
The primary foreign language taught in Norwegian schools is English, and the majority of the population, especially those born after World War II, is fairly fluent in English. German, French and Spanish are also commonly taught as second or, more often, third languages. Russian, Japanese, Italian,Latin, and rarelyChinese (Mandarin) are offered in some schools, mostly in the cities. Traditionally, English, German and French were considered the main foreign languages in Norway. These languages, for instance, were used onNorwegian passports until the 1990s, and university students have a general right to use these languages when submitting their theses.
Traditional Norwegian farmer's costumes, known asfolkedrakt, and modern costumes inspired by those costumes, known asbunad, are widely used on special occasions.
The Norwegian farm culture continues to play a role in contemporary Norwegian culture. In the 19th century, it inspired a strongromantic nationalistic movement, which is still visible in theNorwegian language andmedia. Norwegian culture expanded with nationalist efforts to achieve an independent identity in the areas of literature, art and music. This continues today in the performing arts and as a result of government support for exhibitions, cultural projects and artwork.[277]
Egil Ragnar Monn-Iversen had so much influence in Norwegian culture that he received the nicknamethe Godfather.
Since the 1990s, the film industry has expanded, producing up to 20 feature films each year. Particular successes wereKristin Lavransdatter, based on a novel by a Nobel Prize winner;The Telegraphist andGurin with the Foxtail.Knut Erik Jensen was among the more successful new directors, together withErik Skjoldbjærg, who is remembered forInsomnia.[279]Elling and the 2012 adaption ofKon-Tiki was nominated for an Oscar for the best foreign language film. The TV-seriesSkam created byJulie Andem received a cult following and international recognition, with many countries making their own adaptations.
Norway has been a constant competitor in theEurovision Song Contest, participating 62 times. Since its first participation in 1960, Norway has won the competition three times:Bobbysocks's win in1985,Secret Garden's win in1995 andAlexander Rybak's win in2009.[284] Alexander Rybak's win in 2009 with his songFairytale was a major win in Eurovision's history as it scored the biggest margin of victory ever.[285] The song was an international hit, peaking at number one in several countries.[286]
Norway enjoys many music festivals throughout the year, all over the country. Norway is the host of one of the world's biggestextreme sport festivals with music,Ekstremsportveko—a festival held annually inVoss. Oslo is the host of many festivals, such asØyafestivalen andby:Larm. Oslo used to have a summer parade similar to the GermanLove Parade. In 1992, the city of Oslo wanted to adopt the French music festivalFête de la Musique.Fredrik Carl Størmer established the festival. From its first year, "Musikkens Dag" gathered thousands of people and artists in the streets of Oslo. "Musikkens Dag" is now renamedMusikkfest Oslo.[citation needed]
The history of Norwegian literature starts with thepaganEddaic poems andskaldic verse of the ninth and tenth centuries, with poets such asBragi Boddason andEyvindr skáldaspillir. The arrival of Christianity around the year 1000 brought Norway into contact with European medieval learning,hagiography and history writing. Merged with native oral tradition and Icelandic influence, this influenced the literature written in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Major works of that period includeHistoria Norwegiæ,Þiðrekssaga andKonungs skuggsjá.
Little Norwegian literature came out of the period of the Scandinavian Union and the subsequent Dano-Norwegian union (1387–1814), with some notable exceptions such asPetter Dass andLudvig Holberg. During the union with Denmark, the government imposed using only written Danish, which decreased the writing of Norwegian literature.
Two major events precipitated a major resurgence in Norwegian literature: in 1811 a Norwegian university was established inChristiania, and in 1814 the Norwegians created their firstConstitution. Authors were inspired and became recognised first in Scandinavia, and then worldwide; among them wereHenrik Wergeland,Peter Christen Asbjørnsen,Jørgen Moe andCamilla Collett.
With expansive forests, Norway has long had a tradition of building in wood. Many of today's most interesting new buildings are made of wood, reflecting the strong appeal that this material continues to hold for Norwegian designers and builders.[287]
With Norway's conversion to Christianity, churches were built. Stonework architecture was introduced from Europe for the most important structures, beginning with the construction ofNidaros Cathedral inTrondheim. In the earlyMiddle Ages, woodenstave churches were constructed throughout Norway. Some of them have survived; they represent Norway's most unusual contribution to architectural history.Urnes Stave Church in innerSognefjord is onUNESCO'sWorld Heritage List. Another notable example of wooden architecture is the buildings atBryggen Wharf in Bergen, also on the list for World Cultural Heritage sites, consisting of a row of tall, narrow wooden structures along the quayside.
In the 17th century, under the Danish monarchy, cities and villages such asKongsberg andRøros were established. The city Kongsberg had a church built in the Baroque style. Traditional wooden buildings that were constructed in Røros have survived.
After Norway's union with Denmark was dissolved in 1814, Oslo became the capital. The architectChristian H. Grosch designed the earliest parts of theUniversity of Oslo, theOslo Stock Exchange, and many other buildings and churches constructed in that early national period.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the city ofÅlesund was rebuilt in theArt Nouveau style, influenced by styles of France. The 1930s, when functionalism dominated, became a strong period for Norwegian architecture. It is only since the late 20th century that Norwegian architects have achieved international renown. One of the most striking modern buildings in Norway is theSámi Parliament inKárášjohka, designed byStein Halvorson andChristian Sundby. Its debating chamber, in timber, is an abstract version of alavvo, the traditional tent used by the nomadicSámi people.[288]
For an extended period, the Norwegian art scene was dominated by artwork from Germany and Holland as well as by the influence of Copenhagen. It was in the 19th century that a truly Norwegian era began, first with portraits, later with impressive landscapes.Johan Christian Dahl, originally from the Dresden school, eventually returned to paint the landscapes of western Norway, defining Norwegian painting for the first time."[289]
Norway's newly found independence from Denmark encouraged painters to develop their Norwegian identity, especially with landscape painting by artists such asKitty Kielland, a female painter who studied underHans Gude, andHarriet Backer, another pioneer among female artists, influenced byimpressionism.Frits Thaulow, an impressionist, was influenced by the art scene in Paris as wasChristian Krohg, a realist painter, famous for his paintings of prostitutes.[290]
Of particular note isEdvard Munch, a symbolist/expressionist painter who became world-famous forThe Scream which is said to represent the anxiety of modern man. Other notable works from Munch includesThe Sick Child,Madonna andPuberty.
Other artists of note includeHarald Sohlberg, a neo-romantic painter remembered for his paintings ofRøros, andOdd Nerdrum, a figurative painter who maintains that his work is not art, butkitsch.
Norway's culinary traditions show the influence of long seafaring and farming traditions, withsalmon (fresh and cured),herring (pickled or marinated),trout,codfish, and other seafood, balanced by cheeses (such asbrunost,Jarlsberg cheese, andgamalost), dairy products, and breads (predominantly dark/darker).
Lefse is a Norwegian potato flatbread, usually topped with large amounts of butter and sugar, most commonly eaten around Christmas. Traditional Norwegian dishes includelutefisk,smalahove,pinnekjøtt,raspeball, andfårikål.[291] A Norwegian speciality is rakefisk, which is fermented trout, consumed with thin flatbread and sour cream. The most popular pastry is vaffel.
Sports
This section needs to beupdated. The reason given is: Lacks info on handball from the late 2010's onward.. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(March 2025)
Norway is known internationally for its role in the development of modern winter sports, particularly skiing. From the 19th century Norway also became a premiermountaineering destination, with books such asWilliam Cecil Slingsby'sNorway, the Northern Playground contributing to the country's popularity among early mountain climbers.[292]
^Until the 2012constitutional amendment the Evangelical-Lutheran religion was the public religion of the State.[7]
^abTheSpitsbergen Treaty (also known as theSvalbard Treaty) of 9 February 1920 recognises Norway's full and absolute sovereignty over the arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen (now calledSvalbard).[16]
^ab"Offisiell status for samisk".Language Council of Norway.Archived from the original on 15 August 2023. Retrieved19 August 2021.Samisk har status som minoritetsspråk i Noreg, Sverige og Finland, og i alle tre landa har samisk status som offisielt språk i dei samiske forvaltningsområda. [Sámi is recognised as a minority language in Norway, Sweden and Finland, and is an official language within the Sámi administrative areas in all three countries.]
^ab"Nomino 6:6".Nomino. Season 2 (in Norwegian). 4 October 2016. Event occurs at 22:18.NRK.Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved5 October 2016.
^Klavs Randsborg (14 September 2009).The Anatomy of Denmark: Archaeology and History from the Ice Age to AD 2000. Bloomsbury Academic.ISBN978-0-7156-3842-2.OCLC1114604682.
^Ling 2008.Elevated Rock Art. GOTARC Serie B. Gothenburg Archaeological Thesis 49. Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Gothenburg, Goumlteborg, 2008.ISBN978-9185245345.
^Nicolson, Harold (1946).The Congress of Vienna; a study in allied unity, 1812–1822. Constable & co. ltd. p. 295.The British Government sought to overcome this reluctance by assisting Russia in blockading the coast of Norway
^abSee "The Civil War in Switzerland" by Frederick Engels contained in Marx & Engels,Collected Works: Volume 6 (International Publishers, New York, 1976) p. 368.
^Helle, Knut & Knut Mykland:Norge blir en stat. 1130–1319. Bergen: Universitetsforlaget, 1964.
^abThuesen, Nils Petter; Thorsnæs, Geir; Røvik, Sissel (14 May 2018),"Norge",Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian),archived from the original on 6 July 2018, retrieved5 July 2018
^Nordsieck, Wolfram (2011)."Parties and Elections in Europe". parties-and-elections.de. Archived fromthe original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved10 September 2011.Storting, 4-year term, 4% threshold (supplementary seats)
^"Fylkesinndelingen fra 2024" (in Norwegian Bokmål). regjeringen.no. 5 July 2022.Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved11 January 2024.
^Rapp, Ole Magnus (21 September 2015)."Norge utvider Dronning Maud Land helt frem til Sydpolen".Aftenposten (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norway.Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved22 September 2015.…formålet med anneksjonen var å legge under seg det landet som til nå ligger herreløst og som ingen andre enn nordmenn har kartlagt og gransket. Norske myndigheter har derfor ikke motsatt seg at noen tolker det norske kravet slik at det går helt opp til og inkluderer polpunktet.
^Christensen, Sverre August (27 August 2018), "Chapter 9: The capitalist state or the state as private owner",At the Forefront, Looking Ahead, Books, Universitetsforlaget, pp. 134–158,doi:10.18261/9788215031583-2018-10,ISBN978-82-15-03140-8
^"Binge and purge".The Economist. 22 January 2009.Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved30 January 2009.98–99% of Norway's electricity comes from hydroelectric plants.
^"The fund".Norges Bank Investment Management. Archived fromthe original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved4 June 2019.2017 The fund's value reaches 1 trillion dollars
^"National accounts – SSB".Statistics Norway.Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved14 January 2020.Statistics Norway national accounts
^Skjeggestad, Sveinung Berg Bentzrød Helene (7 March 2011)."De aller fleste sier ja takk til lyntog".Aftenposten (in Norwegian Bokmål).Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved23 February 2019.
^Rail transportStatistics Norway (2023). Retrieved 29 March 2025
^Hannisdahl, Ole Henrik (9 January 2012)."Eventyrlig elbilsalg i 2011" [Adventurous electric vehicle sales in 2011] (in Norwegian). Grønn bil. Archived fromthe original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved14 January 2012.See table "Elbilsalg i 2011 fordelt på måned og merke" (Electric vehicle sales in 2011, by month and brand) to see monthly sales for 2011.
^United Nations (November 2012).Human Development Report 2013. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).ISBN978-9211263404.
^Nordhagen, R; Major, E; Tverdal, A; Irgens, L; Graff-Iversen, S (2014)."Folkehelse i Norge 1814–2014". Folkehelseinstituttet. Archived fromthe original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved2 September 2014.
^Vikør, Lars S.; Jahr, Ernst Håkon; Berg-Nordlie, Mikkel (22 May 2019),"språk i Norge",Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian),archived from the original on 8 June 2019, retrieved26 June 2019
^Norges grunnlov, § 108 (Constitution of Norway, article 108, mention the Sámi language specifically)
^"Minoritetsspråkpakten". Fornyings-, administrasjons- og kirkedepartementet. 26 October 2018.Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved27 October 2014.
^"Norway in Eurovision".Eurovision.tv.Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved2 August 2023.Norway has won the contest 3 times and scored the biggest margin of victory ever in 2009.
^Hung, Steffen (24 April 2009)."Alexander Rybak Fairytale".swedishcharts.com.Archived from the original on 16 August 2023. Retrieved3 August 2023.
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