Norway
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Oslo
- Population
- 5,509,733 (2024 est.)
- Area
- 323,802 sq km
- Government
- parliamentary constitutional monarchy
- Religions
- Church of Norway (Evangelical Lutheran - official) 67.5%, Muslim 3.1%, Roman Catholic 3.1%, other Christian 3.8%, other 2.6%, unspecified 19.9% (2021 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Norwegian 81.5% (includes about 60,000 Sami), other European 8.9%, other 9.6% (2021 est.)
- Currency
- Norwegian kroner (NOK)
- Life Expectancy
- 82.9 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .no
- Climate
- temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior with increased precipitation and colder summers; rainy year-round on west coast
- Terrain
- glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north
- Natural Resources
- petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, titanium, pyrites, nickel, fish, timber, hydropower
- Major Exports
- natural gas, crude petroleum, fish, refined petroleum, aluminum (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
Two centuries of Viking raids into Europe tapered off after King Olav TRYGGVASON adopted Christianity in 994; conversion of the Norwegian kingdom occurred over the next several decades. In 1397, Norway was absorbed into a union with Denmark that lasted more than four centuries.