Norway

Norway or Norge (Bokmål), officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, together with the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard together with Bouvet Island.[note 1] Kingdom of Norway has a full surface area of 385,252 foursquare kilometres (148,747 sq mi) together with a population of nigh 4.99 million. It is the minute to the lowest degree densely populated province inwards Europe. The bulk of the province shares a edge to the due east alongside Sweden; its northernmost part is bordered past times Republic of Finland to the southward together with Russian Federation to the east; inwards its southward Kingdom of Norway borders the Skagerrak Strait across from Denmark. The upper-case alphabetic lineament urban substance of Kingdom of Norway is Oslo. Norway's extensive coastline, facing the North Atlantic Ocean together with the Barents Sea, is dwelling trouble solid to its famous fjords.

Norwegian lowland landscape nigh the Gaulosen branch of Trondheimsfjord

Two centuries of Viking raids tapered off next the adoption of Christianity past times King Olav Tryggvason inwards 994. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 menstruation of civil state of war ended inwards the 13th century when Kingdom of Norway expanded its command overseas to parts of the British Isles, Iceland, together with Greenland. Norwegian territorial ability peaked inwards 1265, only contest from the Hanseatic League together with the spread of the Black Death weakened the country. In 1380, Kingdom of Norway was absorbed into a matrimony alongside Kingdom of Denmark that lasted to a greater extent than than iv centuries. In 1814, Norwegians resisted the cession of their province to Sweden together with adopted a novel constitution. Sweden together with so invaded Kingdom of Norway only agreed to allow Kingdom of Norway locomote along its constitution inwards render for accepting the matrimony nether a Swedish king. Rising nationalism throughout the 19th century led to a 1905 plebiscite granting Kingdom of Norway independence. Although Kingdom of Norway remained neutral inwards World War I, it suffered heavy losses to its shipping. Kingdom of Norway proclaimed its neutrality at the get-go of World War II, only was nonetheless occupied for 5 years past times the Third Reich. In 1949, neutrality was abandoned together with Kingdom of Norway became a founding fellow member of NATO. Discovery of oil together with gas inwards next waters inwards the belatedly 1960s boosted Norway's economical fortunes. In referenda held inwards 1972 together with 1994, Kingdom of Norway rejected joining the EU. Key domestic issues include immigration together with integration of ethnic minorities, maintaining the country's extensive social security cyberspace alongside an aging population, together with preserving economical competitiveness.

Reine inwards Lofoten, Northern Norway

Norway is a unitary parliamentary commonwealth together with constitutional monarchy, alongside King Harald V equally its caput of province together with Jens Stoltenberg equally its prime number minister. It is a unitary province alongside administrative subdivisions on 2 levels known equally counties (fylke) together with municipalities (kommunar). The Sámi people receive got a sure as shooting amount of self-determination together with influence over traditional territories through the Sámi Parliament together with the Finnmark Act. Although having rejected European Union membership inwards 2 referenda, Kingdom of Norway maintains unopen ties alongside the matrimony together with its fellow member countries, equally good equally alongside the United States. Kingdom of Norway remains 1 of the biggest fiscal contributors to the United Nations, together with participates alongside United Nations forces inwards international missions, notably inwards Afghanistan, Kosovo, Sudan together with Libya. Kingdom of Norway is a founding fellow member of the United Nations, NATO, the Council of Europe, together with the Nordic Council; a fellow member of the European Economic Area, the WTO, together with the OECD; together with is besides a business office of Schengen Area.

Rondeslottet inwards Rondane National Park, Eastern Norway

Norway has extensive reserves of petroleum, natural gas, minerals, lumber, seafood, fresh water, together with hydropower. On a per-capita basis, it is the world's largest producer of oil together with natural gas exterior the Middle East, together with the crude manufacture accounts for about a quarter of the country's gross domestic product. The province maintains a Nordic welfare model alongside universal wellness care, subsidized higher education, together with a comprehensive social security system. From 2001 to 2006, together with and so in 1 trial again from 2009 through 2014, Kingdom of Norway has had the highest human evolution index ranking inwards the world.

Feigefossen, Sogn og Fjordane

Climate

The southern together with western parts of Kingdom of Norway sense to a greater extent than atmospheric precipitation together with receive got milder winters than the southeastern part. The lowlands about Oslo receive got the warmest together with sunniest summers only besides mutual frigidity conditions together with snowfall inwards wintertime (especially inland).

Norway is mountainous, only at that spot are besides some apartment areas similar Jæren, Toten together with Ørlandet

Because of Norway's high latitude, at that spot are large seasonal variations inwards daylight. From belatedly May to belatedly July, the Sun never completely descends beneath the horizon inwards areas due north of the Arctic Circle (hence Norway's description equally the "Land of the Midnight Sun"), together with the residue of the province experiences upwards to twenty hours of daylight per day. Conversely, from belatedly Nov to belatedly January, the Sun never rises inwards a higher house the horizon inwards the north, together with daylight hours are real curt inwards the residue of the country.

Loen, a little hamlet on the Western coast of Norway

Biodiversity

The full number of species include 16,000 species of insects (probably 4,000 to a greater extent than species even so to live described), 20,000 species of algae, 1,800 species of lichen, 1,050 species of mosses, 2,800 species of vascular plants, upwards to 7,000 species of fungi, 450 species of birds (250 species nesting inwards Norway), ninety species of mammals, 45 fresh-water species of fish, 150 salt-water species of fish, 1,000 species of fresh-water invertebrates together with 3,500 species of salt-water invertebrates. About 40,000 of these species receive got been described past times science. The ruby listing of 2010 encompasses 4,599 species.

The Storting is the Parliament of Norway

Seventeen species are listed mainly because they are endangered on a global scale, such equally the European beaver, fifty-fifty if the population inwards Kingdom of Norway is non seen equally endangered. The number of threatened together with near-threatene species equals to 3,682; it includes 418 fungi species, many of which are closely associated alongside the little remaining areas of old-growth forests, 36 plane species, together with sixteen species of mammals. As of 2010, 2,398 species were listed equally endangered or vulnerable; of these are 1250 listed equally vulnerable (VU), 871 equally endangered (EN), together with 276 species equally critically endangered (CR), amid these are the greyish wolf, the Arctic line a fast 1 on (healthy population on Svalbard) together with the puddle frog.

Bryggen inwards Bergen is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The largest predator inwards Norwegian waters is the sperm whale, together with the largest fish is the basking shark. The largest predator on terra firma is the polar bear, spell the chocolate-brown comport is the largest predator on the Norwegian mainland, where the mutual moose (also known equally the "European Elk") is the largest animal.

Agriculture is a meaning sector, inwards spite of the mountainous landscape (Flakstad)

Transport

Due to the depression population density, narrow sort together with long coastlines, populace carry inwards Kingdom of Norway is less developed than inwards many European countries, particularly exterior the cities. As such, Kingdom of Norway has one-time H2O carry traditions, only the Norwegian Ministry of Transport together with Communications has inwards recent years implemented rail, route together with air carry through numerous subsidiaries inwards gild to develop the country's infrastructure. Most lately at that spot has been give-and-take of the possibility of created a novel high-speed rail arrangement betwixt the nation's largest cities.

Norway's mind railway network consists of 4,114 kilometres (2,556 mi) of criterion estimate lines, of which 242 kilometres (150 mi) is double runway together with 64 kilometres (40 mi) high-speed rail (210 km/h) spell 62% is electrified at xv kV 16⅔ Hz AC. The railways transported 56,827,000 passengers 2,956 1000000 rider kilometres together with 24,783,000 tonnes of cargo 3,414 1000000 tonne kilometres. The entire network is owned past times the Norwegian National Rail Administration,[84] spell all domestic rider trains except the Airport Express Train are operated past times Norges Statsbaner (NSB). Several companies operate freight trains.

NSB type 73 at Oslo Central Station, the largest railway station inwards the country

Investment inwards novel infrastructure together with maintenance is financed through the province budget, together with subsidies are provided for rider prepare operations. NSB operates long-haul trains, including black trains, regional services together with iv commuter prepare systems, about Oslo, Trondheim, Bergen together with Stavanger.

Norwegian together with Scandinavian aircraft at Oslo Airport, Gardermoen

There are or so 92,946 kilometres (57,754 mi) of route network inwards Norway, of which 72,033 kilometres (44,759 mi) are paved together with 664 kilometres (413 mi) are motorway. There are iv tiers of route routes; national, county, municipal together with private, alongside alone the national roads numbered en route. The most of import national routes are business office of the European route scheme, together with the 2 most prominent are the E6 going north-south through the entire country, spell E39 follows the West Coast. National together with county roads are managed past times the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.

Nidaros Cathedral inwards Trondheim

Of the 97 airports inwards Norway, 52 are public, together with 46 are operated past times the state-owned Avinor. Seven airports receive got to a greater extent than than 1 1000000 passengers annually. 41,089,675 passengers passed through Norwegian airports inwards 2007, of which 13,397,458 were international.

The mind edifice of the Norwegian University of Science together with Technology inwards Trondheim

The key gateway past times air to Kingdom of Norway is Oslo Airport, Gardermoen,] located nigh 50 kilometres (31 mi) due north of Oslo alongside departures to most European countries together with some intercontinental destinations. It is hub for the 2 major Norwegian airlines Scandinavian Airlines System together with Norwegian Air Shuttle, together with for regional aircraft from Western Norway.