At a glance

Official Name: Kingdom of Norway

Capital: Oslo

Population: 4,695,134 (2006 est.)

Religions:
Church of Norway (Christian) 88%,
Other Christian Religions 4.5%,
Islam 1.5%

Languages: Norwegian

Life Expectancy:
Male: 77 Female: 82

Currency: Norwegian Krone (NOK)

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity):
$207.3 billion (2006 est.)

National Holidays:
May 1 is Labour Day,
May 17 is Constitution Day, celebrating the Norwegian Constitution of 1814.

Industries: Petroleum and Gas,
Food Processing, Shipbuilding,
Pulp and Paper Products,
Metals, Photovoltaics, Software, Electronics, Chemical Manufacturing, Timber, Mining.

Norway
Norway is considered one of the most developed nations in
the world. It has one of the highest GDP per capita rates; it is over 30% higher than in the United States and 25% higher than in the United Kingdom. It was also rated the most peaceful nation in the world, and for the past seven years has had the highest Human Development Index, as judged by the United Nations based on literacy rate, education level, and per capita income. Its constitution forbids retroactive laws, and has adopted the Human Rights conferences in the UN and the Council of Europe into its constitution, forbidding torture and capital punishment.