Portal:Norway
Norway Portal
Norge Portal
Norway 
i/ˈnɔrweɪ/ (Norwegian: 
Norge (Bokmål) or Noreg (Nynorsk)), officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Scandinavian unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and the subantarctic Bouvet Island. The Spitsbergen Treaty (also known as the Svalbard Treaty) of February 9, 1920, recognizes the full and absolute sovereignty of Norway over the arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen (now called Svalbard). Peter I Island is dependent territory (Norwegian: biland) of Norway but is not considered part of the Kingdom. Norway also lays claim to a section of Antarctica known as Queen Maud Land. Norway has a total area of 385,252 square kilometres (148,747 sq mi) and a population of about 5 million. It is the second least densely populated country in Europe. The majority of the country shares a border to the east with Sweden; its northernmost region is bordered by Finland to the south and Russia to the east; in its south Norway borders the Skagerrak Strait across from Denmark. The capital city of Norway is Oslo. Norway's extensive coastline, facing the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea, is home to its famous fjords.
Two centuries of Viking raids tapered off following the adoption of Christianity by King Olav Tryggvason in 994. A period of civil war ended in the 13th century when Norway expanded its control overseas to parts of Britain, Ireland, Iceland, and Greenland. Norwegian territorial power peaked in 1265, but competition from the Hanseatic League and the spread of the Black Death weakened the country. In 1380, Norway was absorbed into a union with Denmark that lasted more than four centuries. In 1814, Norwegians resisted the cession of their country to Sweden and adopted a new constitution. Sweden then invaded Norway but agreed to let Norway keep its constitution in return for accepting the union under a Swedish king. Rising nationalism throughout the 19th century led to a 1905 referendum granting Norway independence. Although Norway remained neutral in World War I, it suffered heavy losses to its shipping. Norway proclaimed its neutrality at the outset of World War II, but was nonetheless occupied for five years by the Third Reich. In 1949, neutrality was abandoned and Norway became a founding member of NATO. Discovery of oil and gas in adjacent waters in the late 1960s boosted Norway's economic fortunes. In referenda held in 1972 and 1994, Norway rejected joining the EU. Key domestic issues include immigration and integration of ethnic minorities, maintaining the country's extensive social safety net with an aging population, and preserving economic competitiveness.
Norway is a unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy, with King Harald V as its head of state and Jens Stoltenberg as its prime minister. It is a unitary state with administrative subdivisions on two levels known as counties (fylke) and municipalities (kommuner). The Sámi people have a certain amount of self-determination and influence over traditional territories through the Sámi Parliament and the Finnmark Act. Although having rejected European Union membership in two referenda, Norway maintains close ties with the union and its member countries, as well as with the United States. Norway remains one of the biggest financial contributors to the United Nations, and participates with UN forces in international missions, notably in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Sudan and Libya. Norway is a founding member of the United Nations, NATO, the Council of Europe, and the Nordic Council; a member of the European Economic Area, the WTO, and the OECD; and is also a part of Schengen Area.
Norway has extensive reserves of petroleum, natural gas, minerals, lumber, seafood, fresh water, and hydropower. The country has the fourth-highest per capita income in the world. On a per-capita basis, it is the world's largest producer of oil and natural gas outside the Middle East, and the petroleum industry accounts for around a quarter of the country's gross domestic product. The country maintains a Nordic welfare model with universal health care, subsidized higher education, and a comprehensive social security system. From 2001 to 2006, and then again from 2009 through 2011, Norway has had the highest human development index ranking in the world. In 2011, Norway also ranked the highest on the Democracy Index.
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The main Jul event for Norwegians is on Julaften on December 24th, the evening of the main feast, is served and gifts are exchanged. Almost all Norwegian breweries produce traditional beer, juleøl, and a special soda, julebrus. Jul dishes are also served on Julebord, where people from work gather in early December to feast and drink alcoholic beverages. The mother of the house bakes seven types of cookies, julekaker. In the tradition called Julebukk or Nyttårsbukk, children dress up in costumes, visit neighbours, singing Christmas carols and receiving candy, nuts and clementines.
In the news
- March 21: Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters awards Belgian mathematician Pierre Deligne with Abel prize of 2013
- February 16: 2013 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships preparations underway
- October 7: Electric vehicles can be less green than classic fuel cars, Norwegian study finds
- September 1: China leads medal race after day two of competition at London Paralympics
In this month
- The Union Dissolution Day, observed in Norway on 7 June (though not a public holiday), is marked in remembrance of the Norwegian parliament's 1905 declaration of dissolution (pictured) of the union with Sweden, a personal union which had existed since 1814.
- Oscar Fredrik Torp (8 June 1893 – 1 May 1958) was Prime Minister of Norway 1951 to 1955, and chairman of the Labour party (Det Norske Arbeiderparti) from 1923-1945.
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Did you know...
- ...that Bjørn Kjos (pictured), former fighter jet pilot, lawyer, judge, entrepreneur and now CEO of Norwegian Air Shuttle, débuted with his first spy thriller in 2006?
- ...that archaeologist Anton Wilhelm Brøgger and his sons Waldemar and Niels were imprisoned in Grini concentration camp during World War II?
- ...that Karl Evang and Torbjørn Mork, who consecutively headed the Norwegian Directorate for Health between 1938 and 1992, were both active members of the Labour Party?
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WikiProject Denmark • WikiProject Finland • WikiProject Iceland • WikiProject Sweden • WikiProject Russia
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De syv søstre (The Seven Sisters) is a mountain range on the island of Alsten in Norway. The range is popular with hikers and offers scenic views over the surrounding area.
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Main topics
Counties: Akershus • Aust-Agder • Buskerud • Finnmark • Hedmark • Hordaland • Møre og Romsdal • Nordland • Nord-Trøndelag • Oppland • Oslo • Østfold • Rogaland • Sogn og Fjordane • Sør-Trøndelag • Telemark • Troms • Vest-Agder • Vestfold
Culture: Bunad • Constitution Day • Cuisine • Farm culture • Jul • Literature • Music
History: Ancient Norwegian property laws • Nordic Stone Age • Nordic Bronze Age • Komsa • Fosna-Hensbacka culture • Funnelbeaker culture • Hamburg culture • Nøstvet and Lihult cultures • Maglemosian culture • Viking Age • Harald I of Norway • Olav IV of Norway • Haakon I of Norway • Olaf I of Norway • Olaf II of Norway • Battle of Stiklestad • Canute the Great • Magnus I of Norway • Harald III of Norway • Battle of Stamford Bridge • Magnus III of Norway • Sigurd I of Norway • Magnus V of Norway • Sverre of Norway • Haakon IV of Norway • Magnus VI of Norway • Eric II of Norway • Kalmar Union • Denmark–Norway • Union between Sweden and Norway • Dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905 • Haakon VII of Norway • Olav V of Norway • Harald V of Norway • Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany • Norwegian Campaign • Norwegian resistance movement • Legal purge in Norway after World War II • Foreign relations of Norway • Military of Norway • Norway and the European Union
Language: Å • Æ • Ø • Bokmål • Det Norske Akademi for Sprog og Litteratur • Differences between Norwegian Bokmål and Standard Danish • Høgnorsk • Nordic Council • Nordic Language Convention • Noregs Mållag • Norsk Ordbok • North Germanic languages • Norwegian alphabet • Norwegian dialects • Norwegian Language Council • Norwegian language conflict • Norwegian phonology • Nynorsk • Old Norse • Riksmålsforbundet • Russenorsk
Politics: Constitution • Counties (Fylker) • Elections • European Union relations • Foreign relations • Government • Monarchy • Municipalities (Kommuner) • Political parties • Prime Minister • Romantic nationalism • Sámi Parliament • Storting
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