Location: Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden
Land Area: 324,220 sq km ( 125,181 sq. miles)
Coastline: 21,925 km (13,626 miles)
Highest Point: Galdhopiggen 2,469 m ( 8,098 ft)
Lowest Point: Norwegian Sea 0 m (0 ft)
Notable Landmarks: Visit them now!

The Norwegian economy is a prosperous bastion of welfare capitalism, featuring a combination of free market activity and government intervention. The government controls key areas, such as the vital petroleum sector (through large-scale state enterprises). The country is richly endowed with natural resources --- petroleum, hydropower, fish, forests and minerals. It is highly dependent on its oil production and international oil prices, with oil and gas accounting for one third of its exports. Only Saudi Arabia and Russia export more oil than Norway. With arguably the highest quality of life worldwide, Norwegians still worry about that time in the next two decades when the oil and gas begin to run out. Accordingly, Norway has been savings its oil-boosted budget surpluses in a Government Petroleum Fund, which is invested abroad and now is valued at more than $43 billion. Gross Domestic Product growth was lackluster at one percent in 2002 and a half a percent in 2003 against the background of a faltering economy.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $194.7 billion (2005 est.)
GDP Per Capita: $42,400 (2005 est.)
Number of Workers: 2.4 million (2005 est.)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (2005 est.)
Industries: petroleum and gas, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining textiles and fishing.
Currency: Norwegian krone What does it look like?

Type of Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Head of State: King Harald V (since 17 January 1991)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Jens STOLTENBERG (since 17 October 2005)
Capital City: Oslo
Legal Age to Vote: 18
Flag Design: red with a blue cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag).
Official Language: Bokmal Norwegian (official), Nynorsk Norwegian (official), small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities. Note - Sami is official in six municipalities.
Religions: Church of Norway 85.7%, Pentecostal 1%, Roman Catholic 1%, other Christian 2.4%, Muslim 1.8%, other 8.1% (2004)

Two centuries of Viking raids into Europe tapered off following the adoption of Christianity by King Olav Tryggvason 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 for 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 through the 19th century led to a 1905 referendum granting Norway independence. Norway remained neutral in World War I and proclaimed its neutrality at the outset of World War II. Nevertheless, it was not able to avoid a five-year occupation by Nazi Germany from 1940 to 1945. In 1949, neutrality was abandoned and Norway became a member of NATO. Discovery of oil and gas in adjacent waters in the late 1960s boosted Norway's economic fortunes. The current focus is on containing spending and on the extensive welfare system and planning for the time when petroleum reserves are depleted. In referenda held in 1972 and 1994, Norway rejected joining the European Union.