Norway, along with Denmark and Sweden, is one of the Scandinavian countries. Vikings lived in all three Countries about a thousand years ago. Vikings from Norway sailed west and established colonies in Iceland and Creenland. About A.D. 1 000, Leif Ericson sailed from Creenland and headed what was the first European expedition to the mainland of America.

Since the time of the Vikings, the Norwegians have been a seafaring people. Norway's coast is famous for its many long, narrow inlets of the sea called fiords, which provide fine harbours. Rich fisheries lie off the west Coast, and dried fish were an important export as early as the 1200´s. Norway began developing its great shipping fleet during the 1600's. Today, Norway's fishing and shipping industries rank among the world's largest. Forestry has traditionally played a major part in the economy of the country. Forestry is still an important industry. Commercially grown trees, such as pine, cover large sections of the lowland area.

Norway is mostly a high, mountainous plateau covered by bare rock, and it has a relatively small amount of farmland. But the rivers that rush down from the mountains provide much cheap electricity. Norway generates more hydroelectric power per person than any other country. Norwegian manufacturing is based on this cheap power. Important products of Norway include chemicals, metals, petroleum, processed foods, and wood pulp and paper. Norway is one of Europes largest producer of petroleum due to its massive oil reserves. Which has made Norwegians one of the richest people in the world.

Government: the prime minister (today Kjell Magne Bondevik), parliament (Storting) with 165 members (three-party aliance - Christian People´s Party with the Liberals and Centre, the Labour Party of former premier Thorbjorn Jagland will probably return to power during 1999) who are elected to four-year terms. The whole country is devided in 19 counties with their local own government. All Norwegian citizens at least 18 years old may vote
Area: 386,958 sq. km (240,496 sq. miles) including Svalbard and Jan Mayen. Greatest distances - northeast-southwest, 1 ,752 km (1,099 miles); northwest-southeast, 430 km (268 miles). Coastline - 2,650 km. (1647 miles).
Elevation: Highest - Galdhoppigen, 2,469 m (8100 feet) above sea level. Lowest - sea level along the coast.
Chief products: Agriculture - barley, hay, livestock, milk, oats, potatoes. Fishing - capelin, cod, herring, mackarel. Forestry - timber. Manufacturing - aluminium, chemicals, processed foods, refined petroleum products, ships, wood pulp and paper. Mining - ilmenite, iron ore, lead, molybdenite, petroleum and natural gas, pyrites, zinc.
Money: Basic unit - krone (January 1999: 1 USD = 7,44 krone, 1 Euro = 8,74 krone).
Armed forces: Norwegian men between the ages of 19 and 44 are required to serve from 12 to 15 months in the armed forces. Nato member.
GDP: $ 177.7 bn USD (2000)
GDP per head: $ 39,400 USD (2000)
GDP growth: 2,2%, Inflation: 2,2% (2000)

Cool Facts about Norway

A Norwegian Viking, Leif Ericson discovered America in about A.D. 1 000 (almost 500 years before Columbus A.D. 1492), the Norwegian Roald Amundsen was the first man on the South Pole (year 1911), Norway has the fourth largest shipping fleet in the world (after Greece, Japan and USA) and one of the largest fishing industry (after Japan), Norway generates most hydroelectric power per person in the world, Norwegians are the second richest people in the world (only Swiss people are richer) Norway has the second highest amount of subscribers of mobile telephones in the world, 45% (only Finland lies higher with 48%), Norwegians invented the famous paperclip and the skis. The coast inlets, called fiords, make the coastline one of the most jagged and dramatic in the world.

In Norway there are some museums with one of the best foundings from the Viking age. Among other - the famous Gokstadskeppet and Osebergsskeppet - two well preserved viking battle ships from A.D.850, and a burial ship, all can be seen at the Vikingskiphuset in the capital Oslo (in the area of Bygdoy). Another most remarkable sight is the famous Stavkirche in Vagamo, a church from the A.D. 1100-1200 built in wood with incredible wooden decorations and handmade crafts. In the north lies Nordkap with the Midnight Sun (its the most nortern point of Europe). Not far fram Nordkap lies the Islands of Lofoten where tourists can go on killer whale and whale safari.

People Norway has a population of about 4,4 million. The Norwegians are a Scandinavian people, closely related to the Danes and the Swedes. The people of Norway have strong ties with Americans. During the late 1800´s and early 1900´s, more than 600,000 Norwegians migrated to the United States in

search of better job opportunities. No other country except Ireland has provided the United States with so many immigrants in proportion to population.

About 20,000 Sami live in far northern Lapland (click here and learn more about the Sami culture). That region also has about 10,000 people of Finnish ancestry. Norway also has about 135,000 immigrants. They include people from Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey, and from Africa, the United States, Southeast Asia, and from other European nations.

Language

The Norwegian language has two forms - Bokmal and Nynorsk. They are gradually being combined into a single form called Samnorsk. Bokmal and Nynorsk are similar enough for someone who speaks the either form to understand a person who speaks the other. Both belong to the Scandinavian group of Germanic languages. Local school boards may select either as the chief form in a school, but all children learn to read both. The Sami also use their own language, which is much like Finnish (click here and learn more about the Sami culture).

Bokmal, also called Riksmal, is the major form used in the cities and towns, and in most Norwegian schools. Bokmal is a Norwegian form of Danish. It has almost the same vocabulary and spelling as Danish, but is pronounced much differently. Bokmal developed during Norway's political union with Denmark, which lasted from 1380 to 1814. During that period, it replaced Old Norse, the early Norwegian language.

Nynorsk, originally called Landsmal, was created during the mid-1800´s as a reaction against the Danish influence. Nynorsk was based on the many dialects (local forms of speech) that developed in the villages during Norway's union with Denmark.

Way of Life

About three-fourths of Norway's people live in urban areas. But Norway is less urban than Denmark and Sweden, where more than four-fifths of the populations live in cities. Oslo, Norway's capital and largest city, has nearly 500,000 people. Other large cities in Norway include Bergen, Drammen, Kristiansand, Stavanger, and Trondheim. Norwegian cities sprawl into surrounding suburbs but are smaller than most other European cities. They have fewer high-rise commercial buildings and lack the fast pace of life often found in cities of other industrial nations.

Norway´s high standard of living and its social welfare system have kept the cities free of slums and substandard housing. Most Norwegians and immigrant live in modern flats in or near the principal urban areas. Wealthier Norwegians often own single-family homes built of wood. Many people paint the outside of their house with attractive colours. A number of Norwegians also own small cottages along the coast or in the mountains, which they visit on weekends.

Although Norway's cities have bus and train traffic services, traffic congestion is a problem for urban dwellers. Norway has little industrial pollution because of its extensive use of hydroelectric power and and natural gas in industry. Unemployment is extremely low by international standards. Many of Norway's immigrants work in low paid jobs in the cities. Their presence has caused discontent among some Norwegians because of the benefits the immigrants receive through the welfare system.

About a fourth of Norway's people live in rural areas. The rural population is concentrated in southeastern Norway, which has gently rolling hills, suitable for farming, and along the western coast. Many people who live in rural area fish for a living. Some spends weeks or even months away from home on fishing ships in the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. Many rural homes are old, wooden farmhouses that been modernized. Almost all of them have electric refrigerators, and other appliances.

Norway's numerous fiords, rivers, and mountains prevent rural Norwegians from travelling easily. Snow and ice make many roads impassable during much of the year. For these reasons, rural people rely heavily on boats and the country´s electrified railway system for transportation.

Food and Drink

Norwegians usually eat four meals a day, but many farm families have five. Breakfast generally includes cereal and open-faced sandwiches with cheese, jam, herring, marmalade, or sliced meat. Goat cheese is a favourite sandwich spread. Sandwiches are also eaten at lunch and at a late-evening supper. Dinner is usually the only hot meal of the day. It includes soup, meat or fish, potatoes, vegetables, and dessert. People in the cities and towns eat dinner in the evening, and those in farm areas have it at midday. Norwegians drink coffee throughout the day and especially at mealtimes. Many Norwegians also enjoy beer, which is sometimes served with a strong, colourless liquor called aquavit. Tea, milk, and soft drinks also are popular in Norway.

On weekends, many Norwegians enjoy hiking through hills and forest areas. Some Norwegians travel to cabins in the mountains, where they may spend several weeks during the summer holiday season. Many adults also enjoy hunting. Sailing is popular along the coast. In addition, Norway's numerous fiords, lakes, and rivers attract many fishing enthusiasts. Swimming is also a popular activity.

Social Welfare

The government of Norway provides the people with many welfare services. AII families with more than one child receive a yearly allowance for each youngster under the age of 16, beginning with the second one. These families also may receive financial aid in paying their rent. The government guarantees all employed people an annual fourweek holiday with full pay. Large families with medium or low incomes pay little or no national taxes, and their local taxes are reduced.

The National Insurance Act, which went into effect in 1967, combined many existing welfare programmes. All Norwegians are required to take part in this combined scheme. It includes old-age pensions, job retraining, and aid for mothers, orphans, widows, widowers, and handicapped people. Anofher insurance scheme provides free medical and hospital care, in addition to cash payments to employees during periods of illness. The costs of these schemes are shared by the insured people, their employers, and the national and local governments.

Religion

The Norwegian Constitution establishes the Evangelical Lutheran Church as the nation's official church, but other religions have complete freedom of worship. About 88 per cent of the people are Evangelical Lutherans.

Education

Almost all the people of Norway can read and write. Norwegian law requires children from the age of 7 to 16 to go to school. The primary school programme lasts six years. It is followed by three years of junior secondary school and three years of senior secondary school. Senior secondary school provides academic courses for those who wish to go on to college and also vocational courses. Bergen, Oslo, Tromso, and Trondheim each have a university. Schools of higher education also include a network of regional colleges, and several technical and other specialized institutions.

Arts

Norwegians have contributed much to the development of the arts. Henrik lbsen's realistic plays of the late 1800´s brought him worldwide fame as the father of modern drama. Three Norwegian writers have won the Nobel Prize for literature. The painter Edvard Munch was a strong influence on the expressionist art style of the early 1900´s. Statues by Gustav Vigeland, perhaps Norway's greatest sculptor, stand in Oslo's Frogner Park. Edvard Grieg, Norway's bestknown composer, used melodies from folk songs and dances in his orchestral works.

Land and Climate

Most of Norway is a high, mountainous plateau. Its average height is more than 457 metres (1500 feet) above sea level which make it one of the most mountainious countries in the world (Switzerland is the rockiest country in the world). Only about a fifth of Norway, two major lowlands, lies lower than 150 metres (492 feet). Norway has three main land regions: (1) the Mountainous Plateau, (2) the Southeastern Lowlands, and (3) the Trondheim Lowlands.

The Mountainous Plateau is covered largely by bare rock that was smoothed and rounded by ancient glaciers. Glaciers also formed many lakes and especially in the 11,700-square-kilometre (7272 sq. miles) Hardanger plateau, Europe's largest highland plain. In Norway's uplands above 1,980 metres (6496 feet), permanent snow and ice cover about 3,110 square kilometres (1933 sq. miles). The 487 square kilometre (303 sq. miles) Jostedal Glacier is the largest ice field in Europe outside lceland.

The soufheaster Lowlands consist mostly of the middle and lower valleys of the Glama River, which is 598 kilometres long (372 miles), and several other rivers. The rivers are used to float timber to pulp mills and sawmills. Their many waterfalls provide hydroelectric energy. These are the most thickly settled part of Norway.

The Trondheim Lowlands include the lower ends of wide, flat valleys. In addition to providing good farmland, the valleys also serve as important railway routes to other parts of Norway and to Sweden.

Many long, narrow inlets of the sea indent the rocky coast of Norway. These inlets, called fiords, make the coastline one of the most jagged in the world. The longest, Sogne Fiord, extends inland for 204 kilometres (127 miles). Norway has a coastline of 2,650 kilometres (1647 miles). Including all the fiords and peninsulas, the entire lenght of the coast is about 21,350 kilometres (13,269 miles), which equal to approximately half the distance around the world.

About 150,000 islands lie off the Norwegian coast. Some are only rocky reefs called skerries, which shield the coastal waters from stormy seas.

The climate of Norway is much milder than that of most other regions as far north, especially along the country's west coast. Near the Lofoten Islands, for example, January temperatures average 25 Degrees Centigrades (77 Degrees Fahrenheit) higher than the world average for that latitude. Snow that falls along the coast melts almost immediately. The warm North Atlantic Current of the Gulf Stream keeps nearly all the seaports ice-free, even in the Arctic.

During winter, Norway's inland regions are colder than the coast because mountains block the warm west winds from the sea. Snow covers the ground at least three months a year. During the summer months, when the sea is cooler than the land, the west winds cool the coast more than the inland. The warmest summers are in the inland valleys of the southeast Less rain falls inland than along the coast.

Northern Norway lies in the Land off the Midnight Sun and so has continuous daylight during part of the summer. The number of days of continuous daylight increases as one goes farther north. In northernmost Norway, the sun stays above the horizon for about 2,5 months. Southern Norway never has continuous daylight, though it averages 19 hours of daylight a day in midsummer.

In winter, Norway has similar periods of continuous darkness. In the northernmost areas of the country the sun never rises above the horizon for about 2 months. Southern Norway has some daylight each day, though it receives only about 6 hours of daylight a day in midwinter. The winter night sky-especially in the northern areas of Norway-often becomes enriched with brilliant displays of the aurora borealisz or northern lights.

Economy

Norway has a well-developed economy. Since the late 1940´s, the nation's income from the production of goods and services has increased sharply. Unemployment has been relatively low. The rapid economic growth has resulted largely from (1) government programmes to promote investment and industries, and, (2) increased foreign demand for the goods and services of Norway.

Norway's waters provide its most valuable resources. Important petroleum and natural gas fields lie offshore in the North Sea. The offshore areas and the country's rivers are rich in fish. Norway's many swift mountain rivers are used to produce hydroelectric power.

Norway's land is not rich in natural resources. About 60 per cent of the country consists of mountains and plateaus that are covered mostly by bare rock. Only about 3 per cent of Norway is farmland. Productive forests cover more than 20 per cent of the land.

As in other industrial nations, Norway's service industries employ a growing number of workers. Service industries are those economic activities that produce services, not goods. Service industries account for 64 per cent of Norway's gross domestic product (GDP), which was $ 165,3 bn USD (1998). The GDP is the total value of goods and services produced within a country in a year. Industry accounts for 32 percent of the GDP, and agriculture, forestry, and fishing-taken together-account for 4 per cent of the GDP.

In 1960, employees in service industries accounted for 44 per cent of the work force. By the late 1980´s, these activities employed 69 per cent of Norway's workers. Manutacturing developed much later in Norway than in the major industrial countries. Those countries had their own coal to provide power with which to run machines. In the 1800´s, Norway had to import coal for its factories, which made manufacturing costly and held back its growth. By 1900, Norway had started to develop its sources of cheap hydroelectric power. The country's factories turned to hydroelectricity to meet their power needs. As a result, manufacturing in Norway expanded rapidly. Today, manufacturing is one of Norway's most valuable industries. About half the factories are in the Oslo area. The most important products include petroleum products, chemicals and chemical products, such metals as aluminium and magnesium, processed foods, and wood pulp and paper.

Norway is one of the world's leading producers of aluminium. This metal is processed from imported bauxite and because of its cheap hydroelectric power it can producen the aluminum with lesser cost. The nation also produces clothing, electrical machinery, furniture, and small ships. Mining became a major Norwegian economic activity during the 1970´s, when the country began producing petroleum and natural gas from North Sea fields. Today, petroleum and natural gas account for more than 50% of the country's income, and it has become an oil economy. Iron ore and pyrites, from which copper and sulphur are taken, are mined in Norway. Other minerals include ilmenite, lead, molybdenite, and zinc. Coal is mined only in Svalbard, an island territory north of Norway.

Forestry has been an important industry in Norway for hundreds of years. Lumber became a major export during the 1500´s. Today, much timber is also used to pulp and paper. Norway has long been an important fishing country. lts total catch is about 1.8 billion kilograms a year. Norwegian fishing crews bring in large numbers of cod, haddock, herring, and mackerel. Much of the catch is processed for export. Norway's once-great whaling industry declined sharply during the 1960´s. Large catches by Norway and other major whaling nations made many kinds of whales increasingly scarce.

Since the early 1900´s, hydroelectric stations have generated most of the power used in Norway's industry and homes. But since the mid-1970´s, the extraction of Norway's rich oil and natural gas deposits in the North Sea has led to more extensive use of petroleum products in industry and transportation.

Norway depends heavily on foreign trade to help keep its standard of living high. The nation's trade is one of the largest in the world in relation to its population. Norway, with limited natural resources, imports a wide variety of foods and minerals as well as manufactured goods. Petroleum and natural gas rank as Norway's chief exports. Other exports include chemicals, fish, machinery, metals, transportation equipment, and wood pulp and paper. Norway's merchant fleet, one of the largest in the world, is also an important source of income for the country. The fleet provides shipping services for countries in all parts of the world.

Norway´s leading trade partners are Sweden, Germany, and Great Britain. Norway also trades heavily with other European countries, especially Denmark, the Netherlands, and France, and with the United States. Norway is not a member of the EC (European Union).

During World War II (1939-1945), about half of Norway's merchant fleet was sunk while carrying cargo for the Allies. After the war, the fleet grew to become one of the world's largest. Several hundred vessels link the coastal cities and towns of Norway. Inland, ferries cross many fiords and rivers. Norway has an extensive road system. Almost all households own a car.

The government owns and operates nearly all the rail ways. It also owns part of the Scandinavian Airlines System, which flies throughout the world. Several airlines provide regular service to all parts of Norway. The country's chief airports are located at Oslo, Bergen, and Stavanger.

Norway has about 80 daily newspapers. The most important daily papers include the Aftenposten, Arbeiderbladet, Dagbladet, and Verdens Gang. The government-owned Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation operates the country's radio and television systems. The government owns and operates the telegraph system and most telephone services.

Early Days

Almost 11,000 years ago, people lived along the northern and western coasts of what is now Norway. Most of the region was covered by thick ice sheets, which took thousands of years to melt. By 2000 B.C., a series of Germanic tribes had started to settle there permanently. They gradually spread throughout the region, and continued to arrive for hundreds of years after the time of Christ. The tribes formed local and regional communities ruled by chiefs and kings.

Islands and other North Atlantic islands. About 870, they explored farther west and colonized Iceland.

Eric the Red brought the first group of settlers to Greenland about 985. About 1000, his son, Leif Ericson, led what is believed to have been the first voyage of Europeans to the mainland of America. About 900, much of present-day Norway was united under Norway's first king, Harold I (called Fairhair), or Harald I. He defeated many local chieftains and kings, and others recognized his leadership. King Olav I introduced Christianity in Norway during the 990´s. In the early 1000´s, Olav II achieved full Norwegian unity and firmly established Christianity. He became recognized as Norway's patron saint soon after his death in 1030.

The Viking period ended during the late 1000´s. The church grew in power, foreign trade expanded, and religious and trading centres became important cities. Political confusion and bitter struggles for royal power also developed. Beginning in 1130, many regional leaders claimed the throne. They were defeated in a series of civil wars that lasted until 1240. Peace was restored under Haakon IV. By 1300, Norway's economy was largely controlled by north German merchants. Norway had become dependent on them for grain imports. The country was weakened further in 1349 and 1350, when about half the Norwegian people died in an epidemic of plague.

Union with Denmark

Margaret, the wife of King Haakon VI of Norway, was also the daughter of the king of Denmark. After her father died in 1375, she had her young son elected king and she ruled Denmark as regent. Haakon died in 1380, and Margaret became regent of Norway as well. In 1388, during political confusion in Sweden, Swedish noblemen elected her to rule that country, too. In 1397, in the Union of Kalmar, Margaret united Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, with power centred in Denmark.

Sweden revolted against the Danish rule several times, and broke away from the union in 1523. Under the Danish-controlled union, Norway grew weaker and Denmark became stronger. In 1536, Denmark declared Norway a Danish province and made Lutheranism the official Norwegian religion. During the 1500´s, Norway exported increasing amounts of timber to the countries of western Europe. As a result, Norway began to develop a great shipping industry during the late 1600´s. The industry expanded rapidly throughout the 1700´s.

Click here to shop glass from the Medieval Period.
Click here to shop jewelry from the Medieval Period.
Click here to shop gifts with a touch of Norwegian history.

Union with Sweden

In 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark sided with France against Great Britain had been Norway's chief trading partner, but now the British ended the trade. British warships blockaded Norway's trade with other countries, and many Norwegians starved. Norway was cut off from Denmark by the British blockade and began to manage its own affairs. The Norwegians secretly began to trade with the British again.

Denmark was defeated in 1813 by Sweden, an ally of Britain against France. In 1814, in the Treaty of Kiel, Denmark gave Norway to Sweden. Denmark kept Norway´s colonies - Greenland, Iceland, and the Faeroe Islands. The Norwegians did not recognize the Treaty of Kiel. Later in 1814, they elected an assembly to draw up a constitution for an independent Norway. The constitution was adopted on May 17, but Sweden refused to grant Norway independence. Swedish forces attacked Norwegian troops and quickly defeated them. In November 1814, the Norwegian parliament accepted King Charles XIII of Sweden as Norway's ruler as well. In 1884, after a long political struggle, the parliament won the right to force the cabinet to resign. Until that time the cabinet had been responsible only to the king.

Independence

During the 1890´s, Norway's merchant fleet was one of the largest in the world. But the Swedish foreign service handled Norway's shipping affairs in overseas trading centres. Norway demanded its own foreign service, but Sweden refused. In May 1905, the Norwegian parliament passed a law creating a foreign service, but the Swedish king vetoed it. On June 7, the parliament ended the union with Sweden. Sweden nearly went to war against Norway. However, Sweden recognized Norway's independence in September 1905, after a ballot in which all but 184 Norwegians voted for independence. In November, the people approved a Danish prince as their king. He became Haakon VII.

Norway had started to develop its many mountain streams to produce hydroelectric power. Its industries expanded rapidly with this cheap power source. Norway's economy increased further during World War I (1914-1918). Norway remained neutral, but its merchant fleet carried much cargo for the Allies. About half its ships were sunk by German submarines and mines.

An economic depression hit Norway after World War I. The economy, dependent on trade and shipping, suffered further during the worldwide depression of the I 1930´s. Between a quarter and a third of Norway's workers were usually unemployed during this period. World War II began in 1939, and Norway tried to remain neutral. But on April 9, 1940, Germany invaded Norway by attacking all its main seaports at once. The Norwegians fought bravely for two months, aided by some British, French, and Polish troops. On Iune 10 of that year, Norway surrendered. King Haakon VII and the cabinet fled to London and formed a government-inexile. The Germans made Vidkun Quisling, a Norwegian who supported them, premier of Norway. His last name became an international word for traitor.

A secret Norwegian resistance army conducted sabotage against the German occupation force. These Norwegians were trained chiefly to join a hoped-for Allied invasion of Norway. Other Norwegians fled their country and trained in Sweden or Great Britain for the invasion. Some took part in British commando raids in Norway. After each raid, the Germans shot, tortured, or imprisoned many Norwegians. Norwegian fighter pilots were trained in Canada, and operated from bases in Britain and Iceland. Norway's merchant fleet carried war supplies for the Allies. The Norwegian navy helped protect Allied shipping, and took part in the invasion of France in 1944.

On May 8, 1945, after Germany fell, the 350,000 German troops in Norway surrendered. Haakon VII returned in triumph on June 7, the 40th anniversary of Norwegian independence. About 10,000 Norwegians died during the war, and about half the merchant fleet was sunk. The far northern counties of Finnmark and Troms lay largely in ruins.

Postwar Developments

After the war, U.S. loans helpt Norway rebuild its merchant fleet and industries. By the 1950´s, the Norwegian economy was thriving. Norway became a charter member of the United Nations in 1945. The next year, Trygve Lie of Norway became the first secretary-general of the UN. In 1949, Norway became a charter member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). But Norway refused to permit NATO bases or nuclear weapons on its territory for fear of angering the Soviet Union, its neighbour on the northeast. The Soviet Union had been formed under Russia's leadership in 1922, and it existed until 1991. In 1960, Norway and six other countries formed the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), an economic union.

Olav V became king of Norway in 1957. In 1966, the parliament passed the National Insurance Act, probably the most important reform in Norway's history. The programme, which began on Jan. 1, 1967, combines such social security schemes as old-age pensions, job retraining, and aid for mothers, orphans, widowers, and the handicapped. The Norwegians based much of their expanded social welfare programme on Sweden's system, which provides extensive welfare benefits.

The1970´s

In 1972, Norway signed a preliminary treaty to join the European Community, an organization that promotes trade and economic cooperation among European nations. The treaty was submitted for voter approval. Supporters argued that membership would benefit the Norwegian economy, while opponents feared it would threaten Norway's national identity and quality of life. In September 1972, Norway's voters rejected the membership treaty. The government then reached a more limited agreement with the European Community to eliminate tariffs on most industrial goods.

Norway began producing petroleum and natural gas from North Sea fields during the early 1970´s. Since then, the extraction and processing of petroleum and gas have greatly stimulated economic growth. Because of its increased petroleum exports, Norway profited from large increases in the price of oil from the mid-1970´s to the early 1980´s. During this period, the country's economy continued to expand and unemployment remained low, while many other nations struggled with inflation and slow economic growth.

Recent Developments

After decades of Labour Party dominance in the Cabinet, Norway entered a period of rapidly shifting coalitions and governments during the 1980´s. Several nonsocialist governments held power in the early 1980´s, followed in 1986 by a minority government led by the Labour Party. In the 1989 elections, gains by the Progress Party and other nonsocialist parties deprived the Labour Party of control of the parliament, and a coalition led by the Conservative Party took office.

Norway's economic ties with the European Commu nity have expanded since the early 1970´s, leading many Norwegians to urge that the country reconsider joining the European Community. During the late 1980´s, a decline in the international price of petroleum resulted in slower economic growth and slightly increased unemployment in Norway. Until 1990, only a king could serve as monarch of Norway. That year, the Storting amended the Constitution to allow women to inherit the throne. Olav V died in 1991. Harald V succeeded him as king.

Back to Travel to Scandinavia.

Browse our inventory list of Norwegian gifts food and crafts