Norway is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden.

The country has mountains, glaciers, and deep coastal fjords. About two-thirds of the country is mountainous and it has 50,000 islands off its cavernous coastline which makes it a country with the longest and most rugged coastlines in the world.

Oslo, the capital, is fringed by forests, ringed by hills, and surrounded by lakes. It also has fine artifacts such as the preserved 9th-century Viking ships displayed at Oslo’s Viking Ship Museum.

Bergen has colorful wooden houses, and is the starting point for cruises to the dramatic Sognefjord. Norway is also known for fishing, hiking, and skiing, notably at Lillehammer Olympic Park.

Most of Norway’s over 5 million people live in the south where the climate is milder and there is better connectivity to mainland Europe. Population clusters are found along the North Sea coast in the southwest and Skaggerak in the southeast; the interior areas of the north remain sparsely populated.

Norwegian people make 94.4% of the population (including Sami, about 60,000), European 3.6%, and other 2%. Norway has two official languages namely Bokmal Norwegian and Nynorsk Norwegian. Sami is an official language in nine municipalities.

The country’s economy is a developed mixed economy with state-ownership in key areas. Much of Norway’s economic growth has been fueled by an abundance of natural resources, including petroleum exploration and production, hydroelectric power, and fisheries.

Norway is one of the world’s leading petroleum exporters. The petroleum sector provides about 9% of jobs, 15% of GDP, and 39% of exports, according to official national estimates. 

In anticipation of eventual declines in oil and gas production, Norway saves state revenue from petroleum sector activities in the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, valued at over $800 billion as of early 2016.

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