Countries of the World/COUNTRYS.BIN/dp/0268/02686.txt

Text File | 1991-06-25 | 32KB | 608 lines

$Unique_ID{COW02686}
$Pretitle{436}
$Title{Norway
Norway at the Top of Europe}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Norway Information Service}
$Affiliation{Norway Information Service, New York}
$Subject{norway
norwegian
norway's
new
norwegians
world
government
system
welfare
social}
$Date{1990}
$Log{Mountain Crossing*0268602.scf
}
Country:     Norway
Book:        Norway at the Top of Europe
Author:      Norway Information Service
Affiliation: Norway Information Service, New York
Date:        1990

Norway at the Top of Europe

Come join us in Norway

     Land of the midnight sun and glacier-born fjords ... beautiful valleys
nestled in mountains thick with pine ... rustic stave churches and traditional
dances stepped to the folk airs of a fiddler: These enduring images spring
from the rugged natural environment and proud history of old Norway.

     But there is a modern Norway, too. Come explore a nation technologically
advanced, rich in petroleum and hydro-electric energy, a dynamic new world of
cultural and economic growth. Here an exciting social experiment unfolds,
supported by a strong capitalistic base and tempered with a humane effort to
guarantee well-being for all. In today's Norway find the best of the past
preserved in harmony with a forward-looking society.

     This booklet, written for North American readers in answer to their most
commonly-asked questions, offers a brief introduction to Norway now. We hope
this overview will add to the enjoyment of our very special corner of the
world.

     The Norwegian Information Service in the United States. New York.

Norway now

[See Mountain Crossing: Roadway opened May/June. Courtesy Norway Information
Service, New York.]

At the Top of Europe

     The Norwegian mainland, situated at the top of Europe, on the
Scandinavian peninsula, is a landmass larger than the area of New Mexico. To
the east, Norway shares borders with Sweden, Finland and the Soviet Union; to
the West she faces the Norwegian Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Oslo (pop.
450,000), the capital, is as far north as Anchorage, Alaska. The city of
Hammerfest, the northernmost city in the world, lines up latitudinally with
Point Barrow at the top of Alaska. The country itself is very long, extending
a distance equal to that between Minneapolis and Miami.

     While half of Norway lies north of the Arctic Circle at a latitude
permanently frozen elsewhere in the world, the entire country enjoys a
temperate climate thanks to the Gulf stream. This strong ocean current
rising in the Gulf of Mexico pours some 150 million cubic feet of warm
Caribbean water per second into the seas surrounding Norway. The Gulf stream
keeps Norwegian harbors open for shipping all year and maintains winter
temperatures more like New England than Alaska. In Oslo, for example,
temperatures in January average 25 F. while summers range in the 60's and
70's, with occasional highs in the 80's. Above the Arctic Circle Norway enjoys
midnight sun throughout the summer, as the sun shines night and day.

     With an average of nearly 24 acres per capita, Norway is one of the most
sparsely settled countries in Europe. The population is slightly over four
million, about equal to that of Chicago. A high degree of political and social
stability characterizes the country. In general Norwegians share a community
of thought and action reflecting their common history and traditions. Over 90%
of the population share evangelical-Lutheran affiliations.

     More than 20,000 Samis live in Norway, mostly in the far north. As an
indigenous people they have much in common with American Indians, particularly
regarding past degradation of their language and cultural traditions. The
Samis are now working actively with the government to establish greater
representation and new cultural institutions through which they may better
express their views. Fewer than 10% of the Samis now breed reindeer, their
traditional economic activity.

     The first Vikings who sailed across the Atlantic probably didn't even go
ashore, but Leif Ericson, upon his arrival around the year 1,000, initiated
the settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Canada. Some houses
constructed by the Vikings have been restored as historic land-marks, the only
evidence left of the first European settlers in North America. Little is known
about the fate of these settlers, but they probably chose to return home after
conflicts arose with the natives.

A Coastal Nation

     Like the land itself, much of Norway's history has been shaped by the
sea. As early as the 9th century, the Norwegian Vikings sailed their elegant
long ships across the Atlantic to what is now known as the North American
continent. Their efforts to explore unknown lands opened commercial and
cultural opportunities for all of northern Europe. Since then, countless
Norwegians have reaped a living from the ocean. From traditional fishing to
modern fish-farming, in shipping and most recently through the discovery of
oil in the North Sea, the ocean supports much of Norway's industrial growth.

     Most Norwegian communities are located along the coast or surround major
fjords, majestic waterways extending into the countryside. The Norwegian
coastline, not counting fjords, stretches some 1,700 miles, equivalent to the
length of the East coast of the United States. About half the area of Norway
is mountainous; more than a quarter of it is forested; only three percent is
farmable land.

Rich in Human and Natural Resources

     Before 1900, most people lived directly off the land's natural resources
through hunting, fishing, farming and forestry. In spite of rich fishing and
lumbering sources, it has never been easy to wrench a living from an
unyielding natural world in Norway. Fortunately, poor farm conditions were,
particularly in the coastal regions, partly compensated for by huge schools of
fish as a staple food source.

     Industrialization came late, and only last century Norway was among the
poorest nations in Europe. In 1800 merely five percent of the population held
industrial jobs. Today, Norway is one of the most prosperous countries in the
world, mainly due to enormous energy resources and a highly skilled labor
force.

     Norway's combination of large-scale private industry and a modern welfare
state represents an effort to combine the demands of present-day industrial
society with the traditional values of welfare and social equality.

     Post-war government administrations have pursued industrial policies to
promote the goals of production and welfare while maintaining national control
of natural resources. Like other Scandinavian countries, Norway has always
maintained some degree of government engagement in key industries. Yet there
is reliance on competitive markets to advance economic progress. While
energy and a few other industries are publicly controlled, private
enterprise thrives in Norway.

Major Exports

     Norway exports nearly fifty percent of the national product. Some
consumer products are certainly well-known in the U.S.: Norwegian furniture,
sardines, beer, thin crispbread and Jarlsberg cheese are widely found in
supermarkets. Fish and fish products dominate among Norway's major traditional
exports. The annual catch is fifth largest in the world. Fish farming, a new
industry, has experienced astonishing growth. Farmed salmon now exceeds
traditional exports like metals as the number one product exported to the
United States.

     Oil and gas accounted for 22% of all export earnings in 1988 and about
8% of the gross national product. In 1985, before the fall in oil prices, the
figures were 36% and 19%, respectively. Foreign oil companies participate
actively in Norwegian oil activities. They cooperate with the three Norwegian
oil companies, Statoil, Norsk Hydro and Saga Petroleum. Statoil, which is
state-owned, usually receives at least 50% of the licenses allocated for
petroleum-related activities in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea.

     Shipping is N