land 2,650 km, as well as long fjords,
numerous small islands, and minor indentations 22,498 km; length of
island coastlines 58,133 km)

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 10 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm

Climate:

temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder
interior with increased precipitation and colder summers; rainy
year-round on west coast

Terrain:

glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by
fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented
by fjords; arctic tundra in north

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m
highest point: Galdhopiggen 2,469 m

Natural resources:

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, titanium,
pyrites, nickel, fish, timber, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 2.7%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 97.3% (2005)

Irrigated land:

1,270 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

381.4 cu km (2005)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 2.4 cu km/yr (23%/67%/10%)
per capita: 519 cu m/yr (1996)

Natural hazards:

rockslides, avalanches

Environment - current issues:

water pollution; acid rain damaging forests and adversely affecting
lakes, threatening fish stocks; air pollution from vehicle emissions

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

about two-thirds mountains; some 50,000 islands off its much
indented coastline; strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and air
routes in North Atlantic; one of most rugged and longest coastlines
in the world

People
Norway

Population:

4,644,457 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 18.8% (male 446,146/female 426,166)
15-64 years: 66.2% (male 1,559,750/fe