mark, Hordaland, More og Romsdal, Nordland,
Nord-Trondelag, Oppland, Oslo, Ostfold, Rogaland, Sogn og Fjordane,
Sor-Trondelag, Telemark, Troms, Vest-Agder, Vestfold

Dependent areas:

Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard

Independence:

7 June 1905 (Norway declared the union with Sweden dissolved); 26
October 1905 (Sweden agreed to the repeal of the union)

National holiday:

Constitution Day, 17 May (1814)

Constitution:

17 May 1814; amended many times

Legal system:

mixture of customary law, civil law system, and common law
traditions; Supreme Court renders advisory opinions to legislature
when asked; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991); Heir Apparent
Crown Prince HAAKON MAGNUS, son of the monarch (born 20 July 1973)
head of government: Prime Minister Jens STOLTENBERG (since 17
October 2005)
cabinet: State Council appointed by the monarch with the approval of
parliament
elections: the monarch is hereditary; following parliamentary
elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the
monarch with the approval of the parliament

Legislative branch:

modified unicameral Parliament or Storting (169 seats; members are
elected by popular vote by proportional representation to serve
four-year terms); note - in 2009 the number of seats will change to
165
elections: last held 12 September 2005 (next to be held in September
2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - Labor Party 32.7%,
Progress Party 22.1%, Conservative Party 14.1%, Socialist Left Party
8.8%, Christian People's Party 6.8%, Center Party 6.5%, Liberal
Party 5.9%, other 3.1%; seats by party - Labor Party 61, Progress
Party 38, Conservative Party 23, Socialist Left Party 15, Christian
People's Party 11, Center Party 11, Liberal Party 10
note: for certain purposes, the parliament divides itself into two
chambers and elects one-fourth of its membership in the Lagting and
three-fourths of its membership in the Odelsting

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court or Hoyesterett (justices appointed by the monarch)

Political parties and leaders:

Center Party [Aslaug Marie HAGA]; Christian People's Party [Dagfinn
HOYBRATEN]; Conservative Party [Erna SOLBERG]; Labor Party [Jens
STOLTENBERG]; Liberal Party [Lars SPONHEIM]