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Compare Norway (2005) - Israel (2004)

Compare Norway (2005) z Israel (2004)

 Norway (2005)Israel (2004)
 NorwayIsrael
Administrative divisions 19 counties (fylker, singular - fylke); Akershus, Aust-Agder, Buskerud, Finnmark, Hedmark, Hordaland, More og Romsdal, Nordland, Nord-Trondelag, Oppland, Oslo, Ostfold, Rogaland, Sogn og Fjordane, Sor-Trondelag, Telemark, Troms, Vest-Agder, Vestfold 6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
Age structure 0-14 years: 19.5% (male 459,418/female 437,734)


15-64 years: 65.7% (male 1,531,249/female 1,484,656)


65 years and over: 14.8% (male 286,343/female 393,641) (2005 est.)
0-14 years: 26.7% (male 847,591; female 808,399)


15-64 years: 63.4% (male 1,976,539; female 1,954,782)


65 years and over: 9.9% (male 262,781; female 348,916) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products barley, wheat, potatoes; pork, beef, veal, milk; fish citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products
Airports 101 (2004 est.) 51 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 65


2,438 to 3,047 m: 13


1,524 to 2,437 m: 12


914 to 1,523 m: 14


under 914 m: 26 (2004 est.)
total: 28


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 8


914 to 1,523 m: 10


under 914 m: 4 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 36


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 29 (2004 est.)
total: 23


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 20 (2004 est.)
Area total: 324,220 sq km


land: 307,860 sq km


water: 16,360 sq km
total: 20,770 sq km


land: 20,330 sq km


water: 440 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than New Mexico slightly smaller than New Jersey
Background Two centuries of Viking raids into Europe tapered off following the adoption of Christianity by King Olav TRYGGVASON in 994. Conversion of the Norwegian kingdom occurred over the next several decades. In 1397, Norway was absorbed into a union with Denmark that was to last for more than four centuries. In 1814, Norwegians resisted the cession of their country to Sweden and adopted a new constitution. Sweden then invaded Norway but agreed to let Norway keep its constitution in return for accepting the union under a Swedish king. Rising nationalism throughout the 19th century led to a 1905 referendum granting Norway independence. Although Norway remained neutral in World War I, it suffered heavy losses to its shipping. Norway proclaimed its neutrality at the outset of World War II, but was nonetheless occupied for five years by Nazi Germany (1940-45). In 1949, neutrality was abandoned and Norway became a member of NATO. Discovery of oil and gas in adjacent waters in the late 1960s boosted Norway's economic fortunes. The current focus is on containing spending on the extensive welfare system and planning for the time when petroleum reserves are depleted. In referenda held in 1972 and 1994, Norway rejected joining the EU. Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently, the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the two sides. The territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country profile, unless otherwise noted. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. Israel and Palestinian officials signed on 13 September 1993 a Declaration of Principles (also known as the "Oslo accords") guiding an interim period of Palestinian self-rule. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. In addition, on 25 May 2000, Israel withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives and Syria to achieve a permanent settlement. On 24 June 2002, US President BUSH laid out a "road map" for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which envisions a two-state solution. However, progress toward a permanent status agreement has been undermined by Palestinian-Israeli violence ongoing since September 2000. The conflict may have reached a turning point with the election in January 2005 of Mahmud ABBAS as the new Palestinian leader following the November 2004 death of Yasir ARAFAT.
Birth rate 11.67 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 18.45 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: $134 billion


expenditures: $116.8 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
revenues: $44.98 billion


expenditures: $51.07 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003)
Capital Oslo Jerusalem; note - Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv
Climate temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior with increased precipitation and colder summers; rainy year-round on west coast temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
Coastline 25,148 km (includes mainland 2,650 km, as well as long fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations 22,498 km; length of island coastlines 58,133 km) 273 km
Constitution 17 May 1814; amended many times no formal constitution; some of the functions of a constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the Basic Laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law
Country name conventional long form: Kingdom of Norway


conventional short form: Norway


local long form: Kongeriket Norge


local short form: Norge
conventional long form: State of Israel


conventional short form: Israel


local long form: Medinat Yisra'el


local short form: Yisra'el
Currency - new Israeli shekel (ILS); note - NIS is the currency abbreviation; ILS is the International Organization for Standarization (ISO) code for the NIS
Death rate 9.45 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 6.19 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $0 (Norway is a net external creditor) (2003 est.) $70.97 billion (2003 est.)
Dependent areas Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard -
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador John D. ONG


embassy: Drammensveien 18, 0244 Oslo


mailing address: PSC 69, Box 1000, APO AE 09707


telephone: [47] (22) 44 85 50


FAX: [47] (22) 44 33 63
chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel C. KURTZER


embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 63903


mailing address: PSC 98, Box 29, APO AE 09830


telephone: [972] (3) 519-7369/7453/7454/7457/7458/7551/7575


FAX: [972] (3) 516-4390


consulate(s) general: Jerusalem; note - an independent US mission, established in 1928, whose members are not accredited to a foreign government
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Knut VOLLEBAEK


chancery: 2720 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 333-6000


FAX: [1] (202) 337-0870


consulate(s) general: Houston, Minneapolis, New York, and San Francisco
chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel AYALON


chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 364-5578


FAX: [1] (202) 364-5560


consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco
Disputes - international Norway asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land and its continental shelf); despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway continue to dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of Golan Heights)
Economic aid - donor ODA, $1.4 billion (1998) -
Economic aid - recipient - $662 million from US (2003 est.)
Economy - overview The Norwegian economy is a prosperous bastion of welfare capitalism, featuring a combination of free market activity and government intervention. The government controls key areas, such as the vital petroleum sector (through large-scale state enterprises). The country is richly endowed with natural resources - petroleum, hydropower, fish, forests, and minerals - and is highly dependent on its oil production and international oil prices, with oil and gas accounting for one-third of exports. Only Saudi Arabia and Russia export more oil than Norway. Norway opted to stay out of the EU during a referendum in November 1994; nonetheless, it contributes sizably to the EU budget. The government has moved ahead with privatization. With arguably the highest quality of life worldwide, Norwegians still worry about that time in the next two decades when the oil and gas will begin to run out. Accordingly, Norway has been saving its oil-boosted budget surpluses in a Government Petroleum Fund, which is invested abroad and now is valued at more than $150 billion. After lackluster growth of 1% in 2002 and 0.5% in 2003, GDP growth picked up to 3.3% in 2004. Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with substantial government participation. It depends on imports of crude oil, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited natural resources, Israel has intensively developed its agricultural and industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Israel imports substantial quantities of grain but is largely self-sufficient in other agricultural products. Cut diamonds, high-technology equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the leading exports. Israel usually posts sizable current account deficits, which are covered by large transfer payments from abroad and by foreign loans. Roughly half of the government's external debt is owed to the US, which is its major source of economic and military aid. The bitter Israeli-Palestinian conflict; difficulties in the high-technology, construction, and tourist sectors; and fiscal austerity in the face of growing inflation led to small declines in GDP in 2001 and 2002. The economy grew at 1% in 2003, with improvements in tourism and foreign direct investment. In 2004, rising business and consumer confidence - as well as higher demand for Israeli exports - boosted GDP by 2.7%.
Electricity - consumption 107.4 billion kWh (2002) 37.82 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 15 billion kWh (2002) 1.457 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 5.3 billion kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 125.9 billion kWh (2002) 42.24 billion kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m


highest point: Galdhopiggen 2,469 m
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m


highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m
Environment - current issues water pollution; acid rain damaging forests and adversely affecting lakes, threatening fish stocks; air pollution from vehicle emissions limited arable land and natural fresh water resources pose serious constraints; desertification; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides
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
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups Norwegian, Sami 20,000 Jewish 80.1% (Europe/America-born 32.1%, Israel-born 20.8%, Africa-born 14.6%, Asia-born 12.6%), non-Jewish 19.9% (mostly Arab) (1996 est.)
Exchange rates Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 6.7408 (2004), 7.0802 (2003), 7.9838 (2002), 8.9917 (2001), 8.8018 (2000) new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001), 4.0773 (2000), 4.1397 (1999)
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: none; 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
chief of state: President Moshe KATZAV (since 31 July 2000)


head of government: Prime Minister Ariel SHARON (since 7 March 2001)


cabinet: Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the Knesset


elections: president is largely a ceremonial role and is elected by the Knesset for a seven-year term; election last held 31 July 2000 (next to be held mid-2007); following legislative elections, the president assigns a Knesset member - traditionally the leader of the largest party - the task of forming a governing coalition; election last held 28 January 2003 (next schedulde to be held fall of 2006)


election results: Moshe KATZAV elected president by the 120-member Knesset with a total of 60 votes, other candidate, Shimon PERES, received 57 votes (there were three abstentions); Ariel SHARON continues as prime minister after Likud Party victory in January 2003 Knesset elections; Likud won 38 seats and then formed coalition government with Shinui, the National Religious Party, and the National Union
Exports 3.466 million bbl/day (2001) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities petroleum and petroleum products, machinery and equipment, metals, chemicals, ships, fish machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
Exports - partners UK 22.4%, Germany 12.9%, Netherlands 9.9%, France 9.6%, US 8.4%, Sweden 6.7% (2004) US 38.4%, Belgium 7.4%, Hong Kong 4.8% (2003)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description red with a blue cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag
GDP - purchasing power parity - $120.9 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 2.2%


industry: 36.3%


services: 61.6% (2004 est.)
agriculture: 2.8%


industry: 37.7%


services: 59.5% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $40,000 (2004 est.) purchasing power parity - $19,800 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3.3% (2004 est.) 1.3% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates 62 00 N, 10 00 E 31 30 N, 34 45 E
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 world there are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 25 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (February 2002 est.); Sea of Galilee is an important freshwater source
Heliports 1 (2004 est.) 3 (2003 est.)
Highways total: 91,852 km


paved: 71,185 km (including 178 km of expressways)


unpaved: 20,667 km (2002)
total: 16,281 km


paved: 16,281 km (including 56 km of expressways)


unpaved: NA (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 4.1%


highest 10%: 21.8% (1995)
lowest 10%: 2.4%


highest 10%: 28.3% (1997)
Illicit drugs - increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and, increasingly, from Jordan; money-laundering center
Imports 88,870 bbl/day (2001) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, foodstuffs raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, fuels, grain, consumer goods
Imports - partners Sweden 15.7%, Germany 13.6%, Denmark 7.3%, UK 6.5%, China 5%, US 4.9%, Netherlands 4.4%, France 4.3%, Finland 4.1% (2004) US 15.6%, Belgium 9.3%, Germany 8%, UK 6.7%, Switzerland 6.1%, Italy 4.1% (2003)
Independence 7 June 1905 (Norway declared the union with Sweden dissolved); 26 October 1905 (Sweden agreed to the repeal of the union) 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
Industrial production growth rate 5.2% (2004 est.) -0.6% (2003 est.)
Industries petroleum and gas, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles, fishing high-technology projects (including aviation, communications, computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics), wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages, and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, diamond cutting
Infant mortality rate total: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 4.07 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 3.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
total: 7.21 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 7.96 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 6.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1% (2004 est.) 0.7% (2003 est.)
International organization participation AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, ESA, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC BIS, BSEC (observer), CE (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, OAS (observer), OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land 1,270 sq km (1998 est.) 1,990 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Hoyesterett (justices appointed by the monarch) Supreme Court (justices appointed for life by the president)
Labor force 2.38 million (2004 est.) 2.61 million (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture, forestry, and fishing 4%, industry 22%, services 74% (1995) agriculture, forestry, and fishing 2.6%, manufacturing 20.2%, construction 7.5%, commerce 12.8%, transport, storage, and communications 6.2%, finance and business 13.1%, personal and other services 6.4%, public services 31.2% (1996)
Land boundaries total: 2,542 km


border countries: Finland 727 km, Sweden 1,619 km, Russia 196 km
total: 1,017 km


border countries: Egypt 266 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km
Land use arable land: 2.87%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 97.13% (2001)
arable land: 16.39%


permanent crops: 4.17%


other: 79.44% (2001)
Languages Bokmal Norwegian (official), Nynorsk Norwegian (official), small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
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 mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; in December 1985, Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch modified unicameral Parliament or Storting (169 seats; members are elected by popular vote by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 12 September 2005 (next to be held 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%, Red Electoral Alliance 1.2%, other 1.9%; 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 to an upper house or Lagting
unicameral Knesset or parliament (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 28 January 2003 (next scheduled to be held fall of 2006)


election results: percent of vote by party - Likud Party 29.4%, Labor 14.5%, Shinui 12.3%, Shas 8.2%, National Union 5.5%, Meretz 5.2%, United Torah Judaism 4.3%, National Religious Party 4.2%, Democratic Front for Peace and Equality 3.0%, One Nation 2.8%, National Democratic Assembly 2.3%, Yisra'el Ba'Aliya (YBA) 2.2%, United Arab List 2.1%, Green Leaf Party 1.2%, Herut 1.2%, other 1.6%; seats by party - Likud 38, Labor 19, Shinui 15, Shas 11, National Union 7, Meretz 6, National Religious Party 6, United Torah Judaism 5, Democratic Front for Peace and Equality 3, One Nation 3, National Democratic Assembly 3, YBA 2, United Arab List 2
Life expectancy at birth total population: 79.4 years


male: 76.78 years


female: 82.17 years (2005 est.)
total population: 79.17 years


male: 77.08 years


female: 81.37 years (2004 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 100%


male: 100%


female: 100%
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 95.4%


male: 97.3%


female: 93.6% (2003 est.)
Location Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
Map references Europe Middle East
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 10 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm


continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
Merchant marine total: 740 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 18,820,495 GRT/27,449,456 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 51, cargo 168, chemical tanker 142, combination ore/oil 20, container 3, liquefied gas 81, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 113, petroleum tanker 79, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 30, vehicle carrier 42


foreign-owned: 174 (Belgium 1, China 3, Cyprus 5, Denmark 28, Estonia 2, Finland 5, Germany 4, Hong Kong 52, Iceland 3, Italy 3, Japan 3, Lithuania 1, Monaco 1, Netherlands 4, Poland 2, Saudi Arabia 7, Singapore 10, Sweden 24, United States 16)


registered in other countries: 1,117 (2005)
total: 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 752,873 GRT/881,711 DWT


by type: container 18


registered in other countries: 40 (2004 est.)
Military branches Norwegian Army, Royal Norwegian Navy (includes Coastal Rangers and Coast Guard (Kystvakt)), Royal Norwegian Air Force (Kongelige Norske Luftforsvaret, RNoAF), Home Guard Israel Defense Forces (IDF): Ground Corps (including Pioneer Fighting Youth (Nahal)), Navy, Air Force(including Air Defense Forces); note - historically there have been no separate Israeli military services
Military expenditures - dollar figure $4,033.5 million (2003) $9.11 billion (FY03)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.9% (2003) 8.7% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 1,581,883


females age 15-49: 1,532,234 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 1,294,742


females age 15-49: 1,250,969 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 51,054


females: 53,515 (2004 est.)
National holiday Constitution Day, 17 May (1814) Independence Day, 14 May (1948); note - Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in April or May
Nationality noun: Norwegian(s)


adjective: Norwegian
noun: Israeli(s)


adjective: Israeli
Natural hazards rockslides, avalanches sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, titanium, pyrites, nickel, fish, timber, hydropower timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand
Net migration rate 1.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) 0.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines condensate 411 km; gas 6,199 km; oil 2,213 km; oil/gas/water 746 km; unknown (oil/water) 38 km (2004) gas 140 km; oil 1,509 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders Center Party [Aslaug Marie HAGA]; Christian People's Party [Dagfinn HOYBRATEN]; Coastal Party [Roy WAAGE]; Conservative Party [Erna SOLBERG]; Labor Party [Jens STOLTENBERG]; Liberal Party [Lars SPONHEIM]; Progress Party [Carl I. HAGEN]; Socialist Left Party [Kristin HALVORSEN] Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) [Muhammad BARAKA]; Green Leaf Party (no longer active) [Boaz WACHTEL and Shlomi SANDAK]; Herut (no longer active) [Michael KLEINER]; Labor Party [Shimon PERES]; Likud Party [Ariel SHARON]; Meretz (merged with YAHAD) [Zahava GALON]; National Democratic Assembly (Balad) [Azmi BISHARA]; National Religious Party [Ephraim "Efie" EITAM]; National Union (Haichud Haleumi) [Avigdor LIBERMAN] (includes Tekuma Moledet and Yisra'el Beiteinu); One Nation [David TAL]; Shas [Eliyahu YISHAI]; Shinui [Yosef "Tommy" LAPID]; United Arab List [Abd al-Malik DAHAMSHAH]; United Torah Judaism [Yaakov LITZMAN]; YAHAD [Yossi BEILIN]; Yisra'el Ba'Aliya or YBA (merged with Likud) [Natan SHARANSKY]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA Israeli nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now supports territorial concessions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Yesha (settler) Council promotes settler interests and opposes territorial compromise; B'Tselem monitors human rights abuses
Population 4,593,041 (July 2005 est.) 6,199,008


note: includes about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, about 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, more than 5,000 in the Gaza Strip, and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line NA 18% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate 0.4% (2005 est.) 1.29% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors Borg Havn, Bergen, Mo i Rana, Molde, Mongstad, Narvik, Oslo, Sture Ashdod, Ashqelon, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa, Tel Aviv-Yafo
Radio broadcast stations AM 5, FM at least 650, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 23, FM 15, shortwave 2 (1998)
Railways total: 4,077 km


standard gauge: 4,077 km 1.435-m gauge (2,518 km electrified) (2004)
total: 640 km


standard gauge: 640 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)
Religions Church of Norway 85.7%, Pentecostal 1%, Roman Catholic 1%, other Christian 2.4%, Muslim 1.8%, other 8.1% (2004) Jewish 80.1%, Muslim 14.6% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2.1%, other 3.2% (1996 est.)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female


total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: modern in all respects; one of the most advanced telecommunications networks in Europe


domestic: Norway has a domestic satellite system; moreover, the prevalence of rural areas encourages the wide use of cellular mobile systems instead of fixed-wire systems


international: country code - 47; 2 buried coaxial cable systems; 4 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - NA Eutelsat, NA Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Norway shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden) (1999)
general assessment: most highly developed system in the Middle East although not the largest


domestic: good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay; all systems are digital


international: country code - 972; 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 3.343 million (2002) 3.006 million (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 4,163,400 (2003) 6.334 million (2002)
Television broadcast stations 360 (plus 2,729 repeaters) (1995) 17 (plus 36 low-power repeaters) (1995)
Terrain glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley
Total fertility rate 1.78 children born/woman (2005 est.) 2.47 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 4.3% (2004 est.) 10.7% (2003 est.)
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