01
Physical geography
Glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north.
Local timeOslo ·
Europe / Northern Europe · Card 039
Norway
Norway is a country in Northern Europe. Its capital is Oslo.
Find Norway
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers. The maps show mainland Norway and its coastal islands. Svalbard and Jan Mayen have a separate card.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers. The maps show mainland Norway and its coastal islands. Svalbard and Jan Mayen have a separate card.
At a glance
- Capital
- Oslo
- Languages
- Norwegian Nynorsk & Norwegian Bokmål & Sami
- Currency
- Norwegian krone (NOK)
- Population
- 5.6 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 323,802 km²Mainland Norway and coastal islands; Svalbard and Jan Mayen excluded.
- Independence
- 1905
Norway in context
Europe and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Oslo; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Norwegian Nynorsk, Norwegian Bokmål, Sami.
03
Location
Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden.
Flag
Red with a blue cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the the cross is shifted to the left side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
History & independence
Norway entered a union with Sweden in 1814 after centuries of union with Denmark, while retaining its own constitution. A peaceful separation in 1905 restored full independence. Norway was occupied by Nazi Germany from 1940 to 1945.
-
Norway adopts its constitution
-
The union with Sweden is dissolved
-
Norway becomes a founding NATO member
Economy
Main activities
Oil and natural gas are important exports and sources of state revenue. Shipping, seafood, industry and services also contribute. Hydropower supplies much electricity, and petroleum revenues have helped build a large sovereign wealth fund.
Industry and production
petroleum and gas, shipping, fishing, aquaculture, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people5.62025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3,875,763 | 3.876 |
| 1980 | 4,085,620 | 4.086 |
| 1990 | 4,241,473 | 4.241 |
| 2000 | 4,490,967 | 4.491 |
| 2010 | 4,889,252 | 4.889 |
| 2020 | 5,379,475 | 5.379 |
| 2025 | 5,610,870 | 5.611 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars470.32025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 211,441,810,489 | 211.442 |
| 1991 | 217,486,204,425 | 217.486 |
| 1992 | 225,237,904,334 | 225.238 |
| 1993 | 231,709,124,675 | 231.709 |
| 1994 | 243,385,718,694 | 243.386 |
| 1995 | 253,493,272,680 | 253.493 |
| 1996 | 266,090,606,536 | 266.091 |
| 1997 | 279,640,177,681 | 279.640 |
| 1998 | 287,262,912,069 | 287.263 |
| 1999 | 293,532,747,729 | 293.533 |
| 2000 | 303,640,301,716 | 303.640 |
| 2001 | 310,209,362,458 | 310.209 |
| 2002 | 314,730,598,340 | 314.731 |
| 2003 | 318,181,171,842 | 318.181 |
| 2004 | 331,958,912,872 | 331.959 |
| 2005 | 341,817,216,114 | 341.817 |
| 2006 | 351,549,653,858 | 351.550 |
| 2007 | 363,573,710,884 | 363.574 |
| 2008 | 366,565,216,454 | 366.565 |
| 2009 | 360,651,524,217 | 360.652 |
| 2010 | 364,275,829,281 | 364.276 |
| 2011 | 369,321,235,920 | 369.321 |
| 2012 | 379,750,707,835 | 379.751 |
| 2013 | 384,584,561,343 | 384.585 |
| 2014 | 392,642,430,456 | 392.642 |
| 2015 | 400,669,174,331 | 400.669 |
| 2016 | 405,844,166,613 | 405.844 |
| 2017 | 416,678,764,070 | 416.679 |
| 2018 | 421,305,528,551 | 421.306 |
| 2019 | 427,497,488,848 | 427.497 |
| 2020 | 421,681,140,845 | 421.681 |
| 2021 | 439,152,009,907 | 439.152 |
| 2022 | 457,071,158,448 | 457.071 |
| 2023 | 458,683,228,228 | 458.683 |
| 2024 | 465,213,599,255 | 465.214 |
| 2025 | 470,262,478,013 | 470.262 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.970Very High human developmentRank 2 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.856
20000.924
20100.947
20200.969
20230.970
83.3 yearsLife expectancy at birth
13.1 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Parliament (Stortinget) has one chamber (a unicameral legislature).
Knowledge check
Three questions about Norway.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which city is identified as the capital of Norway?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.