Steeped in Viking history and home to the most beautiful fjords in the world, the Kingdom of Norway continues to rank high on lists of the most prosperous and happiest countries in the world. Norway is a constitutional monarchy bordered land-wise by Sweden, Finland, Russia and Denmark. It also shares maritime borders with Greenland, Iceland, Russia, the United Kingdom and Sweden via the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea. Norway is fourth in the world regarding per capita income and recently held top ranking on the Human Development Index. Additionally, Norway has been designated by the Democracy Index to be the most democratic country globally.
Useful Facts About Norway
• Established in 1000 AD, Oslo is the capital of Norway and the economic/government capital as well.
• Norway is rich in natural gas, petroleum, seafood, minerals and fresh water reserves, all contributing factors to its ability to offer subsidized higher education, universal health care, an excellent social security system and consistently low unemployment rates.
• Although Norway is not a member of the European Union, it maintains close ties with the EU. Norway is also a founding member of NATO, the WTO, the Council of Europe and the EEA (European Economic Area).
• Norway has two official languages: Bokmal Norwegian and Nynorsk Norwegian. Bokmal is spoken by the majority of Norwegians while Nynorsk is spoken by Finnish and Sami-speaking minorities.
• The Norwegian Krone (plural Kroner) is the country's currency unit. Six Kroner equals $1 USD and one euro equals eight Kroner.
What is the Law system in the Country?
Norway's court system is similar to the U.S. court system. District courts have the least power, followed by the Appeals Court and t he Supreme Court. Judges presiding over appeal and district courts can be one of three types of judges: professional judges, lay judges or co-judges. Professional judges are qualified lawyers who have gained legal experience through years of defending or prosecuting individuals in Norway courts. Lay and co-judges are non-lawyers who have been appointed to a position as judge in a district or appeals court.