Geographic coordinates: 62 00 N, 10 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total:
324,220 km²
land:
307,860 km²
water:
16,360 km²
Area - comparative: slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries:
total:
2,515 km
border countries:
Finland 729 km, Sweden 1,619 km, Russia 167 km
Coastline: 21,925 km (includes mainland 3,419 km, large islands 2,413 km, long fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations 16,093 km)
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
10 nm
continental shelf:
200 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
4 nm
Climate: temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior; 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:
Galdhøpiggen 2,469 m
Natural resources: petroleum, copper, natural gas, pyrites, nickel, iron ore, zinc, lead, fish, timber, hydropower
Land use:
arable land:
3%
permanent crops:
0%
permanent pastures:
0%
forests and woodland:
27%
other:
70% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 970 km² (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
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-Sulphur 85[?], Air Pollution-Sulphur 94[?], Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds[?], Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution[?], Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Major cities/towns (ranked by size):
- Oslo (earlier Kristiania) - capital
- Bergen - former capital, hansa city
- Trondheim
- Stavanger
- Kristiansand
- Fredrikstad
- Tromsø
- Drammen
- Sandnes
- Molde
- Kristiansund
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 the North Atlantic Ocean; one of most rugged and longest coastlines in world.