Population: 4,503,440 (July 2001 est.)

Languages: Norwegian (official)

Background: Despite its neutrality, Norway was not able to avoid occupation by Germany in World War II. 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...

Currency: Norwegian Krone (NOK, NOK (5.74 = US$1))

Data from CIA World Factbook. Click on CIA link for more. Click on map or flag for larger images.