Norway

Official name: Kingdom of Norway

System of government: Constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy

The Royal House of Norway:
Harald V, King of Norway, born 21 February 1937
Sonja, Queen of Norway, born 4 July 1937
Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway, born 20 July 1973
Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway, born 19 August 1973
Ingrid Alexandra, Princess of Norway, born 21 January 2004
Sverre Magnus, Prince of Norway, born 3 December 2005

Head of Government: Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg

Area: 385,155 square kilometres

Population: 4 801 100 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2009)

Capital city: Oslo

Languages: Norwegian bokmål, Norwegian nynorsk and Sami

Religion: Church of Norway (Protestant Christianity)

Currency: Norwegian kroner (NOK) 1 krone = 100 øre
100 kroner equals approximately € 12,5

Time zone: Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) +1 hour

National day: 17 May

Average life expectancy: Female: 82.5 years, male: 77.7 years
Last updated: 2010-10-11

History
In medieval Norway the basis for agriculture was poor. Many people lived on the coast and boat building skills were easily the best in Europe. The result was voyages of discovery, trade and brutal raids. The voyages began in the latter part of the 9th century and stretched from Greenland in the west to the Caspian Sea in the east. 
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Popular Attraction
Sailing into the Norwegian fjords, you find yourself in a landscape that very few places can offer. You sit on deck and glide through the majestic scenery, with steep cliffs towering over you on both sides. High above you, water and glaciers form beautiful waterfalls that dance down the almost vertical mountain sides.[Read more of this review]