Norway

The Kingdom of Norway is situated in northwest Europe, on the Scandinavian Peninsula, bounded on the east by Sweden, on the northeast by Finland and Russia, on the south by the North Sea, and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Oslo is the capital city. The population of approximately 4.4 million is largely made up of Norwegians. However,rift gold in recent years, Norway increasingly has become home to a number of immigrants, foreign workers, and asylum seekers coming from various part of the world. In addition to immigrants, the Lapps constitute a cultural minority (about 20,000 people) living in the far north. The official language is Norwegian, but Lapp, also called Sami, is also spoken in the northern areas. The Evangelical Lutheran Church is the state church, although freedom of religion is practiced. Once part of the Danish Kingdom, after the Napoleonic wars Norway was unified with Sweden. In 1905, Norway achieved independence. After World War II, Norway became active in promoting peace and it was one of the founding members of the North Atlantic Pact and of the United Nations. In addition, the Norwegian Parliament is responsible for electing the five members of the Nobel Committee that award the Nobel Prize each year to champions of peace.

The Kingdom of Norway is a constitutional monarchy. King Harald V is the head of state. The prime minister and the State Council are invested with the executive power. The legislative power is represented by the unicameral Parliament. The constitution provides for the independence of the judiciary. The Kingdom of Norway has an advanced economy. Oil, gas, metal, shipbuilding, and manufacturing comprise the major parts of the economy. In general, Norwegians have a high standard of living.

The constitution provides the citizens with all their fundamental human rights, and the government respects them in practice. The judiciary system is highly effective and deals promptly with violations of the law. Prison conditions meet minimum international standards, and visits by international human rights monitors are not restricted. The government cooperates with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other humanitarian organizations in providing assistance to asylum seekers. In 1998, the government granted asylum to 1,214 refugees. Moreover, 1,813 persons received residency permits on humanitarian grounds. Women are very active in Norwegian political life. Of the 165 members of the Parliament, 60 are women. However, violence against women is widespread. In 1997,rift gold there were 30,000 distress calls made by women to national assistance centers throughout the country. The police efficiently investigate most alleged cases and prosecute the perpetrators of rapes and other abuses. Counseling programs for battered women are funded by the government, and many public and private shelters are available throughout the country. In addition, the 1978 Equal Rights Law protects women against any form of discrimination. The Equal Rights Council has been instituted to enforce this law in practice. The government is also very committed to children’s welfare, and provides free education and health care. However, violence against children is a serious problem.

The government generally enforces constitutional provisions regarding the disabled and their accessibility to public buildings. The government cooperates with several local and international human rights organizations. In 1997, the government appointed a minister of development, cooperation and human rights with the purpose of promoting human rights policies within the country.