norway-挪威英文简介

挪威英文简介Norway，officiallytheKingdomofNorway,isaScandinavianunitaryconstitutionalmonarchywhoseterritorycomprisesthewesternportionoftheScandinavianPeninsula,JanMayen,theArcticarchipelagoofSvalbardandthesubantarcticBouvetIsland.Norwayhasatotalareaof385,252squarekilometres(148,747sqmi)andapopulationofabout5million.ItisthesecondleastdenselypopulatedcountryinEurope.ThecountrysharesalongborderwithSweden;itisalsoborderedbyFinlandandRussiatothenorth-east;initssouthNorwayborderstheSkagerrakStraitacrossfromDenmark.ThecapitalcityofNorwayisOslo.Norway'sextensivecoastline,facingtheNorthAtlanticOceanandtheBarentsSea,ishometoitsfamousfjords.TwocenturiesofVikingraidstaperedofffollowingtheadoptionofChristianitybyKingOlavTryggvasonin994.Aperiodofcivilwarendedinthe13thcenturywhenNorwayexpandeditscontroloverseastopartsofBritain,Ireland,Iceland,andGreenland.Norwegianterritorialpowerpeakedin1265,butcompetitionfromtheHanseaticLeagueandthespreadoftheBlackDeathweakenedthecountry.In1380,NorwaywasabsorbedintoaunionwithDenmarkthatlastedmorethanfourcenturies.In1814,NorwegiansresistedthecessionoftheircountrytoSwedenandadoptedanewconstitution.SwedenwenttowarwithNorwaybutagreedtoletNorwaykeepitsconstitutioninreturnforacceptingtheunionunderaSwedishking.Risingnationalismthroughoutthe19thcenturyledtoa1905referendumgrantingNorwayindependence.AlthoughNorwayremainedneutralinWorldWarI,itsufferedheavylossestoitsshipping.NorwayproclaimeditsneutralityattheoutsetofWorldWarII,butwasnonethelessoccupiedforfiveyearsbytheThirdReich.In1949,neutralitywasabandonedandNorwaybecameafoundingmemberofNATO.Discoveryofoilandgasinadjacentwatersinthelate1960sboostedNorway'seconomicfortunes.Inreferendaheldin1972and1994,NorwayrejectedjoiningtheEuropeanUnion.Keydomesticissuesincludeimmigrationandintegrationofethnicminorities,maintainingthecountry'sextensivesocialsafetynetwithanagingpopulation,andpreservingeconomiccompetitiveness.Norwayisaunitaryparliamentarydemocracyandconstitutionalmonarchy,withKingHaraldVasitsheadofstateandJensStoltenbergasitsprimeminister.Itisaunitarystatewithadministrativesubdivisionsontwolevelsknownascountiesandmunicipalities.TheSámipeoplehaveacertainamountofself-determinationandinfluenceovertraditionalterritoriesthroughtheSámiParliamentandtheFinnmarkAct.AlthoughhavingrejectedEuropeanUnionmembershipintworeferenda,Norwaymaintainsclosetieswiththeunionanditsmembercountries,aswellaswiththeUnitedStates.NorwayparticipateswithUnitedNationsforcesininternationalmissions,notablyinAfghanistan,Kosovo,SudanandLibya.NorwayisafoundingmemberoftheUnitedNations,NATO,theCouncilofEurope,andtheNordicCouncil;amemberoftheEuropeanEconomicArea,theWTO,andtheOECD;andisalsoapartoftheSchengenArea.Norwayhasextensivereservesofpetroleum,naturalgas,minerals,lumber,seafood,freshwater,andhydropower.Thecountryhasthefourth-highestpercapitaincomeintheworld.Onaper-capitabasis,itistheworld'slargestproducerofoilandnaturalgasoutsidetheMiddleEast,andthepetroleumindustryaccountsforaroundaquarterofthecountry'sgrossdomesticproduct.ThecountrymaintainsaNordicwelfaremodelwithuniversalhealthcare,subsidizedhighereducation,andacomprehensivesocialsecuritysystem.From2001to2006,andthenagainfrom2009through2011,Norwayhashadthehighesthumandevelopmentindexrankingintheworld.In2011,NorwayalsorankedthehighestontheDemocracyIndex,andaccordingtoUNDPNorwayistheworld'sbestcountry.