Country Analysis Paper on Norway - Essay Example

Country Analysis – Norway Introduction Geographically situated in the northern Europe, Norway is a large and expensive country. It is famous for its beautiful fjords and picturesque tourist attractions like mountains, glaciers, parks, waterfalls and ship cruises (Ham, Roddis & Cornwallis Norway 2005 p3). Norway obtained independence from Sweden on 26 October 1905. The Capital city Oslo is the only major city in Norway (Norway Economy 1996). Norway is a kingdom with a parliamentary system of government. The kingdom is very strong and the present King Harald V is very popular in the country. Mr. Jens Stoltenberg is the current Norwegian Prime Minister and represents the Labour Party (Ap). Education is free and mandatory from six to sixteen years of age. Norway is most popularly known as the ‘Land of the Midnight Sun’. Northern Norway is more popular amongst tourists since there’s no sunset between mid May and July end and no sunrise between mid November and January end in North of the Arctic Circle. Skiing is a game with roots in Norway. The yearly ski carnival at Holmenkollen in Oslo pulls a lot of contestants and viewers. With one of the world’s best-ranked economies, Norway is one of the largest producers of Salmon. Fishing is Norway’s traditional as well as current major occupation. Mining, Forestry, production, shipping, pulp and paper are other areas where Norway is good. Ninety percent of the fishing produce is exported to other nations. Oil and Gas fields in the North Sea are the main sources of income to the Norwegian financial system (Tiedemann 2001). Norway exports raw materials and semi-processed goods and has numerous small and medium-sized firms. Norway is categorized as a key player among the main shipping nations. The country is rich in natural resources like petroleum, hydropower, fish, forests, and minerals and is greatly dependent on its oil segment to keep its economy buoyant. More than half the food supplies are imported into Norway (Norway Economy 1996). History of Norway The first people to have explored the Norwegian land are believed to be either from Sweden or Denmark. They were basically hunters who made tools out of glass, bronze and other metals. They hunted on deer’s, reindeers and moose. The middle age saw growth in population, development of townships and improvement in public administration (Dagre 2007). The monarch established their power over the Church and the slaves of the Viking Age disappeared. Oslo became the capital city during this age. The Viking Age is considered to have existed from 800 to 1050 A.D. and was the richest era of Norway. Vikings are considered as cruel looters in some parts of Norway whereas in other parts they came to trade and colonize. The Viking Age terminated when Norwegian King Harald Hardruler was defeated at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in England. The plague and deteriorating economy resulted in a treaty with Denmark to guarantee the equality of both monarchs. Christianity was gradually introduced through missionaries from Denmark, Germany and England (The Middle Ages. 2007). In 1536 King Christian III assured the Danish aristocrats that Norway would be under Denmark’s possession and thus Norway ceased to be an independent monarch. Hence Norway was also included in the war Denmark was fighting against Sweden and the Baltic Sea Powers. Many of the Norwegian territories were surrendered to Sweden by the Danish king and few were returned couple of years later. Later on the territories came under the rule of one monarch, which proved to be supportive for Norway in the long run. Some trading rules were introduced between Denmark and Norway that again resulted in Norway’s gain and the growing economy resulted in a group of powerful people who started to demand for an independent Norway. There were strong demands for Norwegian national bank and university, which accelerated the mounting national perception. The situation strengthened during the Napoleonic War of 1807 – 1814. The situation isolated Norway from Denmark and other markets and famine struck since trades came to a halt. Since Norway could no longer be administered from Copenhagen, King Frederik VI gave in and established a national university in 1811(Union with Denmark. 2007). In January 1814, Danish King Frederik VI surrendered and handed Norway to Sweden on terms that Norway could establish its own free constitution, national representation, its own government and the right to levy taxes. On May 17 1814, Norwegian constitution was adopted with King Christian Frederik as the Norwegian King and hence it is celebrated as the Norwegian National Day. This was in a way to forge a constitution and yet maintain Denmark’s power over Norway. The Swedes did not accept it and King Christian Frederik had to leave his country on 10th October 1814(Secession from Denmark. 2007). Further, Norway was allowed to decide on its future government. Monarchy was chosen over Republic and on 18th November 1905, the Storting chose the Danish Prince Carl to be the King of Norway. He took the name Haakon VII and took an oath to uphold Norwegian constitution. Norway saw tremendous economic growth after being separated from Sweden. The second phase of Industrial Revolution was achieved by exploiting cheap hydropower and foreign capital investments. Once the electrochemical and electrometallurgical units were built, new products came into market. This upswing lasted till the beginning of World War 1. The Labour movement in Norway had started before independence and the Labor Party was formed in 1887. Universal suffrage was given first to men and then to women by 1913. After Norway was separated from Sweden, Norway had to build up a ministry of foreign affairs and a group of embassies and consulates. The foreign policy had clearly mentioned that Norway should not enter into any association with any foreign country to make sure the past would not be repeated. Though Norway stayed neutral during the First World War, they suffered heavy losses in merchant fleet on account of submarine war and mining of sea. Apart from that, Norway received lot of financial gains and was able to regain many companies they had lost earlier. Though there were elections in 1918 and 1928, no single party could win a substantial majority and sustain in power till after 1945. The recession of 1920s affected Norway very badly. Trades suffered, several banks crashed, State revenues were hit and lack of foreign currency and unemployment was severe. In 1930s the situation changed completely. Norway’s economy improved beyond expectations and it was able to recover to a great extend from the depression. The outbreak of Word War II warned the nation’s government to spend on military and grants to military were increased. However, Norway proclaimed its neutrality during the Second World War also (Norway after 1905. 2007). In the 1945 elections, the Labor Party won majority and took over the authority. Under this government the country progressed considerably well. After the Word War, following the tensions in the Soviet Union, Norway joined NATO along with Denmark, which was well received by the public. Post war, Norway witnessed great development and progress in the overall economy owing to the petroleum reserves that was found in seas that border most of Norway (Norway after the Second World War. 2007). Political Structure The official name of Norway is the Kingdom of Norway and it is a Constitutional Monarchy. The legal system is based on the constitution of 1814 under a parliament, or Storting. The parliament consists of 169 constituents who are directly voted for a term of four years on the basis of proportional representation. The Storting is divided into an upper house called Lagting and a lower house called Odelsting by in-house election, though it acts in unison. Once elected, the parliament has to continue till the next election and cannot be terminated in between. Universal direct suffrage is granted for all adults over the age of 18. The last national election was held on 12-Sep-2005 and the next general election will be in September 2009 and the regional and municipal elections are due in 2011. The Head of state is King Harald who took charge to the throne in 1991. The National government comprises of Council of State (Statsrad) headed by the Prime Minister, who is responsible to the Storting. The Socialist Left Party, the Centre Party and the Labor Party joined hands to form a coalition government and took charge on October 17th 2005. The major political parties in Norway are Labor Party, Progress Party, Conservative Party, Socialist Left Party, Christian Democrat Party, Centre Party and the Liberals. The Prime Minister Jeans Stoltenberg heads the state committee and the other key ministers are Agriculture & food: Lars Peder Brekk, Children & equality: Anniken Huitfeldt, Cultural & church affairs: Trond Giske, Defence: Anne-Grete Strom-Erichsen, Environment & international development: Erik Solheim, Education: Bard Vegar Solhjell, Finance: Kristin Halvorsen, Fisheries & coatal affairs: Helga Pedersen, Health & care services: Bjarne Hakon Hanssen, Higher education & research: Tora Aasland, Justice & the police: Knut Storberget, Labour & social inclusion: Dag Terje Andersen, Foreign affairs is handled by Jonas Gahr Store, Local government & regional development: Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa, Petroleum & energy: Terje Riis Johansen, Government administration is headed by Heidi Grande Roys, Trade & industry: Sylvia Brustad, Transport & communications: Liv Signe Navarsete, Speaker of the Storting : Thorbjorn Jagland and the Central bank governor is Svein Gjedrem (Political structure 2008). Governmental Institutions The following are few of the National and Regional government organizations in Norway – The Parliament, Norwegian Royal House, Office of the Prime Minister, National Institute for Consumption Research, Consumer Council, Norwegian Foreign Affairs Institute, Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Welfare and Aging, Ministry of Children and Family Affairs, Norwegian Council of Universities, National Library Superintendence, National Center for Educational Resources, Sami Education Council, Norwegian Culture Council, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Agriculture, Research Council of Norway, National Film Superintendence, Norwegian Film Institute, Ministry of Culture, Armed Forces, Ministry of Environment Protection, National Archive, Norwegian Language Council, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Oil and Enery, Ministry of Transport and Communication, Ministry of Local and Regional Affairs, Directorate of Fire and Explosion Protection, Criminal Police Centre, Ministry of Justice and Police, Institute of Fisheries, Directorate of Coasts, National Administrative Service, Aviation Administration, Railway Administration, Post and Telecommunications Superintendence and Aviation Superintendence. There are County Municipalities of Akershus, Hedmark, Hordaland, Møre and Romsdal, Nord-Trøndelag, Oppland, Østfold, Rogaland, Sogn and Fjordane, Telemark and Troms and Municipalities of Oslo, Ålesund, Bærum, Drammen, Eid, Eide, Fet, Gjemnes, Haram, Hareid, Haugesund, Hole, Hvaler, Kristiansand, Lesja, Levanger, Lillehammer, Naustdal, Nesodden, Nome, Norddal, Oppegård, Overhalla, Porsgrunn, Ringsaker, Sola, Sør-Odal, Stavanger, Tingvoll, Trondheim, Ullensaker and Vega. Norway also has its Royal Norwegian Embassies in Luanda - Angola, Canberra - Australia, Dhaka - Bangladesh, Ottawa - Canada, Copenhagen - Denmark, Berlin - Germany, London - Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Jakarta - Indonesia, Tokyo - Japan, Seoul - Korea (Republic), Lilongwe - Malawi, Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia, Lagos - Nigeria, Madrid - Spain, Stockholm - Sweden, Berne - Switzerland, Damascus - Syria, Dar es Salaam - Tanzania, Washington - United States of America, Mission of Norway to the European Union in Brussels, Permanent Mission of Norway to the United Nations in New York, Norwegian Tourist Board, Norwegian Tourist Board in Copenhagen - Denmark, Representative Office of Norway in Al Ram – Palestine and Norwegian Trade Council in New York, United States of America(Governments on the WWW: Norway 2003). Government and Policymaking Norwegian government’s rural and regional policy is aimed to guarantee equal living environment throughout the country; maintain the settlement models and fundamental features of the prospective in all regions. People should have a true, autonomous preference about their accommodation. The Government assists trade and industry expansion in all parts of the country and promotes people to shift to countryside. The Central government’s responsibilities include The National Insurance Scheme, hospitals, higher and specialized education / academe, immigrants and refugees, labor market, agricultural problems, National road and railway system, ecological concerns, law enforcement, court, military, foreign affairs and specialized social services. The county authorities are responsible for Upper secondary school, Regional development - provincial planning, district roads and community transport, Business development and civilization (museums, libraries, sports). The municipalities are in charge of schooling, pre-school playgroups, care for the aged and physically challenged, health care, community services, Local planning, agricultural issues, environmental issues, local roads, harbors, Water supply and sewer, sanitation and Culture and business development. The government has established objectives for each department under it as listed below: Business and industry – To become world’s leading, innovative, dynamic and knowledge-based economies in areas in which Norway has comparative advantages. Civil protection and defense – The security issues has become much more serious that ever before with increasing acts of terrorism, environmental and natural calamities and accidents in various parts of the society. The government will take necessary actions as required to strengthen the level of public’s protection with proper planning for emergency in military and common public. Action will be taken by the army to prevent planned terrorist attacks. What makes people choose terrorism is the point to be focused on in a long term. Consumer - Consumer policy includes all kind of organizations and points to issues coming under different ministries. The Ministry of Children and Equality aims to strengthen consumer rights, interests and safety. Culture, leisure and ethnicity - The arts, ethnicity and the charitable sector add to a richer society. Through precise events and a general escalation of the arts, culture and the voluntary division, the management intends to develop the conditions of the cultural and voluntary sectors. The government considers and promotes freedom of belief and religion and the public and the law must support and tend to the same. Education and research – The government believes that education and research are very important for development of any country and prioritizes investment for the same. Education and research are among the most important tasks a society can engage in order to enrich society as a whole and to make people’s lives better. Energy - Norway is an energy nation. The Government’s vision is that Norway shall be an eco-friendly energy nation that leads the world in the development of eco-friendly energy. Equality - The Government will fight against all types of prejudice. The right to self-development and to develop own talents and live own life should exist regardless of gender, communal backdrop, creed, sexual orientation, disability or cultural background. Families and upbringing - The Government stresses on creating safe and sound circumstances for children to mature and educate. Food, fisheries and agriculture – The government will promote healthy food production and as a result the consumers can buy quality food without hesitation. The guidelines concerning fisheries and the coastline intend to develop a sustainable and eco-friendly importance formation for the entire society, while at the same time contributing to a fair distribution of the country’s resources. The Government’s objective is to guarantee the unrelenting endurance of an active farming sector all over the nation. Health and care - The Government ensures that everyone, irrespective of their individual assets and accommodation, will be provided quality health and care services of identical standard. Housing and property - The Government wishes to pursue a social housing policy. The goal is that everyone should be able to live in good housing in a good residential environment. The Government makes active endeavors to combat homelessness. Agriculture has an important role to play in maintaining a decentralized settlement pattern and ensuring employment in large areas of Norway. Immigration and social inclusion - It is the Government’s objective that every individual should have equal prospects, privileges and responsibilities to contribute to the society and make use of their assets. Vigorous efforts to fight prejudice and inequity are essential to achieve this goal. Native working class and minorities - Norway was formerly established on the provinces of two peoples, Norwegians and Sami, and the Norwegian government has ensured protection for these two races expand their ethnicity and languages. Kvens, Romani, Roma, Jews and Forest Finns have position as national minorities. The Government desires to reinforce the foundation for minorities to nurture their individual cultures. Global relations - Norwegian foreign strategy intends to uphold Norwegian welfare and principles in a swiftly changing world, while simultaneously serving to promote the international universal good and contribute to making the world a well-structured place. Labor and welfare – The objective of the Governments is to ensure systematic workplace for the workers and good welfare policy with thrust to modernize and develop the welfare society. Law and order - The Government will follow a vigorous and consistent strategy of fighting crime. Ensuring the safety of general public is a welfare concern and a key municipal duty. The purpose is to develop deterrence, unravel more offense, counter more swiftly and progress the rehabilitation of criminals. All this involves making indomitable hard work expected from the law enforcement, the courts and the development services. Municipalities and regions - The Government deems that, as a scheme of administration, democracy means authority and control being broadened as extensively as achievable. An energetic and distributed democracy based on wide-ranging involvement is essential to deal with the challenges in front of society. The Government follows an active and determined local strategy. The aim is to guarantee equal living conditions all over the country and to preserve the central features of the distributed settlement model. The Government wants people to be authentically liberated to reside where they wish, to utilize the entire country to enhance the worth, and to encourage more people moving to remote areas. Public administration - The Government desires to preserve a powerful and well-organized public sector that present the inhabitants with good quality services, based on autonomy and the right of co-determination. The State shall give sufficient thought to quality, convenience, justice and financial competence. Norwegian economy – The economic policy of the government is to provide employment to all with development activities based on sustainability which is a just system of strengthening and distributing the welfare of the society. Environment - Norway aims to be a principal country in the matter of ecological strategy. Sustainable development by protecting fundamental ecological possessions and ensuring completely sufficient management of natural possessions is very important for the future generations. Transport and communications - The Government desires to create circumstances for constructive economic and social progress in the entire country and is improving the infrastructure for transport and communications. It is government’s responsibility to provide a quality and technically efficient communication system all over the country. Transport and communications form the basic requirements for a distributed settlement model and economic progress. The circumstances call for a range of procedures and a distinguished transport and communications strategy in which the special guiding principles are seen in concurrence (Government. No). Conclusion Good economic performances continue support to areas losing residents in Norway. The Nordic model follows both justice and aggressive apprehensions. Maintaining the main features of the settlement pattern is an eternal objective of the nation. Policies mainly target thinly populated areas, with stress on service delivery and competitiveness. Measures are based on employment oriented economic methods and service delivery balancing. Diagnosis of regional competitiveness advantages could improve the design of policy tools. Regional innovation and competitiveness policies involve a lot of aspects. The role of major urban areas in knowledge production and circulation should be better considered. Recent emphasis on city attractiveness and competitiveness, particularly in Oslo, create the basis for an open city policy. The role of small and medium sized cities needs to be better incorporated into regional innovation strategies. Place-based policy approaches can enhance the impact of regional competitiveness and innovation policies. Depopulation and ageing in more than half of Norwegian municipalities affect the cost of services. Population decline produces apprehensions about school closures and staffing problems. More efficient use of ICTs can further improve cost-efficiency in quality education and health services. Many important responsibilities remain shared across levels of government. Conflicting administrative boundaries and the role of the County governor require clarification. Municipalities enjoy limited financial independence and many banks on strong equalization endowment originating in urban areas. The local governments should interact and cooperate with each other and improve staff training. Regional and sector policies should be more integrated and regional reorganization objectives better explained for the success of Norway as a well balanced nation (Assessment and Recommendations for the Territorial Review of Norway 2007). Reference Assessment and Recommendations for the Territorial Review of Norway. 2007. Available: http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/krd/documents/reports/reports/2008/assessment-and-recommendations-for-the-t.html?id=504752. Accessed on November 12, 2008 Dagre, T. 2007. The First Norwegians. Available: http://www.norway.org/history/upto1814/prehistoric/prehistoric.htm. Accessed on November 12, 2008 Government.No. Available: http://www.regjeringen.no/en/topics.html?id=208. Accessed on November 12, 2008 Governments on the WWW: Norway. 2003. Available: http://www.gksoft.com/govt/en/no.html. Accessed on November 12, 2008 Ham, A., Roddis, M., & Cornwallis, G. 2005. Norway. London: Lonely Planet Norway after 1905. 2007. Available: http://www.norway.org/history/after1814/post1905/post1905.htm. Accessed on November 12, 2008 Norway after the Second World War. 2007. Available: http://www.norway.org/history/after1814/postww2/postww2.htm. Accessed on November 12, 2008 Norway. Economy. 1996. Available: http://www.theodora.com/wfb/norway_economy.html. Accessed on November 12, 2008 Political structure. Sep 24th 2008 .From the Economist Intelligence Unit. Available: http://www.economist.com/countries/Norway/profile.cfm?folder=Profile%2DPolitical%20Structure. Accessed on November 12, 2008 Secession from Denmark 2007 Available: http://www.norway.org/history/after1814/1814/1814.htm . Accessed on November 12, 2008 The Middle Ages. 2007. Available: http://www.norway.org/history/upto1814/middle/middle.htm. Accessed on November 12, 2008 Tiedemann, L. B. 2001 FACTS ABOUT NORWAY. http://www.vg.no/vg/norway/. Accessed on November 12, 2008 Union with Denmark 2007 Available: http://www.norway.org/history/upto1814/unionden/. Accessed on November 12, 2008 Read More