Norway

A state on the Scandinavian Peninsula. In Norway, state power is divided between parliament. The head of state is King Harald V.

Norway maintains close ties with the European Union and its member states.

Norway is one of the founding countries of the United Nations, NATO, the Council of Europe, the Antarctic Treaty and the Nordic Council, and is also a member of the European Economic Area, the World Trade Organisation and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; it is part of the Schengen Area.

The Kingdom of Norway was founded in 872, after the merger of several small Norse kingdoms. Until 1661, power in the kingdom belonged to the monarch; after that, it was shared with influential persons.