Location:
Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, west of Sweden
Geographic coordinates:
62 00 N, 10 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 324,220 sq km
land: 307,860 sq km
water: 16,360 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries:
total: 2,544 km
border countries: Finland 729 km, Sweden 1,619 km, Russia 196 km
Coastline:
21,925 km (includes mainland 3,419 km, large islands 2,413 km, long
fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations 16,093 km)
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 10 NM
territorial sea: 4 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate:
temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder
interior with increased precipitation and colder summers; rainy
year-round on west coast
Terrain:
glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by
fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented
by fjords; arctic tundra in north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m
highest point: Galdhopiggen 2,469 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, copper, natural gas, pyrites, nickel, iron ore, zinc,
lead, fish, timber, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 2.94%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 97.06% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
1,270 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
rockslides, avalanches
Environment - current issues:
water pollution; acid rain damaging forests and adversely affecting
lakes, threatening fish stocks; air pollution from vehicle emissions
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note:
about two-thirds mountains; some 50,000 islands off its much
indented coastline; strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and air
routes in North Atlantic; one of most rugged and longest coastlines
in world