Education
Compulsory education was established in Norway by the Primary School Act of 1827. Changes made since the 1960s have reduced regional disparities and increased access for all social groups to the educational system.
Education is free and compulsory in all municipalities for children between the ages of 7 and 16. Norway has almost no illiteracy. For their primary education, children attend a six-year lower school and a three-year upper school. Three years of secondary school is then available. In 1992 Norway had about 3400 primary schools with a combined annual enrollment of 467,500 students and some 780 secondary and vocational schools with a combined enrollment of about 232,110 students.
Norway has four universities and ten colleges of university standing, most of which are administered by the state. These institutions have a combined yearly enrollment of more than 68,000 students. The principal university is the University of Oslo; the others are the University of Bergen, the University of Tromsø, and the Technical University of Norway at Trondheim. Teacher-training schools and other higher educational institutions have a combined annual enrollment of more than 80,600.
Economy
Although the Norwegian economy is based on free enterprise, the government exercises a considerable amount of supervision and control. The country's large merchant fleet remains of great importance to the economy. The 20th century has been a period of great industrial expansion for Norway, based primarily on extensive and inexpensive waterpower resources, but also aided by the exploitation of offshore mineral resources. The country has one of the highest standards of living in the world; the estimated gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in 1992 was about $27,524. National budget estimates for the late 1980s showed about $41.1 billion in revenue and $38.5 billion in expenditure.
Climate
The warm waters of the North Atlantic Drift (an extension of the Gulf Stream) flow along the Atlantic coast of Norway and have a pronounced moderating effect on the climate. A maritime climate prevails over most of the coastal islands and lowlands. Winters are mild and summers are normally cool. At Trondheim the mean January temperature is -3.5° C (28° F), and the mean July temperature is 14° C (67° F). Moisture is plentiful the year round. The average annual precipitation on the coast is about 870 mm (about 32.1 in). In the interior, a more continental climate prevails; winters are colder, and summers are warmer. At Oslo the January mean temperature is -4.7° C (24° F) and the July mean is 17.3° C (63° F). Precipitation is generally less here than on the coast, averaging less than 740 mm (less than 29.1 in) annually. In the highlands of North Norway the climate is subarctic. The coastal areas of this region, however, have a moderate maritime climate and most ports, even in the far north, are ice-free in winter.
List of Universities in NORWAY
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