The EU is an economic union of 27 countries, bringing together most of the world's developed countries, many of which want to join. Norway was an absolute exception, having twice held referendums on joining the European Union, both of which failed. What is the reason and confidence that makes Norway ignore the EU?
The Kingdom of Norway is simply Norway, which means the road to the north. It is one of the five Nordic countries. It is located in the west of Scandinavia, bordering Sweden in the east, Finland and Russia in the northeast, Denmark across the sea in the south, and the Norwegian Sea in the west, including Svalbard, Jan Mayen Island and other dependencies, with a total area of about 385,000 square kilometers, and the capital is Oslo.
Norway has a total population of about 5.4 million, of which 96% are Norwegian and the rest are predominantly Sami. 90% of the population is a Christian Lutheran believer.
Norway established a feudal kingdom as early as the ninth century, and entered the Viking Age of Viking heyday of Vikings in the 9th and 11th centuries, but from the end of the 14th century it was ruled by Denmark and Sweden for a long time, and did not regain independence until 1905.
Norway's territory is narrow from north to south, and more than 2/3 of the total territory is plateau, mountains and glaciers. The Scandinavian mountains run from north to south, and the highest peak in the country is Glitter Peak at 2,470 meters above sea level. There is a permanent ice sheet about 20 meters thick, and it is a famous tourist spot.
The coastline of Novi is long and winding, with more than 150,000 islands off the coast, known as the country of 10,000 islands, and at the same time has many natural harbors, and is one of the world's important maritime countries.
Norway is a highly developed capitalist country, Norway 2021. The total GDP is US$481.9 billion, and the per capita GDP has reached US$89,000, ranking fourth in the world and more than eight times that of China. But before the 70s of the 20th century, it was a rather backward country.
At that time, agriculture, forestry and fishing were the main support of the Norwegian national economy, but due to the lack of arable land, a large amount of food needed to be imported from foreign countries every year to meet the needs of national survival.
Because of this, Norway's per capita GDP has long been at the bottom of Europe. It has nothing to do with being rich twice, so what did Norway get rich on?
Since the 70s of the 20th century, a series of super oil and gas fields have been discovered in Norway, and the Norwegian economy has grown by leaps and bounds. By the end of 2014, Norway's total proven reserves of crude oil and natural gas were 14 billion cubic meters, of which 45% had been exploited. At present, Norway remains the world's third largest natural gas exporter and eighth largest oil exporter.
Bergen, the second largest city in Norway, is an old city with a youthful appearance. The port of Bryggen, full of colourful houses, will allow you to find the beauty of the city in tranquility. These colorful old wooden houses, following the medieval architectural style of Bergen, are a very stylish and charming place in Bergen.
Hardangers National Park is Norway's largest national park and a paradise for outdoor lovers, with Hardanger's Highlands as its main area and attraction. Not only can you enjoy the highland scenery, but you can also enjoy sports, climbing, fishing, cross-country skiing, etc., and if you are lucky, you can also see some rare polar animals
Living in this country, you can enjoy free education from kindergarten to university, which is enviable, after all, many families in the country bend their waists in front of high tuition fees, and Norway also makes people envious of the pension system.
But in fact, although Norway has high income, it also has another "three highs" high welfare, high taxes, high consumption, and people there would rather spend money on vegetables than meat. Norway's own beef production is 300 Norwegian kroner a kilogram, equivalent to 227.73 yuan. 400 grams of tomatoes cost 25 Norwegian kroner, equivalent to RMB: 18.97 yuan, from the price point of view of Norway prices are indeed much higher than in China.
Second, driving in Norway requires a certain amount of courage, Norwegians cost about $7.82 per liter of gasoline, the United States only costs $2.99 to refuel, some people ask why not give subsidies for car fuel, it is because the Norwegian government spends this money on various welfare systems.