NORWAY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 April 1940, Page 6

NORWAY

PEOPLE AND RESOURCES STRENGTH OF ARMS' & NAVY. PRODUCTIVITY OF COUNTRY. With a total area of 124.556 square miles, Norway, according to the 1930 census, had 2.814,194 inhabitants, or 22.56 persons to the square mile. A provisional estimate made at the end ol 19.38 fixes the population at 2.922.000. Of the cities. Oslo has the largest population with 253.121 persons, and there are live towns with more than 20.000 persons. For administrative purposes the country is divided into 20 districts which each cieet three to eight members every four years to the Storting, in which is invested the legislative power of die-land. This body has 15(1 members and the mode of election is direct and the method of election is proportional. It can vote supplies and has the power of the purse. Haakon Vtl is the reigning monarch. King elected by the Storting in 1905. He married Princess Maud (third daughter of King Edward VIII in 1896, and Prince Olav was born in 1903. The monarchy is: constitutional and hereditary. Norway was ceded to Sweden by treaty in 1814; but the people declared their" independence and proclaimed Prince Christian Frederick of Denmark, king. The powers refused to recognise this state, and by convention Norway was proclaimed independent in union with Sweden. For civil justice the country is divided into 101 districts and there are five superior courts. A national militia under universal compulsory service is the defence system employed in Norway. Liability to military service commences at Hi years cf age and youths are usually called up at 21 and for the first 12 years belong "to inc line. Liability tot setvice ceases at 55 years. tn 1938 fine standing army stood at 1135 officers. 765 n.c.o.'s and 12.900 men. were trained in that year. The 1938-39 budget allotted 24.800.000 kronor to army expenditure. The navy is of purely local value, being designed solely for the purpose o! .coastal defence. There are four chief ships each manned witn two eight-inch guns, while two have six 4.7 iii. guns and two have six Gin. gems. Other vessels include five destroyers, three first-class torpedo boats, nine submarines and about 20 oilier boats. Ten more vessels had boon voted ioi in 1938. The navy has the auxiliary service of 50 seaplanes. There are m 0 officers on the permanent stall anu about 700 men are conscripted tn.ndi, Naw estimates in 1938 provided foi- the" expenditure of 19.184.000 kroner. t . . The production of Norway is man.H controlled by ils raw materials. 30 per cent of this activity being agriculture and forestry and 20 per cent industry. The country is barren and mountainous. arable soil being confined to narrow strips in deep valleys and bes.de fiords and lakes. -About 72 per cent ot the country's total area is unproducl;\e and 2-1 per cent is covered in forests. Abundant supplies of cheap t'vdro-electric power facilitate industry Pulp and paper products are the principal export commodities. 1 here is a large fishing industry.