Focus on - area

Key figures
Total land areas (incl. lakes):
The Kingdom of Norway		385 186 km²
Mainland		323 787 km²
Svalbard		61 022 km²
Jan Mayen		377 km²
Land area, mainland by land cover. Per cent:
Built-up area		1.4
Agriculture		3.2
Marsh/wetland		5.8
Freshwater and glaciers		7.0
Forest		38.2
Mountain and mountain plateau		44.4

Explanation of terms

Land use is related to how the land is used, for instance land use for residential purposes, industry or transport. Land use and land cover can be delimited at different geographic levels.
Land cover The physical land cover of the earth surface, for instance forest, agricultural areas and built-up areas.
Physical build-up area The physical build-up area relates to areas covered by roads, railroads and buildings.
Centre zone A centre zone is an area with more than three different types of economic activity with so-called centre functions. In addition to retail trade, public administration or health and social services must be available. The distance between the enterprises should not be more than 50 metres.
Shore zone The shore zone is the land area within 100 metres of the shoreline. The term "developed shoreline" is defined as areas with buildings in the adjacent shore zone.
Urban settlement A hub of buildings inhibited by at least 200 people and where the distance between the buildings does not exceed 50 metres. The boundaries are dynamic and may be changed due to developments and population changes.
Protected areas Areas which are protected pursuant to the Nature Conservation Act. Protected areas are divided into different categories based on this act.

Focus on

Area

With a land area, main land, of 323 787 km² and 4.9 million inhabitants, Norway has the lowest population density in Europe after Iceland, with 15 inhabitants per km². A rough climate, poor soil and difficult terrain mean that a large part of the country is unsuitable for settlements or agriculture.

Almost 80 per cent of the population live in urban settlements, where the population density is 1 615 per km². Most of the pressure on areas is therefore concentrated around urban settlements and adjacent agricultural and forest areas. However, the pressure is also increasing in sparsely populated areas due to the construction of roads, holiday houses and power lines etc.

The concentration of the population also yields environmental rewards. A concentrated settlement results in reduced energy consumption to transport and dwellings, improved concentration of playgrounds and recreational areas and other common areas (as well as more efficient water, sewage and waste disposal).

Land use changes result in changes to the cultural landscape and local communities. This affects people's health and quality of life of, the economic potential of the areas as well as nature's productive ability and ecological qualities.