Geography of Norway

  • Norway is in North Eastern Europe west of Sweden and connects with the Northern Atlantic Ocean, Norwegian Sea, and the North Sea
  • The geographic makeup of Norway is 2/3 mountains, with the remaining land being deeply carved out Fjords, over 50,00 islands and the northern part of the country being an arctic tundra.
  • In the South-Central area of Norway, there is a plateau that slopes into the Trondelag which consists of hills and mountains with fertile farming areas spread throughout.
  • Norway’s major cities are Oslo, the capital of Norway with Bergen, Stavanger, and Trondheim being the other major cities.

Overall Demographics of Norway

  • Norway’s recorded population as of July 2017 is 5,320,045
  • 18% of the population is 0-14 years old, 12.5% is 15-24 years old, 41% being 25-41 years old, 12% are 55-64 years old and 17% being over the age of 64.
  • 83% of Norway’s population is native nonimmigrant Norwegians being Nordic in heritage and appearance, 60-70% of this population has blue eyes.
  • Norway is home to nine-tenths of the population of the Sami culture who were the first inhabitants of the country, and a small amount of them still practice traditional reindeer herding.
  • The remaining ethnic groups of the population are 5.3% European immigrants, 4.1% Asian immigrants, 1.4% African immigrants, and 6.3 % are from other areas of the world.
  • The primary language is Norwegian, with a presence of the Sami language which is spoken by approximately 15,000 people and is the official language in some municipalities in northern Norway. Almost all educated Norwegians speak English as a second language.
  • The primary religion in Norway is the Evangelical Lutheran national Church with four-fifths of the Norwegian population practicing. The Church of Norway is the largest of this which is endowed by the Norwegian government.
  • Norway has among the highest life expectancy in Europe.

 

Disability Statistics

  • 17% of Norway’s population are individuals with a disability.
  • Women have a higher rate of disability compared to men with the difference being 4%.
  • 8% of youth between 6-15 years old were granted access to special education services to allow for accommodative education and support. Boys are more likely to receive special education support through all grade levels.
  • 43% of individuals living with a disability in Norway are employed, with 41% of that being individuals employed part-time.
  • The average prevalence of individuals with a mental illness is around 40%
  • Anxiety and substance use disorders are the most prevalent with 26.7% of individuals experiencing this. Depression is the third most prevalent psychiatric diagnosis at 19.3%. There is no documented statistics on individuals living with a personality disorder.

Model of disability

  • Norway’s model of disability is focused around providing community-based treatment. Over the last twenty years, the Norwegian government in connection with the UN has expanded funding and access to community-based treatment for all types of disabilities. In addition to that there in increased resources and funding focused around assisting individuals with disabilities in obtaining employment and education.  Norway has disability benefits similar to the united states but also includes additional financial assistance around things like paying for a personal healthcare support (in-home nursing or assistance) or making alterations to ones home (widening doors) and accessible transportation (funding for cabs, buses etc).
  • The mental health services in Norway are vast and extensive and are focused not just around providing medications for treatment but focusing on the whole person as an individual.
  • Norway has a fully socialized, single-payer system of healthcare (Universal Healthcare).

Perceptions of individuals with a disability

  • Norway is a country with low social inequality but with differences between social/economic status affecting access to health care this area is where individuals can experience social inequality
  • Norway has anti-discrimination laws for individuals with disabilities to have equal access to transportation, healthcare, employment, housing, community resources and more.
  • Norwegian culture is accepting of disability and the countries government has put in place many healthcare measures over the last twenty years to increase access to supportive services and financial support for individuals with disabilities
  • There are little issues with stigma and discrimination around individuals with disabilities including mental health, as Norwegian culture, in general, is centered around inclusiveness and a sense of community.

 

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