The country is long and narrow; the length of the mainland coastline (including fjords, bays and 239,057 islands) is approx. 100,915 km, and the largest and smallest width of the country is 432 and 6.3 km, respectively.

Other Norwegian possessions are the Antarctic territories of Bouvet Island, Peter I’s Island and Queen Maud Land (total area approx. 2,700,205 sq. km).

The country is thinly populated; average population density is 13.5 inhabitants per sq. km. Of the total area, 70.9% is non-productive land (mainly mountains), 22.8% is covered with forests, and only the remaining 3.3% is fertile, agricultural land.

Norwegian industry has traditionally been based on the country's national resources: ore, fish, forests, and abundant resources of hydroelectric power, used as the basis for electro-chemical and electro-metallurgical industry. Until 2015, the production of oil and gas has exceeded agriculture, forestry and fishing in importance in terms of the national product. Currently, oil and gas investments in the North Sea are on a lower level than before, which has since 2016 affected suppliers to North Sea activities. However, new regions for exploitation are planned, in particular in northern regions.

Further updated statistical information on Norwegian economy, population, etc., can be obtained from the Norwegian Central Office of Statistics (Internet address: www.ssb.no).

Norway is not a member of the European Union, but is related thereto via EFTA and EEA (European Economic Agreement).

Remarks: first filed applications normally receive a first Office action within 7 months and final decision within 3.6 years. Average processing time for other applications 5 – 8 years.

Remarks: average processing time is 4.5 months until first Office action and 7.1 months until registration. However, in some cases longer time may apply.

 Remarks: note that some design applications and registrations often contain more than one design (joint registration). Average processing time is 4.7 months. 

Remarks on Appeals: the Board of Appeals (KFIR) is not part of the Norwegian Patent Office. Oral hearings can be requested, if desirable. KFIR in 2019: Trademarks: decisions were made on 113 cases, Patent Office decisions were confirmed in 53 cases, in 25 cases the Patent Office decision was fully or partly revoked, and the remaining appeal cases were closed or rejected by KFIR. Patents: decisions were made on 11 cases, 5 Patent Office decisions were confirmed, 2 appeals were granted, 2 appeals were withdrawn, KFIR reversed 1 patent decision which the Oslo District Court in turn held invalid, and in 1 further case KFIR confirmed the Patent Office decision, but Oslo District Court held that decision invalid. Designs: no cases. In general, appeals are seldomly filed on cases of designs and plant varieties.

Further details on patents, trademarks and designs statistics in Norway are available from the Internet site of the Norwegian Patent Office: www.patentstyret.no or from WIPO: www.wipo.int/ipstats/en