System of government

Norway is a constitutional monarchy, which means that the constitution decrees that the country shall be ruled by a monarch. The king and his family have no real political power but are an important symbol and mean a great deal to the people. Harald V came to the throne after the death of his father Olav V in 1991. King Harald is married to Queen Sonja and they have two children, Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Märtha Louise.

The Storting is Norway's national assembly and consists of 165 representatives from 19 counties. General elections are held every 4 years. The Storting passes laws and decides how the national income should be spent. The Government is led by a Prime Minister who has 18 ministers to assist in the running of the country.

Although the Storting is the most powerful body in the country, each of the 19 counties and the 435 municipalities has its own local government which is responsible for the building and running of schools, hospitals, kindergartens, roads, etc.

Every Norwegian has the right to vote from the age of 18. Norway was one of the first countries in the world to allow women to vote, in 1913. Since then Norway has come a long way in ensuring equal rights for men and women. Even though children under 18 cannot take part in elections, this does not mean they have no voice. As early as 1981 a special commissioner, an "ombudsman", was appointed to look after the interests of children and young people and those who want to talk about their special needs may contact him by telephone. We also have a separate Ministry of Children and Family Affairs and there are several laws and regulations aimed at protecting the rights of children and guaranteeing them a safe everyday environment.

The children's "ombudsman"
has a telephone number which children and young people can ring to talk about their special problems.