Page:EB1922 - Volume 31.djvu/1205

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NORWAY
1151

uniform mantle of forest in the western part. Sedges abound cov- ering a larger area than grasses; mustards are abundant and saxi- frages plentiful. Mosses and lichens occur every where. Theanimals are chiefly fur-bearing. There are large herds of musk ox, now to be bred and used commercially for the meat market, and vast flocks of wild ducks, geese and other migratory birds spend summer in these northern wilds.

Two routes lead into the Mackenzie district, the one from McMur- ray, to which a railway has been constructed, via the Athabasca, Slave and Mackenzie rivers; the other from the Peace river via the Peace, Slave and Mackenzie rivers. River boats ply during the summer on the rivers and in winter travel is confined to dog trains. Ingress from the E. is via Hudson Bay and northern waters.

(W. L. G.) .

NORWAY (see 19.799). The population of Norway, according to the preliminary results of the census of Dec. 1 1920, had increased to 2,646,306, from 2,393,906 in 1910. Of the 1920 population, 1,863,300 (70-34%) were resident in the country districts and 785,700 (29-66%) in the towns. The urban popula- tion forms a constantly increasing percentage, a phenomenon which reflects the advancing industrialization of the country.

Emigration has always been greatest from the country dis- tricts and has deprived the land first and foremost of a large part of the peasantry's young manhood. During 1901-10 63% of the emigrants were males, and of these 72% were single. The incidence of emigration was greatest between the ages of 20 and 25 years, and next in the age-class of 15-20 and third 25-30. During 1910-20 emigration slightly but steadily decreased owing to the better opportunities of work at home, and the many hindrances to travel caused by the World War. The number of emigrants was as follows: 1911,12,447; 1912, 9,105; 1913, 9,876; 1914, 8,522; 1915, 4,572; 1916, S, 2 i 2 ; 1917, 2,518; and 1918, 1,226. The greatest number of Norwegians emigrate to the United States, a few to Canada. The respective figures for these two countries are: 1911, 11,122 and 1,304; 1912, 7,776 and 1,287; 1913, 8,568 and 1,281; 1914, 7,723 and 775; 1915, 4,388 and 169; 1916, 4,865 and 320; 1917, 2,344 and 168; 1918, 1,179 and 30. It was estimated in 1921 that Norwegians outside the home- land numbered about 1,600,000, making a total of about 4,300,- ooo of Norwegians and descendants of Norwegians in Norway and America. The average yearly percentage of increase in the Norwegian population in 1900-10 was 0-66, and in 1910-20 was 1-02; for the country districts it was respectively 0-62 and 1-04, and for the towns 0-74 and 0-96.

Norwegians are, as a nation, of a comparatively pure race. Until the World War only two foreign races had domiciliary rights in the country, i.e. Lapps (or Finns) and Quains (Kvae- nerne) or Finlanders. The first belong to the historical, ancient race of northernmost Norway, the last have immigrated from Finland during the last 200 years. The Lapps (speaking strictly, the Swedish description of folk who live in northern Norway are called " Finns ") belong to the Mongolian race, and the Quains are derived from the scattered tribes of the population of Finland. In 1910 18,590 Lapps were found in Norway, 0-79% of the whole population ; and 7,7 12 Quains, 0-30 % of the population. The majority of both these races live in the two northernmost provinces, Finmark and Tromso, where their number, in comparison with the total population, is large. Of the 39,126 inhabitants of Finmark in 1910 (43,997 in 1920), 10,330 (26-4%) were Lapps, 5,398 Quains (13-8%). Of the population of Tromso, 80,772 (90,637 in 1920), 6,279 (7-8%) were Lapps and 1,618 (2-0%) Quains. The figures of the proportions between the Norwegian and the immigrated population in 1920 were not available in 1921, but it can be said with certainty that they have not appreciably altered since 1910. Neither of these two small groups show any inclination to become fused with the Norwegian- born majority. As regards the Lapps there is even a movement in force to assert a separate national culture on the basis of the na- tional tongue of the race and its own traditions by accentuating their ethnical solidarity and by defining the land boundaries of the Lapps. The Norwegian Lapps held meetings in 1920 and 1921 of representatives of their different tribes, at which they discussed common interests, and laid their claims before the Norwegian Government. They wished no longer to be called Lapps or Finns, but Samer, which they consider to be the original name of their race (Suomi being the Finnish name for the Republic of Finland). As the organ of their efforts towards emancipation they commenced the issue of a paper Samealbmug (" the same people ") at Vadso in Sept. 1921. This propaganda for Lapp political aspirations, being hostile to Norway, could not be ignored, and has caused considerable unrest, particularly in northern Norway. In addition

to Lapps and Quains, there were about 56,000 foreign-born residents in Norway in 1910, some of them of Norwegian descent. The number of foreigners was appreciably added to during the World War, principally by the entry of Russian and German fugitives, but also by French and English emigrants. The majority of these established themselves in Christiania and near by, and helped to increase the already too pressing house shortage. Not a few re- turned to their native country at the termination of the war.

According to the general census of Dec. I 1920, the following towns had over 10,000 inhabitants: Christiania, 260,920; Bergen, 91,081 ; Trondhjem, 54,520; Stavanger, 43,883; Drammen, 26,174; Hauge- sund, 16,563; Aalesund, 16,547; Christiansand, 16,543; Skien, 16,- 503; Fredrikstad, 15,579; Christiansund, 15,183; Tonsberg, 12,583; Larvik, 11,391; Fredrikshald, 11,218; Sarpsborg, 10,881; Horten, 10,413; Arendal, 10,358; Tromso, 10,071. The boundaries of towns are fixed by law, and they do not always coincide with town-built areas. In addition to the actual towns there were many town-like rural centres which differed from the typical country community of a single farm, with its buildings occupied by a peasant with his family and servants. These areas with buildings are of a town type called " house collections " in the census, and in 1910 232,154 people, or nearly 10% of the total population, lived in such ; towns and " house collections " together accounted for 39% of the population of Nor- way, while 61 % lived scattered about the country, for the greater part in single farms and cottages.

Although 106 boys for every 100 girls are born in Norway yearly, women are in a greater majority than they were in most countries before the World War. In 1902 there were 1,076 women per 1,000 men, and this proportion has remained fairly constant. The reason for this ratio is to be found in the greater mortality and emigration of the men. The excess of women varies in different parts of the country; it is greatest in the towns, which have 1,206 women to 1,000 men, while in the country there are 1,058 women to every 1,000 men. Only in Finmark are there more men than women.

In Norway the oldest and youngest age-classes are the strongest numerically, while the age-class 15-40 is less than in most other countries. This is the result of emigration and of the high mortality in the middle age-classes of the male population. Of the 1920 popula- tion 35-4% were under 15 years, 35-8% between 15 and 39, 17-8% between 40 and 59, 1 1 % 60 and over.

The average number of marriages contracted annually during the period 1911-15 was 15,320. During 19 15 they were 15,940; (1916) 17,312; (1917) 18,086; (1918) 20,031; (Jan.-Sept. 1919) 15,608; (Oct. igig-Sept. 1920) 18,032 or an average of 6-66 per 1,000 inhabitants yearly. The lowest marriage rate during this period was 6-10 in 1912 and the greatest (in 1918) was 7-77 per thousand. The number of divorces is increasing; while in 1896-1900 it was only 0-76 per 100 marriages, it was 3-32 in 1912, 3-28 in 1913, 2-69 in 1914, 3-52 in 1915,2-96 in 1916, and 3-11 in 1917. In the later year& somewhat over 60,000 children were born annually, representing a birth-rate of about 25 per 1,000. The birth-rate is comparatively low, and has been decreasing during the whole of the century. In 1896-1900 it was 30-44 per 1,000; the figure sank gradually to 23-42 in 1915, but increased a little during the following years, except in 1919 when it was only 22-47. per 1,000. About 7% (1896- 1 900 average 7-44%, 1911-19 average 6-93 %) of the births were illegitimate.

Mortality has always been comparatively low in Norway, and in the long run its rate has fallen. The yearly deaths amounted to from 30,000 to 35,000. The yearly average death-rate per 1,000 inhabitants was: (1896-1900) 15-70, (1911-15) 13-34 (with the lowest figure in 1911, 12-98), (1916) 13-62, (1917) 13-35, (1918) 16-7 the great influenza epidemic, (1919-20) 13-48. The Norwegian mortality rate for men varies from the general rule. It shows a falling mortality to 12 years of age, and thereafter a marked rise to 22 years; the rate then falls to 34 years and then again rises. While infant mortality (under I year) is lower in Norway than in any other European country and the mortality among the very young, and those over 50 years, is very low, the mortality between 20 and 30 years is higher than in any other country. The cause of this has not been determined, but tuberculosis is a strongly contributing factor. Mor- tality is higher in the towns than in the country, except among males of 17-25 years, and females 15-39, at which ages the country popula- tion has a higher rate of mortality than the town population. The total number of deaths in 1917 was 31,613. The principal causes of death, besides senile decay with 15-26% of all deaths, were pulmo- nary tuberculosis 13-47%, cancer and sarcoma 7-84%, apoplexy (apoplexia et embolia cerebri) 5-65%, organic heart disease 5-24%, inflammation of the lungs 5-17%, chronic bronchitis catarrhal in- flammation of the lungs 3-75%, and congenital debility 3-66%. In the terrible mortality year 1918, with 41,228 deaths, influenza was given as the cause of 7,248, 17-58 % of all cases. Tuberculosis, which yearly carries off 2 per 1,000 of the population, prevails most seriously in Finmark, where the deaths from that disease in 1917 were 4-40 per 1,000, in Tromso province the figure was2-93, in Nordland2-77,m North Trondelag 2-34, and in South Trondelag 2-34 per 1,000, while a high figure prevails in all the provinces of northern Norway. Energetic efforts to check this disease have been made by the Nor- wegian Anti-Tuberculosis Association, founded in Christiania on June 29 1910. On July I 1920 this Association comprised, besides 2,287 life meTnbers, or industrial contributing members, 591 local