Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1400

1044 II. .

1. Births, Deaths, and Marriages.

2. Emigration.

III. .

At the census taken January 1, 1891, the number of towns with a population of above 100,000 was one, above 20,000 four, above 10,000 five, above 5,000 nine. The population of the principal towns, January 1, 1891, was:—

Religion and Instruction.

The evangelical Lutheran religion is the national Church and the only one endowed by the State. Its clergy are nominated by the King. All other Christian sects (except Jesuits) as well as the Jews are tolerated, and free to exercise their religion within the limits prescribed by the law and public order. Ecclesiastically Norway is divided into 6 bishoprics, 83 Provstier (provostships, or archdeaconries), 478 Præstegjeld (clerical districts). In 1891 there were 30,685 dissenters, including 1,004 Roman Catholics, 8,187 Methodists, 4,228 Baptists, 348 Mormons, 231 Quakers.

Education is compulsory, the school age being from six and a half in towns and seven in the country to fourteen. In 1894 (the latest date for which