4,314,604 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.39% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
13.32 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
10.44 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
1.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
6.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
77.38 years
male:
74.02 years
female:
80.94 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.81 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Norwegian(s)
adjective:
Norwegian
Ethnic divisions:
Germanic (Nordic, Alpine, Baltic), Lapps (Sami) 20,000
Religions:
Evangelical Lutheran 87.8% (state church), other Protestant and Roman
Catholic 3.8%, none 3.2%, unknown 5.2% (1980)
Languages:
Norwegian (official)
note:
small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1976 est.)
total population:
99%
male:
NA%
female:
NA%
Labor force:
2.004 million (1992)
by occupation:
services 39.1%, commerce 17.6%, mining, oil, and manufacturing 16.0%,
banking and financial services 7.6%, transportation and communications
7.8%, construction 6.1%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 5.5%
(1989)
@Norway, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Kingdom of Norway
conventional short form:
Norway
local long form:
Kongeriket Norge
local short form:
Norge
Digraph:
NO
Type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
Oslo
Administrative divisions:
19 provinces (fylker, singular - fylke); Akershus, Aust-Agder,
Buskerud, Finnmark, Hedmark, Hordaland, More og Romsdal, Nordland,
Nord-Trondelag, Oppland, Oslo, Ostfold, Rogaland, Sogn og Fjordane,
Sor-Trondelag, Telemark, Troms, Vest-Agder, Vestfold
Dependent areas:
Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard
Independence:
26 October 1905 (from Sweden)
National holiday:
Constitution Day, 17 May (1814)
Constitution:
17 May 1814, modified in 1884
Legal system:
mixture of customary law, civil law system, and common law traditions;
Supreme Court renders advisory opinions to legislature when asked;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991); Heir Apparent Crown Prince
HAAKON MAGNUS (born 20 July 1973)
head of government:
Prime Minister Gro Harlem BRUNDTLAND (since 3 November 1990)
cabinet:
State Council; appointed by the king in accordance with the will of
the Storting
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (Storting)
Storting:
elections last held on 13 September 1993 (next to be held September
1997); results - Labor 37.1%, Center Party 18.5%, Conservatives 15.6%,
Christian Peoples' 8.4%, Socialist Left 7.9%, Progress 6%, Left Party
3.6%, Red Electoral Alliance 1.2%; seats - (165 total) Labor 67,
Center Party 32, Consevatives 18, Christian Peoples' 13, Socialist
Left 13, Progress 10, Left Party 1, Red Electoral Alliance 1,
unawarded 10
Lagting:
Storting elects one-fourth of its member to upper house
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Hoyesterett)
Political parties and leaders:
Labor Party, Thorbjorn JAGLUND; Conservative Party, Jan PETERSEN;
Center Party, Anne ENGER LAHNSTEIN; Christian People's Party, Kjell
Magne BONDEVIK; Socialist Left, Eric SOLHEIM; Norwegian Communist,
Ingre IVERSEN; Progress Party, Carl I. HAGEN; Liberal, Odd Einar
DORUM; Finnmark List, leader NA; Left Party; Red Electoral Alliance
Member of:
AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE,
EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NC, NEA, NIB,
NSG, OECD, ONUSAL, PCA, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WEU
(associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Kjeld VIBE
chancery:
2720 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 333-6000
FAX:
(202) 337-0870
consulate(s) general:
Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, and San Francisco
consulate(s):
Miami
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Thomas A. LOFTUS
embassy:
Drammensveien 18, 0244 Oslo 2
mailing address:
PSC 69, Box 1000, APO AE 09707
telephone:
[47] 22-44-85-50
FAX:
[47] 22-43-07-77
Flag:
red with a blue cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of
the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side
in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
@Norway, Economy
Overview:
Norway has a mixed economy involving a combination of free market
activity and government intervention. The government controls key
areas, such as the vital petroleum sector (through large-scale state
enterprises) and extensively subsidizes agriculture, fishing, and
areas with sparse resources. Norway also maintains an extensive
welfare system that helps propel public sector expenditures to
slightly more than 50% of the GDP and results in one of the highest
average tax burdens in the world (54%). A small country with a high
dependence on international trade, Norway is basically an exporter of
raw materials and semiprocessed goods, with an abundance of small- and
medium-sized firms, and is ranked among the major shipping nations.
The country is richly endowed with natural resources - petroleum,
hydropower, fish, forests, and minerals - and is highly dependent on
its oil sector to keep its economy afloat. Although one of the
government's main priorities is to reduce this dependency, this
situation is not likely to improve for years to come. The government
also hopes to reduce unemployment and strengthen and diversify the
economy through tax reform and a series of expansionary budgets. The
budget deficit is expected to hit a record 8% of GDP because of
welfare spending and bail-outs of the banking system. Unemployment
continues at record levels of over 10% - including those in job
programs - because of the weakness of the economy outside the oil
sector. Economic growth was only 1.6% in 1993, while inflation was a
moderate 2.3%. Oslo, a member of the European Free Trade Area, has
applied for membership in the European Union and continues to
deregulate and harmonize with EU regulations. Membership is expected
in early 1995.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $89.5 billion (1993)
National product real growth rate:
1.6% (1993)
National product per capita:
$20,800 (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.3% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.5% (excluding people in job-training programs; 1993 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
$45.3 billion
expenditures:
$51.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993)
Exports:
$32.1 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products 40%, metals and products 10.6%, fish
and fish products 6.9%, chemicals 6.4%, natural gas 6.0%, ships 5.4%
partners:
EC 66.3%, Nordic countries 16.3%, developing countries 8.4%, US 6.0%,
Japan 1.8% (1993)
Imports:
$24.8 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities:
machinery and equipment 38.9%, chemicals and other industrial inputs
26.6%, manufactured consumer goods 17.8%, foodstuffs 6.4%
partners:
EC 48.6%, Nordic countries 25.1%, developing countries 9.6%, US 8.1%,
Japan 8.0% (1993)
External debt:
$6.5 billion (1992 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 6.2% (1992); accounts for 14% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
26,900,000 kW
production:
111 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
25,850 kWh (1992)
Industries:
petroleum and gas, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper
products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles, fishing
Agriculture:
accounts for 3% of GDP and about 6% of labor force; among world's top
10 fishing nations; livestock output exceeds value of crops; over half
of food needs imported; fish catch of 1.76 million metric tons in 1989
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for drugs shipped via the CIS and Baltic states
for the European market
Economic aid:
donor:
ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $4.4 billion
Currency:
1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 oere
Exchange rates:
Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1 - 7.4840 (January 1994), 7.0941
(1993), 6.2145 (1992), 6.4829 (1991), 6.2597 (1990), 6.9045 (1989)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
@Norway, Communications
Railroads:
4,223 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; Norwegian State Railways (NSB)
operates 4,219 km (2,450 km electrified and 96 km double track); 4 km
other
Highways:
total:
88,800 km
paved:
38,580 km
unpaved:
gravel, crushed stone, earth 50,220 km
Inland waterways:
1,577 km along west coast; 2.4 m draft vessels maximum
Pipelines:
refined products 53 km
Ports:
Oslo, Bergen, Fredrikstad, Kristiansand, Stavanger, Trondheim
Merchant marine:
764 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 20,793,968 GRT/35,409,472 DWT,
bulk 159, cargo 92, chemical tanker 85, combination bulk 8,
combination ore/oil 28, container 17, liquefied gas 81, oil tanker
162, passenger 13, passenger-cargo 2, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated
cargo 13, roll-on/roll-off cargo 54, short-sea passenger 21, vehicle
carrier 28
note:
the government has created a captive register, the Norwegian
International Ship Register (NIS), as a subset of the Norwegian
register; ships on the NIS enjoy many benefits of flags of convenience
and do not have to be crewed by Norwegians; the majority of ships
(761) under the Norwegian flag are now registered with the NIS
Airports:
total:
103
usable:
102
with permanent-surface runways:
65
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
13
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
15
Telecommunications:
high-quality domestic and international telephone, telegraph, and
telex services; 2 buried coaxial cable systems; 3,102,000 telephones;
broadcast stations - 46 AM, 350 private and 143 government FM, 54
(2,100 repeaters) TV; 4 coaxial submarine cables; 3 communications
satellite earth stations operating in the EUTELSAT, INTELSAT (1
Atlantic Ocean), MARISAT, and domestic systems
@Norway, Defense Forces
Branches:
Norwegian Army, Royal Norwegian Navy, Royal Norwegian Air Force, Home
Guard
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 1,119,405; fit for military service 932,438; reach
military age (20) annually 30,557 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $3.1 billion, 3.2% of GDP (1993)
@Oman, Geography
Location:
Middle East, along the Arabian Sea, between Yemen and the United Arab
Emirates
Map references:
Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
212,460 sq km
land area:
212,460 sq km
comparative area:
slightly smaller than Kansas
Land boundaries:
total 1,374 km, Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km
Coastline:
2,092 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
to be defined
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
no defined boundary with most of UAE; Administrative Line with UAE in
far north; a treaty with Yemen defining the Omani-Yemeni boundary was
ratified in December 1992
Climate:
dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong
southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
Terrain:
vast central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south
Natural resources:
petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum,
natural gas
Land use:
arable land:
less than 2%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
5%
forest and woodland:
0%
other:
93%
Irrigated land:
410 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; sparse natural
freshwater resources
natural hazards:
summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior
international agreements:
party to - Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ship Pollution, Whaling;
signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change
Note:
strategic location with small foothold on Musandam Peninsula
controlling Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude
oil
@Oman, People
Population:
1,701,470 (July 1994 est.)
note:
Oman's first census was concluded in December 1993; preliminary
figures give a population of 2,000,000, of whom about 500,000 are
expatriate workers; final evaluative figures are not yet available
Population growth rate:
3.46% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
40.38 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
5.77 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
36.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
67.79 years
male:
65.9 years
female:
69.77 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.53 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Omani(s)
adjective:
Omani
Ethnic divisions:
Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan,
Bangladeshi)
Religions:
Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu
Languages:
Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects
Literacy:
total population:
NA%
male:
NA%
female:
NA%
Labor force:
430,000 (est.)
by occupation:
agriculture 40% (est.)
@Oman, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Sultanate of Oman
conventional short form:
Oman
local long form:
Saltanat Uman
local short form:
Uman
Digraph:
MU
Type:
monarchy
Capital:
Muscat
Administrative divisions:
there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
Government, but there are 3 governorates (muhafazah, singular -
muhafazat); Masqat, Musandam, Zufar
Independence:
1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)
National holiday:
National Day, 18 November (1940)
Constitution:
none
Legal system:
based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the
sultan; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
none
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970)
cabinet:
Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral Consultative Council
Judicial branch:
none; traditional Islamic judges and a nascent civil court system
Political parties and leaders:
none
Other political or pressure groups:
NA
Member of:
ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador-designate Ahmad bin Muhammad al-RASBI
chancery:
2342 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 387-1980 through 1982
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador David J. DUNFORD
embassy:
address NA, Muscat
mailing address:
P. O. Box 202 Code No. 115, Muscat
telephone:
[968] 698-989
FAX:
[968] 604-316
Flag:
three horizontal bands of white (top, double width), red, and green
(double width) with a broad, vertical, red band on the hoist side; the
national emblem (a khanjar dagger in its sheath superimposed on two
crossed swords in scabbards) in white is centered at the top of the
vertical band
@Oman, Economy
Overview:
Economic performance is closely tied to the fortunes of the oil
industry, including trends in international oil prices and the ability
of OPEC producers to agree on output quotas. Petroleum accounts for
more than 85% of export earnings, about 80% of government revenues,
and roughly 40% of GDP. Oman has proved oil reserves of 4 billion
barrels, equivalent to about 20 years' supply at the current rate of
extraction. Agriculture is carried on at a subsistence level and the
general population depends on imported food. The government is
encouraging private investment, both domestic and foreign, as a prime
force for further economic development.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $16.4 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
6.1% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
$10,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues:
$4.4 billion
expenditures:
$5.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $1 billion (1994 est.)
Exports:
$5 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
petroleum 87%, re-exports, fish, processed copper, textiles
partners:
UAE 30%, Japan 27%, South Korea 10%, Singapore 5% (1991)
Imports:
$3.7 billion (f.o.b, 1993 est.)
commodities:
machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food,
livestock, lubricants
partners:
Japan 20%, UAE 14%, UK 19%, US 7% (1991)
External debt:
$3 billion (1993)
Industrial production:
growth rate 8.6% (1991); accounts for almost 60% of GDP, including
petroleum
Electricity:
capacity:
1,142,400 kW
production:
5.1 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
3,200 kWh (1992)
Industries:
crude oil production and refining, natural gas production,
construction, cement, copper
Agriculture:
accounts for 4% of GDP and 40% of the labor force (including fishing);
less than 2% of land cultivated; largely subsistence farming (dates,
limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables, camels, cattle); not
self-sufficient in food; annual fish catch averages 100,000 metric
tons
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $137 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $148
million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $797 million
Currency:
1 Omani rial (RO) = 1,000 baiza
Exchange rates:
Omani rials (RO) per US$1 - 0.3845 (fixed rate since 1986)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
@Oman, Communications
Highways:
total:
26,000 km
paved:
6,000 km
unpaved:
motorable track 20,000 km
Pipelines:
crude oil 1,300 km; natural gas 1,030 km
Ports:
Mina' Qabus, Mina' Raysut, Mina' al Fahl
Merchant marine:
1 passenger ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,442 GRT/1,320 DWT
Airports:
total:
138
usable:
130
with permanent-surface runways:
6
with runways over 3,659 m:
1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
9
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
74
Telecommunications:
modern system consisting of open-wire, microwave, and radio
communications stations; limited coaxial cable; 50,000 telephones;
broadcast stations - 2 AM, 3 FM, 7 TV; satellite earth stations - 2
Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT, and 8 domestic
@Oman, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Royal Oman Police
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 382,793; fit for military service 217,755; reach
military age (14) annually 22,118 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $1.6 billion, 16% of GDP (1993 est.)
@Pacific Islands (Palau), Trust Territory of the
Header
Affiliation:
(UN trusteeship administered by the US)
@Pacific Islands (Palau), Trust Territory of the, Geography
Location:
Oceania, Micronesia, in the North Pacific Ocean, 850 km southeast of
the Philippines
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total area:
458 sq km
land area:
458 sq km
comparative area:
slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
1,519 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
none
Climate:
wet season May to November; hot and humid
Terrain:
about 200 islands varying geologically from the high, mountainous main
island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large
barrier reefs
Natural resources:
forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products, deep-seabed
minerals
Land use:
arable land:
NA%
permanent crops:
NA%
meadows and pastures:
NA%
forest and woodland:
NA%
other:
NA%
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
NA
natural hazards:
subject to typhoons (June to December)
international agreements:
NA
Note:
includes World War II battleground of Peleliu and world-famous rock
islands; archipelago of six island groups totaling over 200 islands in
the Caroline chain
@Pacific Islands (Palau), Trust Territory of the, People
Population:
16,366 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.81% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
22.54 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
6.61 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
25.07 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
71.01 years
male:
69.14 years
female:
73.02 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.91 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Palauan(s)
adjective:
Palauan
Ethnic divisions:
Palauans are a composite of Polynesian, Malayan, and Melanesian races
Religions:
Christian (Catholics, Seventh-Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, the
Assembly of God, the Liebenzell Mission, and Latter-Day Saints),
Modekngei religion (one-third of the population observes this religion
which is indigenous to Palau)
Languages:
English (official in all of Palau's 16 states), Sonsorolese (official
in the state of Sonsoral), Angaur and Japanese (in the state of
Anguar), Tobi (in the state of Tobi), Palauan (in the other 13 states)
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
total population:
92%
male:
93%
female:
91%
Labor force:
NA
by occupation:
NA
@Pacific Islands (Palau), Trust Territory of the, Government