Electricity - capacity: 26.43 million kW (1994)
Electricity - production: 123.2 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 24,586 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: oats, other grains; beef, milk; livestock
output exceeds value of crops; among world's top 10 fishing nations;
fish catch of 2.33 million metric tons in 1994
Exports:
total value: $41.7 billion (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 43%, metals and products
11%, foodstuffs (mostly fish) 9%, chemicals and raw materials 25%,
natural gas 6.0%, ships 5.4%
partners: EU 77.2% (UK 19.8%, Germany 12.7%, Netherlands 9.1%, France
7.8%, Sweden 9.8%), US 6.0% (1995)
Imports:
total value : $32.7 billion (c.i.f., 1995)
commodities: machinery and equipment and manufactured consumer goods
54%, chemicals and other industrial inputs 39%, foodstuffs 6%
partners: EU 71.0% (Sweden 15.4%, Germany 13.8%, UK 9.7%, Denmark
7.5%, Netherlands 4.4%), US 6.6% (1995)
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid:
donor: ODA, $1.014 billion (1993)
Currency: 1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 oere
Exchange rates: Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1 - 6.4475 (January
1997), 6.4498 (1996), 6.3352 (1995), 7.0576 (1994), 7.0941 (1993),
6.2145 (1992)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Norway:Communications
Telephones: 2.39 million (1994 est.); 470,000 mobile phones in use in
1994
Telephone system: high-quality domestic and international telephone,
telegraph, and telex services
domestic: NA domestic satellite earth stations
international: 2 buried coaxial cable systems; 4 coaxial submarine
cables; satellite earth stations - NA Eutelsat, NA Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean Regions); note -
Norway shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic
countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 46, FM 493 (350 private and 143
government), shortwave 0
Radios: 3.3 million (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 54 (repeaters 2,100)
Televisions: 1.5 million (1993 est.)
@Norway:Transportation
Railways:
total: 4,027 km
standard gauge: 4,027 km 1.435-m gauge (2422 km electrified; 96 km
double track) (1995)
Highways:
total: 90,261 km
paved : 66,342 km (including 105 km of expressways)
unpaved: 23,919 km (1995)
Waterways: 1,577 km along west coast; 2.4 m draft vessels maximum
Pipelines: refined products 53 km
Ports and harbors: Bergen, Drammen, Floro, Hammerfest, Harstad,
Haugesund, Kristiansand, Larvik, Narvik, Oslo, Porsgrunn, Stavanger,
Tromso, Trondheim
Merchant marine:
total : 718 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 19,401,580
GRT/31,740,273 DWT
ships by type: bulk 102, cargo 106, chemical tanker 83, combination
bulk 9, combination ore/oil 33, container 16, liquefied gas tanker 87,
multi-function large load carrier 1, oil tanker 148, passenger 14,
passenger-cargo 1, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 10,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 49, short-sea passenger 24, vehicle carrier 34
note: the government has created an internal 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 (1996 est.)
Airports: 102 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 97
over 3,047 m : 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 59 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total : 5
914 to 1,523 m: 5 (1996 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Norwegian Army, Royal Norwegian Navy (includes
Coast Artillery and Coast Guard), Royal Norwegian Air Force, Home
Guard
Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,112,390 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males : 925,780 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 27,382 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $3.7 billion (1995)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.9% (1995)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud
Land); Svalbard is the focus of a maritime boundary dispute in the
Barents Sea between Norway and Russia
Illicit drugs: minor transshipment point for drugs shipped via the CIS
and Baltic states for the European market; increasing domestic
consumption of cannabis and amphetamines
______________________________________________________________________
OMAN
@Oman:Geography
Location: Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and
Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE
Geographic coordinates: 21 00 N, 57 00 E
Map references: Middle East
Area:
total: 212,460 sq km
land: 212,460 sq km
water : 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Kansas
Land boundaries:
total: 1,374 km
border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km
Coastline: 2,092 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone : 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
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
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m
highest point: Jabal ash Sham 2,980 m
Natural resources: petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble,
limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas
Land use:
arable land : 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: 95% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 580 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust
storms in interior; periodic droughts
Environment - current issues: rising soil salinity; beach pollution
from oil spills; very limited natural fresh water resources
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: strategic location with small foothold on Musandam
Peninsula controlling Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for
world crude oil
@Oman:People
Population: 2,264,590 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 46% (male 527,091; female 507,849)
15-64 years: 51% (male 632,647; female 535,149)
65 years and over: 3% (male 27,974; female 33,880) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.49% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 37.85 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 4.39 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.18 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 26.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.8 years
male : 68.84 years
female: 72.85 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.02 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun : Omani(s)
adjective: Omani
Ethnic groups: Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri
Lankan, Bangladeshi), African
Religions: Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu
Languages: Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects
Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: approaching 80%
male : NA%
female: NA%
@Oman:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Sultanate of Oman
conventional short form : Oman
local long form: Saltanat Uman
local short form: Uman
Data code: MU
Government type: monarchy
National capital: Muscat
Administrative divisions: 6 regions (mintaqah, singular - mintaqat)
and 2 governorates* (muhafazah, singular - muhafazat) Ad Dakhiliyah,
Al Batinah, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah, Az Zahirah, Masqat, Musandam*,
Zufar*
Independence: 1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)
National holiday: National Day, 18 November (1940)
Constitution: none; note - on 6 November 1996, Sultan QABOOS issued a
royal decree promulgating a new basic law which, among other things,
clarifies the royal succession, provides for a prime minister, bars
ministers from holding interests in companies doing business with the
government, establishes a bicameral Omani council, and guarantees
basic civil liberties for Omani citizens
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: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said
(since 23 July 1970); note - the sultan is both the chief of state and
head of government
head of government : Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said
(since 23 July 1970); note - the sultan is both the chief of state and
head of government
cabinet : Cabinet appointed by the sultan
elections: none; the sultan is a hereditary monarch
Legislative branch: unicameral Consultative Council or Majlis
ash-Shura (80 members; two appointed from each wilayat with a
population over 30,000, one appointed from each of the other wilayats;
members serve four-year terms; has advisory powers only)
note: new basic law to be implemented in 1997, provides for an upper
chamber - the Majlis ad-Dawla or State Council; also the Majlis
ash-Shura will be expanded to 110 members; the resulting bicameral
legislature will be known as the Omani Council
Judicial branch: none; traditional Islamic judges and a nascent civil
court system, administered by region
Political parties and leaders: none
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF,
ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM,
OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Abdallah bin Muhammad bin Aqil al-DHAHAB
chancery: 2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 387-1980 through 1982
FAX : [1] (202) 745-4933
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Frances D. COOK
embassy: Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat
mailing address: domestic - Unit 73000, Box 1, APO AE 09890-3000;
international - P. O. Box 202, Code No. 115, Medinat Qaboos, Muscat
telephone: [968] 698989 (Medinat Qaboos, switchboard)
FAX: [968] 699779
Flag description: three horizontal bands of white, red, and green of
equal 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
Economy
Economy - overview: Economic performance is closely tied to the
fortunes of the oil industry. Petroleum accounts for 75% of export
earnings and government revenues and for 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 year 1996 was marked by higher oil production
and prices. The government is encouraging private investment, both
domestic and foreign, as a prime force for further economic
development.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $20.8 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6.5% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $9,500 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture : 3%
industry: 55%
services : 42% (1994 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 0.5% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total: 454,000
by occupation: agriculture 37% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues : $5.3 billion
expenditures: $6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997
est.)
Industries: crude oil production and refining, natural gas production,
construction, cement, copper
Industrial production growth rate: 3% (1994 est.)
Electricity - capacity: 1.74 million kW (1994)
Electricity - production: 7.39 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 3,412 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables;
camels, cattle; annual fish catch averages 100,000 metric tons
Exports:
total value: $7.2 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: petroleum 75%, reexports, fish, processed copper,
textiles
partners: Japan 32%, South Korea 16%, Thailand 12%, China 8%, US 6%,
Taiwan 6% (1995)
Imports:
total value: $5.5 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods,
food, livestock, lubricants
partners : UAE 25% (largely reexports), UK 16%, Japan 16%, France 11%,
US 5% (1995)
Debt - external: $2.7 billion (1995 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient : ODA, $82 million (1993)
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
Telephones: 150,000 (1994 est.)
Telephone system: modern system consisting of open wire, microwave,
and radiotelephone communication stations; limited coaxial cable
domestic: open wire, microwave, radiotelephone communications, and a
domestic satellite system with 8 earth stations
international : satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
and 1 Arabsat
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 1
Radios: 1.043 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 9
Televisions: 1.195 million (1992 est.)
@Oman:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 5,000 km
paved: 3,500 km (including 426 km of expressways)
unpaved: 1,500 km (1983 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 1,300 km; natural gas 1,030 km
Ports and harbors: Matrah, Mina' al Fahl, Mina' Raysut
Merchant marine:
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 16,306 GRT/8,210 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1, passenger 1, passenger-cargo 1 (1996 est.)
Airports: 126 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 38
over 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 32 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 88
over 3,047 m : 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m : 57
914 to 1,523 m: 25 (1996 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary (includes Royal
Oman Police)
Military manpower - military age: 14 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 550,421 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males : 312,205 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.82 billion (1996)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 13.7% (1996)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: no defined boundary with most of UAE, but
Administrative Line in far north
______________________________________________________________________
PACIFIC OCEAN
[Map of Pacific Ocean]
@Pacific Ocean:Geography
Location: body of water between Antarctica, Asia, Australia, and the
Western Hemisphere
Geographic coordinates: 0 00 N, 160 00 W
Map references: World
Area:
total: 165.384 million sq km
note: includes Bali Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, Bering Sea, Bering
Strait, Coral Sea, East China Sea, Flores Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Gulf of
Tonkin, Java Sea, Philippine Sea, Ross Sea, Savu Sea, Sea of Japan,
Sea of Okhotsk, South China Sea, Tasman Sea, Timor Sea, and other
tributary water bodies
Area - comparative: about 18 times the size of the US; the largest
ocean (followed by the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the
Arctic Ocean); covers about one-third of the global surface; larger
than the total land area of the world
Coastline: 135,663 km
Climate: planetary air pressure systems and resultant wind patterns
exhibit remarkable uniformity in the south and east; trade winds and
westerly winds are well-developed patterns, modified by seasonal
fluctuations; tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico
from June to October and affect Mexico and Central America;
continental influences cause climatic uniformity to be much less
pronounced in the eastern and western regions at the same latitude in
the North Pacific Ocean; the western Pacific is monsoonal - a rainy
season occurs during the summer months, when moisture-laden winds blow
from the ocean over the land, and a dry season during the winter
months, when dry winds blow from the Asian land mass back to the
ocean; tropical cyclones (typhoons) may strike southeast and East Asia
from May to December
Terrain: surface currents in the northern Pacific are dominated by a
clockwise, warm-water gyre (broad circular system of currents) and in
the southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool-water gyre; in the
northern Pacific, sea ice forms in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk
in winter; in the southern Pacific, sea ice from Antarctica reaches
its northernmost extent in October; the ocean floor in the eastern
Pacific is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the western
Pacific is dissected by deep trenches, including the Marianas Trench,
which is the world's deepest
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Marianas Trench -10,924 m
highest point: sea level 0 m
Natural resources: oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and
gravel aggregates, placer deposits, fish
Natural hazards: surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and
earthquake activity sometimes referred to as the "Pacific Ring of
Fire"; subject to tropical cyclones (typhoons) in southeast and east
Asia from May to December (most frequent from July to October);
tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike
Central America and Mexico from June to October (most common in August
and September); southern shipping lanes subject to icebergs from
Antarctica; occasional El Nino phenomenon occurs off the coast of
Peru, when the trade winds slacken and the warm Equatorial
Countercurrent moves south, killing the plankton that is the primary
food source for anchovies; consequently, the anchovies move to better
feeding grounds, causing resident marine birds to starve by the
thousands because of the loss of their food source; ships subject to
superstructure icing in extreme north from October to May and in
extreme south from May to October; persistent fog in the northern
Pacific can be a maritime hazard from June to December
Environment - current issues: endangered marine species include the
dugong, sea lion, sea otter, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution
in Philippine Sea and South China Sea
Environment - international agreements:
party to : none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: the major choke points are the Bering Strait, Panama
Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the
Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific
Ocean; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in
the southwestern Pacific Ocean
@Pacific Ocean:Government
Data code: none; the US Government has not approved a standard for
hydrographic codes - see the Cross-Reference List of Hydrographic
Codes appendix
Economy
Economy - overview: The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the
world economy and particularly to those nations its waters directly
touch. It provides low-cost sea transportation between East and West,
extensive fishing grounds, offshore oil and gas fields, minerals, and
sand and gravel for the construction industry. In 1985 over half (54%)
of the world's fish catch came from the Pacific Ocean, which is the
only ocean where the fish catch has increased every year since 1978.
Exploitation of offshore oil and gas reserves is playing an
ever-increasing role in the energy supplies of Australia, NZ, China,
US, and Peru. The high cost of recovering offshore oil and gas,
combined with the wide swings in world prices for oil since 1985, has
slowed but not stopped new drillings.
@Pacific Ocean:Communications
Telephone system:
international : several submarine cables with network nodal points on
Guam and Hawaii
@Pacific Ocean:Transportation
Ports and harbors: Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong, Kao-hsiung (Taiwan),
Los Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines), Pusan (South Korea), San
Francisco (US), Seattle (US), Shanghai (China), Singapore, Sydney
(Australia), Vladivostok (Russia), Wellington (NZ), Yokohama (Japan)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
______________________________________________________________________
PAKISTAN
@Pakistan:Geography
Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on
the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west
Geographic coordinates: 30 00 N, 70 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area:
total : 803,940 sq km
land: 778,720 sq km
water: 25,220 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of California
Land boundaries:
total: 6,774 km
border countries: Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km,
Iran 909 km
Coastline: 1,046 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in
north
Terrain: flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest;
Balochistan plateau in west
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m
Natural resources: land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited
petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone
Land use:
arable land: 27%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 6%
forests and woodland: 5%
other : 61% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 171,100 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially
in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July
and August)
Environment - current issues: water pollution from raw sewage,
industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff; limited natural fresh
water resources; a majority of the population does not have access to
potable water; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life
Conservation
Geography - note: controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional
invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent
@Pakistan:People
Population: 132,185,299 (July 1997 est.)
note: no national census has been conducted since 1981
Age structure:
0-14 years: 42% (male 28,702,496; female 27,048,787)
15-64 years: 54% (male 36,387,329; female 34,708,803)
65 years and over : 4% (male 2,667,936; female 2,669,948) (July 1997
est.)
Population growth rate: 2.22% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 35.26 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 10.95 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years : 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 95.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 58.77 years
male: 57.97 years
female : 59.61 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.08 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun : Pakistani(s)
adjective: Pakistani