Chapter 86

Labor force: total: 7,476 total indigenous labor force; 2,699 unemployed; 22,560 foreign workers (1995) by occupation: NA

Unemployment rate: 15% (residents)

Budget: revenues: $190.4 million expenditures : $190.4 million, including capital expenditures of $19.1 million (FY94/95)

Industries: tourism, construction, garments, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - capacity: NA kW

Electricity - production: NA kWh

Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh

Agriculture - products: coconuts, fruits, vegetables; cattle

Exports: NA commodities: garments partners : NA

Imports: NA commodities: food, construction equipment and materials, petroleum products partners : US, Japan

Debt - external: $NA

Economic aid: none

Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: US currency is used

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

@Northern Mariana Islands:Communications

Telephones: 13,618 (1993 est.)

Telephone system: domestic : NA international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3

Radios: 15,350 (1987 est.)

Television broadcast stations: none note: there are 2 cable TV stations

Televisions: 10,650 (1993 est.)

@Northern Mariana Islands:Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total : 362 km (1991 est.) paved: NA km unpaved: NA km

Waterways: none

Ports and harbors: Saipan, Tinian

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 5 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m : 1 (1996 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1996 est.)

Military

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none ______________________________________________________________________

NORWAY

@Norway:Geography

Location: Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden

Geographic coordinates: 62 00 N, 10 00 E

Map references: Europe

Area: total: 324,220 sq km land: 307,860 sq km water: 16,360 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than New Mexico

Land boundaries: total: 2,515 km border countries: Finland 729 km, Sweden 1,619 km, Russia 167 km

Coastline: 21,925 km (includes mainland 3,419 km, large islands 2,413 km, long fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations 16,093 km)

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 10 nm continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive economic zone : 200 nm territorial sea: 4 nm

Climate: temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior; rainy year-round on west coast

Terrain: glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m highest point: Glittertinden 2,472 m

Natural resources: petroleum, copper, natural gas, pyrites, nickel, iron ore, zinc, lead, fish, timber, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 3% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures : 0% forests and woodland: 27% other: 70% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 970 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: water pollution; acid rain damaging forests and adversely affecting lakes, threatening fish stocks; air pollution from vehicle emissions

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: about two-thirds mountains; some 50,000 islands off its much indented coastline; strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and air routes in North Atlantic; one of most rugged and longest coastlines in world; Norway and Turkey only NATO members having a land boundary with Russia

@Norway:People

Population: 4,399,993 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 19% (male 440,621; female 417,331) 15-64 years : 65% (male 1,446,739; female 1,399,291) 65 years and over: 16% (male 289,426; female 406,585) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.47% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 13.25 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 10.22 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth : 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 5.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.09 years male: 75.29 years female: 81.07 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.83 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun: Norwegian(s) adjective: Norwegian

Ethnic groups: 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: definition : age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% (1976 est.) male: NA% female: NA%

@Norway:Government

Country name: conventional long form : Kingdom of Norway conventional short form: Norway local long form: Kongeriket Norge local short form: Norge

Data code: NO

Government type: constitutional monarchy

National 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 Thorbjoern JAGLAND (since 25 October 1996) cabinet: State Council appointed by the king with the approval of the Parliament elections: none; the king is a hereditary monarch; following parliamentary elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the king with the approval of the Parliament

Legislative branch: modified unicameral Parliament or Storting which, for certain purposes, divides itself into two chambers (165 seats; members are elected by popular vote by proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 13 September 1993 (next to be held NA September 1997) election results : percent of vote by party - Labor 37.1%, Center Party 18.5%, Conservatives 15.6%, Christian People's 8.4%, Socialist Left 7.9%, Progress 6%, Left Party 3.6%, Red Electoral Alliance 1.2%; seats by party - Labor 67, Center Party 32, Conservatives 18, Christian People's 13, Socialist Left 13, Progress 10, Left Party 1, Red Electoral Alliance 1, unawarded 10 note : for certain purposes, the Parliament divides itself into two chambers and elects one-fourth of its membership to an upper house or Lagting

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Hoyesterett, justices appointed by the king

Political parties and leaders: Labor Party [Thorbjorn JAGLAND]; Conservative Party [Jan PETERSEN]; Center Party [Anne ENGER LAHNSTEIN]; Christian People's Party [Valgerd HAUGLAND]; Socialist Left [Erik SOLHEIM]; Norwegian Communist [Kare Andre NILSEN]; Progress Party [Carl I. HAGEN]; Liberal [Odd Einar DORUM]; Left Party; Red Electoral Alliance [Erling FOLKVORD]

International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UNTAES, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Tom-Erik VRAALSON chancery : 2720 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333-6000 FAX: [1] (202) 337-0870 consulate(s) general: Houston, Minneapolis, New York, and San Francisco consulate(s): Miami

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission : Ambassador Thomas A. LOFTUS embassy: Drammensveien 18, 0244 Oslo mailing address: PSC 69, Box 1000, APO AE 09707 telephone: [47] 22 44 85 50 FAX : [47] 22 44 33 63

Flag description: 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)

Economy

Economy - overview: Norway is a prosperous bastion of welfare capitalism. The economy consists of 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 maintains an extensive welfare system that helps propel public sector expenditures to more than 50% of GDP and results in one of the highest average tax levels in the world (46%). 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. Only Saudi Arabia exports more oil than Norway. Norway imports more than half its food needs. Economic growth, only 1.6% in 1993, has improved steadily over the past few years, resulting in a budget surplus in 1996. Oslo opted to stay out of the EU during a referendum in November 1994. Despite their high per capita income - outstripped among major nations only by the US - and their generous welfare benefits, the Norwegians worry about that time in the 21st century when the oil and gas run out.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $114.1 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.8% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $26,200 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.9% industry: 34.7% services : 62.4% (1991)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 1.2% (1996 est.)

Labor force: total: 2.13 million by occupation: services 71%, industry 23%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 6% (1993)

Unemployment rate: 4.5% (1996 est.)

Budget: revenues: $48.6 billion expenditures: $53 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.)

Industries: petroleum and gas, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles, fishing

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)

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.)