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note: for certain purposes, the parliament divides itself into two chambers and elects one-fourth of its membership in the Lagting and three-fourths of its membership in the Odelsting

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court or Hoyesterett (justices appointed by the monarch)

Political parties and leaders:

Center Party [Aslaug Marie HAGA]; Christian People's Party [Dagfinn HOYBRATEN]; Conservative Party [Erna SOLBERG]; Labor Party [Jens STOLTENBERG]; Liberal Party [Lars SPONHEIM]; Progress Party [Siv JENSEN]; Socialist Left Party [Kristin HALVORSEN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

NA

International organization participation:

ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, ESA, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Wegger C. STROMMEN

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, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Benson K. WHITNEY

embassy: Henrik Ibsens gate 48, 0244 Oslo; note - the embassy will move to Huseby in the near future

mailing address: PSC 69, Box 1000, APO AE 09707

telephone: [47] (22) 44 85 50

FAX: [47] (22) 44 33 63, 56 27 51

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 Norway

Economy - overview:

The Norwegian economy is a prosperous bastion of welfare capitalism, featuring 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. The country is richly endowed with natural resources - petroleum, hydropower, fish, forests, and minerals - and is highly dependent on its oil production and international oil prices, with oil and gas accounting for one-third of exports. Only Saudi Arabia and Russia export more oil than Norway. Norway opted to stay out of the EU during a referendum in November 1994; nonetheless, as a member of the European Economic Area, it contributes sizably to the EU budget. The government has moved ahead with privatization. Although Norwegian oil production peaked in 2000, natural gas production is still rising. Norwegians realize that once their gas production peaks they will eventually face declining oil and gas revenues; accordingly, Norway has been saving its oil-and-gas-boosted budget surpluses in a Government Petroleum Fund, which is invested abroad and now is valued at more than $250 billion. After lackluster growth of less than 1% in 2002-03, GDP growth picked up to 3-5% in 2004-07, partly due to higher oil prices. Norway's economy remains buoyant. Domestic economic activity is, and will continue to be, the main driver of growth, supported by high consumer confidence and strong investment spending in the offshore oil and gas sector. Norway's record high budget surplus and upswing in the labor market in 2007 highlight the strength of its economic position going into 2008.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$247.4 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$391.5 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

3.5% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$53,000 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 2.4%

industry: 42.9%

services: 54.7% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

2.507 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 4%

industry: 22%

services: 74% (1995)

Unemployment rate:

2.5% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 3.9%

highest 10%: 23.4% (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

28 (2005)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

0.8% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):

20.7% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $224.2 billion

expenditures: $158 billion (2007 est.)

Public debt:

75.1% of GDP (2007 est.)

Agriculture - products:

barley, wheat, potatoes; pork, beef, veal, milk; fish

Industries:

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

Industrial production growth rate:

1% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

135.8 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 0.4%

hydro: 99.3%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0.4% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:

113.9 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports:

15.7 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - imports:

3.652 billion kWh (2005)

Oil - production:

2.978 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:

228,400 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:

3.018 million bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports:

91,930 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - proved reserves:

7.705 billion bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

83.44 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

5.342 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

78.1 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2005)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

2.288 trillion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

$63.66 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$139.4 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

petroleum and petroleum products, machinery and equipment, metals, chemicals, ships, fish

Exports - partners:

UK 26.8%, Germany 12.3%, Netherlands 10.3%, France 8.2%, Sweden 6.4%, US 5.7% (2006)

Imports:

$78.11 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:

Sweden 15%, Germany 13.5%, Denmark 6.9%, UK 6.4%, China 5.7%, US 5.3%, Netherlands 4.1% (2006)

Economic aid - donor:

ODA, $2.954 billion (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$60.84 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:

$469.1 billion; note - Norway is a net external creditor (30 June 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$62.56 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$124.7 billion (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$191 billion (2005)

Currency (code):

Norwegian krone (NOK)

Currency code:

NOK

Exchange rates:

Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 5.8396 (2007), 6.4117 (2006), 6.4425 (2005), 6.7408 (2004), 7.0802 (2003)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Communications Norway

Telephones - main lines in use:

2.055 million (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

5.041 million (2006)

Telephone system:

general assessment: modern in all respects; one of the most advanced telecommunications networks in Europe

domestic: Norway has a domestic satellite system; moreover, the prevalence of rural areas encourages the wide use of cellular-mobile systems instead of fixed-wire systems

international: country code - 47; 2 buried coaxial cable systems; submarine cables provide links to other Nordic countries and Europe; 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) (1999)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 5, FM at least 650, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:

4.03 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

360 (plus 2,729 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:

2.03 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.no

Internet hosts:

2.084 million (2007)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

13 (2000)

Internet users:

4.074 million (2006)

Transportation Norway

Airports:

98 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 67

over 3,047 m: 1

2,438 to 3,047 m: 12

1,524 to 2,437 m: 12

914 to 1,523 m: 13

under 914 m: 29 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 31

914 to 1,523 m: 6

under 914 m: 25 (2007)

Heliports:

1 (2007)

Pipelines:

condensate 508 km; gas 6,529 km; oil 2,444 km; oil/gas/water 457 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 4,114 km

standard gauge: 4,114 km 1.435-m gauge (2,552 km electrified) (2008)

Roadways:

total: 92,946 km

paved: 72,033 km (includes 664 km of expressways)

unpaved: 20,913 km (2007)

Waterways:

1,577 km (2007)

Merchant marine:

total: 715 ships (1000 GRT or over) 16,511,659 GRT/22,299,832 DWT

by type: bulk carrier 49, cargo 151, carrier 1, chemical tanker 146, combination ore/oil 12, container 5, liquefied gas 72, passenger/cargo 122, petroleum tanker 79, refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 16, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 49

foreign-owned: 174 (China 47, Cyprus 2, Denmark 26, Estonia 1, Finland 1, France 3, Germany 2, Greece 6, Hong Kong 5, Iceland 3, Italy 4, Japan 1, Lithuania 1, Monaco 5, Netherlands 1, Poland 3, Saudi Arabia 3, Singapore 1, Sweden 31, UAE 1, UK 9, US 18)

registered in other countries: 872 (Antigua and Barbuda 7, Australia 1, Bahamas 232, Barbados 35, Belize 3, Bermuda 5, Brazil 1, Canada 1, Cayman Islands 2, China 1, Comoros 1, Cook Islands 1, Cyprus 17, Denmark 1, Dominica 1, Estonia 2, Faroe Islands 4, Finland 1, France 17, Gibraltar 27, Hong Kong 30, Isle of Man 33, Liberia 42, Libya 1, Malta 71, Marshall Islands 62, Mexico 1, Netherlands 9, Netherlands Antilles 5, Nigeria 1, Panama 60, Philippines 2, Portugal 3, Singapore 125, Spain 6, St Vincent and The Grenadines 19, Sweden 5, UK 33, US 4, unknown 2) (2007)

Ports and terminals:

Bergen, Borg Havn, Haugesund, Maaloy, Mongstad, Narvik, Oslo, Sture

Military Norway

Military branches:

Norwegian Army (Haeren), Royal Norwegian Navy (Kongelige Norske Sjoeforsvaret, RNoN; includes Coastal Rangers and Coast Guard (Kystvakt)), Royal Norwegian Air Force (Kongelige Norske Luftforsvaret, RNoAF), Home Guard (Heimevernet, HV) (2007)

Military service age and obligation:

18-44 years of age for male compulsory military service; 16 years of age in wartime; 17 years of age for male volunteers; 18 years of age for women; 12-month service obligation, in practice shortened to 8 to 9 months; although all males between ages of 18 and 44 are liable for service, in practice they are seldom called to duty after age 30; reserve obligation to age 35-60; 16 years of age for volunteers to the Home Guard, who serve 6-month duty tours (2006)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,078,181

females age 16-49: 1,046,550 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 888,101

females age 16-49: 862,159 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

males age 16-49: 32,185

females age 16-49: 30,683 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

1.9% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Norway

Disputes - international:

Norway asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land and its continental shelf); despite dialogue, Russia and Norway continue to dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone

This page was last updated on 15 July, 2008

The World Factbook

Oman

Introduction Oman

Background:

The inhabitants of the area of Oman have long prospered on Indian Ocean trade. In the late 18th century, a newly established sultanate in Muscat signed the first in a series of friendship treaties with Britain. Over time, Oman's dependence on British political and military advisors increased, but it never became a British colony. In 1970, QABOOS bin Said al-Said overthrew the restrictive rule of his father; he has ruled as sultan ever since. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world while preserving the longstanding close ties with the UK. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries.

Geography Oman

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:

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:

dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south

Terrain:

central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m

highest point: Jabal Shams 2,980 m

Natural resources:

petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas

Land use:

arable land: 0.12%

permanent crops: 0.14%

other: 99.74% (2005)

Irrigated land:

720 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

1 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic / industrial / agricultural):

total: 1.36 cu km/yr (7%/2%/90%)

per capita: 529 cu m/yr (2000)

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; limited natural fresh water resources

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil