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Communications

Airports [time series]

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

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 88,800 km paved: 38,580 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, earth 50,220 km

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

1,577 km along west coast; 2.4 m draft vessels maximum

Merchant marine [time series]

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

Pipelines [time series]

refined products 53 km

Ports [time series]

Oslo, Bergen, Fredrikstad, Kristiansand, Stavanger, Trondheim

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

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

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

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

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Norwegian Army, Royal Norwegian Navy, Royal Norwegian Air Force, Home Guard

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $3.1 billion, 3.2% of GDP (1993)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 1,119,405; fit for military service 932,438; reach military age (20) annually 30,557 (1994 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $45.3 billion expenditures: $51.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 oere

Economic aid [time series]

donor: ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $4.4 billion

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 26,900,000 kW production: 111 billion kWh consumption per capita: 25,850 kWh (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

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)

Exports [time series]

$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)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$6.5 billion (1992 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Illicit drugs [time series]

transshipment point for drugs shipped via the CIS and Baltic states for the European market

Imports [time series]

$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)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 6.2% (1992); accounts for 14% of GDP

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

2.3% (1993 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $89.5 billion (1993)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$20,800 (1993)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

1.6% (1993)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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.

Unemployment rate [time series]

5.5% (excluding people in job-training programs; 1993 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 324,220 sq km land area: 307,860 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

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

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

current issues: water pollution; acid rain damaging forests and adversely affecting lakes, threatening fish stocks; air pollution from vehicle emissions natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land); dispute between Denmark and Norway over maritime boundary in Arctic Ocean between Greenland and Jan Mayen has been settled by the International Court of Justice; maritime boundary dispute with Russia over portion of Barents Sea

Irrigated land [time series]

950 sq km (1989)

Land boundaries [time series]

total 2,515 km, Finland 729 km, Sweden 1,619 km, Russia 167 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 27% other: 70%

Location [time series]

Nordic State, Northern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden

Map references [time series]

Arctic Region, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

contiguous zone: 10 nm continental shelf: to depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 4 nm

Natural resources [time series]

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

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Oslo

Constitution [time series]

17 May 1814, modified in 1884

Dependent areas [time series]

Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Kjeld VIBE chancery: 2720 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 333-6000

Executive branch [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

(202) 337-0870 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, and San Francisco consulate(s): Miami

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[47] 22-43-07-77

Flag [time series]

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)

Independence [time series]

26 October 1905 (from Sweden)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court (Hoyesterett)

Legislative branch (Lagting) [time series]

Storting elects one-fourth of its member to upper house

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Parliament (Storting)

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

Country name (Names) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Constitution Day, 17 May (1814)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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

Legislative branch (Storting) [time series]

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

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

constitutional monarchy

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

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

People

Birth rate [time series]

13.32 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate [time series]

10.44 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Germanic (Nordic, Alpine, Baltic), Lapps (Sami) 20,000

Infant mortality rate [time series]

6.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force [time series]

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)

Languages [time series]

Norwegian (official) note: small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 77.38 years male: 74.02 years female: 80.94 years (1994 est.)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun: Norwegian(s) adjective: Norwegian

Net migration rate [time series]

1.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population [time series]

4,314,604 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.39% (1994 est.)

Religions [time series]

Evangelical Lutheran 87.8% (state church), other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3.8%, none 3.2%, unknown 5.2% (1980)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.81 children born/woman (1994 est.)