Legal system: mixture of customary law, civil law system, and common law traditions; constitution adopted 1814, modified 1884; Supreme Court renders advisory opinions to legislature when asked; legal education at University of Oslo; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations National holiday: Constitution Day, 17 May

Branches: legislative authority rests jointly with Crown and parliament (Storting); executive power vested in Crown but exercised by cabinet responsible to parliament; Supreme Court, 5 superior courts, 104 lower courts

Government leaders: King Olav V; Prime Minister Odvar

Nordli

Suffrage: universal, but not compulsory, over age 20 Elections: held every 4 years (next in September 1981) Political parties and leaders: Labor, Reiulf Steen; Conservative, Erling Norvik; Center, Gunnar Stalsett; Christian People's, Lars Kosvald; Liberal, Hans Hammond Rossbach; New People's Party, Magne Lerheim; Socialist Left, Berge Furre; Norwegian Communist, Martin Gunnar Knutsen; Progressive, Arve Loennum

Voting strength (1977 election): Labor, 42.5%; Conservative, 24.6%; Christian People's, 12.1%; Center, 8.6%; New People's Party (anti-tax), 1.7%; Socialist Left (Socialist Electoral Alliance) (formerly anti-tax), 4.1%; liberal, 3.2% Progressive, 1.9%; Norwegian Communist, 0.4%; Red Election Alliance, 0.6%, latter two are communist parties

Communists: 2,500 est.; a number of sympathizers as indicated by the 22,500 Communist votes cast in the 1969 election (in the 1973 election the Communist Party vote total was submerged in the 241,851 votes won by the Socialist Electorial Alliance which included the Norwegian Communist Party and two other parties)

Member of: ADB, Council of Europe, DAC, EC (Free Trade Agreement), EFTA, ESRO (observer), FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IEA (associate member), IFC, IHO, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMCO, IMF, IPU, ITU, IWC-International Whaling Commission, IWC-International Wheat Council, NATO, Nordic Council, OECD, U.N., UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

ECONOMY

GNP: $39.6 billion in 1978, $9,750 per capita; 54% private consumption; 24% investment; 15% government; net foreign balance +7.0%; 1978 growth rate 3.5%, in constant prices; 4.8% average (1970-76)

Agriculture: animal husbandry predominates; main crops-feed grains, potatoes, fruits, vegetables; 40% self-sufficient; food shortages-food grains, sugar; caloric intake, 2,940 calories per day per capita (1969-70)

Fishing: catch 2.4 million metric tons (1978); value $531 million (1978); exports $467 million (1976)

Major industries: oil and gas, food processing, shipbuilding, wood pulp, paper products, metals, chemicals

Shortages: most raw materials with the exception of timber, petroleum, iron, copper, and ilmenite ore, dairy products and fish

Crude steel: 807,000 metric tons produced (1978), 200 kg per capita

Electric power: 18,100,000 kW capacity (1978); 81 billion kWh produced (1978), 19,915 kWh per capita

Exports: $10,043 million (f.o.b., 1978); principal items— metals, pulp and paper, fish products, ships, chemicals, oil Imports: $11,427 million (c.i.f., 1978); principal items— foodstuff, ships, fuels, motor vehicles, iron and steel, chemical compounds, textiles

Major trade partners: 52% EC (23% U.K., 11% West Germany, 6% Denmark); 15% Sweden; 5% U.S.; 6% East Bloc countries (1977)

Aid: donor, bilateral economic aid authorized (ODA and OOF), $721 million (1970-78)

Budget: (1979) revenues $11.9 billion, expenditures $12.5 billion

Monetary conversion rate: 1 kroner US$0.190 (1978) Fiscal year: calendar year

COMMUNICATIONS

Railroads: 4,257 km standard gage (1.435 m); Norwegian State Railways (NSB) operates 4,241 km (2,440 km electrified and 91 km double track); 16 km privately-owned and electrified

Highways: 78,116 km total; 17,699 km concrete and bitumen; 19,277 km bituminous treated; 41,140 km gravel, crushed stone, and earth

Inland waterways: 1,577 km; 1.5-2.4 m draft vessels

maximum

Pipelines: refined products, 53 km

Ports: 9 major, 69 minor

Civil air: 48 major transport aircraft

Airfields: 108 total, 107 usable; 52 with permanentsurface runways; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 18 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: high-quality domestic and international telephone, telegraph, and telex service; 1.56 million telephones (38.3 per 100 popl.); 40 AM, 357 FM, and 740 TV stations; 5 coaxial submarine cables; 2 domestic satellite stations

DEFENSE FORCES

Military manpower: males 15-49, 944,000; 768,000 fit for military service; average number reaching military age (20) annually, 32,000

Military budget: proposed for fiscal year ending 31 December 1980, $1.6 billion; about 8.7% of proposed central government budget

About 212,380 km2; negligible amount forested, remainder desert, waste, or urban

Land boundaries: 1,384 km

WATER

Limits of territorial waters (claimed): 12 nm (fishing 200

nm)

Coastline: 2,092 km

PEOPLE

Population: 573,000 (January 1980), average annual growth rate 3.0% (current)

Nationality: noun-Omani(s); adjective-Omani

Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Arab with small groups of Iranians, Baluchis, and Indians

Religion: Muslim, Ibadhi and Sunni sects
Language: Arabic

Literacy: 10%

Labor force: 250,000; 36% are non-Omani

GOVERNMENT

Legal name: Sultanate of Oman

Type: absolute monarchy; independent, with strong residual U.K. influence

Capital: Muscat

Political subdivisions: 1 province (Dhofar), 9 regions, and numerous districts (wilayats)

Legal system: based on English common law and Islamic law; no constitution; ultimate appeal to the Sultan; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: 18 November

Government leader: Sultan Qabus ibn Sa'id Al Bu Sa'id Other political or pressure groups: outlawed Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman (PFLO), based in South Yemen

Member of: Arab League, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IMF, NAM, U.N., UNESCO, UPU, WHO

ECONOMY

GNP: $2.6 billion (1977), $4,880 per capita est.

Agriculture: based on subsistence farming (fruits, dates, cereals, cattle, camels), fishing, and trade

Major industries: petroleum discovery in 1964; production began in 1967; production 1977, 340,000 b/d; pipeline capacity, 400,000 b/d; revenue for 1977 est. at $1.4 billion Electric power: 300,000 kW capacity (1978); 600 million kWh produced (1978), 1,090 kWh per capita

Exports: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1978) mostly petroleum; non-oil exports (mostly agricultural)

Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1978)

Major trade partners: U.K., U.S., other European, Gulf states, India, Australia, China, Japan

Budget: (1977) revenues $1.1 billion, current expenditures $1.1 billion, development expenditures $351 million Monetary conversion rate: 1 Riyal Omani=US$2.93 (1978)

Fiscal year: calendar year

COMMUNICATIONS

Highways: 2,816 km total; 5 km bituminous surface, 2,811 km motorable track

Pipelines: crude oil 370 km; natural gas 200 km
Ports: 1 major (Qaboos), 3 minor

Civil air: 22 major transport aircraft, including 4 leased in and 1 leased out

Airfields: 173 total, 129 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; 1 runway over 3,660 m, 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 48 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: fair system of open-wire, radio-relay and radiocommunications stations; 2 satellite ground stations; 13,000 telephones (2.3 per 100 popl.); 3 AM, no FM, 2 TV stations

Political subdivisions: 4 provinces-Punjab, Sind, Baluchistan, and North-West Frontier-with the capital territory of Islamabad and certain tribal areas centrally administered; Pakistan claims that Azad Kashmir is independent pending a settlement of the dispute with India, but it is in fact under Pakistani control

Legal system: based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; president Zia's government has established Islamic Sharia courts paralleling the secular courts and has introduced Koranic punishments for criminal offenses

National holiday: Pakistan Day, 23 March Government leader: President and Chief Martial Law Administrator Gen. Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq

Suffrage: universal from age 18

Elections: opposition agitation against rigging of elections in March 1977 eventually led to military coup; military

promised to hold new national and provincial assembly elections in October 1977 but later postponed them; and again postponed indefinately

Political parties and leaders: Pakistan People's Party (PPP), pro-Bhutto wing, Mrs. Z. A. Bhutto, moderate wing, Maulana Kauser Niazi; Tehrik-i-Istiqlal, Asghar Khan; National Democratic Party (NDP), Sherbaz Mazari (formed in 1975 by members of outlawed National Awami Party (NAP) of Abdul Wali Khan, who is de facto NDP leader); Jamiat-ul-Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP), Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani; Pakistan National Alliance (PNA), a coalition of six parties including Pakistan Muslim League (PML)-Pir of Pagaro group; Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Tofail Mohammed; Jamiat-ul-Ulema-i-Islam (JUI), Mufti Mahmud

Communists: party membership very small; sympathizers estimated at several thousand

Other political or pressure groups: military remains strong political force

Member of: ADB, Colombo Plan, FAO, GATT, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMCO, IMF, ITU, IWC-International Wheat Council, NAM, RCD, U.N., UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WSG, WTO

ECONOMY

GNP: $19.4 billion (FY79 est.), $240 per capita; average annual real growth, 5% (1970-79 est.)

Agriculture: extensive irrigation; main crops-wheat, rice, and cotton; foodgrain shortage, 750,000 tons imported in FY79 est.

Fishing: catch 263,000 metric tons (FY79 est.) Major industries: cotton textiles, food processing, tobacco, engineering, chemicals, natural gas

Electric power: 3,510,000 kW capacity (1978); 15.9 billion kWh produced (1978), 200 kWh per capita

Exports: $1,719 million (f.o.b., FY79); cotton (raw and manufactured), rice

Imports: $3,676 million (c.i.f., FY79); foodgrains, edible oil, crude oil,machinery, transport equipment, chemicals Major trade partners: U.S., U.K., Japan, West Germany Budget: expenditures, FY79-current expenditures, $2,637.4 million; capital expenditures, $2,038.5 million Monetary conversion rate: 9.9 rupees = US$1 (since February 1973)

Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

COMMUNICATIONS

Railroads: 8,816 km total (1979); 446 km meter gage (1.000 m), 7,758 km broad gage (1.676 m), 612 km narrow gage (0.762 m); 1,022 km double track; 286 km electrified; government-owned

Highways: 87,472 km total (1978); 26,855 km paved, 19,500 km gravel, 3,100 km improved earth, 38,017 km unimproved earth

Inland waterways: 1,850 km

Pipelines: 230 km crude oil; 1,931 km natural gas Ports: 1 major, 5 minor

Civil air: 27 major transport aircraft Airfields: 110 total, 102 usable; 66 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runway over 3,660 m, 25 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 47 with runways 1,200-2,439 m

Telecommunications: good international radiocommunication service over microwave and intelsat satellite; domestic radiocommunications poor; broadcast service good; 350,000 (est.) telephones (0.4 per 100 popl.); 27 AM, no FM, 16 TV stations; 1 ground satellite station

Religion: over 90% Roman Catholic, remainder mainly Protestant

Language: Spanish; about 14% speak English as native tongue; many Panamanians bilingual

Literacy: 82% of population 10 years of age and over Labor force: 543,000 (1978); 45% commerce, finance and services; 29% agriculture, hunting and fishing; 10% manufacturing and mining; 5% construction; 4% Canal Zone; 5% transportation and communications; 1.2% utilities; 2% other; unemployed estimated at 8% (1978); shortage of skilled labor but an oversupply of unskilled labor

Organized labor: 10-15% of labor force (1978 est.) GOVERNMENT

Legal name: Republic of Panama
Type: republic

Capital: Panama

Political subdivisions: 9 provinces, 1 intendancy Legal system: based on civil law system; constitution adopted in 1972; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; legal education at University of Panama; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November Branches: President (subordinate to National Guard Commandant, Gen. Omar Torrijos) and Vice President, elected by National Assembly; popularly elected unicameral legislature, National Assembly of Community (Corregimiento) Representatives; legislative powers currently exercised in the main by executive branch appointees, but constitutional amendments, approved in October 1978, give somewhat greater legislative role to National Assembly; presidentially appointed Supreme Court subject to Corregimiento review under new constitutional amendment

Government leaders: Arístides Royo is Constitutional President and Chief of State, but subordinate to Brig. Gen. Omar Torrijos, the National Guard Commandant

Suffrage: universal and compulsory over age 18 Elections: elections for National Assembly in August 1978, Assembly chose President and Vice President in October 1978; constitutional reforms allow Assembly to elect from its own membership representatives to constitute a new legislative organ, the National Council on Legislation; additional representatives to the council will be chosen in direct, popular elections in 1980; direct popular elections for president and vice president, and corregimiento will be held in 1984

Political parties and leaders: legislation providing for legalization of political parties, which were suspended for the last nine years, approved October 1978; Communist Party, although illegal, has been allowed to operate; beginning in September 1977, activity by other political parties was also tolerated; political party registration opened in early 1979

Voting strength: no parties participated in the 1978 elections

Communists: 500 active and several hundred inactive members People's Party (PdP); 500-600 members of rival Fraccion movement which split from PdP in 1974; 2,500 sympathizers

Other political or pressure groups: National Council of Private Enterprise (CONEP); Panamanian Association of Business Executives (APEDE)

Member of: FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB, IFC, ILO, IMCO, IMF, ITU, IWC-International Whaling Commission, IWC-International Wheat Council, NAM, OAS, SELA, U.N., UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO

ECONOMY

GNP: $2,482 million (1978), $1,370 per capita; 66% private consumption, 17% government consumption, 24% gross fixed investment, -7% net foreign balance (1977); real growth (1978), 2.7%

Agriculture: main crops-bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane; self-sufficient in most basic foods; 2,450 calories per day per capita (1969)

Fishing: catch 228,016 metric tons (1977); exports $27.7 million (1977)

Major industries: food processing, metal products, construction materials, petroleum products, clothing, furni

ture

Electric power: 460,000 kW capacity (1978); 1.4 billion kWh produced (1978), 770 kWh per capita

Exports: $382 million (f.o.b., 1978); bananas, petroleum products, shrimp, sugar, coffee

Imports: $862 million (f.o.b., 1978); manufactures, transportation equipment, crude petroleum, chemicals, foodstuffs

Major trade partners: exports-43% U.S., 18% Canal Zone, 8% West Germany, 4% Italy, 6% Central Amrerica; 5% Netherlands; imports-30% U.S., 16% Ecuador, 9% Venezuela, 8% Colon Free Zone, 5% Japan, 7% Saudi Arabia, 3% Trinidad and Tobago (1977)

Aid: economic-(FY70-76) U.S., $284 million; other Western countries, $266 million; military--U.S., $7 million Budget: (1978) $453 million in revenues, $848 million in expenditures

Monetary conversion rate: 1 balboa US$1 (official) Fiscal year: calendar year

COMMUNICATIONS

Railroads: 249 km total; 77 km 1.524-meter gage, 172 km 0.914-meter gage

Highways: 7,700 km total; 2,500 km paved, 2,600 km gravel or crushed stone, 2,600 km improved and unimproved earth; Panama Canal Zone 240 km; 230 km paved, 10 km gravel

Inland waterways: 800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama Canal

Pipelines: refined products, 96 km

Ports: 2 major (Cristobal/Colon/Coco Solo, Balboa/ Panama City), 10 minor

Civil air: 12 major transport aircraft, including 2 leased in Airfields: (including Canal Zone) 151 total, 152 usable; 36 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: domestic and international telecom facilities well developed; connection into Central American microwave net; Atlantic Ocean satellite ground station; 157,000 telephones (8.4 per 100 popl.); 90 AM, 30 FM, and 13 TV stations; 1 coaxial submarine cable