Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2006) - Norway (2005)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2006) z Norway (2005)

	British Indian Ocean Territory (2006)	Norway (2005)

Administrative divisions	-	19 counties (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
Age structure	-	0-14 years: 19.5% (male 459,418/female 437,734) 15-64 years: 65.7% (male 1,531,249/female 1,484,656) 65 years and over: 14.8% (male 286,343/female 393,641) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products	-	barley, wheat, potatoes; pork, beef, veal, milk; fish
Airports	1 (2006)	101 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)	total: 65 2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 26 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 36 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 29 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 54,400 sq km land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km water: 54,340 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands	total: 324,220 sq km land: 307,860 sq km water: 16,360 sq km
Area - comparative	land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC	slightly larger than New Mexico
Background	Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.	Two centuries of Viking raids into Europe tapered off following the adoption of Christianity by King Olav TRYGGVASON in 994. Conversion of the Norwegian kingdom occurred over the next several decades. In 1397, Norway was absorbed into a union with Denmark that was to last for more than four centuries. In 1814, Norwegians resisted the cession of their country to Sweden and adopted a new constitution. Sweden then invaded Norway but agreed to let Norway keep its constitution in return for accepting the union under a Swedish king. Rising nationalism throughout the 19th century led to a 1905 referendum granting Norway independence. Although Norway remained neutral in World War I, it suffered heavy losses to its shipping. Norway proclaimed its neutrality at the outset of World War II, but was nonetheless occupied for five years by Nazi Germany (1940-45). In 1949, neutrality was abandoned and Norway became a member of NATO. Discovery of oil and gas in adjacent waters in the late 1960s boosted Norway's economic fortunes. The current focus is on containing spending on the extensive welfare system and planning for the time when petroleum reserves are depleted. In referenda held in 1972 and 1994, Norway rejected joining the EU.
Birth rate	-	11.67 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget	-	revenues: $134 billion expenditures: $116.8 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
Capital	-	Oslo
Climate	tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds	temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior with increased precipitation and colder summers; rainy year-round on west coast
Coastline	698 km	25,148 km (includes mainland 2,650 km, as well as long fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations 22,498 km; length of island coastlines 58,133 km)
Constitution	-	17 May 1814; amended many times
Country name	conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT	conventional long form: Kingdom of Norway conventional short form: Norway local long form: Kongeriket Norge local short form: Norge
Death rate	-	9.45 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external	-	$0 (Norway is a net external creditor) (2003 est.)
Dependency status	overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London	-
Dependent areas	-	Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard
Diplomatic representation from the US	none (overseas territory of the UK)	chief of mission: Ambassador John D. ONG 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
Diplomatic representation in the US	none (overseas territory of the UK)	chief of mission: Ambassador Knut VOLLEBAEK 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
Disputes - international	Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001 the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1965 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest island in the chain;	Norway asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land and its continental shelf); despite recent discussions, 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
Economic aid - donor	-	ODA, $1.4 billion (1998)
Economy - overview	All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The country makes money by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps.	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, it contributes sizably to the EU budget. The government has moved ahead with privatization. With arguably the highest quality of life worldwide, Norwegians still worry about that time in the next two decades when the oil and gas will begin to run out. Accordingly, Norway has been saving its oil-boosted budget surpluses in a Government Petroleum Fund, which is invested abroad and now is valued at more than $150 billion. After lackluster growth of 1% in 2002 and 0.5% in 2003, GDP growth picked up to 3.3% in 2004.
Electricity - consumption	NA kWh	107.4 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports	-	15 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports	-	5.3 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military	125.9 billion kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m	lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m highest point: Galdhopiggen 2,469 m
Environment - current issues	NA	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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	-	Norwegian, Sami 20,000
Exchange rates	-	Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 6.7408 (2004), 7.0802 (2003), 7.9838 (2002), 8.9917 (2001), 8.8018 (2000)
Executive branch	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch	chief of state: King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991); Heir Apparent Crown Prince HAAKON MAGNUS, son of the monarch (born 20 July 1973) head of government: Prime Minister Jens STOLTENBERG (since 17 October 2005) cabinet: State Council appointed by the monarch with the approval of parliament elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following parliamentary elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch with the approval of the parliament
Exports	-	3.466 million bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities	-	petroleum and petroleum products, machinery and equipment, metals, chemicals, ships, fish
Exports - partners	-	UK 22.4%, Germany 12.9%, Netherlands 9.9%, France 9.6%, US 8.4%, Sweden 6.7% (2004)
Fiscal year	-	calendar year
Flag description	white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag	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)
GDP - composition by sector	-	agriculture: 2.2% industry: 36.3% services: 61.6% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $40,000 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-	3.3% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates	6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E	62 00 N, 10 00 E
Geography - note	archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility	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
Heliports	-	1 (2004 est.)
Highways	-	total: 91,852 km paved: 71,185 km (including 178 km of expressways) unpaved: 20,667 km (2002)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	-	lowest 10%: 4.1% highest 10%: 21.8% (1995)
Imports	-	88,870 bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities	-	machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, foodstuffs
Imports - partners	-	Sweden 15.7%, Germany 13.6%, Denmark 7.3%, UK 6.5%, China 5%, US 4.9%, Netherlands 4.4%, France 4.3%, Finland 4.1% (2004)
Independence	-	7 June 1905 (Norway declared the union with Sweden dissolved); 26 October 1905 (Sweden agreed to the repeal of the union)
Industrial production growth rate	-	5.2% (2004 est.)
Industries	-	petroleum and gas, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles, fishing
Infant mortality rate	-	total: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.07 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-	1% (2004 est.)
International organization participation	-	AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, ESA, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Irrigated land	0 sq km	1,270 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	-	Supreme Court or Hoyesterett (justices appointed by the monarch)
Labor force	-	2.38 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture, forestry, and fishing 4%, industry 22%, services 74% (1995)
Land boundaries	0 km	total: 2,542 km border countries: Finland 727 km, Sweden 1,619 km, Russia 196 km
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)	arable land: 2.87% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.13% (2001)
Languages	-	Bokmal Norwegian (official), Nynorsk Norwegian (official), small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities
Legal system	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply	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	-	modified unicameral Parliament or Storting (169 seats; members are elected by popular vote by proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 12 September 2005 (next to be held September 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - Labor Party 32.7%, Progress Party 22.1%, Conservative Party 14.1%, Socialist Left Party 8.8%, Christian People's Party 6.8%, Center Party 6.5%, Liberal Party 5.9%, Red Electoral Alliance 1.2%, other 1.9%; seats by party - Labor Party 61, Progress Party 38, Conservative Party 23, Socialist Left Party 15, Christian People's Party 11, Center Party 11, Liberal Party 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
Life expectancy at birth	-	total population: 79.4 years male: 76.78 years female: 82.17 years (2005 est.)
Literacy	-	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100%
Location	archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia	Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden
Map references	Political Map of the World	Europe
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 10 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm
Merchant marine	-	total: 740 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 18,820,495 GRT/27,449,456 DWT by type: bulk carrier 51, cargo 168, chemical tanker 142, combination ore/oil 20, container 3, liquefied gas 81, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 113, petroleum tanker 79, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 30, vehicle carrier 42 foreign-owned: 174 (Belgium 1, China 3, Cyprus 5, Denmark 28, Estonia 2, Finland 5, Germany 4, Hong Kong 52, Iceland 3, Italy 3, Japan 3, Lithuania 1, Monaco 1, Netherlands 4, Poland 2, Saudi Arabia 7, Singapore 10, Sweden 24, United States 16) registered in other countries: 1,117 (2005)
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016	-
Military branches	-	Norwegian Army, Royal Norwegian Navy (includes Coastal Rangers and Coast Guard (Kystvakt)), Royal Norwegian Air Force (Kongelige Norske Luftforsvaret, RNoAF), Home Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$4,033.5 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	-	1.9% (2003)
National holiday	-	Constitution Day, 17 May (1814)
Nationality	-	noun: Norwegian(s) adjective: Norwegian
Natural hazards	NA	rockslides, avalanches
Natural resources	coconuts, fish, sugarcane	petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, titanium, pyrites, nickel, fish, timber, hydropower
Net migration rate	-	1.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Pipelines	-	condensate 411 km; gas 6,199 km; oil 2,213 km; oil/gas/water 746 km; unknown (oil/water) 38 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders	-	Center Party [Aslaug Marie HAGA]; Christian People's Party [Dagfinn HOYBRATEN]; Coastal Party [Roy WAAGE]; Conservative Party [Erna SOLBERG]; Labor Party [Jens STOLTENBERG]; Liberal Party [Lars SPONHEIM]; Progress Party [Carl I. HAGEN]; Socialist Left Party [Kristin HALVORSEN]
Political pressure groups and leaders	-	NA
Population	no indigenous inhabitants note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in November 2004, there were approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2006 est.)	4,593,041 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line	-	NA
Population growth rate	-	0.4% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	Borg Havn, Bergen, Mo i Rana, Molde, Mongstad, Narvik, Oslo, Sture
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 5, FM at least 650, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways	-	total: 4,077 km standard gauge: 4,077 km 1.435-m gauge (2,518 km electrified) (2004)
Religions	-	Church of Norway 85.7%, Pentecostal 1%, Roman Catholic 1%, other Christian 2.4%, Muslim 1.8%, other 8.1% (2004)
Sex ratio	-	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage	-	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)	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; 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) (1999)
Telephones - main lines in use	NA	3.343 million (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	-	4,163,400 (2003)
Television broadcast stations	1 (1997)	360 (plus 2,729 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain	flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation)	glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north
Total fertility rate	-	1.78 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate	-	4.3% (2004 est.)

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