Map of Oman | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: In 1970 QABOOS bin Said Al Said ousted his father and has ruled as sultan ever since. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world and has preserved a long-standing political and military relationship with Britain. Oman's moderate independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries:

Coastline: 2,092 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: to be defined
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

Natural resources: crude oil, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas

Land use: arable land: NEGL%; permanent crops: NEGL%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 0%; other 95%; includes irrigated NEGL%

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: strategic location with small foothold on Musandam Peninsula controlling Strait of Hormuz (17% of world's oil production transits this point going from Persian Gulf to Arabian Sea)


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Population: 1,534,011 (July 1991), growth rate 3.5% (1991)

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

Ethnic groups: mostly Arab, with small Balochi, Zanzibari, and South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi) groups

Languages: Arabic (official; English, Balochi, Urdu, Indian dialects

Religions: Ibadhi Muslim 75%; remainder Sunni Muslim, Shia Muslim, some Hindu

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 41 births/1000 population (1991)

Death rate: 6 deaths/1000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1991)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: summer winds often raise large sandstorms and duststorms in interior; sparse natural freshwater resources

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 40 deaths/1000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 68 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/woman (1991)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: Sultanate of Oman

Government type: absolute monarchy; independent, with residual UK influence

Capital: Muscat

Administrative divisions: there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 7 planning regions (manatiq takhtitiyah, singular--mintaqah takhtitiyah) that include 1 governorate* (muhafazah) and 50 districts (wilayat, singular--wilayah; al-Batinah--Awabi, Barka, Khabura, Liwa, Musanaa, Nakhl, Rustaq, Saham, Shinas, Sohar, Suwaiq, Wadi al-Maawil; al-Dakhiliah--Adam, al-Hamra, Bahla, Bidbid, Haima, Izki, Manah, Nizwa, Sumail; al-Dhahirah--al-Buraimi, Dhank, Ibri, Mhadha, Yanqul; al-Janubiah--Dhalqut, Mirbat, Rokhyut, Sadah, Salalah, Shalim, Taqa, Thamrait; al-Sharqiya--al Kamil and al-Wafi, al-Mudhaiby, al-Qabil, Bidiya, Dimaa and Tayin, Ibra, Jaalan Bani Bu Ali, Jaalan Bani Bu Hassan, Masirah, Sur, Wadi Bani Khalid; Musandam--Daba al-Biya, Bukha, Khasab, Madha; Muscat--Muscat*, Quriyat

Dependent areas

Independence: 1650, expulsion of the Portuguese

National holiday: National Day, 18 November

Constitution: none

Legal system: based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the sultan; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: none

Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government--Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970)

Legislative branch: Army, Navy, Air Force, Royal Oman Police

Judicial branch: none; traditional Islamic judges and a nascent civil court system

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Awadh Bader AL-SHANFARI; Chancery at 2,342 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 387-1980 through 1982; US--Ambassador Richard W. BOEHM; Embassy at address NA, Muscat (mailing address is P. O. Box 50,200 Madinat Qaboos, Muscat; telephone 698-989

Flag description: three horizontal bands of white (top, double width), red, and green (double 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 Oman OmanOman

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Economic performance is closely tied to the fortunes of the oil industry. Petroleum accounts for nearly all export earnings, about 80% of government revenues, and 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. Although agriculture employs a majority of the population, urban centers depend on imported food.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 6% of GDP and 60% of the labor force (including fishing; less than 2% of land cultivated; largely subsistence farming (dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables, camels, cattle; not self-sufficient in food; annual fish catch averages 100,000 metric tons

Industries: crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper

Industrial production growth rate: 10% (1989), including petroleum sector

Labor force: 430,000; agriculture (est.) 60%; 58% are non-Omani

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $3.5 billion; expenditures $4.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $675 million (1989 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $3.9 billion (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodities: petroleum, reexports, processed copper, dates, nuts, fish
Partners: Japan, South Korea, Taiwan

Imports: $2.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989)
Commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants
Partners: UK, UAE, Japan, US

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $3.1 billion (December 1989 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Omani rials (RO) per US$1--0.3845 (fixed rate since 1986)


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Electricity
Capacity: 1,136,000 kW capacity; 3,650 million kWh produced, 2,500 kWh per capita (1990)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: $1.0 billion, 12% of GDP (1991)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 122 total, 114 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 64 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 1,300 km; natural gas 1,030 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 1 passenger ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,442 GRT/1,320 DWT

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Administrative Line with Yemen; no defined boundary with most of UAE, Administrative Line in far north

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs