Map of Oman | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | 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: 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 reference: Middle East

Area
Comparative: slightly smaller than Kansas

Land boundaries

Coastline: 2,092 km

Maritime claims

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: petroleum copper asbestos some marble limestone chromium gypsum natural gas

Land use

Irrigated land: 580 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts

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


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Population: 2,533,389
Growth rate: 3.46% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Arab Baluchi South Asian (Indian Pakistani Sri Lankan Bangladeshi) African

Languages: Arabic (official) English Baluchi Urdu Indian dialects

Religions: Ibadhi Muslim 75% Sunni Muslim Shi'a Muslim Hindu

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 3.46% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 38.08 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 4.16 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.65 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; very limited natural fresh water resources

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 23.28 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 6.08 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: monarchy

Capital: Muscat

Administrative divisions: 6 regions (mintaqat singular - mintaqah) and 2 governorates* (muhafazat singular - muhafazah) Ad Dakhiliyah Al Batinah Al Wusta Ash Sharqiyah Az Zahirah Masqat Musandam* Zufar*; note - the US Embassy in Oman says that Masqat is a governorate

Dependent areas

Independence: 1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)

National holiday: National Day 18 November (1940)

Constitution: none; note - on 6 November 1996 Sultan QABOOS issued a royal decree promulgating a new basic law which among other things clarifies the royal succession provides for a prime minister bars ministers from holding interests in companies doing business with the government establishes a bicameral legislature and guarantees basic civil liberties for Omani citizens

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: in Oman's most recent elections in 1997 limited to approximately 50,000 Omanis chosen by the government to vote in elections for the Majlis ash-Shura

Executive branch

Legislative branch: bicameral Majlis Oman consists of an upper chamber or Majlis ad-Dawla (41 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory powers only) and a lower chamber or Majlis ash-Shura (82 seats; members elected by limited suffrage however the monarch makes final selections and can negate election results; body has some limited power to propose legislation but otherwise has only advisory powers)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court has non-Islamic judges; traditional Islamic judges and a nascent civil court system administered by region

Political parties and leaders: none

International organization participation: ABEDA AFESD AL AMF ESCWA FAO G-77 GCC IBRD ICAO IDA IDB IFAD IFC IHO ILO IMF IMO Inmarsat Intelsat Interpol IOC ISO (correspondent) ITU NAM OIC OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: three horizontal bands of white red and green of equal 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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Oman's economic performance improved significantly in 1999 due largely to the mid-year upturn in oil prices. The government is moving ahead with privatization of its utilities the development of a body of commercial law to facilitate foreign investment and increased budgetary outlays. Oman continues to liberalize its markets in an effort to accede to the World Trade Organization (WTrO) and is likely to gain membership in 2000.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: dates limes bananas alfalfa vegetables; camels cattle; fish

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

Industrial production growth rate: 2% (1997 est.)

Labor force: 850,000 (1997 est.)
By occupation agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices: -0.07% (1999 est.)

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: $7.2 billion (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: petroleum reexports fish metals textiles
Partners: Japan 21% China 16% Thailand 16% South Korea 12% US 3% (1997)

Imports: $5.4 billion (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment manufactured goods food livestock lubricants
Partners: UAE 23% (largely reexports) Japan 16% UK 13% US 7.5% Germany 5% (1997)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $4.8 billion (1998 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 access

Electricity production: 7.36 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity consumption: 6.845 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity exports: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular: 120,000 (1999)

Telephone system: modern system consisting of open wire microwave and radiotelephone communication stations; limited coaxial cable

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.592 billion (FY99)
Percent of gdp: 11.1% (FY99)

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: 142 (1999 est.)

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports: 1 (1999 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 1300 km; natural gas 1030 km

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: northern boundary with the UAE has not been bilaterally defined; northern section in the Musandam Peninsula is an administrative boundary

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs