Map of Oman | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | 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 the UK. 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
Total: 212,460 km²
Land: 212,460 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Kansas

Land boundaries
Total: 1,374 km
Border countries: (3) Saudi Arabia 676 km; , UAE 410 km; , Yemen 288 km

Coastline: 2,092 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 NM
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: central desert plain rugged mountains in north and south

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Jabal Shams 2,980 m

Natural resources: petroleum copper asbestos some marble limestone chromium gypsum natural gas

Land use
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 5%
Forests and woodland: 0%
Other: 95% (1993 est.)

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
Note: includes 527,078 non-nationals (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: 3.43% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Omani
Adjective: Omani

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
0-14 years: 41.51% (male 554,727; female 533,627)
15-64 years: 56.12% (male 894,978; female 576,672)
65 years and over: 2.37% (male 32,863; female 29,331) (2001 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 3.43% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 37.96 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 4.1 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.48 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; very limited natural fresh water resources
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 1.55 male/female
65 years and over: 1.12 male/female
Total population: 1.3 male/female (2001 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 22.52 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.04 years
Male: 69.9 years
Female: 74.29 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.04 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.11% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: NA
Total population: approaching 80%
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
Conventional short form: Oman
Local long form: Saltanat Uman
Local short form: Uman
Former: Muscat and Oman

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 reports that Masqat is a governorate but this has not been confirmed by the US Board of Geographic Names (BGN)

Dependent areas

Independence: 1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)

National holiday: Birthday of Sultan QABOOS 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 2000 limited to approximately 175,000 Omanis chosen by the government to vote in elections for the Majlis ash-Shura

Executive branch
Chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch
Elections: none; the monarch is hereditary

Legislative branch
Elections: last held NA September 2000 (next to be held NA September 2003)
Election results: NA; note - two women were elected for the first time to Majlis al-Shura, about 100,000 people voted

Judicial branch
Note: the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has non-Islamic judges as well as traditional Islamic judges

Political parties and leaders: none

International organization participation: ABEDA AFESD AL AMF CCC 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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Abdallah bin Muhammad bin Aqil al-DHAHAB
In the us chancery: 2,535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 387-1980 through 1981, 1988
In the us fax: [1] (202) 745-4,933
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John B. CRAIG
From the us embassy: Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat
From the us mailing address: international: P. O. Box 202, Code No. 115, Medinat Al-Sultan Qaboos, Muscat
From the us telephone: [968] 698,989
From the us fax: [968] 699,189

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 2000 due largely to the 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 and joined the World Trade Organization (WTrO) in November 2000.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 4.6% (2000 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $7,700 (2000 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 3%
Industry: 40%
Services: 57% (1999 est.)

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: 4% (2000 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
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $4.7 billion
Expenditures: $5.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $490 million (1999)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: -0.8% (2000 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: $11.1 billion (f.o.b. 2000 est.)
Commodities: petroleum reexports fish metals textiles
Partners: Japan 27% China 12% Thailand 18% UAE 12% South Korea 12% US (1999)

Imports: $4.5 billion (f.o.b. 2000 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment manufactured goods food livestock lubricants
Partners: UAE 26% (largely reexports) Japan 16% UK 9% Italy 7% Germany 6% US (1999)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $4.5 billion (2000 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Omani rials per US dollar - 0.3845 (fixed rate since 1986)


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Electricity
Production: 8.63 billion kWh (1999)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1999)
Consumption: 8.026 billion kWh (1999)
Exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 201,000 (1997)
Mobile cellular: 59,822 (1997)

Telephone system
General assessment: modern system consisting of open wire, microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations; limited coaxial cable
Domestic: open wire, microwave, radiotelephone communications, and a domestic satellite system with 8 earth stations
International: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .om
Service providers isps: 1 (2000)
Users: 50,000 (2000)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $2.4 billion (FY00)
Percent of gdp: 13% (FY00)

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: 143 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 6
With paved runways over 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2000 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 137
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 2
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 6
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 56
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 37
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 36 (2000 est.)

Heliports: 1 (2000 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 1300 km; natural gas 1030 km

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways: none

Merchant marine
Total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,167 GRT/11,307 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 2, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1 (2000 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs