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

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Background: The inhabitants of the area of Oman have long prospered on Indian Ocean trade. In the late 18th century a newly established sultanate in Muscat signed the first in a series of friendship treaties with Britain. Over time Oman's dependence on British political and military advisors increased but it never became a British colony. In 1970 QABOOS bin Said al-Said overthrew the restrictive rule of his father; he has ruled as sultan ever since. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world while preserving the longstanding close ties 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: 309,500 km²
Rank: 70
Land: 309,500 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Kansas

Land boundaries
Total: 1374 km
Border countries: (3) Saudi Arabia 676 km; UAE 410 km; Yemen 288 km

Coastline: 2,092 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 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: 0.12%
Permanent crops: 0.14%
Other: 99.74% (2005)

Irrigated land: 720 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 1 km³ (1997)

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: 3,418,085
Rank: 133
Note: includes 577,293 non-nationals (July 2009 est.)
Growth rate: 3.138% (2009 est.)
Growth rate rank: 10
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% other (includes Sunni Muslim Shia Muslim Hindu) 25%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 42.7%
15-64 years: 54.5% (male 1,079,511/female 783,243)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 55,180/female 41,770) (2009 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 18.8 years
Male: 21.1 years
Female: 16.7 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.138% (2009 est.)
Rank: 10

Birth rate: 34.79 births/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 37

Death rate: 3.65 deaths/1000 population (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 211

Net migration rate: 0.24 migrant(s)/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 72

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 72% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; limited natural fresh water resources
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol 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(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.38 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.32 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.22 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 16.88 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 119
Male: 19.29 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 14.35 deaths/1000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.16 years
Rank: 91
Male: 71.87 years
Female: 76.55 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.53 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Rank: 17

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2001 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 148
People living with hivaids: 1300 (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 141
Deaths: fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
Deaths rank: 107

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 4% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 103

Literacy
Definition: NA
Total population: 81.4%
Male: 86.8%
Female: 73.5% (2003 census)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 12 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 11 years (2006)

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
Name: Muscat
Geographic coordinates: 23 37 N 58 35 E
Time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 5 regions (manatiq singular - mintaqat) and 4 governorates* (muhafazat singular - muhafazat) Ad Dakhiliyah Al Batinah Al Buraymi* Al Wusta Ash Sharqiyah Az Zahirah Masqat (Muscat)* Musandam* Zufar (Dhofar)*

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 basic law considered by the government to be a constitution 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: 21 years of age; universal; note - members of the military and security forces are not allowed to vote

Executive branch
Chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said al-Said ; 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 (sultan since 23 July 1970 and prime minister since 23 July 1972)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch
Elections: the monarch is hereditary

Legislative branch: bicameral Majlis Oman consists of Majlis al-Dawla or upper chamber (71 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory powers only) and Majlis al-Shura or lower chamber (84 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; body has only advisory powers)
Elections: last held 27 October 2007 (next to be held in 2011)
Election results: new candidates won 46 seats and 38 members of the outgoing Majlis kept their positions; none of the 20 female candidates were elected

Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Note: the nascent civil court system administered by region has judges who practice secular and Sharia law

Political parties and leaders: none

International organization participation: ABEDA AFESD AMF FAO G-77 GCC IBRD ICAO ICCt (signatory) IDA IDB IFAD IFC IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IPU ISO ITSO ITU LAS MIGA NAM OIC OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Hunaina bint Sultan bin Ahmad al-MUGHAIRI
In the us chancery: 2,535 Belmont Road NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 387-1980
In the us fax: [1] (202) 745-4,933
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Gary A. GRAPPO
From the us embassy: Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street Al Khuwair area Muscat
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 202 P.C. 115 Madinat Sultan Qaboos Muscat
From the us telephone: [968] 24-643-400
From the us fax: [968] 24-699,771

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 near the top of the vertical band

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Oman is a middle-income economy that is heavily dependent on dwindling oil resources but sustained high oil prices in recent years have helped build Oman's budget and trade surpluses and foreign reserves. As a result of its dwindling oil resources Oman is actively pursuing a development plan that focuses on diversification industrialization and privatization with the objective of reducing the oil sector's contribution to GDP to 9% by 2020. Some of these projects may be in jeopardy however because Muscat overestimated its ability to produce or secure the natural gas needed to power them. Oman actively seeks private foreign investors especially in the industrial information technology tourism and higher education fields. Industrial development plans focus on gas resources metal manufacturing petrochemicals and international transshipment ports. The drop in oil prices and the global financial crisis in 2008 will affect Oman's fiscal position and it may post a deficit in 2009 if oil prices stay low. In addition the global credit crisis is slowing the pace of investment and development projects - a trend that probably will continue into 2009.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 82
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 49

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 61
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.1%
Industry: 36.1%
Services: 61.8% (2008 est.)

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

Industries: crude oil production and refining natural and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production; construction cement copper steel chemicals optic fiber

Industrial production growth rate: 3.5% (2008 est.)
Rank: 73

Labor force: 968,800
Rank: 139
Note: about 60% of the labor force is non-national (2007)
By occupation agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: 15% (2004 est.)
Rank: 154

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: $18.13 billion
Expenditures: $15.95 billion (2008 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 10.3% of GDP (2004 est.)
Rank: 125

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 5.9% (2007 est.)
Rank: 174

Central bank discount rate: 1.98% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 134

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 7.29% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 116

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit: $13.88 billion (31 December 2007)
Rank: 61

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 67

Current account balance: $1.933 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 32

Exports: $24.72 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 60
Commodities: petroleum reexports fish metals textiles
Partners: China 31.7% South Korea 17% UAE 11.7% Japan 11% Thailand 7.1% (2008)

Imports: $14.34 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 72
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment manufactured goods food livestock lubricants
Partners: UAE 27.2% Japan 15.6% US 5.7% China 4.6% India 4.5% South Korea 4.2% Germany 4.2% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $9.524 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 63

Debt external: $5.297 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 94

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $NA

Exchange rates: Omani rials (OMR) per US dollar - 0.3845 (2008 est.) 0.3845 (2007) 0.3845 (2006) 0.3845 (2005) 0.3845 (2004)


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Electricity
Production: 13.58 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 83
Consumption: 11.36 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 78
Exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 24 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 29
Consumption: 13.46 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 41
Exports: 10.89 billion m³ (2008)
Exports rank: 18
Imports: 350 million m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 62
Proven reserves: 849.5 billion m³ (1 January 2009 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 29

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 274,200 (2008)
Main lines in use rank: 116
Mobile cellular: 3.219 million (2008)
Mobile cellular rank: 104

Telephone system
General assessment: modern system consisting of open-wire microwave and radiotelephone communication stations; limited coaxial cable
Domestic: fixed-line phone service gradually being introduced to remote villages using wireless local loop systems; fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership both increasing; open-wire microwave radiotelephone communications and a domestic satellite system with 8 earth stations
International: country code - 968; the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) and the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable provide connectivity to Asia the Middle East and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) 1 Arabsat (2007)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .om
Hosts: 6,346 (2009)
Hosts rank: 133
Users: 465,000 (2008)
Users rank: 110

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 11.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 1

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 128 (2009)
Rank: 45
With paved runways total: 10
With paved runways over 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2009)
With unpaved runways total: 118
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 52
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 33
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 25 (2009)

Heliports: 3 (2009)

Pipelines: gas 4,126 km; oil 3,558 km; refined products 263 km (2008)

Railways

Roadways
Total: 42,300 km
Rank: 85
Paved: 16,500 km (includes 550 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 25,800 km (2005)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 3
Rank: 142
By type: chemical tanker 1 passenger 1 passenger/cargo 1
Registered in other countries: 2 (Panama 2) (2008)

Ports and terminals: Mina' Qabus Salalah


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Disputes international: boundary agreement reportedly signed and ratified with UAE in 2003 for entire border including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah exclave but details of the alignment have not been made public

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs