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.

Area
Total: 212,460 km²
Land: 212,460 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Kansas

Land boundaries: Total 1,374 km, 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: Vast central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south

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

Natural resources:

Land use
Arable land: less than 2%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 5%
Forests and woodland: 0%
Other: 93%

Irrigated land: 410 km² (1989 est.)

Population:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: Omani(s)
Adjective: Omani

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

Languages: Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects

Religions:

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

Environment
Current issues: rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; very limited natural fresh water resources
Current issues Natural hazards: summer winds often raise large sandstorms and duststorms in interior; periodic droughts
International agreements: party to_Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed, but not ratified_Biodiversity, Climate Change
International agreements note: Strategic location with small foothold on Musandam Peninsula controlling Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.19 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
All ages:

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.53 years (1996 est.), 70.25 years (1995 est.)
Male: 68.59 91,996 est.), 68.31 years (1995 est.)
Female: 72.57 years (1996 est.), 72.29 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

Literacy: definition:NA

Country name
Conventional long form: Sultanate of Oman
Conventional short form: Oman
Local long form: Saltanat Uman
Local short form: Uman

Government type: Monarchy

Capital: Masqat (Muscat)

Administrative divisions: 6 regions (mintaqah, singular_mintaqat) and 2 governorates* (muhafazah, singular_muhafazat) Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah, Az Zahirah, Masqat, Musandam*, Zufar*

Independence: 1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)

National holiday: National Day, 18 November (1940)

Constitution: None

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

Suffrage: None

Executive branch
Chief of state and head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970)
Cabinet: Cabinet

Legislative branch: Unicameral Consultative Council (Majlis ash Shura):A 60-member body with advisory powers only

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

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

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

Economy overview: Economic performance is closely tied to the fortunes of the oil industry. Petroleum accounts for nearly 90% of export earnings, about 75% 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. Agriculture is carried on at a subsistence level and the general population depends on imported food. The government is encouraging private investment, both domestic and foreign, as a prime force for further economic development.

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:

Agriculture products: Accounts for 3% of GDP and 40% 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:

Industrial production growth rate: Growth rate 3% (1994 est.), 8.6% (1991; accounts for 60% of GDP, including petroleum

Labor force: 454,000 (est.)
By occupation: Agriculture 37% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA

Budget
Revenues: $4.7 billion (1995 est.); $4.4 billion (1994 est.)
Expenditures: $5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.); $5.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $1 billion (1994 est.)

Fiscal year: Calendar year

Exports: total value. $4.8 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
Commodities:
Partners:

Imports: total value:$4 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
Commodities:
Partners:

Debt external: $3 billion (1993)

Exchange rates: Omani rials (RO) per US$1_0.3845 (fixed rate since 1986)

Electricity
Capacity: 1,540,000 kW
Production: 6 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 3,407 kWh (1993)

Telephone system: 150,000 telephones (1994 est.); modern system consisting of open-wire, microwave, and radio communications stations; limited coaxial cable
Local: NA
Intercity: open wire, microwave, radio communications, and 8 domestic satellite links
International: 2 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.82 billion, 13.7% of GDP (1996; $1.7 billion, 14.2% of GDP (1995 est.)

Airports: 129
With paved runways over 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 34
With paved runways With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 3
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 57
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 26

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

Merchant marine
Total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 16,306 GRT/8,210 DWT
By type: cargo 1, passenger 1, passenger-cargo 1 (1995 est.)