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.

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: vast 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: NA%
Other: 95% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 580 km² (1993 est.)

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

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

Population: 2,446,645 (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: 3.45% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Omani(s)
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

Age structure
0-14 years: 41% (male 508,681; female 489,453)
15-64 years: 57% (male 856,062; female 535,123)
65 years and over: 2% (male 30,083; female 27,243) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.45% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 37.98 births/1000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 4.29 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.84 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 est.)

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, Ship Pollution, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.6 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.33 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 24.71 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.3 years
Male: 69.31 years
Female: 73.39 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.11 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Literacy
Definition: NA
Total population: approaching 80%
Male: NA%
Female: 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: 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*

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 Omani council, 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

Suffrage: limited to approximately 50,000 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: 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)
Elections: last held NA October 1997 (next to be held NA 2000)
Election results: NA

Judicial branch: none; traditional Islamic judges and a nascent civil court system, administered by region

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
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 D. 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 Qaboos, Muscat
From the us telephone: [968] 698,989
From the us FAX: [968] 699,779

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

Economy overview: Economic performance is closely tied to the fortunes of the oil industry. Petroleum accounts for 75% of export earnings and government revenues and for roughly 40% of GDP. Oman has proved oil reserves of 4 billion barrels, equivalent to about 20 years' production 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. In 1998-99 the economy is suffering from weak world oil prices.

Real gdp growth rate: -8.5% (1998 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $7,900 (1998 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2%
Industry: 50%
Services: 48% (1997 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: 2% (1997 est.)

Labor force: 850,000 (1997 est.)
By occupation: NA

Unemployment rate: NA%

Population below poverty line: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $4 billion
Expenditures: $5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1999 budget est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $7.6 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Commodities: petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles
Partners: Japan 26%, China 19%, Thailand 19%, South Korea 14%, US 4% (1997)

Imports: $4 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants
Partners: UAE 23% (largely reexports), Japan 16%, UK 14%, US 8%, Germany 5% (1997)

Debt external: $3 billion (1997 est.)

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

Electricity
Production: 8 billion kWh (1996)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1996)
Consumption: 8 billion kWh (1996)
Exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Telephones: 150,000 (1994 est.)

Telephone system: 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

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.672 billion (1998)
Percent of gdp: 11.1% (1998)

Airports: 143 (1998 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 (1998 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: 58
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 36
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 35 (1998 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1998 est.)

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

Railways: 0 km

Merchant marine
Total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 16,306 GRT/8,210 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 1, passenger 1, passenger-cargo 1 (1998 est.)

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