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.

Geographic coordinates: 21 00 N 57 00 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 212,460 km²
Water: 0 km²
Land: 212,460 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: 0.08%
Permanent crops: 0.22%
Other: 99.7% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 620 km² (1998 est.)

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

Population
Note: includes 577,293 non-nationals (July 2003 est.)
Growth rate: 3.38% (2003 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

Age structure
0-14 years: 42.2% (male 603,664; female 580,469)
15-64 years: 55.4% (male 934,621; female 620,158)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 36,504; female 31,709) (2003 est.)

Median age
Total: 19.4 years
Male: 22.3 years
Female: 16.5 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 3.38% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 37.47 births/1000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 3.97 deaths/1000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.29 migrant(s)/1000 population (2003 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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 1.51 male/female
65 years and over: 1.15 male/female
Total population: 1.28 male/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 21.01 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 17.85 deaths/1000 live births (2003 est.)
Male: 24.03 deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.58 years
Male: 70.4 years
Female: 74.86 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.94 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 1300 (2001 est.)
Deaths: NA

Literacy
Definition: NA
Total population: 75.8%
Male: 83.1%
Female: 67.2% (2003 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Sultanate of Oman
Conventional short form: Oman
Local long form: Saltanat Uman
Former: Muscat and Oman
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*; note - the US Embassy in Oman reports that Masqat is a governorate but this has not been confirmed by the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN)

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

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 al-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 4 October 2003 (next to be held NA 2006)
Election results: NA

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 ESCWA FAO G-77 GCC IBRD ICAO ICCt (signatory) IDA IDB IFAD IFC IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC ISO (correspondent) ITU NAM OIC OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Muhammad bin Ali bin Thani AL-KHUSSAIBY
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 Richard Lewis BALTIMORE III
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 Al-Sultan Qaboos, Muscat
From the us telephone: [968] 698,989, extension 203
From the us fax: [968] 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

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. GDP growth improved in 2001 despite the global slowdown and then fell back to 2.2% in 2002. In order to reduce unemployment the government is trying to replace expatriate workers with local workers. Another government objective is the development of the nation's gas resources.

Real gdp growth rate: 2.2% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $8,300 (2002 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 3%
Industry: 55%
Services: 42% (2001 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: 920,000 (2002 est.)
By occupation agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: NA%

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $9.2 billion
Expenditures: $6.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: -0.5% (2002 est.)

Exports: $10.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: petroleum reexports fish metals textiles
Partners: Japan 20.5% South Korea 18.5% China 14.1% Thailand 11.7% UAE 9.2% Singapore 4.3% US 4.1% (2002)

Imports: $5.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment manufactured goods food livestock lubricants
Partners: UAE 27.5% Japan 16.7% UK 7.4% US 6.9% Germany 5% (2002)

Debt external: $5.7 billion (2002 est.)

Exchange rates: Omani rials per US dollar - 0.38 (2002) 0.38 (2001) 0.38 (2000) 0.38 (1999) 0.38 (1998)

Electricity
Production: 9.274 billion kWh (2001)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (2001)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 8.625 billion kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Natural gas
Production: 13.77 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 6.34 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 7.43 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 846.4 billion m³ (37,257)

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

Internet
Country code: .om
Service providers isps: 1 (2000)
Users: 120,000 (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $2.424 billion (FY01)
Percent of gdp: 12.2% (FY01)

Airports: 139 (2002)
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 (2002)
With unpaved runways total: 133
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 37
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 32 (2002)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 55
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 2
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7

Heliports: 1 (2002)

Pipelines: gas 3,599 km; oil 3,187 km (2003)

Railways: 0 km

Waterways: none

Merchant marine
Total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 17,291 GRT/9,457 DWT
Ships by type: container 1, passenger 2
Note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Singapore 1 (2002 est.)

Disputes international: boundary agreement signed and ratified with UAE in 2003 for entire border including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves