| 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. |
| 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
references: |
Middle East |
| Area: |
total:
212,460 sq km
land: 212,460 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller
than Kansas |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
1,374 km
border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410
km, Yemen 288 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
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 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
summer winds
often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior;
periodic droughts |
| Environment
- current issues: |
rising soil
salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; very limited
natural fresh water resources |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
| Geography
- note: |
strategic
location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz,
a vital transit point for world crude oil |
| Population: |
2,622,198
note: includes 527,078 non-nationals (July 2001
est.) |
| 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.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
3.43% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
37.96
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
4.1 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0.48 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.55 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female
total population: 1.3 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
22.52
deaths/1,000 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.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.11% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Omani(s)
adjective: Omani |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Arab, Baluchi,
South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi),
African |
| Religions: |
Ibadhi Muslim
75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu |
| Languages: |
Arabic
(official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects |
| 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
former: Muscat and Oman |
| Government
type: |
monarchy |
| 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) |
| 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 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 al-Dawla (48
seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory powers
only) and a lower chamber or Majlis al-Shura (83 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 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: |
Supreme Court
note: the nascent civil court system,
administered by region, has non-Islamic judges as well as
traditional Islamic judges |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
none |
| Political
pressure groups 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
chancery: 2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1] (202) 387-1980 through 1981,
1988
FAX: [1] (202) 745-4933 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador John B. CRAIG
embassy: Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al
Khuwair area, Muscat
mailing address: international: P. O. Box 202,
Code No. 115, Medinat Al-Sultan Qaboos, Muscat
telephone: [968] 698989
FAX: [968] 699189 |
| 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: |
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: |
purchasing power
parity - $19.6 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
4.6% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $7,700 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
3%
industry: 40%
services: 57% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
-0.8% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
850,000 (1997
est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture NA%,
industry NA%, services NA% |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$4.7 billion
expenditures: $5.9 billion, including capital
expenditures of $490 million (1999) |
| Industries: |
crude oil
production and refining, natural gas production,
construction, cement, copper |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
4% (2000 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
8.63 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
8.026 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
dates, limes,
bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish |
| Exports: |
$11.1 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
petroleum,
reexports, fish, metals, textiles |
| Exports
- partners: |
Japan 27%, China
12%, Thailand 18%, UAE 12%, South Korea 12%, US (1999) |
| Imports: |
$4.5 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock,
lubricants |
| Imports
- partners: |
UAE 26% (largely
reexports), Japan 16%, UK 9%, Italy 7%, Germany 6%, US
(1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$4.5 billion
(2000 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$76.4 million
(1995) |
| Currency: |
Omani rial (OMR) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Omani rials per
US dollar - 0.3845 (fixed rate since 1986) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
201,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- 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 |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 3, FM 9,
shortwave 2 (1999) |
| Radios: |
1.4 million
(1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
13 (plus 25
low-power repeaters) (1999) |
| Televisions: |
1.6 million
(1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.om |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
50,000 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total:
32,800 km
paved: 9,840 km (including 550 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 22,960 km (1996) |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil 1,300
km; natural gas 1,030 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Matrah, Mina' al
Fahl, Mina' Raysut |
| 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.) |
| Airports: |
143 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
6
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
137
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 56
914 to 1,523 m: 37
under 914 m: 36 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy, Air
Force, paramilitary (includes Royal Oman Police) |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
14 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 771,919 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 429,811 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
26,469 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$2.4 billion
(FY00) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
13% (FY00) |
| Disputes
- international: |
boundary with the
UAE has not been bilaterally defined; northern section in
the Musandam Peninsula is an administrative boundary |
|
