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Geography
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
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
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 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, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography—note: strategic location with small foothold on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
People
Population: 2,446,645 (July 1999 est.)
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/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 4.29 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
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/1,000 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.)
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%
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Sultanate of Oman
conventional short form: Oman
local long form: Saltanat Uman
local short form: Uman
Data code: MU
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
Political parties and leaders: none
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
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
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 D. CRAIG
embassy: Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat
mailing address: international: P. O. Box 202, Code No. 115, Medinat Qaboos, Muscat
telephone: [968] 698989
FAX: [968] 699779
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
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.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$18.6 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: -8.5% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$7,900 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 2%
industry: 50%
services: 48% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): -0.2% (1997 est.)
Labor force: 850,000 (1997 est.)
Labor force—by occupation: NA
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $4 billion
expenditures: $5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 budget est.)
Industries: crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper
Industrial production growth rate: 2% (1997 est.)
Electricity—production: 8 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 8 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish
Exports: $7.6 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports—commodities: petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles
Exports—partners: Japan 26%, China 19%, Thailand 19%, South Korea 14%, US 4% (1997)
Imports: $4 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Imports—commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants
Imports—partners: UAE 23% (largely reexports), Japan 16%, UK 14%, US 8%, Germany 5% (1997)
Debt—external: $3 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid—recipient: $76.4 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Omani rial (RO) = 1,000 baiza
Exchange rates: Omani rials (RO) per US$1—0.3845 (fixed rate since 1986)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
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
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 1
Radios: 1.043 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 13 (in addition, there are 25 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 1.195 million (1992 est.)
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 32,800 km
paved: 9,840 km (including 550 km of expressways)
unpaved: 22,960 km (1996 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 1,300 km; natural gas 1,030 km
Ports and harbors: Matrah, Mina' al Fahl, Mina' Raysut
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.)
Airports: 143 (1998 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 (1998 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: 58
914 to 1,523 m: 36
under 914 m: 35 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
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: 752,637 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 420,361 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—reaching military age annually:
males: NA
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $1.672 billion (1998)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 11.1% (1998)
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: southern boundary with the United Arab Emirates has not been bilaterally defined; northern section in the Musandam Peninsula is an administrative boundary
*Information obtained from the Central Intelligence Agency’s World Fact Book.
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