1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
Coastline
2,092 km
Comparative area
slightly smaller than Kansas
Continental shelf
to be defined;
Disputes
Administrative Line with PDRY; no defined boundary with most of UAE, Administrative Line in far north
Environment
summer winds often raise large sandstorms and duststorms in interior; sparse natural freshwater resources
Extended economic zone
200 nm;
Land boundaries
1,374 km total; Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, PDRY 288 km
Land use
NEGL% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 5% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 95% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Natural resources
crude oil, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas
Note
strategic location with small foothold on Musandam Peninsula controlling Strait of Hormuz (17% of world's oil production transits this point going from Persian Gulf to Arabian Sea)
Terrain
vast central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
212,460 km2; land area: 212,460 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
43 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
12 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
almost entirely Arab, with small Balochi, Zanzibari, and Indian groups
Infant mortality rate
105 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
430,000; 60% agriculture (est.); 58% are non-Omani
Language
Arabic (official); English, Balochi, Urdu, Indian dialects
Life expectancy at birth
56 years male, 58 years female (1990)
Literacy
20%
Nationality
noun--Omani(s); adjective--Omani
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
trade unions are illegal
Population
1,457,064 (July 1990), growth rate 3.1% (1990)
Religion
75% Ibadhi Muslim; remainder Sunni Muslim, Shia Muslim, some Hindu
Total fertility rate
6.8 children born/woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
none
Capital
Muscat
Constitution
none
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Awadh Bader AL-SHANFARI; Chancery at 2342 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 387-1980 through 1982; US--Ambassador Richard BOEHM; Embassy at address NA, Muscat (mailing address is P. O. Box 966, Muscat); telephone 738-231 or 738-006
Elections
none
Executive branch
sultan, Cabinet, State Consultative Assembly
Flag
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
Independence
1650, expulsion of the Portuguese
Judicial branch
none; traditional Islamic judges and a nascent civil court system
Leaders
Chief of State and Head of Government--Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970)
Legal system
based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the sultan; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
none
Long-form name
Sultanate of Oman
Member of
Arab League, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
National holiday
National Day, 18 November
Other political or pressure groups
outlawed Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman (PFLO), based in South Yemen; small, clandestine Shia fundamentalist groups are active
Political parties
none
Suffrage
none
Type
absolute monarchy; independent, with residual UK influence
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 3.4% of GDP and 60% 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
Aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $122 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $92 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $797 million
Budget
revenues $3.1 billion; expenditures $4.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.0 billion (1989 est.)
Currency
Omani rial (plural--rials); 1 Omani rial (RO) = 1,000 baiza
Electricity
1,130,000 kW capacity; 3,600 million kWh produced, 2,760 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Omani rials (RO) per US$1--0.3845 (fixed rate since 1986)
Exports
$3.6 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--petroleum, reexports, processed copper, dates, nuts, fish; partners--Japan, South Korea, Thailand
External debt
$3.1 billion (December 1989 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$7.8 billion, per capita $6,006; real growth rate - 3.0% (1987 est.)
Imports
$1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities --machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants; partners--Japan, UAE, UK, FRG, US
Industrial production
growth rate 5.0% (1986)
Industries
crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.0% (1988 est.)
Overview
Economic performance is closely tied to the fortunes of the oil industry. Petroleum accounts for nearly all export earnings, about 70% of government revenues, and more than 50% of GDP. Oman has proved oil reserves of 4 billion barrels, equivalent to about 20 years' supply at the current rate of extraction. Although agriculture employs a majority of the population, urban centers depend on imported food.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
128 total, 119 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 63 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
4 major transport aircraft
Highways
22,800 km total; 3,800 km bituminous surface, 19,000 km motorable track
Pipelines
crude oil 1,300 km; natural gas 1,030 km
Ports
Mina Qabus, Mina Raysut
Telecommunications
fair system of open-wire, radio relay, and radio communications stations; 50,000 telephones; stations--3 AM, 3 FM, 11 TV; satellite earth stations--2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT and 8 domestic
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, Royal Oman Police
Defense expenditures
16.5% of GDP, or $1.3 billion (1990 est.)
Military manpower
males 15-49, 350,173; 198,149 fit for military service