1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (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
Disputes
Administrative Line with Yemen; 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
Land boundaries
1,374 km total; Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km
Land use
arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 0%; other 95%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Maritime claims
Continental shelf: to be defined; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm
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
Total area
212,460 km2; land area: 212,460 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
41 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
mostly Arab, with small Balochi, Zanzibari, and South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi) groups
Infant mortality rate
40 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
430,000; agriculture (est.) 60%; 58% are non-Omani
Language
Arabic (official); English, Balochi, Urdu, Indian dialects
Life expectancy at birth
65 years male, 68 years female (1991)
Literacy
NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Nationality
noun--Omani(s); adjective--Omani
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
trade unions are illegal
Population
1,534,011 (July 1991), growth rate 3.5% (1991)
Religion
Ibadhi Muslim 75%; remainder Sunni Muslim, Shia Muslim, some Hindu
Total fertility rate
6.7 children born/woman (1991)
Government
Administrative divisions
there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 7 planning regions (manatiq takhtitiyah, singular--mintaqah takhtitiyah) that include 1 governorate* (muhafazah) and 50 districts (wilayat, singular--wilayah); al-Batinah--Awabi, Barka, Khabura, Liwa, Musanaa, Nakhl, Rustaq, Saham, Shinas, Sohar, Suwaiq, Wadi al-Maawil; al-Dakhiliah--Adam, al-Hamra, Bahla, Bidbid, Haima, Izki, Manah, Nizwa, Sumail; al-Dhahirah--al-Buraimi, Dhank, Ibri, Mhadha, Yanqul; al-Janubiah--Dhalqut, Mirbat, Rokhyut, Sadah, Salalah, Shalim, Taqa, Thamrait; al-Sharqiya--al Kamil and al-Wafi, al-Mudhaiby, al-Qabil, Bidiya, Dimaa and Tayin, Ibra, Jaalan Bani Bu Ali, Jaalan Bani Bu Hassan, Masirah, Sur, Wadi Bani Khalid; Musandam--Daba al-Biya, Bukha, Khasab, Madha; Muscat--Muscat*, Quriyat
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 W. BOEHM; Embassy at address NA, Muscat (mailing address is P. O. Box 50200 Madinat Qaboos, Muscat); telephone 698-989
Elections
none
Executive branch
sultan, Cabinet
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
State Consultative Assembly (advisory function only)
Long-form name
Sultanate of Oman
Member of
ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, 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 Yemen
Political parties
none
Suffrage
none
Type
absolute monarchy; independent, with residual UK influence
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 6% 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
Budget
revenues $3.5 billion; expenditures $4.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $675 million (1989 est.)
Currency
Omani rial (plural--rials); 1 Omani rial (RO) = 1,000 baiza
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $137 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $122 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $797 million
Electricity
1,136,000 kW capacity; 3,650 million kWh produced, 2,500 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
Omani rials (RO) per US$1--0.3845 (fixed rate since 1986)
Exports
$3.9 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--petroleum, reexports, processed copper, dates, nuts, fish; partners--Japan, South Korea, Taiwan
External debt
$3.1 billion (December 1989 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$9.2 billion, per capita $5,870 (1990); real growth rate - 3.0% (1987 est.)
Imports
$2.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants; partners--UK, UAE, Japan, US
Industrial production
growth rate 10% (1989), including petroleum sector
Industries
crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.3% (1989)
Overview
Economic performance is closely tied to the fortunes of the oil industry. Petroleum accounts for nearly all export earnings, about 80% of government revenues, and roughly 40% 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
122 total, 114 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 64 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
Merchant marine
1 passenger ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,442 GRT/1,320 DWT
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
$1.0 billion, 12% of GDP (1991) _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 348,849; 197,870 fit for military service; 20,715 reach military age (14) annually