1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 212,460 km2 land area: 212,460 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Kansas
Climate
dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
Coastline
2,092 km
Environment
summer winds often raise large sandstorms and duststorms in interior; sparse natural freshwater resources
International disputes
no defined boundary with most of UAE; Administrative Line with UAE in far north; a treaty with Yemen to settle the Omani-Yemeni boundary was ratified in December 1992
Irrigated land
410 km2 (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
total 1,374 km, Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km
Land use
arable land: less than 2% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 5% forest and woodland: 0% other: 93%
Location
Middle East, along the Arabian Sea, between Yemen and the United Arab Emirates
Map references
Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: to be defined exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
petroleum, 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
People and Society
Birth rate
40.56 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
5.94 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Arab, Balochi, Zanzibari, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi)
Infant mortality rate
38.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
430,000 by occupation: agriculture 40% (est.)
Languages
Arabic (official), English, Balochi, Urdu, Indian dialects
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 67.32 years male: 65.47 years female: 69.27 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Nationality
noun: Omani(s) adjective: Omani
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
1,643,579 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
3.46% (1993 est.)
Religions
Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu
Total fertility rate
6.58 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 governorates (muhafazah, singular - muhafazat); Musqat, Musandam, Zufar
Capital
Muscat
Chief of State and Head of Government
Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Sa'id Al Sa'id (since 23 July 1970)
Constitution
none
Digraph
MU
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Awadh bin Badr AL-SHANFARI chancery: 2342 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 387-1980 through 1982
Elections
elections scheduled for October 1992
Executive branch
sultan, Cabinet
FAX
[968] 604-316
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
Legal system
based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the sultan; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly
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
Names
conventional long form: Sultanate of Oman conventional short form: Oman local long form: Saltanat Uman local short form: Uman
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 and leaders
none
Suffrage
none
Type
absolute monarchy with residual UK influence
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador David DUNFORD
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 6% of GDP and 40% 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 $4.1 billion; expenditures $4.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $1 billion (1991)
Currency
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 (1970-89), $148 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $797 million
Electricity
1,142,400 kW capacity; 5,100 million kWh produced, 3,200 kWh per capita (1992)
Exchange rates
Omani rials (RO) per US$1 - 0.3845 (fixed rate since 1986)
Exports
$4.9 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: petroleum 87%, reexports, fish, processed copper, textiles partners: UAE 30%, Japan 27%, South Korea 10%, Singapore 5%
External debt
$3.1 billion (December 1989 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Imports
$3.0 billion (f.o.b, 1991) commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants partners: Japan 20%, UAE 19%, UK 19%, US 7%
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)
1.6% (1991)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $10.2 billion (1991)
National product per capita
$6,670 (1991)
National product real growth rate
7.4% (1991)
Overview
Economic performance is closely tied to the fortunes of the oil industry. Petroleum accounts for more than 85% of 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. Agriculture is carried on at a subsistence level and the general population depends on imported food.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
total: 138 usable: 130 with permanent-surface runways: 6 with runways over 3,659 m: 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 74
Highways
26,000 km total; 6,000 km paved, 20,000 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, Mina' al Fahl
Telecommunications
modern system consisting of open-wire, microwave, and radio communications stations; limited coaxial cable; 50,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 3 FM, 7 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
exchange rate conversion - $1.6 billion, 16% of GDP (1993 est.)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 370,548; fit for military service 210,544; reach military age (14) annually 20,810 (1993 est.)