1998 Edition

Area

total: 212,460 sq km land: 212,460 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area-comparative

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

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m highest point: Jabal ash Sham 2,980 m

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 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

21 00 N, 57 00 E

Geography-note

strategic location with small foothold on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

Irrigated land

580 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 1,374 km border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km

Land use

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 5% forests and woodland: NA% other: 95% (1993 est.)

Location

Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts

Natural resources

petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas

Terrain

vast central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south

Age structure

0-14 years: 41% (male 488,244; female 469,831) 15-64 years: 57% (male 835,872; female 514,236) 65 years and over: 2% (male 28,966; female 26,442) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate

37.83 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate

4.37 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups

Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African

Infant mortality rate

25.55 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages

Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 71.02 years male: 69.04 years female: 73.1 years (1998 est.)

Literacy

definition: NA total population: approaching 80% male: NA% female: NA%

Nationality

noun: Omani(s) adjective: Omani

Net migration rate

1.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Population

2,363,591 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate

3.45% (1998 est.)

Religions

Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.63 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.13 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Administrative divisions

6 regions (mintaqah, singular-mintaqat) and 2 governorates* (muhafazah, singular-muhafazat) Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah, Az Zahirah, Masqat, Musandam*, Zufar*

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

Country name

conventional long form: Sultanate of Oman conventional short form: Oman local long form: Saltanat Uman local short form: Uman

Data code

MU

Executive branch

chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970); note-the sultan 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 sultan is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the sultan elections: none; the sultan is a hereditary monarch

FAX

[1] (202) 745-4933 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Frances D. COOK embassy: Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat mailing address: domestic: Unit 73000, Box 1, APO AE 09890-3000; international: P. O. Box 202, Code No. 115, Medinat Qaboos, Muscat telephone: [968] 698989 (Medinat Qaboos, switchboard)

[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

Government type

monarchy

Independence

1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)

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, 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 1982, 1988

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

Legal system

based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the sultan; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

bicameral Majlis Oman consists of an upper chamber or Majlis ad-Dawla (41 seats; members appointed by the Sultan; has advisory powers only) and a lower chamber or Majlis ash-Shura (82 seats; members elected by limited suffrage, however, the Sultan 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

National capital

Muscat

National holiday

National Day, 18 November (1940)

Suffrage

limited to approximately 50,000 Omanis chosen by the government to vote in elections for the Majlis ash-Shura

Agriculture-products

dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; annual fish catch averages 100,000 metric tons

Budget

revenues: $5.2 billion expenditures: $6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.3 billion (1998 est.)

Currency

1 Omani rial (RO) = 1,000 baiza

Debt-external

$3 billion (1997 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $82 million (1993)

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 year 1996 was marked by higher oil production and prices. The government is encouraging private investment, both domestic and foreign, as a prime force for further economic development.

Electricity-capacity

1.744 million kW (1995)

Electricity-consumption per capita

3,670 kWh (1995)

Electricity-production

7.8 billion kWh (1995)

Exchange rates

Omani rials (RO) per US$1-0.3845 (fixed rate since 1986)

Exports

total value: $7.6 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.) commodities: petroleum 75%, reexports, fish, processed copper, textiles partners: Japan 29%, South Korea 17%, China 12%, Thailand 11%, US 7% (1996)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

GDP

purchasing power parity-$17.2 billion (1997 est.)

GDP-composition by sector

agriculture: 3% industry: 43% services: 54% (1995)

GDP-per capita

purchasing power parity-$8,000 (1997 est.)

GDP-real growth rate

3.5% (1997 est.)

Imports

total value: $4.8 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.) commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants partners: UAE 22% (largely reexports), Japan 15%, UK 15%, France 6%, US 5% (1996)

Industrial production growth rate

3% (1994 est.)

Industries

crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper

Inflation rate-consumer price index

1% (1996 est.)

Labor force

total: 780,500 (1997 est.) by occupation: agriculture 37% (1993 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 1

Radios

1.043 million (1992 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

Telephones

150,000 (1994 est.)

Television broadcast stations

9

Televisions

1.195 million (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Airports

138 (1997 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 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 132 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 57 914 to 1,523 m: 32 under 914 m: 35 (1997 est.)

Heliports

1 (1997 est.)

Highways

total: 32,800 km paved: 9,840 km (including 550 km of expressways) unpaved: 22,960 km (1996 est.)

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 (1996 est.)

Pipelines

crude oil 1,300 km; natural gas 1,030 km Ports and harbors: Matrah, Mina' al Fahl, Mina' Raysut

Railways

0 km

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary (includes Royal Oman Police)

Military expenditures-dollar figure

$1.82 billion (1996)

Military expenditures-percent of GDP

13.7% (1996)

Military manpower-availability

males age 15-49: 740,901 (1998 est.) Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 414,528 (1998 est.)

Military manpower-reaching military age annually

males: NA

Disputes-international

no defined boundary with most of UAE, but Administrative Line in far north