1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
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 Shams 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, Whaling 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
People and Society
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.)
Birth rate
37.98 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
4.29 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African
Infant mortality rate
24.71 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 71.3 years male: 69.31 years female: 73.39 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: NA total population: approaching 80% male: NA% female: NA%
Nationality
noun: Omani(s) adjective: Omani
Net migration rate
0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
2,446,645 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
3.45% (1999 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: 1.6 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female total population: 1.33 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
6.11 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
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*
Capital
Muscat
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 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
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, 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 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
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 monarch; 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 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
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
Economy
Agriculture--products
dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish
Budget
revenues: $4 billion expenditures: $5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 budget est.)
Currency
1 Omani rial (RO) = 1,000 baiza
Debt--external
$3 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid--recipient
$76.4 million (1995)
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.
Electricity--consumption
8 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
8 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
Omani rials (RO) per US$1--0.3845 (fixed rate since 1986)
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)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity--$18.6 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 2% industry: 50% services: 48% (1997 est.)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$7,900 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
-8.5% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
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)
Industrial production growth rate
2% (1997 est.)
Industries
crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
-0.2% (1997 est.)
Labor force
850,000 (1997 est.)
Labor force--by occupation
NA
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
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
13 (in addition, there are 25 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions
1.195 million (1992 est.)
Transportation
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.)
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 (1998 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 and Security
Military branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary (includes Royal Oman Police)
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$1.672 billion (1998)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
11.1% (1998)
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--military age
14 years of age
Military manpower--reaching military age annually
males: NA
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