|
| Background: |
In
1970, QABOOS bin Said Al Said ousted his
father and has ruled as sultan ever since.
His extensive modernization program has
opened the country to the outside world
and has preserved a long-standing
political and military relationship with
the UK. Oman's moderate, independent
foreign policy has sought to maintain good
relations with all Middle Eastern
countries. |
| Location: |
Middle
East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of
Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and
UAE |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
21
00 N, 57 00 E |
| Map
references: |
Middle
East |
| Area: |
total:
212,460 sq km
land: 212,460 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly
smaller than Kansas |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
1,374 km
border countries: Saudi
Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
contiguous
zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200
NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
dry
desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry
interior; strong southwest summer monsoon
(May to September) in far south |
| Terrain: |
central
desert plain, rugged mountains in north
and south |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest
point: Arabian Sea 0 m
highest point: Jabal Shams
2,980 m |
| Natural
resources: |
petroleum,
copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone,
chromium, gypsum, natural gas |
| Land
use: |
arable
land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 95% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
580
sq km (1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
summer
winds often raise large sandstorms and
dust storms in interior; periodic droughts |
| 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, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements |
| Geography
- note: |
strategic
location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to
Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point
for world crude oil |
| Population: |
2,622,198
note: includes 527,078
non-nationals (July 2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14
years: 41.51% (male 554,727;
female 533,627)
15-64 years: 56.12% (male
894,978; female 576,672)
65 years and over: 2.37%
(male 32,863; female 29,331) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
3.43%
(2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
37.96
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
4.1
deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0.48
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.55 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.12
male(s)/female
total population: 1.3 male(s)/female
(2001 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
22.52
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 72.04 years
male: 69.9 years
female: 74.29 years (2001
est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
6.04
children born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.11%
(1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Omani(s)
adjective: Omani |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Arab,
Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani,
Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African |
| Religions: |
Ibadhi
Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim,
Hindu |
| Languages: |
Arabic
(official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian
dialects |
| Literacy: |
definition:
NA
total population: approaching
80%
male: NA%
female: NA% |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Sultanate of Oman
conventional short form: Oman
local long form: Saltanat
Uman
local short form: Uman
former: Muscat and Oman |
| Government
type: |
monarchy |
| 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*; note - the US Embassy
in Oman reports that Masqat is a
governorate, but this has not been
confirmed by the US Board of Geographic
Names (BGN) |
| Independence: |
1650
(expulsion of the Portuguese) |
| National
holiday: |
Birthday
of Sultan QABOOS, 18 November (1940) |
| 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 legislature, and guarantees
basic civil liberties for Omani citizens |
| Legal
system: |
based
on English common law and Islamic law;
ultimate appeal to the monarch; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: |
in
Oman's most recent elections in 2000,
limited to approximately 175,000 Omanis
chosen by the government to vote in
elections for the Majlis ash-Shura |
| 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 |
| Legislative
branch: |
bicameral
Majlis Oman consists of an upper chamber
or Majlis al-Dawla (48 seats; members
appointed by the monarch; has advisory
powers only) and a lower chamber or Majlis
al-Shura (83 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
September 2000 (next to be held NA
September 2003)
election results: NA; note -
two women were elected for the first time
to Majlis al-Shura, about 100,000 people
voted |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme
Court
note: the nascent civil court
system, administered by region, has
non-Islamic judges as well as traditional
Islamic judges |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
none |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
none |
| International
organization participation: |
ABEDA,
AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, 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 |
| 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 1981, 1988
FAX: [1] (202) 745-4933 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief
of mission: Ambassador John B.
CRAIG (left 18 Sep. 2001)
embassy: Jameat A'Duwal Al
Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat
mailing address:
international: P. O. Box 202, P.C. 115,
Madinat Al-Sultan Qaboos, Muscat
telephone: [968] 698989
FAX: [968] 699189 |
| 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 |
| Economy
- overview: |
Oman's
economic performance improved
significantly in 2000 due largely to the
upturn in oil prices. The government is
moving ahead with privatization of its
utilities, the development of a body of
commercial law to facilitate foreign
investment, and increased budgetary
outlays. Oman continues to liberalize its
markets and joined the World Trade
Organization (WTrO) in November 2000. |
| GDP: |
purchasing
power parity - $19.6 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
4.6%
(2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $7,700 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
3%
industry: 40%
services: 57% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest
10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
-0.8%
(2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
850,000
(1997 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture
NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$4.7 billion
expenditures: $5.9 billion,
including capital expenditures of $490
million (1999) |
| Industries: |
crude
oil production and refining, natural gas
production, construction, cement, copper |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
4%
(2000 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
8.63
billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil
fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
8.026
billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0
kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
dates,
limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables;
camels, cattle; fish |
| Exports: |
$11.1
billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
petroleum,
reexports, fish, metals, textiles |
| Exports
- partners: |
Japan
27%, China 12%, Thailand 18%, UAE 12%,
South Korea 12%, US (1999) |
| Imports: |
$4.5
billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery
and transport equipment, manufactured
goods, food, livestock, lubricants |
| Imports
- partners: |
UAE
26% (largely reexports), Japan 16%, UK 9%,
Italy 7%, Germany 6%, US (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$4.5
billion (2000 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$76.4
million (1995) |
| Currency: |
Omani
rial (OMR) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Omani
rials per US dollar - 0.3845 (fixed rate
since 1986) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar
year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
201,000
(1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
59,822
(1997) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: 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 |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM
3, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999) |
| Radios: |
1.4
million (1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
13
(plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1999) |
| Televisions: |
1.6
million (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.om |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1
(2000) |
| Internet
users: |
50,000
(2000) |
| Highways: |
total:
32,800 km
paved: 9,840 km (including
550 km of expressways)
unpaved: 22,960 km (1996) |
| Pipelines: |
crude
oil 1,300 km; natural gas 1,030 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Matrah,
Mina' al Fahl, Mina' Raysut |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
18,167 GRT/11,307 DWT
ships by type: cargo 2,
passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports: |
143
(2000 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 (2000 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: 56
914 to 1,523 m: 37
under 914 m: 36 (2000 est.) |
| Disputes
- international: |
boundary
with the UAE has not been bilaterally
defined; northern section in the Musandam
Peninsula is an administrative boundary |
|
