Oman

§1. Oman Introduction

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.

§2. Oman Geography

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 kmē
  land: 212,460 kmē
  water: 0 kmē

Area - comparative:
  slightly smaller than Kansas

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

Coastline:
  2,092 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 kmē (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

§3. Oman People

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  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%

§4. Oman Government

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

Capital:
  Muscat

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 embassy: Jameat A'Duwal Al
    Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat
  mailing address: international: P. O. Box 202, Code No. 115, Medinat
    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

§5. Oman Economy

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%

Unemployment rate:
  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)

Currency code:
  OMR

Exchange rates:
  Omani rials per US dollar - 0.3845 (fixed rate since 1986)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Oman Communications

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)

§7. Oman Transportation

Railways:
  0 km

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

Waterways:
  none

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.)

Heliports:
  1 (2000 est.)

§8. Oman Military

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

Military manpower - military age:
  14 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
  males age 15-49: 771,919 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
  males age 15-49: 429,811 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
  males: 26,469 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $2.4 billion (FY00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  13% (FY00)

§9. Oman Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  boundary with the UAE has not been bilaterally defined; northern section in
  the Musandam Peninsula is an administrative boundary
