Oman

Background:

The inhabitants of the area of Oman have long prospered on Indian Ocean trade. In the late 18th century, a newly established sultanate in Muscat signed the first in a series of friendship treaties with Britain. Over time, Oman's dependence on British political and military advisors increased, but it never became a British colony. In 1970, QABOOS bin Said al-Said overthrew the restrictive rule of his father; he has ruled as sultan ever since. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world while preserving the longstanding close ties with the UK. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries.

Geography Oman

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: 309,500 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 309,500 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

Coastline:
2,092 km

Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
territorial sea: 12 NM
contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 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: 0.12%
permanent crops: 0.14%
other: 99.74% (2005)

Irrigated land:
720 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:
1 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic / industrial / agricultural):
total: 1.36 cu km/yr (7%/2%/90%)
per capita: 529 cu m/yr (2000)

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

People Oman

Population:
3,418,085
note: includes 577,293 non-nationals (July 2009 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.7% (male 744,265/female 714,116)
15-64 years: 54.5% (male 1,079,511/female 783,243)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 55,180/female 41,770) (2009 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.8 years
male: 21.1 years
female: 16.7 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate:
3.138% (2009 est.)

Birth rate:
34.79 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Death rate:
3.65 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)

Net migration rate:
0.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.38 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.32 male(s)/female
total population: 1.22 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 16.88 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 14.35 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.16 years
male: 71.87 years
female: 76.55 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate:
5.53 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1,300 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

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: 81.4%
male: 86.8%
female: 73.5% (2003 census)

Government Oman

Country name:
conventional long form: Sultanate of Oman
conventional short form: Oman
local long form: Saltanat Uman
former: Muscat and Oman
local short form: Uman

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 on 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:
21 years of age; universal; note - members of the military and security forces are not allowed to vote

Executive branch:
chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said al-Said (sultan since 23 July 1970 and prime minister since 23 July 1972); 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 (sultan since 23 July 1970 and prime minister since 23 July 1972)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary

Legislative branch:
bicameral Majlis Oman consists of Majlis al-Dawla or upper chamber (71 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory powers only) and Majlis al-Shura or lower chamber (84 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; body has only advisory powers)
elections:last held 27 October 2007 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: new candidates won 46 seats and 38 members of the outgoing Majlis kept their positions; none of the 20 female candidates were elected

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
note: the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has judges who practice secular and Sharia law

Political parties and leaders:
none

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Hunaina bint Sultan bin Ahmad al-MUGHAIRI
chancery: 2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 387-1980
FAX: [1] (202) 745-4933

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:Ambassador Richard J. SCHMIERER
embassy: Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat
mailing address: P. O. Box 202, P.C. 115, Madinat Al-Sultan Qaboos, Muscat
telephone: [968] 24-643400
FAX: [968] 24-699771

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 near the top of the vertical band

Economy Oman

Economy - overview:
Oman is a middle-income economy that is heavily dependent on dwindling oil resources. Because of declining reserves, Muscat has actively pursued a development plan that focuses on diversification, industrialization, and privatization, with the objective of reducing the oil sector's contribution to GDP to 9% by 2020. Tourism and gas-based industries are key components of the government's diversification strategy. By using enhanced oil recovery techniques, Oman succeeded in increasing oil production in 2009, giving the country more time to diversify. The drop in oil prices in 2008 and the global financial crisis reduced Oman's budget surplus in 2009 and slowed the pace of investment and development projects, but GDP growth still was positive, in part because Muscat implemented an expansionary fiscal policy.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $69.43 billion (2009 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2.6% (2009 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $20,300 (2009 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.1%
industry: 36.3%
services: 61.6% (2009 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.3% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
968,800
note: about 60% of the labor force is non-national (2007)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Unemployment rate:
15% (2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $18.75 billion
expenditures: $18.35 billion (2009 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate:
4% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:
9.274 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
8.625 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
963,800 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
53,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Oil - proved reserves:
5.703 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
13.77 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
6.34 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
7.43 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
846.4 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Agriculture - products:
dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish

Exports:
$11.7 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles

Exports - partners:
Japan 22.1%, South Korea 19.9%, China 15.2%, Thailand 12.6%, Taiwan 5.5%, Singapore 4.7%, US 4.4% (2002)

Imports:
$5.659 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants

Imports - partners:
UAE 27.6%, Japan 16.7%, UK 7.4%, US 6.9%, Germany 5% (2002)

Debt - external:
$5.8 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$76.4 million (1995)

Currency:
Omani rial (OMR)

Currency code:
OMR

Exchange rates:
Omani rials per US dollar - 0.38 (2003), 0.38 (2002), 0.38 (2001), 0.38 (2000), 0.38 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Oman

Telephones - main lines in use:
227,600 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
464,900 (2002)

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: country code - 968; 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 hosts:
676 (2002)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
180,000 (2002)

Transportation Oman

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 34,965 km
paved: 9,673 km (including 550 km of expressways)
unpaved: 25,292 km (2001)

Waterways:
none

Pipelines:
gas 3,599 km; oil 3,187 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Matrah, Mina' al Fahl, Mina' Raysut

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 15,430 GRT/6,360 DWT
by type: passenger 2
registered in other countries: 1 (2003 est.)

Airports:
135 (2003 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 (2003 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 129
914 to 1,523 m: 34
under 914 m: 35 (2003 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 52
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6

Heliports:
1 (2003 est.)

Military Oman

Military branches:
Royal Omani Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force

Military manpower - military age:
14 years of age (2004 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 796,792 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 443,006 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 31,274 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$242.07 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
11.4% (2003)

Transnational Issues Oman

Disputes - international:
boundary agreement signed and ratified with UAE in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves