Oman

absolute monarchyIndependence 1650, expulsion of the Portuguese

Oman as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 71 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalMuscat
Area212,460 km2
1990

Every edition of Oman

Populationas each edition published it
1.46 million July 1990 · 3.97m in 2025
Population growth% a year
Not in this edition 3.46% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 19.4 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 67.32 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
6.8 children per woman 1990 · 2.61 in 2025
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
105 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 13.6 in 2025
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
Not in this edition $6,670 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
Not in this edition 7.4% in 1993

Geography

14 fields
Total area
212,460km2
land area: 212,460 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than Kansas
Coastline
2,092km
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Land boundaries
1,374km total
Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, PDRY 288 km

Continental shelf

to be defined;

Disputes

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

Climate

  • dry desert;
  • hot, humid along coast;
  • hot, dry interior;
  • strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south

Terrain

vast central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south

Natural resources

crude oil, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas

Land use

  • NEGL% arable land;
  • NEGL% permanent crops;
  • 5% meadows and pastures;
  • 0% forest and woodland;
  • 95% other;
  • includes NEGL% irrigated

Environment

summer winds often raise large sandstorms and duststorms in interior; sparse natural freshwater resources

Note

strategic location with small foothold on Musandam Peninsula controlling Strait of Hormuz (17% of world's oil production transits this point going from Persian Gulf to Arabian Sea)

People

14 fields
Population
1,457,064
(July 1990), growth rate 3.1% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth
43Death
12Net migration
0

Infant mortality rate

105 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth

56 years male, 58 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate

6.8 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality

noun--Omani(s); adjective--Omani

Ethnic divisions

almost entirely Arab, with small Balochi, Zanzibari, and Indian groups

Religion

75% Ibadhi Muslim; remainder Sunni Muslim, Shia Muslim, some Hindu

Language

Arabic (official); English, Balochi, Urdu, Indian dialects

Labor force

  • 430,000;
  • 60% agriculture (est.);
  • 58% are non-Omani

Organized labor

trade unions are illegal

Government

Absolute monarchy

18 fields

Long-form name

Sultanate of Oman

Type

absolute monarchy; independent, with residual UK influence

Capital

Muscat

Independence

1650, expulsion of the Portuguese

Executive branch

sultan, Cabinet, State Consultative Assembly

Judicial branch

none; traditional Islamic judges and a nascent civil court system

National holiday

National Day, 18 November Chief of State and Head of Government--Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970)

Other political or pressure groups

outlawed Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman (PFLO), based in South Yemen; small, clandestine Shia fundamentalist groups are active

Member of

Arab League, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

  • Ambassador Awadh Bader AL-SHANFARI;
  • Chancery at 2342 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
  • telephone (202) 387-1980 through 1982;
  • US--Ambassador Richard BOEHM;
  • Embassy at address NA, Muscat (mailing address is P. O. Box 966, Muscat);
  • telephone 738-231 or 738-006

Flag

  • three horizontal bands of white (top, double width), red, and green (double 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

Economic performance is closely tied to the fortunes of the oil industry.

16 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$7.8billion
per capita $6,006; real growth rate - 3.0% (1987 est.)
External debt
$3.1billion
(December 1989 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$3.1 billionExpenditures
$4.2 billion
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $1.0 billion (1989 est.)

Overview

Economic performance is closely tied to the fortunes of the oil industry. Petroleum accounts for nearly all export earnings, about 70% of government revenues, and more than 50% of GDP. Oman has proved oil reserves of 4 billion barrels, equivalent to about 20 years' supply at the current rate of extraction. Although agriculture employs a majority of the population, urban centers depend on imported food.

Exports

  • $3.6 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
  • commodities--petroleum, reexports, processed copper, dates, nuts, fish;
  • partners--Japan, South Korea, Thailand

Imports

  • $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
  • commodities --machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants;
  • partners--Japan, UAE, UK, FRG, US

Industrial production

growth rate 5.0% (1986)

Electricity

1,130,000 kW capacity; 3,600 million kWh produced, 2,760 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

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

Agriculture

  • accounts for 3.4% of GDP and 60% of the labor force (including fishing);
  • less than 2% of land cultivated;
  • largely subsistence farming (dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables, camels, cattle);
  • not self-sufficient in food;
  • annual fish catch averages 100,000 metric tons

Aid

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $122 million;
  • Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $92 million;
  • OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $797 million

Currency

Omani rial (plural--rials); 1 Omani rial (RO) = 1,000 baiza

Exchange rates

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

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

Airports, 128 total, 119 usable

permanent-surface runways
6runways over 3,659 m
1runways 2,440-3,659 m
6runways 1,220-2,439 m
63

Highways

22,800 km total; 3,800 km bituminous surface, 19,000 km motorable track

Pipelines

crude oil 1,300 km; natural gas 1,030 km

Ports

Mina Qabus, Mina Raysut

Civil air

4 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

  • fair system of open-wire, radio relay, and radio communications stations;
  • 50,000 telephones;
  • stations--3 AM, 3 FM, 11 TV;
  • satellite earth stations--2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT and 8 domestic

Defense Forces

Army, Navy, Air Force, Royal Oman Police

3 fields

Military manpower

males 15-49
350,173fit for military service
198,149
Defense expenditures
16.5%of GDP
or $1.3 billion (1990 est.)

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Royal Oman Police

Central Intelligence Agency. “Oman.” The World Factbook 1990. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/oman/1990.

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