Oman

absolute monarchyIndependence 1650, expulsion of the Portuguese

Oman as the 1992 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
1992

Every edition of Oman

Populationas each edition published it
1.59 million July 1992 · 1.46m in 1990
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
6.6 children per woman 1992 · 6.8 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
40 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 105 in 1990
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

13 fields
Total area
212,460km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Kansas
Coastline
2,092km
Continental shelf: to be definedExclusive economic zone: 200 nmTerritorial sea: 12 nm
Land boundaries
1,374km total
Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km

Land area

212,460 km2

Disputes

  • no defined boundary with most of UAE;
  • Administrative Line with UAE in far north;
  • there is a proposed treaty with Yemen (which has not yet been formally accepted) to settle the Omani-Yemeni boundary

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

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

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
1,587,581
(July 1992), growth rate 3.5% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth
41Death
6Net migration
0

Infant mortality rate

40 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth

65 years male, 69 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate

6.6 children born/woman (1992)

Nationality

noun - Omani(s); adjective - Omani

Ethnic divisions

mostly Arab, with small Balochi, Zanzibari, and South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi) groups

Religions

Ibadhi Muslim 75%; remainder Sunni Muslim, Shi`a Muslim, some Hindu

Languages

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

Literacy

NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

Labor force

  • 430,000;
  • agriculture 60% (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

Administrative divisions

there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 governorates (muhafazah, singular - muhafazat); Musqat, Musandam, Zufar

Independence

1650, expulsion of the Portuguese

National holiday

National Day, 18 November

Executive branch

sultan, Cabinet

Legislative branch

National Assembly

Judicial branch

none; traditional Islamic judges and a nascent civil court system

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Sa`id Al Sa`id (since 23 July 1970)

Elections

elections scheduled for October 1992

Other political or pressure groups

outlawed Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman (PFLO), based in Yemen

Member of

ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

  • Ambassador Awadh bin Badr AL-SHANFARI;
  • Chancery at 2342 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008;
  • telephone (202) 387-1980 through 1982
US:
  • Ambassador Richard W. BOEHM;
  • Embassy at address NA, Muscat (mailing address is P. O. Box 50202 Madinat Qaboos, Muscat);
  • telephone [968] 698-989;
  • FAX [968] 604-316

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

16 fields
External debt
$3.1billion
(December 1989 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$4.9 billionExpenditures
$4.9 billion
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $825 million (1990)

Overview

Economic performance is closely tied to the fortunes of the oil industry. Petroleum accounts for more than 90% of export earnings, about 80% of government revenues, and roughly 40% 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.

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $10.6 billion, per capita $6,925 (1990); real growth rate 0.5% (1989)

Exports

$5.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990)

commodities:
petroleum, reexports, fish, processed copper, fruits and vegetables
partners:
Japan 35%, South Korea 21%, Singapore 7%, US 6%

Imports

$2.5 billion (f.o.b, 1990)

commodities:
machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants
partners:
UK 20%, UAE 20%, Japan 17%, US 7%

Industrial production

growth rate 10% (1989), including petroleum sector

Electricity

1,120,000 kW capacity; 5,000 million kWh produced, 3,800 kWh per capita (1991)

Industries

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

Agriculture

  • accounts for 6% 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

Economic aid

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $137 million;
  • Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $148 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

7 fields

Airports, 134 total, 127 usable

permanent-surface runways
6runways over | 3,659 m
1runways 2,440-3,659 m
8runways 1,220-2,439 m
73

Highways

26,000 km total; 6,000 km paved, 20,000 km motorable track

Pipelines

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

Ports

Mina' Qabus, Mina' Raysut

Merchant marine

1 passenger ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,442 GRT/1,320 DWT

Civil air

19 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

  • fair system of open-wire, microwave, and radio communications stations;
  • limited coaxial cable 50,000 telephones;
  • broadcast stations - 2 AM, 3 FM, 7 TV;
  • satellite earth stations - 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT, and 8 domestic

Defense Forces

Army, Navy, Air Force, Royal Oman Police

3 fields

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Royal Oman Police

Manpower availability

males 15-49, 359,394; 204,006 fit for military service

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $1.73 billion, 16% of GDP (1992 budget)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Oman.” The World Factbook 1992. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/oman/1992.

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