Oman
monarchyIndependence 1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)
Oman as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 117 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.
No fields match. Try a shorter word.
Geography
Middle East, along the Arabian Sea, between Yemen and the United Arab | Emirates
25 fieldstotal area
212,460 sq km
land area
212,460 sq km
comparative area
slightly smaller than Kansas
contiguous zone
24 nm
continental shelf
to be defined
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
territorial sea
12 nm
International disputes
- no defined boundary with most of UAE;
- Administrative Line with UAE in far north;
- a treaty with Yemen defining the Omani-Yemeni boundary was ratified in December 1992
Climate
- dry desert;
- hot, humid along coast;
- hot, dry interior;
- strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
arable land
less than 2%
permanent crops
0%
meadows and pastures
5%
forest and woodland
0%
other
93%
current issues
- rising soil salinity;
- beach pollution from oil spills;
- sparse natural freshwater resources
natural hazards
summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior
international agreements
party to - Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change
Note
strategic location with small foothold on Musandam Peninsula controlling Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
People
21 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1994 est.)
note
- Oman's first census was concluded in December 1993;
- preliminary figures give a population of 2,000,000, of whom about 500,000 are expatriate workers;
- final evaluative figures are not yet available
total population
67.79 years
male
65.9 years
female
69.77 years (1994 est.)
noun
Omani(s)
adjective
Omani
total population
NA%
male
NA%
female
NA%
by occupation
agriculture 40% (est.)
Government
Monarchy
29 fieldsconventional long form
Sultanate of Oman
conventional short form
Oman
local long form
Saltanat Uman
local short form
Uman
Administrative divisions
there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 governorates (muhafazah, singular - muhafazat); Masqat, Musandam, Zufar
Legal system
- based on English common law and Islamic law;
- ultimate appeal to the sultan;
- has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
chief of state and head of government
Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970)
cabinet
Cabinet
Member of
ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
chief of mission
Ambassador-designate Ahmad bin Muhammad al-RASBI
chancery
2342 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
chief of mission
Ambassador David J. DUNFORD
embassy
address NA, Muscat
mailing address
P. O. Box 202 Code No. 115, Muscat
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, including trends in international oil prices and the ability | of OPEC producers to agree on output quotas.
25 fieldsOverview
Economic performance is closely tied to the fortunes of the oil industry, including trends in international oil prices and the ability of OPEC producers to agree on output quotas. Petroleum accounts for more than 85% 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.
Agriculture is carried on at a subsistence level and the general population depends on imported food. The government is encouraging private investment, both domestic and foreign, as a prime force for further economic development.
revenues
$4.4 billion
expenditures
$5.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $1 billion (1994 est.)
commodities
petroleum 87%, re-exports, fish, processed copper, textiles
partners
UAE 30%, Japan 27%, South Korea 10%, Singapore 5% (1991)
commodities
machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants
partners
Japan 20%, UAE 14%, UK 19%, US 7% (1991)
capacity
1,142,400 kW
production
5.1 billion kWh
consumption per capita
3,200 kWh (1992)
Agriculture
- accounts for 4% of GDP and 40% 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
recipient
- 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
Communications
13 fieldstotal
26,000 km
paved
6,000 km
unpaved
motorable track 20,000 km
total
138
usable
130
with permanent-surface runways
6
with runways over 3,659 m
1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m
9
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
74
Telecommunications
- modern system consisting 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
4 fieldsManpower availability
- males age 15-49 382,793;
- fit for military service 217,755;
- reach military age (14) annually 22,118 (1994 est.)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Oman.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/oman/1994.