Oman
Sultanate of OmanSaltanat Uman
monarchyIndependence 1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)
Oman as the 1998 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 98 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and | Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE
18 fieldsLand useshare of 212,460 sq km
Location
Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE
Climate
- dry desert;
- hot, humid along coast;
- hot, dry interior;
- strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
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, Ship Pollution
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
Geography-note
strategic location with small foothold on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1998 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 41% (male 488,244; female 469,831)
- 15-64 years:
- 57% (male 835,872; female 514,236)
- 65 years and over:
- 2% (male 28,966; female 26,442) (July 1998 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.63 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 1.1 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Government
Monarchy; Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970); Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970)
21 fieldsCountry name
- conventional long form:
- Sultanate of Oman
- conventional short form:
- Oman
- local long form:
- Saltanat Uman
- local short form:
- Uman
Administrative divisions
6 regions (mintaqah, singular-mintaqat) and 2 governorates* (muhafazah, singular-muhafazat) Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah, Az Zahirah, Masqat, Musandam*, Zufar*
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 Omani council, and guarantees basic civil liberties for Omani citizens
Legal system
- based on English common law and Islamic law;
- ultimate appeal to the sultan;
- has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage
limited to approximately 50,000 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 sultan 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 sultan is both the chief of state and head of government
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the sultan
- elections:
- none; the sultan is a hereditary monarch
Legislative branch
bicameral Majlis Oman consists of an upper chamber or Majlis ad-Dawla (41 seats; members appointed by the Sultan; has advisory powers only) and a lower chamber or Majlis ash-Shura (82 seats; members elected by limited suffrage, however, the Sultan 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 October 1997 (next to be held NA 2000)
- election results:
- NA
Judicial branch
none; traditional Islamic judges and a nascent civil court system, administered by region
International organization participation
ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)
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 1982, 1988
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Frances D. COOK
- embassy:
- Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat
- mailing address:
- domestic: Unit 73000, Box 1, APO AE 09890-3000;
- international:
- P. O. Box 202, Code No. 115, Medinat Qaboos, Muscat
- telephone:
- [968] 698989 (Medinat Qaboos, switchboard)
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
Economy
Economic performance is closely tied to the fortunes | of the oil industry.
28 fieldsGDP-composition by sector(1995)
Economy-overview
Economic performance is closely tied to the fortunes of the oil industry. Petroleum accounts for 75% of export earnings and government revenues and for roughly 40% of GDP. Oman has proved oil reserves of 4 billion barrels, equivalent to about 20 years' production at the current rate of extraction.
Agriculture is carried on at a subsistence level and the general population depends on imported food. The year 1996 was marked by higher oil production and prices. The government is encouraging private investment, both domestic and foreign, as a prime force for further economic development.
Agriculture-products
- dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables;
- camels, cattle;
- annual fish catch averages 100,000 metric tons
Exports
- total value:
- $7.6 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
- commodities:
- petroleum 75%, reexports, fish, processed copper, textiles
- partners:
- Japan 29%, South Korea 17%, China 12%, Thailand 11%, US 7% (1996)
Imports
- total value:
- $4.8 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
- commodities:
- machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants
- partners:
- UAE 22% (largely reexports), Japan 15%, UK 15%, France 6%, US 5% (1996)
Telephone system
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
Transportation
9 fieldsMerchant marine, 3 ships by typeone square, one ship · (1996 est.)
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Highways
- total:
- 32,800 km
- paved:
- 9,840 km (including 550 km of expressways)
- unpaved:
- 22,960 km (1996 est.)
Military
Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary (includes Royal | Oman Police)
6 fieldsTransnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes-international
no defined boundary with most of UAE, but Administrative Line in far north PACIFIC OCEAN
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Oman.” The World Factbook 1998. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/oman/1998.