Oman

Sultanate of OmanSaltanat Uman

monarchyIndependence 1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)

Oman as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 106 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
Position21 00 N, 57 00 E
Area212,460 sq km
LocationMiddle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman,
1999

Every edition of Oman

Populationas each edition published it
2.45 million July 1999 est. · 1.46m in 1990
Population growth% a year
3.45% 1999 est. · 3.46% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 19.4 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
71.3 years 1999 est. · 67.32 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
6.11 children per woman 1999 est. · 6.8 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
24.71 deaths per 1,000 live births 1999 est. · 105 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$7,900 1998 est. · $6,670 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
-8.5% 1998 est. · 7.4% in 1993

Geography

Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, | and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE

18 fields

Land useshare of 212,460 sq km

permanent crops 0%permanent pastures 5%other 95% (1993 est.)arable land 0% in all · irrigated 580 sq km (1993 est.)forests and woodland: NA%
Area
212,460sq km
land: 212,460 sq kmwater: 0 sq kmslightly smaller than Kansas
Coastline
2,092km
contiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm
Highest point
2,980m
Jabal Shamslowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m
Land boundaries
1,374km
border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km

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

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

petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas

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, Whaling
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 fields
Population
2,446,645
(July 1999 est.)growth rate: 3.45% (1999 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1999 est.)

Birth
37.98Death
4.29Net migration
0.84
Literacy
80%
approachingdefinition: NAmale: NA%female: NA%

Age structure

0-14 years:
41% (male 508,681; female 489,453)
15-64 years:
57% (male 856,062; female 535,123)
65 years and over:
2% (male 30,083; female 27,243) (1999 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.6 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
1.1 male(s)/female
total population:
1.33 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

24.71 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:
71.3 years
male:
69.31 years
female:
73.39 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.11 children born/woman (1999 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

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)

19 fields

Country name

conventional long form:
Sultanate of Oman
conventional short form:
Oman
local long form:
Saltanat Uman
local short form:
Uman

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*

Independence

1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)

National holiday

National Day, 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 Omani council, and guarantees basic civil liberties for Omani citizens

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 monarch 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 monarch is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the monarch
elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary

Legislative branch

bicameral Majlis Oman consists of an upper chamber or Majlis ad-Dawla (41 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory powers only) and a lower chamber or Majlis ash-Shura (82 seats; members elected by limited suffrage, however, the monarch 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, OPCW, 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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador John D. CRAIG
embassy:
Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat
mailing address:
international: P. O. Box 202, Code No. 115, Medinat Qaboos, Muscat

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.

31 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$7,900
purchasing power parity? · (1998 est.)
Real growth rate
-8.5%
(1998 est.)industrial production growth: 2% (1997 est.)
Labor force
850,000
(1997 est.)

GDP--composition by sector(1997 est.)

agriculture 2%industry 50%services 48% (1997 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$4 billionExpenditures
$5.6 billion
expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 budget est.)

Electricity

fossil fuel 100%hydro 0% · nuclear 0% · other 0%
Electricity production
8 billion (1996)Electricity consumption
8 billion (1996)

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 government is encouraging private investment, both domestic and foreign, as a prime force for further economic development. In 1998-99 the economy is suffering from weak world oil prices.

GDP

purchasing power parity--$18.6 billion (1998 est.)

Industries

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

Agriculture--products

  • dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables;
  • camels, cattle;
  • fish

Exports

$7.6 billion (f.o.b., 1997)

Exports--commodities

petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles

Exports--partners

Japan 26%, China 19%, Thailand 19%, South Korea 14%, US 4% (1997)

Imports

$4 billion (f.o.b., 1997)

Imports--commodities

machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants

Imports--partners

UAE 23% (largely reexports), Japan 16%, UK 14%, US 8%, Germany 5% (1997)

Debt--external

$3 billion (1997 est.)

Economic aid--recipient

$76.4 million (1995)

Currency

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
Fixed lines
150,000
(1994 est.)

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

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 1

Radios

1.043 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations

13 (in addition, there are 25 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

1.195 million (1992 est.)

Transportation

9 fields

Merchant marine, 3 ships by typeone square, one ship · (1998 est.)

cargo 1passenger 1passenger-cargo 1

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m
35
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 58 914 to 1,523 m: 36

Networkskm

Highways
32,800Railways
0
Highways: paved: 9,840 km (including 550 km of expressways) · unpaved: 22,960 km (1996 est.)

Highways

total:
32,800 km
paved:
9,840 km (including 550 km of expressways)
unpaved:
22,960 km (1996 est.)

Pipelines

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

Ports and harbors

Matrah, Mina' al Fahl, Mina' Raysut

Airports

143 (1998 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 (1998 est.)

Heliports

1 (1998 est.)

Military

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary (includes | Royal Oman Police)

7 fields

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary (includes Royal Oman Police)

Military manpower--availability

males age 15-49: 752,637 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service

males age 15-49: 420,361 (1999 est.)

Transnational Issues

1 field

Disputes--international

southern boundary with the United Arab Emirates has not been bilaterally defined; northern section in the Musandam Peninsula is an administrative boundary

Central Intelligence Agency. “Oman.” The World Factbook 1999. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/oman/1999.

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