Oman

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

total:

1.36 cu km/yr (7%/2%/90%)

per capita:

529 cu m/yr (2000)

• rising soil salinity;
• beach pollution from oil spills;
• limited natural fresh water resources

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.4 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

1.29 male(s)/female

total population:

1.23 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

noun:

Omani(s)

adjective:

Omani

conventional long form:

Sultanate of Oman

conventional short form:

Oman

local long form:

Saltanat Uman

local short form:

Uman

former:

Muscat and Oman

name:

Muscat

geographic coordinates:

23 37 N, 58 35 E

time difference:

UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

none; note - on 6 November 1996, Sultan QABOOS issued a royal decree promulgating a basic law considered by the government to be a constitution 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 legislature, and guarantees basic civil liberties for Omani citizens

• based on English common law and Islamic law;
• ultimate appeal to the monarch;
• has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

• 21 years of age;
• universal;
• note - members of the military and security forces are not allowed to vote

chief of state:

• Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said al-Said (sultan since 23 July 1970 and prime minister since 23 July 1972);
• 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 (sultan since 23 July 1970 and prime minister since 23 July 1972)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the monarch

elections:

the monarch is hereditary

chief of mission:

Ambassador Hunaina bint Sultan bin Ahmad al-MUGHAIRI

chancery:

2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 387-1980

FAX:

[1] (202) 745-4933

chief of mission:

Ambassador Gary A. GRAPPO

embassy:

Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat

mailing address:

P. O. Box 202, P.C. 115, Madinat Sultan Qaboos, Muscat

telephone:

[968] 24-643-400

FAX:

[968] 24-699771

• 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 near the top of the vertical band

agriculture:

NA%

industry:

NA%

services:

NA%

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

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

general assessment:

modern system consisting of open-wire, microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations; limited coaxial cable

domestic:

• fixed-line phone service gradually being introduced to remote villages using wireless local loop systems;
• fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership both increasing;
• open-wire, microwave, radiotelephone communications, and a domestic satellite system with 8 earth stations

international:

• country code - 968;
• the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) and the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable provide connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe;
• satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat (2007)

total:

42,300 km

paved:

16,500 km (includes 550 km of expressways)

unpaved:

25,800 km (2005)

total:

3

by type:

chemical tanker 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1

registered in other countries:

2 (Panama 2) (2008)

males age 16-49:

802,455

females age 16-49:

626,841 (2008 est.)

males age 16-49:

663,881

females age 16-49:

543,410 (2008 est.)

male:

34,238

female:

33,139 (2008 est.)

current situation:

• Oman is a destination country for men and women primarily from Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan who migrate willingly, but some of whom become victims of trafficking when subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude as domestic workers and laborers;
• mistreatment includes non-payment of wages, restrictions on movement and withholding of passports, threats, and physical or sexual abuse;
• Oman may also be a destination country for women from Asia, Eastern Europe, and North Africa for commercial sexual exploitation

tier rating:

Tier 3 - Oman was rated as Tier 3 for the second consecutive year because it did not report any law enforcement efforts to prosecute and punish trafficking offenses in 2007 and continues to lack victim protection services or a systematic procedure to identify victims of trafficking (2008)