Oman

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

agricultural land:

4.7%;

• arable land 0.1%;
• permanent crops 0.1%;
• permanent pasture 4.5%

forest:

0%

other:

95.3% (2011 est.)

total:

1.32 cu km/yr (10%/1%/88%)

per capita:

515.8 cu m/yr (2003)

• rising soil salinity;
• beach pollution from oil spills;
• limited natural freshwater 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

noun:

Omani(s)

adjective:

Omani

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.1 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.39 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

1.15 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.99 male(s)/female

total population:

1.2 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

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)

• 11 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazat);
• Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Buraymi, Al Wusta, Az Zahirah, Janub al Batinah (Al Batinah South), Janub ash Sharqiyah (Ash Sharqiyah South), Masqat (Muscat), Musandam, Shamal al Batinah (Al Batinah North), Shamal ash Sharqiyah (Ash Sharqiyah North), Zufar (Dhofar)

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

the father must be a citizen of Oman

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

unknown

• 21 years of age;
• universal;
• note - members of the military and security forces by law cannot 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 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/appointments:

• the Ruling Family Council determines a successor from the sultan's extended family;
• if the Council cannot form a consensus within 3 days of the sultan's death or incapacitation, the Defense Council will relay a predetermined heir as chosen by the sultan

description:

bicameral Council of Oman or Majlis Oman consists of the Council of State or Majlis al-Dawla (83 seats; members appointed by the sultan from among former government officials and prominent educators, businessmen, and citizens) and the Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (84 seats; members directly elected in single- and two-seat constituencies by simple majority popular vote to serve 4-year terms); note - following political reforms in 2011, legislation from the Consultative Council is submitted to the Council of State for passage and amendments

elections:

Consultative Assembly - last held on 25 October 2015 (next to be held in October 2019)

election results:

• percent of vote by party - NA;
• seats by party - NA;
• note - three prominent figures from the Arab Spring 2011 protests won seats;
• one woman also won a seat

highest court(s):

Supreme Court (consists of 5 judges)

judge selection and term of office:

judges nominated by the 9-member Supreme Judicial Council (chaired by the monarch) and appointed by the monarch; judge tenure NA

subordinate courts:

• Courts of Appeal;
• Courts of First Instance;
• sharia courts;
• magistrates' courts

chief of mission:

Ambassador Hunaina bint Sultan bin Ahmad al-MUGHAIRI (since 9 November 2005)

chancery:

2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 387-1980

FAX:

[1] (202) 745-4933

chief of mission:

Ambassador Greta C. HOLTZ (since 27 September 2012)

embassy:

Jamait Ad Duwal Al Arabiyya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat

mailing address:

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

telephone:

[968] 24-643-400

FAX:

[968] 24-64-37-40

• 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;
• white represents peace and prosperity, red recalls battles against foreign invaders, and green symbolizes the Jebel Akhdar (Green Mountains) and fertility

agriculture:

1.2%

industry:

65.1%

services:

39.1% (2014 est.)

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

agriculture:

NA%

industry:

NA%

services:

NA%

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

general assessment:

• modern system consisting of open-wire, microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations;
• limited coaxial cable;
• domestic satellite system with 8 earth stations

domestic:

fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership both increasing with fixed-line phone service gradually being introduced to remote villages using wireless local loop systems

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 (2008)

• 1 state-run TV broadcaster;
• TV stations transmitting from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Yemen available via satellite TV;
• state-run radio operates multiple stations;
• first private radio station began operating in 2007 and 2 additional stations now operating (2007)

• condensate 106 km;
• gas 4,224 km;
• oil 3,558 km;
• oil/gas/water 33 km;
• refined products 264 km (2013)

total:

60,230 km

paved:

29,685 km (includes 1,943 km of expressways)

unpaved:

30,545 km (2012)

country comparison to the world: 69

total:

5

by type:

chemical tanker 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 3

registered in other countries:

15 (Malta 5, Panama 10) (2010)

country comparison to the world: 128

major seaport(s):

Mina' Qabus, Salalah, Suhar

container port(s) (TEUs):

Salalah (3,200,000)

LNG terminal(s) (export):

Qalhat

males age 16-49:

985,957

females age 16-49:

737,812 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

837,886

females age 16-49:

642,427 (2010 est.)

male:

31,959

female:

30,264 (2010 est.)