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| Background: |
The inhabitants of the area of Oman have long prospered on Indian Ocean trade. In the late 18th century, a newly established sultanate in Muscat signed the first in a series of friendship treaties with Britain. Over time, Oman's dependence on British political and military advisors increased, but it never became a British colony. In 1970, QABOOS bin Said al-Said overthrew the restrictive rule of his father; he has ruled as sultan ever since. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world while preserving the longstanding close ties with the UK. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries.
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| Location: |
Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE
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| Geographic coordinates: |
21 00 N, 57 00 E |
| Map references: |
Middle East |
| Area: |
total: 212,460 sq km
land: 212,460 sq km
water: 0 sq km
|
| Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than Kansas |
| Land boundaries: |
total: 1,374 km
border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km |
| Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: |
dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
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| Terrain: |
central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south
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| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m
highest point: Jabal Shams 2,980 m |
| Natural resources: |
petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas
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| Land use: |
arable land: 0.12%
permanent crops: 0.14%
other: 99.74% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: |
720 sq km (2003)
|
| Total renewable water resources: |
1 cu km (1997)
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| Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): |
total: 1.36 cu km/yr (7%/2%/90%)
per capita: 529 cu m/yr (2000) |
| Natural hazards: |
summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts
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| Environment - current issues: |
rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; limited natural fresh water resources |
| Environment - international agreements: |
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 |
| Geography - note: |
strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
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| Population: |
3,311,640
note: includes 577,293 non-nationals (July 2008 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: 42.7% (male 721,796/female 692,699)
15-64 years: 54.5% (male 1,053,040/female 752,962)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 51,290/female 39,853) (2008 est.) |
| Median age : |
total: 18.9 years
male: 21.3 years
female: 16.6 years (2008 est.) |
| Population growth rate: |
3.43% (2001 est.) |
| Birth rate: |
35.26 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
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| Death rate: |
3.68 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
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| Net migration rate: |
0.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
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| Sex ratio: |
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.) |
| Infant mortality rate: |
total: 17.45 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 19.95 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 73.91 years
male: 71.64 years
female: 76.29 years (2008 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: |
5.62 children born/woman (2008 est.)
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| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
0.1% (2001 est.)
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| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
1,300 (2001 est.)
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| HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
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| Nationality: |
noun: Omani(s)
adjective: Omani |
| Ethnic groups: |
Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African
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| Religions: |
Ibadhi Muslim 75%, other (includes Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu) 25%
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| Languages: |
Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects |
| Literacy: |
definition: NA
total population: 81.4%
male: 86.8%
female: 73.5% (2003 census) |
| School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): |
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 11 years (2006) |
| Education expenditures: |
4% of GDP (2006)
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| Country name: |
conventional long form: Sultanate of Oman
conventional short form: Oman
local long form: Saltanat Uman
local short form: Uman
former: Muscat and Oman |
| Government type: |
monarchy |
| 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*; note - the US Embassy in Oman reports that Masqat is a governorate, but this has not been confirmed by the US Board of Geographic Names (BGN) |
| Independence: |
1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese) |
| National holiday: |
Birthday of Sultan QABOOS, 18 November (1940)
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| 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 legislature, and guarantees basic civil liberties for Omani citizens |
| Legal system: |
based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the monarch; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: |
in Oman's most recent elections in 2000, limited to approximately 175,000 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 al-Dawla (48 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory powers only) and a lower chamber or Majlis al-Shura (83 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 September 2000 (next to be held NA September 2003)
election results: NA; note - two women were elected for the first time to Majlis al-Shura, about 100,000 people voted |
| Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court
note: the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has non-Islamic judges as well as traditional Islamic judges |
| Political parties and leaders: |
none |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: |
none |
| International organization participation: |
ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, 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 |
| 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 1981, 1988
FAX: [1] (202) 745-4933 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador John B. CRAIG
embassy: Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat
mailing address: international: P. O. Box 202, Code No. 115, Medinat Al-Sultan Qaboos, Muscat
telephone: [968] 698989
FAX: [968] 699189 |
| 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 - overview: |
Oman is a middle-income economy that is heavily dependent on dwindling oil resources, but sustained high oil prices in recent years have helped build Oman's budget and trade surpluses and foreign reserves. As a result of its dwindling oil resources, Oman is actively pursuing a development plan that focuses on diversification, industrialization, and privatization, with the objective of reducing the oil sector's contribution to GDP to 9% by 2020. Some of these projects may be in jeopardy, however, because Muscat overestimated its ability to produce or secure the natural gas needed to power them. Oman actively seeks private foreign investors, especially in the industrial, information technology, tourism, and higher education fields. Industrial development plans focus on gas resources, metal manufacturing, petrochemicals, and international transshipment ports. The drop in oil prices and the global financial crisis in 2008 will affect Oman's fiscal position and it may post a deficit in 2009 if oil prices stay low. In addition, the global credit crisis is slowing the pace of investment and development projects - a trend that probably will continue into 2009.
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| GDP: |
$67.45 billion (2008 est.)
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| GDP (purchasing power parity) : |
$67.45 billion (2008 est.)
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| GDP (official exchange rate) : |
$56.32 billion (2008 est.)
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| GDP - real growth rate: |
6.7% (2008 est.)
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| GDP - per capita: |
$20,400 (2008 est.)
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| GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 2.1%
industry: 37.2%
services: 60.7% (2008 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
-0.8% (2000 est.) |
| Labor force: |
920,000 (2002 est.)
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| Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
| Unemployment rate: |
15% (2004 est.)
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| Household income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Investment (gross fixed): |
17.9% of GDP (2008 est.)
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| Budget: |
revenues: $14.6 billion
expenditures: $16.7 billion (2009 est.) |
| Public debt: |
2.4% of GDP (2008 est.)
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| Inflation rate (consumer prices): : |
12.5% (2008 est.)
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| Central bank discount rate: |
1.98% (31 December 2007)
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| Industries: |
crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper |
| Industrial production growth rate: |
3.4% (2008 est.)
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| Electricity - production: |
14.43 billion kWh (2007)
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| Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity - consumption: |
11.19 billion kWh (2007)
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| Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2007 est.)
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| Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture - products: |
dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish |
| Exports: |
$11.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: |
petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles |
| Exports - partners: |
Japan 27%, China 12%, Thailand 18%, UAE 12%, South Korea 12%, US (1999) |
| Imports: |
$4.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: |
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants |
| Imports - partners: |
UAE 26% (largely reexports), Japan 16%, UK 9%, Italy 7%, Germany 6%, US (1999) |
| Debt - external: |
$4.5 billion (2000 est.) |
| Economic aid - recipient: |
$76.4 million (1995) |
| Currency: |
Omani rial (OMR) |
| Exchange rates: |
Omani rials (OMR) per US dollar - 0.3845 (2008 est.), 0.3845 (2007), 0.3845 (2006), 0.3845 (2005), 0.3845 (2004)
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| Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones - main lines in use: |
268,100 (2007)
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| Telephones - mobile cellular: |
2.5 million (2007)
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| Telephone system: |
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) |
| Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 3, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999) |
| Radios: |
1.4 million (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: |
13 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1999) |
| Televisions: |
1.6 million (1997) |
| Internet country code: |
.om |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
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| Approximate number of web sites: |
2520 |
| Internet users: |
340,000 (2007) |
| Highways: |
total: 32,800 km
paved: 9,840 km (including 550 km of expressways)
unpaved: 22,960 km (1996) |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil 1,300 km; natural gas 1,030 km |
| Ports and harbors: |
Matrah, Mina' al Fahl, Mina' Raysut |
| Merchant marine: |
total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,167 GRT/11,307 DWT
ships by type: cargo 2, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 7
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 130
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 51
914 to 1,523 m: 35
under 914 m: 34 (2007) |
| Heliports: |
2 (2007) |
| Pipelines : |
gas 4,126 km; oil 3,558 km; refined products 263 km (2008)
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| Roadways : |
total: 42,300 km
paved: 16,500 km (includes 550 km of expressways)
unpaved: 25,800 km (2005) |
| Merchant marine : |
total: 3
by type: chemical tanker 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1
registered in other countries: 2 (Panama 2) (2008) |
| Military branches: |
Sultan's Armed Forces (SAF): Royal Army of Oman, Royal Navy of Oman, Royal Air Force of Oman (2008)
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| Military manpower - military age: |
18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)
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| Military manpower - availability: |
males age 16-49: 802,455
females age 16-49: 626,841 (2008 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 16-49: 663,881
females age 16-49: 543,410 (2008 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: |
male: 34,238
female: 33,139 (2008 est.) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
11.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
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| Disputes - international: |
boundary agreement reportedly signed and ratified with UAE in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah exclave, but details of the alignment have not been made public
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| Trafficking in persons : |
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) |
| Source: CIA Fact File |
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