Oman

Internet country code

.om

Internet hosts

726 (2003)

Internet users

180,000 (2002)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)

Telephone system

general assessment: 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: country code - 968; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat

Telephones - main lines in use

233,900 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular

464,900 (2002)

Television broadcast stations

13 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1999)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $8.218 billion expenditures: $7.766 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)

Currency

Omani rial (OMR)

Currency code

OMR

Current account balance

$2.173 billion (2003)

Debt - external

$5.973 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$76.4 million (1995)

Economy - overview

Oman is a small, well-off middle Eastern economy with large oil and gas resources, a substantial trade surplus, and low inflation. The government is moving ahead with privatization of its utilities, the development of a body of commercial law to facilitate foreign investment, and increased budgetary outlays. Oman continues to liberalize its markets and joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in November 2000. In order to reduce unemployment and limit dependence on foreign countries, the government is encouraging the replacement of expatriate workers with local people, i.e., the process of Omanization. Training in information technology, business management, and English support this objective. Industrial development plans focus on gas resources.

Electricity - consumption

8.625 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

9.274 billion kWh (2001)

Exchange rates

Omani rials per US dollar - 0.3845 (2003), 0.3845 (2002), 0.3845 (2001), 0.3845 (2000), 0.3845 (1999)

Exports

$11.7 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles

Exports - partners

South Korea 18.7%, China 18.5%, Japan 16.2%, Thailand 12.2%, UAE 7.8%, Iran 4.1% (2003)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $36.7 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 3.1% industry: 42.1% services: 54.8% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $13,100 (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1.1% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Imports

$5.659 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants

Imports - partners

UAE 21.6%, Japan 17.1%, US 6.2%, UK 5.6%, Germany 4.4%, India 4.4% (2003)

Industrial production growth rate

0.2% (2003 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-0.3% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

13% of GDP (2003)

Labor force

920,000 (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA

Natural gas - consumption

6.34 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

7.43 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

13.77 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

846.4 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Oil - consumption

53,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

963,800 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

5.703 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

Population below poverty line

NA

Public debt

15.6% of GDP (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold

$3.594 billion (2003)

Unemployment rate

NA

Area

total: 212,460 sq km land: 212,460 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Kansas

Climate

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

Coastline

2,092 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m highest point: Jabal Shams 2,980 m

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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

21 00 N, 57 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

Irrigated land

620 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 1,374 km border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km

Land use

arable land: 0.12% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 99.74% (2001)

Location

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

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts

Natural resources

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

Terrain

central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south

Administrative divisions

5 regions (manaatiq, singular - mintaqat) and 3 governorates* (muhaafazaat, singular - muhaafaza) Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah, Az Zahirah, Masqat*, Musandam*, Zufar*

Capital

Muscat

Constitution

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

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Richard Lewis BALTIMORE III embassy: Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat mailing address: P. O. Box 202, P.C. 115, Madinat Al-Sultan Qaboos, Muscat telephone: [968] 24-698989 FAX: [968] 24-699771

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Muhammad bin Ali bin Thani al-KHUSSAIBY chancery: 2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-1980 through 1981, 1988 FAX: [1] (202) 745-4933

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

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 near the top of the vertical band

Government type

monarchy

Independence

1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)

International organization participation

ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court note: the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has judges who practice secular and Sharia (Islamic) law

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

bicameral Majlis Oman consists of an upper chamber or Majlis al-Dawla (58 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory powers only) and a lower chamber or Majlis al-Shura (83 seats; members elected by universal suffrage for four-year term; body has some limited power to propose legislation, but otherwise has only advisory powers) elections: last held 4 October 2003 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: NA

National holiday

Birthday of Sultan QABOOS, 18 November (1940)

Political parties and leaders

none

Political pressure groups and leaders

none

Suffrage

in Oman's most recent Majlis al-Shura elections in 2003, suffrage was universal for all Omanis over age 21 except for members of the military and security forces; the next Majlis al-Shura elections are scheduled for 2007

Background

In 1970, QABOOS bin Said Al Said ousted his father and has ruled as sultan ever since. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world and has preserved a long-standing political and military relationship with the UK. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries.

Military branches

Royal Omani Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$242.07 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

11.4% (2003)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 796,792 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 443,006 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - military age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 31,274 (2004 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 42.4% (male 628,078; female 603,829) 15-64 years: 55.1% (male 955,765; female 643,687) 65 years and over: 2.5% (male 38,761; female 33,045) (2004 est.)

Birth rate

37.12 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate

3.91 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Ethnic groups

Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

1,300 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 20.26 deaths/1,000 live births male: 23.18 deaths/1,000 live births female: 17.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

Languages

Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 72.85 years male: 70.66 years female: 75.16 years (2004 est.)

Literacy

definition: NA total population: 75.8% male: 83.1% female: 67.2% (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 19.3 years male: 22.1 years female: 16.4 years (2004 est.)

Nationality

noun: Omani(s) adjective: Omani

Net migration rate

0.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Population

2,903,165 note: includes 577,293 non-nationals (July 2004 est.)

Population growth rate

3.35% (2004 est.)

Religions

Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.49 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.17 male(s)/female total population: 1.27 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.9 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Disputes - international

boundary agreement signed and ratified with UAE in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves

Airports

135 (2003 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 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 130 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 52 914 to 1,523 m: 34 under 914 m: 35 (2004 est.)

Heliports

1 (2003 est.)

Highways

total: 34,965 km paved: 9,673 km (including 550 km of expressways) unpaved: 25,292 km (2001)

Merchant marine

total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 15,430 GRT/6,360 DWT by type: passenger 2 registered in other countries: 1 (2004 est.)

Pipelines

gas 3,754 km; oil 3,212 km (2004)

Ports and harbors

Matrah, Mina' al Fahl, Mina' Raysut