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 Match 184   DB Rec# - 7,636  Dataset-WOFACT

Title         :Oman 
Text          : 
                                      Oman 
 
                                    Geography 
 
Location: 
    Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, 
    between Yemen and the United Arab Emirates 
Map references: 
    Middle East 
Area: 
  total area: 
    212,460 sq km 
  land area: 
    212,460 sq km 
  comparative area: 
    slightly smaller than Kansas 
Land boundaries: 
    total 1,374 km, Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km 


Coastline: 
    2,092 km 
Maritime claims: 
  contiguous zone: 
    24 nm 
  exclusive economic zone: 
    200 nm 
  territorial sea: 
    12 nm 
International disputes: 
    no defined boundary with most of UAE; Administrative Line with UAE in far 
    north 
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 
Land use: 
  arable land: 
    less than 2% 
  permanent crops: 
    0% 
  meadows and pastures: 
    5% 
  forest and woodland: 
    0% 
  other: 
    93% 
Irrigated land: 
    410 sq km (1989 est.) 
Environment: 
  current issues: 
    rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; very limited natural 
    fresh water resources 
  natural hazards: 
    summer winds often raise large sandstorms and duststorms in interior; 
    periodic droughts 
  international agreements: 
    party to - Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed, 
    but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change 
 
                                    Geography 
Note: 
    strategic location with small foothold on Musandam Peninsula controlling 
    Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil 
 
                                     People 
 
Population: 
    2,125,089 (July 1995 est.) 
Age structure: 
  0-14 years: 
    46% (female 480,974; male 498,619) 
  15-64 years: 
    51% (female 493,685; male 593,740) 
  65 years and over: 
    3% (female 31,826; male 26,245) (July 1995 est.) 


Population growth rate: 
    3.71% (1995 est.) 
Birth rate: 
    38.05 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Death rate: 
    5 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Net migration rate: 
    4.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Infant mortality rate: 
    34.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) 
Life expectancy at birth: 
  total population: 
    70.25 years 
  male: 
    68.31 years 
  female: 
    72.29 years (1995 est.) 
Total fertility rate: 
    6.16 children born/woman (1995 est.) 
Nationality: 
  noun: 
    Omani(s) 
  adjective: 
    Omani 
Ethnic divisions: 
    Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi) 
Religions: 
    Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu 
Languages: 
    Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects 
Literacy: 
    NA% 
Labor force: 
    430,000 (est.) 
  by occupation: 
    agriculture 40% (est.) 
 
                                   Government 
 
Names: 
  conventional long form: 
    Sultanate of Oman 
  conventional short form: 
    Oman 
  local long form: 
    Saltanat Uman 
  local short form: 
    Uman 
Digraph: 
    MU 
Type: 
    monarchy 
Capital: 
    Muscat 
Administrative divisions: 
    6 regions (mintaqah, singular - mintaqat) and 2 governorates* (muhafazah, 
    singular - muhafazat) 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 
Legal system: 
    based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the sultan; 
    has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction 
Suffrage: 
    none 
Executive branch: 
  chief of state and head of government: 
    Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970) 
  cabinet: 
    Cabinet 
Legislative branch: 
    unicameral Consultative Council 
Judicial branch: 
    none; traditional Islamic judges and a nascent civil court system 
Political parties and leaders: 
    none 
Other political or pressure groups: 
    NA 
Member of: 
    ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, 
    IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), 
    ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO 
Diplomatic representation in US: 
  chief of mission: 
    Ambassador Abdallah bin Muhammad bin Aqil al-DHAHAB 
  chancery: 
    2535 Belmont Rd. NW, Washington, DC 20008 
  telephone: 
    [1] (202) 387-1980 through 1982 
  FAX: 
    [1] (202) 745-4933 
US diplomatic representation: 
  chief of mission: 
    Ambassador David J. DUNFORD 
 
                                   Government 
  embassy: 
    address NA, Muscat 
  mailing address: 
    P. O. Box 202, Code No. 115, Muscat 
  telephone: 
    [968] 698989 
  FAX: 
    [968] 699779 
Flag: 
    three horizontal bands of white (top, double width), red, and green (double 
    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: 
    Economic performance is closely tied to the fortunes of the oil industry, 


    including trends in international oil prices and the ability of OPEC 
    producers to agree on output quotas. Petroleum accounts for more than 85% of
 
    export earnings, about 80% of government revenues, and roughly 40% of GDP. 
    Oman has proved oil reserves of 4 billion barrels, equivalent to about 20 
    years' supply 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. 
National product: 
    GDP - purchasing power parity - $17 billion (1994 est.) 
National product real growth rate: 
    0.5% (1994 est.) 
National product per capita: 
    $10,020 (1994 est.) 
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 
    1.2% (1994 est.) 
Unemployment rate: 
    NA% 
Budget: 
  revenues: 
    $4.4 billion 
  expenditures: 
    $5.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $1 billion (1994 est.) 
Exports: 
    $4.8 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) 
  commodities: 
    petroleum 87%, re-exports, fish, processed copper, textiles 
  partners: 
    UAE 33%, Japan 20%, South Korea 14%, China 7% (1993) 
Imports: 
    $4.1 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.) 
  commodities: 
    machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, 
    lubricants 
  partners: 
    UAE 24% (largely re-exports), Japan 21%, UK 12%, US 7%, France 6% (1993) 
External debt: 
    $3 billion (1993) 
Industrial production: 
    growth rate 8.6% (1991); accounts for almost 60% of GDP, including petroleum
 
Electricity: 
  capacity: 
    1,540,000 kW 
  production: 
    6 billion kWh 
  consumption per capita: 
    3,407 kWh (1993) 
Industries: 
    crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, 
    cement, copper 
Agriculture: 
    accounts for 4% of GDP and 40% of the labor force (including fishing); less 
    than 2% of land cultivated; largely subsistence farming (dates, limes, 
    bananas, alfalfa, vegetables, camels, cattle); not self-sufficient in food; 
    annual fish catch averages 100,000 metric tons 
 
                                     Economy 


Economic aid: 
  recipient: 
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $137 million; Western (non-US) 
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $148 million; OPEC 
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $797 million 
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 
 
                                 Transportation 
 
Railroads: 
    0 km 
Highways: 
  total: 
    26,000 km 
  paved: 
    5,000 km 
  unpaved: 
    21,000 km (1992 est.) 
Pipelines: 
    crude oil 1,300 km; natural gas 1,030 km 
Ports: 
    Mina' al Fahl, Mina' Qabus, Mina' Raysut 
Merchant marine: 
  total: 
    1 passenger ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,442 GRT/1,320 DWT 
Airports: 
    140 
  with paved runways over 3,047 m: 
    4 
  with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 
    1 
  with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 
    1 
  with paved runways under 914 m: 
    36 
  with unpaved runways over 3,047 m: 
    3 
  with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 
    3 
  with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 
    61 
  with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 
    31 
 
                                 Communications 
 
Telephone system: 
    50,000 telephones; modern system consisting of open-wire, microwave, and 
    radio communications stations; limited coaxial cable 
  local: 
    NA 
  intercity: 
    open wire, microwave, radio communications, and 8 domestic satellite links 
  international: 
    2 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station 


Radio: 
  broadcast stations: 
    AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 
  radios: 
    NA 
Television: 
  broadcast stations: 
    7 
  televisions: 
    NA 
 
                                 Defense Forces 
 
Branches: 
    Army, Navy, Air Force, Royal Oman Police 
Manpower availability: 
    males age 15-49 520,428; males fit for military service 294,993; males reach
 
    military age (14) annually 26,065 (1995 est.) 
Defense expenditures: 
    exchange rate conversion - $1.7 billion, 14.2% of GDP (1995 est.) 

This publication is also available online from the CIA (http://www.odci.gov/cia) as 1995 World Factbook (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/95fact/index.html).

The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995

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