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.

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

21 00 N, 57 00 E

Middle East

slightly smaller than Kansas

2,092 km

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

central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south

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

720 sq km (2003)

1 cu km (1997)

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

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

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

3,418,085

3.138% (2009 est.)

34.79 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)

3.65 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)

0.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)

5.53 children born/woman (2009 est.)

0.1% (2001 est.)

1,300 (2001 est.)

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

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

Ibadhi Muslim 75%, other (includes Sunni Muslim, Shia Muslim, Hindu) 25%

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

4% of GDP (2006)

monarchy

5 regions (manatiq, singular - mintaqat) and 4 governorates* (muhafazat, singular - muhafazat) Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah, Al Buraymi*, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah, Az Zahirah, Masqat (Muscat)*, Musandam*, Zufar (Dhofar)*

1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)

Birthday of Sultan QABOOS, 18 November (1940)

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

bicameral Majlis Oman consists of Majlis al-Dawla or upper chamber (71 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory powers only) and Majlis al-Shura or lower chamber (84 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; body has only advisory powers)

Supreme Court

none

none

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

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

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.

$66.87 billion (2008 est.)

$62.84 billion (2007 est.)

$59.4 billion (2006 est.)

$59.95 billion (2008 est.)

6.4% (2008 est.)

5.8% (2007 est.)

7.5% (2006 est.)

$20,200 (2008 est.)

$19,600 (2007 est.)

$19,100 (2006 est.)

968,800

15% (2004 est.)

NA%

27.2% of GDP (2008 est.)

2.8% of GDP (2008 est.)

10.3% of GDP (2004 est.)

12.5% (2008 est.)

5.9% (2007 est.)

0.91% (31 December 2008)

1.98% (31 December 2007)

7.1% (31 December 2008)

7.29% (31 December 2007)

$5.25 billion (31 December 2008)

$5.044 billion (31 December 2007)

$14.57 billion (31 December 2008)

$11.04 billion (31 December 2007)

$17.83 billion (31 December 2008)

$13.88 billion (31 December 2007)

$14.91 billion (31 December 2008)

$23.06 billion (31 December 2007)

$16.16 billion (31 December 2006)

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

crude oil production and refining, natural and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production; construction, cement, copper, steel, chemicals, optic fiber

3.5% (2008 est.)

13.58 billion kWh (2007 est.)

11.36 billion kWh (2007 est.)

0 kWh (2008 est.)

0 kWh (2008 est.)

761,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)

81,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)

593,700 bbl/day (2008 est.)

17,290 bbl/day (2007 est.)

5.5 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.)

24 billion cu m (2008 est.)

13.46 billion cu m (2008 est.)

10.89 billion cu m (2008)

350 million cu m (2008 est.)

849.5 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)

$5.523 billion (2008 est.)

$1.933 billion (2007 est.)

$37.72 billion (2008 est.)

$24.72 billion (2007 est.)

petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles

China 31.7%, South Korea 17%, UAE 11.7%, Japan 11%, Thailand 7.1% (2008)

$20.71 billion (2008 est.)

$14.34 billion (2007 est.)

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

UAE 27.2%, Japan 15.6%, US 5.7%, China 4.6%, India 4.5%, South Korea 4.2%, Germany 4.2% (2008)

$11.58 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$9.524 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

$7.68 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$5.297 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

$NA

$NA

Omani rials (OMR) per US dollar - 0.3845 (2008 est.), 0.3845 (2007), 0.3845 (2006), 0.3845 (2005), 0.3845 (2004)

274,200 (2008)

3.219 million (2008)

AM 3, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)

13 (plus 25 repeaters) (1999)

.om

6,346 (2009)

465,000 (2008)

128 (2009)

3 (2009)

gas 4,126 km; oil 3,558 km; refined products 263 km (2008)

Mina' Qabus, Salalah

Sultan's Armed Forces (SAF): Royal Army of Oman, Royal Navy of Oman, Royal Air Force of Oman (al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Sultanat) (2009)

18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)

11.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

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