Oman




                                 Geography


Location:
     Middle East, along the Arabian Sea, between Yemen and the United Arab
     Emirates
Map references:
     Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
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
continental shelf:
     to be defined
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; a treaty with Yemen defining the Omani-Yemeni boundary was
     ratified in December 1992
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; sparse natural
     freshwater resources
natural hazards:
     summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior
international agreements:
     party to - Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ship Pollution, Whaling;
     signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change
Note:
     strategic location with small foothold on Musandam Peninsula
     controlling Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude
     oil


                                  People


Population:
     1,701,470 (July 1994 est.)
note:
     Oman's first census was concluded in December 1993; preliminary
     figures give a population of 2,000,000, of whom about 500,000 are
     expatriate workers; final evaluative figures are not yet available
Population growth rate:
     3.46% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     40.38 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     5.77 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     36.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     67.79 years
male:
     65.9 years
female:
     69.77 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     6.53 children born/woman (1994 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:
total population:
     NA%
male:
     NA%
female:
     NA%
Labor force:
     430,000 (est.)
by occupation:
     agriculture 40% (est.)


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Sultanate of Oman
conventional short form:
local long form:
     Saltanat Uman
local short form:
     Uman
Digraph:
     MU
Type:
     monarchy
Capital:
     Muscat
Administrative divisions:
     there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
     Government, but there are 3 governorates (muhafazah, singular -
     muhafazat); 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-designate Ahmad bin Muhammad al-RASBI
chancery:
     2342 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
     (202) 387-1980 through 1982
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador David J. DUNFORD
embassy:
     address NA, Muscat
mailing address:
     P. O. Box 202 Code No. 115, Muscat
telephone:
     [968] 698-989
FAX:
     [968] 604-316
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 equivalent -  $16.4 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     6.1% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
     $10,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     2% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
     NA%




Budget:
revenues:
     $4.4 billion
expenditures:
     $5.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $1 billion (1994 est.)
Exports:
     $5 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
     petroleum 87%, re-exports, fish, processed copper, textiles
partners:
     UAE 30%, Japan 27%, South Korea 10%, Singapore 5% (1991)
Imports:
     $3.7 billion (f.o.b, 1993 est.)
commodities:
     machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food,
     livestock, lubricants
partners:
     Japan 20%, UAE 14%, UK 19%, US 7% (1991)
External debt:
     $3 billion (1993)
Industrial production:
     growth rate 8.6% (1991); accounts for almost 60% of GDP, including
     petroleum
Electricity:
capacity:
     1,142,400 kW
production:
     5.1 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
     3,200 kWh (1992)
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
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


                              Communications




Highways:
total:
     26,000 km
paved:
     6,000 km
unpaved:
     motorable track 20,000 km
Pipelines:
     crude oil 1,300 km; natural gas 1,030 km
Ports:
     Mina' Qabus, Mina' Raysut, Mina' al Fahl
Merchant marine:
     1 passenger ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,442 GRT/1,320 DWT
Airports:
total:
     138
usable:
     130
with permanent-surface runways:
     6
with runways over 3,659 m:
     1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     9
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     74
Telecommunications:
     modern system consisting of open-wire, microwave, and radio
     communications stations; limited coaxial cable; 50,000 telephones;
     broadcast stations - 2 AM, 3 FM, 7 TV; satellite earth stations - 2
     Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT, and 8 domestic


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Army, Navy, Air Force, Royal Oman Police
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 382,793; fit for military service 217,755; reach
     military age (14) annually 22,118 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
     exchange rate conversion - $1.6 billion, 16% of GDP (1993 est.)