OMAN GEOGRAPHY Total area: 212,460 km2; land area: 212,460 km2 Comparative area: slightly smaller than Kansas Land boundaries: 1,374 km total; Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km Coastline: 2,092 km Maritime claims: Continental shelf: to be defined; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm Disputes: Administrative Line with Yemen; no defined boundary with most of UAE, Administrative Line 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: crude oil, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 0%; other 95%; includes irrigated NEGL% Environment: summer winds often raise large sandstorms and duststorms in interior; sparse natural freshwater resources Note: strategic location with small foothold on Musandam Peninsula controlling Strait of Hormuz (17% of world's oil production transits this point going from Persian Gulf to Arabian Sea) PEOPLE Population: 1,534,011 (July 1991), growth rate 3.5% (1991) Birth rate: 41 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 40 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 68 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Omani(s); adjective--Omani Ethnic divisions: mostly Arab, with small Balochi, Zanzibari, and South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi) groups Religion: Ibadhi Muslim 75%; remainder Sunni Muslim, Shia Muslim, some Hindu Language: Arabic (official); English, Balochi, Urdu, Indian dialects Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%) Labor force: 430,000; agriculture (est.) 60%; 58% are non-Omani Organized labor: trade unions are illegal GOVERNMENT Long-form name: Sultanate of Oman Type: absolute monarchy; independent, with residual UK influence Capital: Muscat Administrative divisions: there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 7 planning regions (manatiq takhtitiyah, singular--mintaqah takhtitiyah) that include 1 governorate* (muhafazah) and 50 districts (wilayat, singular--wilayah); al-Batinah--Awabi, Barka, Khabura, Liwa, Musanaa, Nakhl, Rustaq, Saham, Shinas, Sohar, Suwaiq, Wadi al-Maawil; al-Dakhiliah--Adam, al-Hamra, Bahla, Bidbid, Haima, Izki, Manah, Nizwa, Sumail; al-Dhahirah--al-Buraimi, Dhank, Ibri, Mhadha, Yanqul; al-Janubiah--Dhalqut, Mirbat, Rokhyut, Sadah, Salalah, Shalim, Taqa, Thamrait; al-Sharqiya--al Kamil and al-Wafi, al-Mudhaiby, al-Qabil, Bidiya, Dimaa and Tayin, Ibra, Jaalan Bani Bu Ali, Jaalan Bani Bu Hassan, Masirah, Sur, Wadi Bani Khalid; Musandam--Daba al-Biya, Bukha, Khasab, Madha; Muscat--Muscat*, Quriyat Independence: 1650, expulsion of the Portuguese Constitution: none Legal system: based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the sultan; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Executive branch: sultan, Cabinet Legislative branch: State Consultative Assembly (advisory function only) Judicial branch: none; traditional Islamic judges and a nascent civil court system National holiday: National Day, 18 November Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970) Political parties: none Suffrage: none Elections: none Other political or pressure groups: outlawed Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman (PFLO), based in Yemen Member of: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Awadh Bader AL-SHANFARI; Chancery at 2342 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 387-1980 through 1982; US--Ambassador Richard W. BOEHM; Embassy at address NA, Muscat (mailing address is P. O. Box 50200 Madinat Qaboos, Muscat); telephone 698-989 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. Petroleum accounts for nearly all 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. Although agriculture employs a majority of the population, urban centers depend on imported food. GDP: $9.2 billion, per capita $5,870 (1990); real growth rate - 3.0% (1987 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.3% (1989) Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: revenues $3.5 billion; expenditures $4.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $675 million (1989 est.) Exports: $3.9 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--petroleum, reexports, processed copper, dates, nuts, fish; partners--Japan, South Korea, Taiwan Imports: $2.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants; partners--UK, UAE, Japan, US External debt: $3.1 billion (December 1989 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 10% (1989), including petroleum sector Electricity: 1,136,000 kW capacity; 3,650 million kWh produced, 2,500 kWh per capita (1990) Industries: crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper Agriculture: accounts for 6% of GDP and 60% 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: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $137 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $122 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $797 million Currency: Omani rial (plural--rials); 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: 22,800 km total; 3,800 km bituminous surface, 19,000 km motorable track Pipelines: crude oil 1,300 km; natural gas 1,030 km Ports: Mina Qabus, Mina Raysut Merchant marine: 1 passenger ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,442 GRT/1,320 DWT Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft Airports: 122 total, 114 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 64 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: fair system of open-wire, radio relay, and radio communications stations; 50,000 telephones; stations--3 AM, 3 FM, 11 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 15-49, 348,849; 197,870 fit for military service; 20,715 reach military age (14) annually Defense expenditures: $1.0 billion, 12% of GDP (1991)