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| Introduction | Oman |
| 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. |
| People | Oman |
| Population: | 2,903,165 note: includes 577,293 non-nationals (July 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.) |
| Median age: | total: 19.3 years male: 22.1 years female: 16.4 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 3.35% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 37.12 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 3.91 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 0.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| 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.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 20.26 deaths/1,000 live births female: 17.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 23.18 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 72.85 years male: 70.66 years female: 75.16 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 5.9 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.1% (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 1,300 (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA |
| Nationality: | noun: Omani(s) adjective: Omani |
| Ethnic groups: | Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African |
| Religions: | Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu |
| Languages: | Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects |
| Literacy: | definition: NA total population: 75.8% male: 83.1% female: 67.2% (2003 est.) |
| Government | Oman |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Sultanate of Oman conventional short form: Oman local long form: Saltanat Uman former: Muscat and Oman local short form: Uman |
| Government type: | monarchy |
| Capital: | Muscat |
| Administrative divisions: | 5 regions (manatiq, singular - mintaqat) and 3 governorates* (muhafazat, singular - muhafazat) Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah, Az Zahirah, Masqat*, Musandam*, Zufar* |
| Independence: | 1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese) |
| National holiday: | Birthday of Sultan QABOOS, 18 November (1940) |
| Constitution: | none; note - on 6 November 1996, Sultan QABOOS issued a royal decree promulgating a new basic law 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 |
| Legal system: | based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the monarch; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: | in Oman's most recent elections in 2000, limited to approximately 175,000 Omanis chosen by the government to vote in elections for the Majlis al-Shura |
| 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 |
| Legislative branch: | bicameral Majlis Oman consists of an upper chamber or Majlis al-Dawla (48 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory powers only) and a lower chamber or Majlis al-Shura (83 seats; members elected by limited suffrage for three-year term, however, the monarch makes final selections and can negate election results; 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 2006) election results: NA |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court note: the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has non-Islamic judges as well as traditional Islamic judges |
| Political parties and leaders: | none |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | none |
| 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, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
| 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 |
| 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] 698989, extension 203 FAX: [968] 699771 |
| 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 |
| Communications | Oman |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 233,900 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 464,900 (2002) |
| 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 |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 3, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999) |
| Radios: | 1.4 million (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 13 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1999) |
| Televisions: | 1.6 million (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .om |
| Internet hosts: | 726 (2003) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 180,000 (2002) |
| Transportation | Oman |
| Highways: | total: 34,965 km paved: 9,673 km (including 550 km of expressways) unpaved: 25,292 km (2001) |
| Pipelines: | gas 3,754 km; oil 3,212 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: | Matrah, Mina' al Fahl, Mina' Raysut |
| 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 (2003 est.) |
| 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: 130 914 to 1,523 m: 34 under 914 m: 35 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 52 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 |
| Heliports: | 1 (2003 est.) |
| Military | Oman |
| Military branches: | Royal Omani Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001) |
| 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 - reaching military age annually: | males: 31,274 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $242.07 million (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 11.4% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues | Oman |
| Disputes - international: | boundary agreement signed and ratified with UAE in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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