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 longstanding political and military relationship 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

total: 212,460 sq km
land: 212,460 sq km
water: 0 sq km

total: 1,374 km
border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km

2,092 km

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m
highest point: Jabal Shams 2,980 m

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

arable land: 0.12%
permanent crops: 0.14%
other: 99.74% (2005)

720 sq km (2003)

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

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

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

3,102,229
note: includes 577,293 non-nationals (July 2006 est.)

0-14 years: 42.7% (male 675,423/female 648,963)
15-64 years: 54.7% (male 1,001,917/female 695,578)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 44,300/female 36,048) (2006 est.)

total: 19 years
male: 21.7 years
female: 16.5 years (2006 est.)

3.28% (2006 est.)

36.24 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

3.81 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.44 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.23 male(s)/female
total population: 1.25 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

total: 18.89 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.65 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 16 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

total population: 73.37 years
male: 71.14 years
female: 75.72 years (2006 est.)

5.77 children born/woman (2006 est.)

0.1% (2001 est.)

1,300 (2001 est.)

less than 200 (2003 est.)

noun: Omani(s)
adjective: Omani

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

Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu

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

definition: NA
total population: 75.8%
male: 83.1%
female: 67.2%

conventional long form: Sultanate of Oman
conventional short form: Oman
local long form: Saltanat Uman
local short form: Uman
former: Muscat and Oman

monarchy

Muscat

5 regions (manaatiq, singular - mintaqat) and 3 governorates* (muhaafazaat, singular - muhaafaza) Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah, Az Zahirah, Masqat*, 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

in Oman's most recent Majlis al-Shura elections in 2003, suffrage was universal for all Omanis over age 21 except for members of the military and security forces; the next Majlis al-Shura elections are scheduled for 2007

bicameral Majlis Oman consists of an upper chamber or Majlis al-Dawla (58 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory powers only) and a lower chamber or Majlis al-Shura (83 seats; members elected by popular vote for four-year terms; 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 2007)
election results: NA

Supreme Court
note: the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has judges who practice secular and Shari'a law

Oman is a middle-income economy in the Middle East with notable oil and gas resources, a substantial trade surplus, and low inflation. Work on a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility progressed in 2005 and will contribute to slightly higher oil and gas exports in 2006. Oman continues to liberalize its markets and joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in November 2000. To reduce unemployment and limit dependence on foreign labor, the government is encouraging the replacement of foreign expatriate workers with local workers. Training in information technology, business management, and English support this objective. Industrial development plans focus on gas resources, metal manufacturing, petrochemicals, and international transshipment ports. In 2005, Oman signed agreements with several foreign investors to boost oil reserves, build and operate a power plant, and develop a second mobile phone network in the country.

$40.22 billion (2005 est.)

$25.42 billion (2005 est.)

1.9% (2005 est.)

$13,400 (2005 est.)

agriculture: 2.8%
industry: 40%
services: 57.1% (2005 est.)

920,000 (2002 est.)

15% (2004 est.)

0.4% (2005 est.)

17% of GDP (2005 est.)

revenues: $14.36 billion
expenditures: $10.61 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)

7.5% of GDP (2005 est.)

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

0.9% (2005 est.)

10.3 billion kWh (2003)

9.582 billion kWh (2003)

769,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

62,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

721,000 bbl/day (2004)

6.1 billion bbl (2005 est.)

16.5 billion cu m (2003 est.)

7.09 billion cu m (2003 est.)

7.43 billion cu m (2001 est.)

829.1 billion cu m (2005)

$4.459 billion (2005 est.)

$19.01 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles

China 29.6%, South Korea 17.6%, Japan 11.5%, Thailand 10.3%, UAE 7.3% (2004)

$8.709 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

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

UAE 21.2%, Japan 16.6%, UK 8.4%, Italy 6%, Germany 5.1%, US 4.7% (2004)

$4.747 billion (2005 est.)

$4.586 billion (2005 est.)

$76.4 million (1995)

Omani rial (OMR)

calendar year

242,700 (2004)

805,000 (2004)

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

AM 3, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)

13 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1999)

.om

3,261 (2005)

245,000 (2005)

137 (2005)

total: 6
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2005)

total: 131
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 52
914 to 1,523 m: 35
under 914 m: 35 (2005)

1 (2005)

gas 3,754 km; oil 3,212 km (2004)

total: 34,965 km
paved: 9,673 km (including 550 km of expressways)
unpaved: 25,292 km (2001)

total: 1 ships (1000 GRT or over) 10,797 GRT/5,040 DWT
by type: passenger 1
registered in other countries: 2 (Kazakhstan 2) (2005)

Mina' Qabus, Salalah

Royal Omani Armed Forces: Royal Army of Oman, Royal Navy of Oman, Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) (2005)

boundary agreement reportedly signed and ratified with UAE in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah exclave, but details have not been made public