Oman Population: 3,154,134
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| Background | |
| 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 his father, and he has since ruled as sultan. 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. Inspired by the popular uprisings that swept the Middle East and North Africa beginning in January 2011, Omanis began staging marches and demonstrations to demand economic benefits, an end to corruption, and greater political rights. In response to protester demands, QABOOS in 2011 pledged to implement economic and political reforms, such as granting legislative and regulatory powers to the Majlis al-Shura and introducing unemployment benefits. In August 2012, the Sultan announced a royal directive mandating the speedy implementation of a national job creation plan for thousands of public and private sector jobs. As part of the government's efforts to decentralize authority and allow greater citizen participation in local governance, Oman successfully conducted its first municipal council elections in December 2012. Announced by the Sultan in 2011, the municipal councils will have the power to advise the Royal Court on the needs of local districts across Oman's 11 governorates. |
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| Geography | |
| Strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil | |
| Location: | Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE |
| Geographic coordinates: | 21 00 N, 57 00 E |
| Area: | total: 309,500 sq km land: 309,500 sq km water: 0 sq km Size comparison: slightly smaller than Kansas |
| Land Boundaries: | total: 1,374 km border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km |
| Coastline: | 2,092 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: | dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south |
| Terrain: | central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m highest point: Jabal Shams 2,980 m |
| Natural resources: | petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas |
| Land use: | arable land: 0.12% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 99.74% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | 590 sq km (2003) |
| Natural hazards: | summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts |
| Current Environment Issues: | rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; limited natural freshwater resources |
| International Environment Agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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| People | |
| Population: | 3,154,134 (July 2013 est.) note: includes 577,293 non-nationals |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 30.6% (male 494,444/female 469,752) 15-24 years: 20.2% (male 333,583/female 302,618) 25-54 years: 42.1% (male 781,396/female 547,872) 55-64 years: 3.9% (male 65,722/female 56,673) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 51,515/female 50,559) (2013 est.) population pyramid: |
| Median age: | total: 24.4 years male: 25.7 years female: 22.8 years (2012 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 2.043% (2012 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 24.33 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Death rate: | 3.42 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.31 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female total population: 1.22 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 14.95 deaths/1,000 live births male: 15.25 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 74.47 years male: 72.61 years female: 76.43 years (2012 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 2.86 children born/woman (2013 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.1% (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 1,100 (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | fewer than 100 (2009 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Omani(s) adjective: Omani |
| Ethnic groups: | Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African |
| Religions: | Ibadhi Muslim (official) 75%, other (includes Sunni Muslim, Shia Muslim, Hindu) 25% |
| Languages: | Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 81.4% male: 86.8% female: 73.5% (2003 census) |
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| Government | |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Sultanate of Oman conventional short form: Oman local long form: Saltanat Uman local short form: Uman former: Muscat and Oman |
| Government type: | monarchy |
| Capital: | name: Muscat geographic coordinates: 23 37 N, 58 35 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions: | 11 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazat); Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Buraymi, Al Wusta, Az Zahirah, Janub al Batinah (Al Batinah South), Janub ash Sharqiyah (Ash Sharqiyah South), Masqat (Muscat), Musandam, Shamal al Batinah (Al Batinah North), Shamal ash Sharqiyah (Ash Sharqiyah North), Zufar (Dhofar) |
| 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 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 |
| Legal system: | mixed legal system of Anglo-Saxon law and Islamic law |
| Suffrage: | 21 years of age; universal; note - members of the military and security forces by law are not allowed to vote |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al-Said (sultan since 23 July 1970 and prime minister since 23 July 1972); 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 (sultan since 23 July 1970 and prime minister since 23 July 1972) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the Ruling Family Council determines a successor from the Sultan's extended family; if the Council cannot form a consensus within three days of the Sultan's death or incapacitation, the Defense Council will relay a predetermined heir as chosen by the Sultan |
| Legislative branch: | bicameral - consists of Majlis al-Dawla or upper chamber (71 seats; members appointed by the sultan; has only advisory powers) and Majlis al-Shura or lower chamber (84 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; body has authority to draft legislation but is subordinate to the Sultan) elections: (Majlis al-Shura) last held on 15 October 2011 (next to be held in October 2015) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; note - three prominent figures from the Arab Spring 2011 protests won seats; one woman also won a seat |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court note: the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has judges who practice secular and sharia law |
| Political parties and leaders: | political parties are illegal |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | none |
| International organization participation: | ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), 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 (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Hunaina bint Sultan bin Ahmad al-MUGHAIRI chancery: 2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-1980 FAX: [1] (202) 745-4933 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Greta C. HOLTZ embassy: Jamait Ad Duwal Al Arabiyya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat mailing address: P. O. Box 202, P.C. 115, Madinat Al Sultan Qaboos, Muscat telephone: [968] 24-643-400 FAX: [968] 24-64-37-40 |
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| Economy | |
| Oman is a middle-income economy that is heavily dependent on dwindling oil resources. Because of declining reserves and a rapidly growing labor force, Muscat has actively pursued 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 and creating more jobs to employ the rising numbers of Omanis entering the workforce. Tourism and gas-based industries are key components of the government's diversification strategy. However, increases in social welfare benefits, particularly since the Arab Spring, will challenge the government's ability to effectively balance its budget if oil revenues decline. By using enhanced oil recovery techniques, Oman succeeded in increasing oil production, giving the country more time to diversify, and the increase in global oil prices through 2011 provided the government greater financial resources to invest in non-oil sectors. In 2012, continued surpluses resulting from sustained high oil prices and increased enhanced oil recovery allowed the government to maintain growth in social subsidies and public sector job creation. However, the Sultan made widely reported statements indicating this would not be sustainable, and called for expanded efforts to support SME development and entrepreneurship. Government agencies and large oligarchic group companies heeded his call, announcing new initiatives to spin off non-essential functions to entrepreneurs, incubate new businesses, train and mentor up and coming business people, and provide financing for start-ups. In response to fast growth in household indebtedness, the Central Bank reduced the ceiling on personal interest loans from 8 to 7%, lowered mortgage rates, capped the percentage of consumer loans at 50% of borrower's salaries for personal loans and 60% for housing loans, and limited maximum repayment terms to 10 and 25 years respectively. In 2012 the Central Bank also issued final regulations governing Islamic banking and two full-fledged Islamic banks held oversubscribed IPOs while four traditional banks opened sharia-compliant Islamic windows. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $90.66 billion (2012 est.) $86.38 billion (2011 est.) $81.92 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $79.97 billion (2012 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 5% (2012 est.) 5.4% (2011 est.) 5% (2010 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $28,500 (2012 est.) $28,000 (2011 est.) $27,500 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 1.5% industry: 50.4% services: 48.1% (2012 est.) |
| Labor force: | 968,800 note: about 60% of the labor force is non-national (2007) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
| Unemployment rate: | 15% (2004 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | NA% |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.5% (2012 est.) 4.1% (2011 est.) |
| Investment (gross fixed): | Investment (gross fixed): 25.5% of GDP (2012 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $35.55 billion expenditures: $30.49 billion (2012 est.) |
| Public debt: | 3.6% of GDP (2012 est.) 3.8% of GDP (2011 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish |
| Industries: | crude oil production and refining, natural and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production; construction, cement, copper, steel, chemicals, optic fiber |
| Industrial production growth rate: | 3.5% (2011 est.) |
| Electricity - production: | 18.59 billion kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 76 |
| Electricity - consumption: | 15.34 billion kWh (2009 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 35.94 billion cu m (2012 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 17.53 billion cu m (2011 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 11.49 billion cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 1.9 billion cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 849.5 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.) |
| Current account balance: | $10.22 billion (2012 est.) $10.67 billion (2011 est.) |
| Exports: | $48.43 billion (2012 est.) $47.09 billion (2011 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles |
| Exports - partners: | China 30.2%, South Korea 10.9%, UAE 10.6%, Japan 10.4%, India 9.2%, Thailand 5.3%, US 4.6% (2011) |
| Imports: | $23.37 billion (2012 est.) $21.35 billion (2011 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants |
| Imports - partners: | UAE 27.7%, Japan 11.9%, US 6.1%, India 5.4%, China 4.2%, Saudi Arabia 4.1%, Germany 4% (2011) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $15.87 billion (31 December 2012 est.) $14.37 billion (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $9.768 billion (31 December 2012 est.) $9.033 billion (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: | $NA |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: | $NA |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $19.72 billion (31 December 2011) $20.27 billion (31 December 2010) $17.3 billion (31 December 2009) |
| Exchange rates: | Omani rials (OMR) per US dollar - 0.3845 (2012 est.) 0.3845 (2011 est.) 0.3845 (2010 est.) 0.3845 (2009) 0.3845 (2008) |
| Fiscal year: | calendar year |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 302,945 (2012) country comparison to the world: 116 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 5.2 million (2012) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: modern system consisting of open-wire, microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations; limited coaxial cable; domestic satellite system with 8 earth stations domestic: fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership both increasing with fixed-line phone service gradually being introduced to remote villages using wireless local loop systems international: country code - 968; the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) and the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable provide connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat (2008) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .om |
| Internet hosts: | 14,531 (2012) |
| Internet users: | 1.465 million (2009) |
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| Transportation | |
| Airports: | 130 (2012) country comparison to the world: 43 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 12 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2012) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total: 118 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 51 914 to 1,523 m: 32 under 914 m: 26 (2012) |
| Heliports: | 3 (2012) |
| Pipelines: | condensate 107 km; gas 4,209 km; oil 3,558 km; refined products 263 km (2010) |
| Roadways: | total: 53,430 km paved: 23,223 km (includes 1,384 km of expressways) unpaved: 30,207 km (2008) |
| Merchant marine: | total: 5 by type: chemical tanker 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 3 registered in other countries: 15 (Malta 5, Panama 10) (2010) |
| Ports and terminals: | Mina' Qabus, Salalah, Suhar |
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| Military | |
| Military branches: | Sultan's Armed Forces (SAF): Royal Army of Oman, Royal Navy of Oman, Royal Air Force of Oman (al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Sultanat Oman) (2013) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2010) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 985,957 females age 16-49: 737,812 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 837,886 females age 16-49: 642,427 (2010 est.) |
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