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)                           
                                                                                
