Oman vacations
Philadelphia to Muscat from $1106
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Pittsburgh to Muscat from $1177
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Philadelphia to Muscat from $1106Boston to Muscat from $1106Baltimore to Muscat from $1106Washington DC to Muscat from $1149Pittsburgh to Muscat from $1177Tampa to Muscat from $1232Orlando to Muscat from $1232Oman - General Country Information
Introduction
General Information:
 |
The capital of Oman is Muscat.
Major cities of Oman are: Muscat. |
Geography
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Location:
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Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE |
| Coordinates: | 21 00 N, 57 00 E |
| Area: | total: 212,460 sq km
land: 212,460 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area Comparative: | 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% (2001) |
| Irrigated Land: | 620 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural Hazards: | summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts |
| Environment Current Issues: | rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; very limited natural fresh water resources |
| Environment International Agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Note: | strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil |
People
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Population:
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2,903,165
note: includes 577,293 non-nationals (July 2004 est.) |
| Age Structure: | 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.) |
| 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
male: 23.18 deaths/1,000 live births female: 17.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
| Expectancy Birth: | total population: 72.85 years
male: 70.66 years female: 75.16 years (2004 est.) |
| Fertility Rate: | 5.9 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV Adult Prevalence Rate: | 0.1% (2001 est.) |
| People Living HIV: | 1,300 (2001 est.) |
| HIV Deaths: | less than 200 (2003 est.) |
| 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.) |
Gouvernment
|
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: | Muscat |
| Administrative Divisions: | 5 regions (manaatiq, singular - mintaqat) and 3 governorates* (muhaafazaat, singular - muhaafaza) 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 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: | 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 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 |
| 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 (58 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory powers only) and a lower chamber or Majlis al-Shura (83 seats; members elected by universal suffrage for four-year term; 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 |
| Judicial Branch: | Supreme Court
note: the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has judges who practice secular and Sharia (Islamic) law |
| Political Parties Leaders: | none |
| Political Pressure Groups 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, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO |
| Diplomatic in 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 from 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] 24-698989 FAX: [968] 24-699771 |
| 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 |
Economy
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Economy Overview:
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Oman is a small, well-off middle Eastern economy with large oil and gas resources, a substantial trade surplus, and low inflation. The government is moving ahead with privatization of its utilities, the development of a body of commercial law to facilitate foreign investment, and increased budgetary outlays. Oman continues to liberalize its markets and joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in November 2000. In order to reduce unemployment and limit dependence on foreign countries, the government is encouraging the replacement of expatriate workers with local people, i.e., the process of Omanization. Training in information technology, business management, and English support this objective. Industrial development plans focus on gas resources. |
| GDP: | purchasing power parity - $36.7 billion (2003 est.) |
| GDP Growth Rate: | 1.1% (2003 est.) |
| GDP Capital: | purchasing power parity - $13,100 (2003 est.) |
| GDP Composition: | agriculture: 3.1%
industry: 42.1% services: 54.8% (2003 est.) |
| Investment: | 13% of GDP (2003) |
| Household Income: | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
| Inflation Rate: | -0.3% (2003 est.) |
| Labor Force: | 920,000 (2002 est.) |
| Labor Force Occupation: | agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA |
| Budget: | revenues: $8.218 billion
expenditures: $7.766 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.) |
| Public Debt: | 15.6% of GDP (2003) |
| Agriculture Products: | dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish |
| Industries: | crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper |
| Industry Production Growth Rate: | 0.2% (2003 est.) |
| Electricity Production: | 9.274 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity Consumption: | 8.625 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity Exports: | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity Imports: | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Oil Production: | 963,800 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
| Oil Consumption: | 53,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
| Oil Exports: | NA (2001) |
| Oil Imports: | NA (2001) |
| Oil Proved Reserves: | 5.703 billion bbl (1 January 2002) |
| Natural Gas Production: | 13.77 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
| Natural Gas Consumption: | 6.34 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
| Natural Gas Exports: | 7.43 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
| Natural Gas Imports: | 0 cu m (2001 est.) |
| Natural Gas Proved Reserves: | 846.4 billion cu m (1 January 2002) |
| Current Account Balance: | $2.173 billion (2003) |
| Exports: | $11.7 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
| Exports Commodities: | petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles |
| Exports Partners: | South Korea 18.7%, China 18.5%, Japan 16.2%, Thailand 12.2%, UAE 7.8%, Iran 4.1% (2003) |
| Imports: | $5.659 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
| Imports Commodities: | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants |
| Imports Partners: | UAE 21.6%, Japan 17.1%, US 6.2%, UK 5.6%, Germany 4.4%, India 4.4% (2003) |
| Reserves: | $3.594 billion (2003) |
| Debt External: | $5.973 billion (2003 est.) |
| Currency: | Omani rial (OMR) |
| Currency Code: | OMR |
| Exchange Rates: | Omani rials per US dollar - 0.3845 (2003), 0.3845 (2002), 0.3845 (2001), 0.3845 (2000), 0.3845 (1999) |
| Fiscal Year: | calendar year |
Communications
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Telephones Lines Use:
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233,900 (2002) |
| 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 Stations: | AM 3, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999) |
| Television Stations: | 13 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1999) |
| Internet Code: | .om |
| Internet Hosts: | 726 (2003) |
| Internet Users: | 180,000 (2002) |
Military
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Military Branches:
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Royal Omani Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force |
| Military Age Obligation: | 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001) |
| Military Availability: | males age 15-49: 796,792 (2004 est.) |
| Fit Military Service: | males age 15-49: 443,006 (2004 est.) |
| Reaching Military Age Annually: | males: 31,274 (2004 est.) |
| Military Expenditures Dollar Figure: | $242.07 million (2003) |
| Military Expenditures Percent GDP: | 11.4% (2003) |
Transnational Issues
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Disputes International:
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boundary agreement signed and ratified with UAE in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves |
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