Sultanate of Oman

National name: Saltanat Uman

Sultan: Qabus ibn Sa'id (1970)

Total area: 82,031 sq mi (212,460 sq km)1

Population (2006 est.): 3,102,229 (growth rate: 3.3%); birth rate: 36.2/1000; infant mortality rate: 18.9/1000; life expectancy: 73.4; density per sq mi: 38

Capital (2003 est.): Muscat, 797,000 (metro. area), 54,800 (city proper)

Monetary unit: Omani rial

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

Ethnicity/race: Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African

Religions: Islam: Ibadhi 75%, Sunni, Shi'a; Hindu

Literacy rate: 76% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $40.22 billion; per capita $13,400. Real growth rate: 1.9%. Inflation: 0.4%. Unemployment: 15% (2004 est.). Arable land: 0.2%. Agriculture: dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish. Labor force: 920,000 (2002 est.); agriculture n.a., industry n.a., services n.a. Industries: crude oil production and refining, natural and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production; construction, cement, copper, steel, chemicals, optic fiber. Natural resources: petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas. Exports: $19.01 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles. Imports: $8.709 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants. Major trading partners: China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, UAE, UK, Italy, Germany, U.S. (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 201,000 (1997); mobile cellular: 59,822 (1997). 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 Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000). Internet users: 120,000 (2002).

Transportation: Railways: 0 km. Highways: total: 34,965 km; paved: 9,673 km (including 550 km of expressways); unpaved: 25,292 km (2001). Ports and harbors: Matrah, Mina' al Fahl, Mina' Raysut. Airports: 139 (2002).

International disputes: 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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