OMAN
Conventional Name: Sultanate of Oman (Saltanat Uman)
Capital: Muscat.
Surface area: 212.457 km² (according to other sources 300.000 Km²)
Comparison with a European country : about the size of Italy.
Administrative Divisions: 6 regions (mintaqah/mintaqat) and 2 governorates (muhafazah/muhafazat)
Population (2007) : 2 567 000 habitants
Population Density (2007) : 8,3 habitants/km²
Young people under 15 Years Old (2004): 42.4%
Annual population growth (2000-2005) : 1,0
Fecundity rate (2007): 3,78
Life expectancy (2007): 74
Infant mortality (2007): 15,6‰
Urban population (2007): 78,1%
Illiteracy rate (2007): hommes 13,2% ; femmes 26,5%
Ethnic background : Arabs are 99% of the nationals
Religions : Muslim 75% (of whom three quarters belongs to the Ibadi sect and the other third to the Sunni branch of Islam), Hindu 25%.
Language: Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu,
HDI (Human Development Indicator, UNDP 2007): within the 177 countries selected in the report Oman is ranked 58 (rate 0,814, high development)
Gross Domestic Product (2007) 40 923 millions $
GDP per capita (2007): 16 862 $
Currency: 1 Omani Rial (OR) = 1.000 Baiza (1 rial = 2.77 €uros, 31.05.2002)
Annual growth: (1994-2004) : 3,8 – (2005) : 3,8
Industries: crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper.
Agriculture products: dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa
Major Export Products : petroleum, reexports, fish, textiles
Major Import Products: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock
Major Trading Partners: UAE, Thailand, Japan, China, South Korea, UK
Total External Debt (2003): 5,963 million US $
Year of independence : 1971
Date of UN Membership : 1971.
Member i.a. of: League of Arab States, Gulf Cooperation Council, Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) , W.T.O.
Parties to i.a. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Chemical Weapons Convention (CWP).
State nature: Sultanate
Regime nature : absolute monarchy
Head of State: Sultan QABOOS bin Said AL-SAID.
Prime Minister: QABOOS bin Said AL-SAID.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence: QABOOS bin Said AL-SAID.
Minister of Interior: Ali bin Hammoud bin Ali al-Bousaïdi
Sources (figures): L’Etat du Monde 2003 (La Découverte), CIA World Factbook 2004, Arab Human Development Report 2002.