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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.
Pictures :
(1) Mutrah, the harbour of Muscat
(2) Nakhl, one of the many Omani forts
(July 2008) |