m

Disputes: Administrative Line with PDRY; 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: NEGL% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 5% meadows and
pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 95% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

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: 1,457,064 (July 1990), growth rate 3.1% (1990)

Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 12 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 105 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 56 years male, 58 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 6.8 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--Omani(s); adjective--Omani

Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Arab, with small Balochi, Zanzibari, and
Indian groups

Religion: 75% Ibadhi Muslim; remainder Sunni Muslim, Shia Muslim, some
Hindu

Language: Arabic (official); English, Balochi, Urdu, Indian dialects

Literacy: 20%

Labor force: 430,000; 60% agriculture (est.); 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: none

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, State Consultative Assembly

Legislative branch: none

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: