Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone : 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

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

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m
highest point: Jabal ash Sham 2,980 m

Natural resources: petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble,
limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas

Land use:
arable land : 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: 95% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 580 sq km (1993 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, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: strategic location with small foothold on Musandam
Peninsula controlling Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for
world crude oil

@Oman:People

Population: 2,264,590 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 46% (male 527,091; female 507,849)
15-64 years: 51% (male 632,647; female 535,149)
65 years and over: 3% (male 27,974; female 33,880) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.49% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 37.85 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 4.39 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.18 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 26.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.8 years
male : 68.84 years
female: 72.85 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.02 children born/woman (1997 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