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Country name: Sultanate of Oman conventional short form: form: Uman

Government type: monarchy

Capital: Muscat

Administrative divisions: 6 regions (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah)
and 2 governorates* (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah) Ad Dakhiliyah, Al
Batinah, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah, Az Zahirah, Masqat, Musandam*, Zufar*;
note - the US Embassy in Oman reports that Masqat is a governorate,
but this has not been confirmed by the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN)

Independence: 1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)

National holiday: Birthday of Sultan QABOOS, 18 November (1940)

Constitution: none; note - on 6 November 1996, Sultan QABOOS issued a
royal decree promulgating a new basic law which, among other things,
clarifies the royal succession, provides for a prime minister, bars
ministers from holding interests in companies doing business with the
government, establishes a bicameral legislature, and guarantees basic
civil liberties for Omani citizens

Legal system: based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate
appeal to the monarch; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: in Oman's most recent elections in 2000, limited to
approximately 175,000 Omanis chosen by the government to vote in elections
for the Majlis ash-Shura

Executive branch: chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS
bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970); note - the monarch is both the
chief of state and head of government head of government: Sultan and
Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970); note - the
monarch is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet
appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary

Legislative branch: bicameral Majlis Oman consists of an upper chamber
or Majlis al-Dawla (48 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has
advisory powers only) and a lower chamber or Majlis al-Shura (83 seats;
members elected by limited suffrage for three-year term, however, the
monarch makes final selections and can negate election results; body
has some limited power to propose legislation, but otherwise has only
advisory powers) elections: results: NA; note - two women were elected
for the first time to the Majlis al-Shura, about 100,000 people voted

Judicial branch: Supreme Court note: the nascent civil court system,
administered by region, has non-Islamic judges as well as traditional
Islamic judges

Political parties and l