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| Oman | Plants and Animal | Back to Top |
Oman is home to a variety of plants and animals. Grasses, shrubs, and hardy trees such as the acacia grow naturally. Grapes and apricots are grown on the slopes of Al Jabal al Akh?ar. Coconut palms grow on the south side of the mountains in Dhofar and frankincense trees on the north. There are no truly fertile agricultural soils; the best are the alluvial soils washed down from the mountains, both in the interior and along the coast. Some of the richest fishing grounds in the world are off the coast of Oman, with tuna and sardines among the principal catches. Goats, sheep, camels, and some cattle are raised. Wildlife includes several hundred species of birds, lizards, snakes, and scorpions.
| Oman | Communications | Back to Top |
modern system consisting of open wire, microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations; limited coaxial cable domestic: open wire, microwave, radiotelephone communications, and a domestic satellite system with 8 earth stations international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat
| Oman | Culture | Back to Top |
The majority of Omanis are Ibadi Muslims, followers of Abd Allah ibn Ibad. Approximately 25 percent are Sunni Muslims and live primarily in Sur and the surrounding area and in Dhofar. They form the largest nonIbadi minority. The Shia minority live along the Al Batinah coast in the Muscat-Matrah region. This minority includes the Khojas, the Baharina of Iraqi or Iranian descent, and the Ajam, of vague origin but generally considered to originate in Iran.
Ibadism is an outgrowth of the Kharijite movement, a variant form of Islam practiced by descendants of a sect that seceded from the principal Muslim body after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in A.D. 632. Kharijites reject primogeniture succession of the Quraysh, the tribe of Muhammad, and assert that leadership of Islam, the caliphate, should be designated by an imam elected by the community from candidates who possess spiritual and personal qualities. Ibadi leadership is vested in an imam, who is regarded as the sole legitimate leader and combines religious and political authority. The imam is elected by a council of prominent laymen or shaykhs. Adherence to Ibadism accounts in part for Oman's historical isolation. Considered a heretical form of Islam by the majority Sunni Muslims, Ibadis were not inclined to integrate with their neighbors.
| Oman | Defence | Back to Top |
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary (includes Royal Oman Police)
Military manpower - military age: 14 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 771,919 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 429,811 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 26,469 (2001 est.)
| Oman | International Disputes | Back to Top |
boundary with the UAE has not been bilaterally defined; northern section in the Musandam Peninsula is an administrative boundary
| Oman | Economy | Back to Top |
Oman’s economy consisted mostly of agriculture, fishing, and traditional crafts such as boatmaking. Today, while Oman’s economy maintains a largely traditional sector based on agriculture, it also has a rapidly growing modern sector based on oil. Oil production in the mid-1990s accounted for almost half the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), which measures the total value of goods and services produced. In 1998 GDP was $15 billion. The government controls the oil and gas sector and therefore dominates the economy.
copper mines and a smelter were opened in the early 1980s at an ancient mining site near Suhar, but production levels have diminished considerably. Chromite is also mined in small quantities. Coal deposits at Al-Kamil are being explored for potential exploitation and use, especially to generate electricity. Exploration projects that began in the mid-1980s to uncover more unassociated natural gas have proved successful, and pipelines were constructed from the gas fields at Yibal to Muscat and Suhar and to Izki. By the late 1990s, the known natural gas reserves had doubled in less than a decade.
Oman's economic performance improved significantly in 2000 due largely to the upturn in oil prices. The government is moving ahead with privatization of its utilities, the development of a body of commercial law to facilitate foreign investment, and increased budgetary outlays. Oman continues to liberalize its markets and joined the World Trade Organization (WTrO) in November 2000.
| Oman | Education | Back to Top |
As in other sectors of Omani society, the education system was radically altered after the accession of Sultan Qabus ibn Said. Prior to 1970, there were only three primary schools in the sultanate--in Muscat, Matrah, and Salalah. These were reserved for approximately 900 boys personally selected by the sultan from among many applicants. Additionally, in Muscat there was a religious institute with an enrollment of fifty boys, three private schools for Hyderabadis (Indians), and one United States missionary school serving fifty foreign girls. Sultan Qabus ibn Said initiated a shift in the government's policies and priorities from neglect to expansion of the school system, increasing the public's access to general education.
The education system is guided by the policy-making body of the Council for Education chaired by the sultan and operated by the Ministry of Education and Youth. General education is divided into three levels: primary (grades 1-6); lower secondary (grades 7-9); and upper secondary (grades 10-12). Teacher-training colleges provide training programs for primary and lower secondary school teachers.
Education accounted for a modest 11.2 percent of the government's current expenditures in 1990, up from only 2.4 percent in 1975 but still considerably less than the 28 percent planned and less than the proportion recorded by other countries in the process of expanding their school systems. By the 1989-90 academic year, the percentage of students enrolled in primary schools was almost 100 percent in the respective age-group, compared with 53 percent in 1977-78. The percentage of girls attending primary schools also rose rapidly during this period, from 37 percent in 1977-78 to 97 percent in 1989-90. The student-teacher ratio at the primary level was twenty-seven to one in 1988-89. Secondary school enrollment lagged behind primary school attendance and rose from 8 percent of secondary-school-age youth in 1977-78 to 48 percent in 1989- 90. In 1986 Sultan Qabus University opened at Al Khawd, west of Muscat, with faculties of agriculture, education, engineering, Islamic studies, medicine, and science. Faculties for commerce, economics and the arts are planned.
Rapid expansion and enrollment have exceeded the capacity of the ministry to plan and administer the system. This has produced problems in planning, budgeting, curriculum development, and teacher training. Often, inappropriate sites for facilities are selected, and programs are of poor quality or unavailable. Lower secondary education remains underdeveloped, contributing to the low enrollment rates in upper secondary school, particularly for females.
The government emphasizes teacher training for Omanis, in order to create an indigenous teaching force. The dependency on foreign staff, and hence the high turnover rate and lack of continuity, further compromises the quality of education. In the 1980-81 academic year, 618 of a total 5,663, or 11 percent of the teaching staff, were Omanis. By the 1985-86 academic year, the number had increased to 18 percent. The majority of ministry employees (55 percent in 1990) are non-Omanis, of whom more than 70 percent are Egyptians; the balance consists of Jordanians, Pakistanis, Sudanese, Indians, Filipinos, and others. As of 1990, there were six teacher-training colleges providing a two-year program and enrolling a total of about 700 students. Secondary school teachers receive training at the Faculty of Education at Sultan Qabus University.
The government's medium-term objectives are to ensure that all six-year-olds are enrolled in primary school and to expand access to primary and secondary education in rural areas. The government also seeks to expand teacher-training facilities; to increase the number of trained nationals staffing schools by increasing the number of teacher-training colleges; to improve teacher-class ratios and school-building operations; and to introduce student testing and new programs.
Education is free for Omani citizens through the university level. In 1970 only 3 percent of all elementary school-age children were in school. By 1997 this figure was up to 76 percent, and enrollment in secondary schools was 67 percent. Sultan Qaboos University in Ruwi was opened in 1986 and now has more than 4,000 students. Oman also has eight teacher-training colleges, nine vocational institutes, five technical institutes, and eight Islamic colleges. About 40 percent of the population is literate.
| Oman | Government | Back to Top |
Government: Sultan Qabus ibn Said ibn Taimur Al Said as head of state and prime minister presides over Council of Ministers. Consultative Council has advisory role but no legislative powers. No constitution.
Politics: No political parties. Important political actors are persons close to sultan, including Western-educated administrators and special advisers.
Foreign Relations: Member of United Nations and its specialized agencies, League of Arab States, Organization of the Islamic Conference, and Gulf Cooperation Council. June 1980 agreement allows United States use of military facilities in Oman.
| Oman | History | Back to Top |
Oman’s history begins in the early 3rd or late 4th millennium bc, with the rise of a society that had cultural and trade ties to ancient Mesopotamia. Between the 4th century bc and the 7th century ad the area was dominated by successive Persian empires. In the 1st century ad Arab tribes began to migrate into Oman and, when it accepted Islam just before the Prophet Muhammad died in 632, Persian rule ended and Oman’s Arab character was firmly established. In 751 Ibadi Muslims, a moderate branch of the Kharijites, established an imamate in Oman. Despite interruptions, the Ibadi imamate survived until the mid-20th century.
the tribal nature of its society, the traditional Ibadite imamate form of government, and its maritime tradition. Archaeological evidence of civilization in Oman dates to about the 3rd millennium BC, but Persian colonization prior to the 1st century AD established the falaj irrigation system, which has since sustained Omani agriculture and civilization. The history of the Dhofar region followed a separate path. Ancient South Arabian kingdoms controlled the production of frankincense there from the 1st century AD. The province thus remained culturally and politically linked to South Arabia until it was absorbed into the Al Bu Sa'id state in the 19th century.
Western world began when Portugal seized Masqat and other coastal strongholds in the early 16th century and held them until the mid-17th century. The imamate then flourished again under the Ya‘aribah dynasty, which extended Omani rule or influence to both sides of the Persian Gulf and East Africa. By the mid-18th century a civil war ended Ya‘aribah rule and the current Al Bu Said dynasty emerged in 1749. The Al Bu Said rulers soon ceased to hold the title of imam and moved their capital from the traditional Ibadi seat at Nizwá to Masqat to concentrate on maritime commerce. At the beginning of the 19th century the rulers established a close security relationship with Britain; this initially helped to protect them from external threats and later from the forces of the imamate, which was revived in 1913.
| Oman | Introduction | Back to Top |
Oman, independent state in the Middle East, extending about 1,610 km (1,000 mi) along the south-eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, bordered on the north by the Gulf of Oman, on the east and south by the Arabian Sea, the south-west by the Republic of Yemen, the west by the Rub al'Khali (Empty Quarter) of Saudi Arabia, and to the north-west by the United Arab Emirates. The country's territory also includes the northern tip of the strategic Ra's (Cape) Musandam, which juts between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman; this portion is separated from the rest of the country by territory of the United Arab Emirates. The country's interior boundaries are not demarcated. Oman has an area of about 212,457 sq km (82,030 sq mi). The capital is Masqat, also known as Muscat.
Official Name- Sultanate of Oman| Oman | Land | Back to Top |
N/A
| Oman | Languages | Back to Top |
Arabic is the official language of Oman. English is widely spoken, as are Asian languages such as Hindi, Urdu, and Baluchi. Islam is the official religion, although other religions are tolerated under the country’s Basic Law. Muslims make up 54 percent of the population.
| Oman | Legal | Back to Top |
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, 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: last held NA September 2000 (next to be held NA September 2003) election results: NA; note - two women were elected for the first time to 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
| Oman | Life | Back to Top |
Oman’s rapid modernization, its way of life remains largely traditional and in accordance with conservative Islamic values. With a strong commercial tradition, accumulation of wealth is viewed positively, although the great majority of Omanis were extremely poor until the discovery of oil in the 1960s. The extended family is the basic social unit, headed by its eldest male member. Marriages are arranged, if possible between first cousins but always within the same ethnic and social group.
| Oman | organization | Back to Top |
ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
| Oman | People | Back to Top |
A comprehensive population census has never been conducted, but in 1992 the sultanate solicited help from the United Nations (UN) Fund for Technical and Financial Assistance in taking a full census. For planning purposes, the government in 1992 estimated the population at 2 million, but the actual figure may be closer to 1.5 million, growing at a rate of 3.5 percent per annum. The population is unevenly distributed; the coastal regions, the Al Batinah plain, and the Muscat metropolitan area contain the largest concentration.
The population is heterogeneous, consisting of an ethnic and religious mix derived in large part from a history of maritime trade, tribal migrations, and contacts with the outside world. Although Arabs constitute the majority, non-Arab communities include Baluchis--from the Makran coast of Iran and Pakistan--who are concentrated in Muscat and the Al Batinah coast and play a significant role in the armed forces; ex-slaves (a legacy of Oman's slave trade and East African colonies); and Zanzibari Omanis, who are well represented in the police force and the professions. The integration of Omanis of African descent is often circumscribed by a language barrier (they often speak Swahili and English but not always Arabic). The presence of Omanis of Indian descent in Muscat reflects the historical commercial ties between the sultanate and the Indian subcontinent. The Khoja community in Matrah, of Indian origin, is perhaps the richest private group in Oman, and its members are among the best educated. The Shihuh of the northern Musandam Peninsula numbered about 20,000 in the early 1990s. They speak Arabic and a dialect of Farsi and engage primarily in fishing and herding.
Because of the small indigenous population, the government has been obliged to use foreign labor. In 1992 about 60 percent of the labor force was foreign. Some 350,000 foreign workers and their families (primarily Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Filipinos, and Sri Lankans) live in Oman. The high percentage of foreigners in the work force, combined with improvements in the country's education system, has prompted the government to institute a program of indigenization whereby Omani nationals gradually replace foreigners.
2001 Oman had an estimated population of 2,622,198, giving it an average density of 8 persons per sq km (22 per sq mi). The population has grown steadily, doubling between 1960 and 1993. In 2001 the growth rate was a relatively high 3.4 percent. Oman has a very young population.
The Muscat-Matrah urban area has long been home to significant numbers of Persians (Iranians) and of merchants of Indian ancestry, some of whom also live along the Al-Batinah. Notable among the latter are the Liwatiyah, who originally came from Sindh (now in Pakistan) but have lived in Oman for centuries. The Indian communities are mainly Shi'ite, the most widespread Islamic sect after the Sunnite, with a few Hindus. There are also a number of Swahili-speaking Omanis born in Zanzibar and elsewhere in East Africa.
| Oman | Politics | Back to Top |
None
| Oman | Provinces | Back to Top |
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 of Geographic Names (BGN)
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