Yearbook 2000
Oman. Two women were secured their place in the advisory congregation Majlis ash-shura in the election to the congregation on September 14. It was the same number of women who took part in the congregation after the 1997 elections. Only 25% of the country’s adult population had the right to vote, but it was still more than three times as many as in the last election. The proportion of women among those entitled to vote had also tripled, from 10 to 30%. Another step towards increased democracy was the fact that the election results this time were crucial. Earlier, the Sultan appointed members of the congregation among a large number of candidates who did well in the election. The Council has no right to enact laws, but can ask ministers on economic and political issues.
- ABBREVIATIONFINDER: Offers three letter and two letter abbreviations for the country of Oman. Also covers country profile such as geography, society and economy.
Country data
Area: 309,500 km2 (world ranking: 70)
Population: 4,636,000
Population density: 15 per km2 (as of 2017, world ranking: 125)
Capital: Masqat (Muscat)
Official languages: Arabic
Gross domestic product: 72.6 billion US $; Real growth: -0.3%
Gross national product (GNP, per resident and year): 14,440 US$
Currency: 1 Rial Omani (RO) = 1000 Baisa
Embassy
Clayallee 82, 14195 Berlin
Telephone 030 8100510,
Fax 030 81005199
E-Mail: embassy- oman@t-online.de
Government
Head of State, Head of Government and Foreign Affairs: Qabus bin Said
National holiday: 11/18 (Sultan’s birthday)
Administrative structure
11 regions
State and form of government
Constitution of 1996
Absolute monarchy (Sultanate)
State religion: Islam
Islamic law (Sharia)
No parliament; Consultative Council (Majlis asch-Shura) with 85 members, election every 4 years;.. State Council (Majlis al-Dawlah) with a maximum of 85 members appointed by the Sultan for 4 J. Mitgl
Voting age 21 J.
Population: Omanis
. Last 2010 census: 2,773,479 residents
72% Omanis, 28% foreign
Cities (with population): (As of 2016) Bawshar 393,000 inh., As-Sib 340,000, Salala 307,000, Matra 234,136, Suhar 204,000, Masqat 173,000, Al-Buraymi 107,000, Sur 87,000, Al-Khaburah 58,000, Nizwa 58,000, Al-‘Amarat 56,000
Religions,
especially Muslims (75% Ibadites, 5% Shiites); among foreigners Hindus, Christians and others (as of 2006)
Languages: Arabic; Iranian (Baluchi, Persian), Indo-Aryan (including Urdu) and South Arabic languages; English
Employees by economic sector: no information
Unemployment (in% of all economically active persons)
no information
Inflation rate (in%): 2017: 1.6%
Foreign trade: Import: 27.2 billion US $ (2017); Export: 29.4 billion US $ (2017)
Population 2000
According to COUNTRYAAH, the population of Oman in 2000 was 2,267,862, ranking number 141 in the world. The population growth rate was 0.570% yearly, and the population density was 7.3279 people per km2.
Omani diplomacy
The small Sultanate of Oman has historically distinguished itself from other countries in the region due to its particular political position with respect to some regional issues. In addition to opposing the Gulf countries’ single currency project, Oman took a clearly critical stance towards the GCC and Saudi Arabia in 2015, on the occasion of the Saudi intervention in the Yemeni conflict. Muscat, in fact, was the only member of the GCC not to take part in the Saudi-led coalition, criticizing the intervention in Yemen as damaging the interests of the Yemeni population and, indeed, proposing an ‘Omani plan’ to achieve a peace agreement, consisting of seven main points. The plan includes the involvement of both Iran and Saudi Arabia, by virtue of the good relations that Oman maintains with Tehran. Also on the Syrian front Muscat has decided not to intervene with military means, but to try a diplomatic solution. In both Yemen and Syria, however, the fighting continued despite Omani mediation attempts. See clothingexpress.org for world heritage sites in Oman.