Country	Oman
Capital	Muscat
Continent	Asia
Currency	Rial(OMR)
Languages	Arabic

Locaion

Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE

Geographic Co ordinates

21 00 N, 57 00 E

Land Boundries

Total:1,374 km
Border countries:Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km

Geography - note

strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

Population

2,967,717
Country comparison to the world:136

Nationality

Noun:Omani(s)
Adjective:Omani

Ethnic groups

Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African

Religions

Ibadhi Muslim 75%, other (includes Sunni Muslim, Shia Muslim, Hindu) 25%

Languages

Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects

Country Name

Conventional long form:Sultanate of Oman
Conventional short form:Oman
Local long form:Saltanat Uman
Local short form:Uman
Former:Muscat and Oman

Government Type

monarchy

Capital

Name:Muscat
Geographic coordinates:23 37 N, 58 35 E
Time difference:UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions

5 regions (manatiq, singular - mintaqat) and 4 governorates* (muhafazat, singular - muhafazat) Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah, Al Buraymi*, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah, Az Zahirah, Masqat (Muscat)*, Musandam*, Zufar (Dhofar)*

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 basic law considered by the government to be a constitution 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

21 years of age; universal; note - members of the military and security forces are not allowed to vote

Executive branch

Chief of state:Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said al-Said (sultan since 23 July 1970 and prime minister since 23 July 1972); 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 (sultan since 23 July 1970 and prime minister since 23 July 1972)
Cabinet:Cabinet appointed by the monarch
(For more information visit the World Leaders website)
Elections:the monarchy is hereditary

Legislative branch

bicameral Majlis Oman consists of Majlis al-Dawla or upper chamber (71 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has only advisory powers and Majlis al-Shura or lower chamber (84 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; body has only advisory powers)
Elections:last held on 27 October 2007 (next to be held in 2011)
Election results:new candidates won 46 seats and 38 members of the outgoing Majlis kept their positions; none of the 20 female candidates was elected

Judicial branch

Supreme Court
note: the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has judges who practice secular and sharia law

Political Parties and Leaders

none

Political pressure groups and leaders

none

International organization participation

ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

Chief of mission:Ambassador Hunaina bint Sultan bin Ahmad al-MUGHAIRI
Chancery:2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008
Telephone:[1] (202) 387-1980
FAX:[1] (202) 745-4933

Diplomatic representation from the US

Chief of mission:Ambassador Richard J. SCHMIERER
Embassy: Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat
Mailing address:P. O. Box 202, P.C. 115, Madinat Sultan Qaboos, Muscat
Telephone:[968] 24-643-400
FAX:[968] 24-699771

Flag description

three horizontal bands of white, red, and green of equal width with a broad, vertical, red band on the hoist side; the national emblem (a khanjar dagger in its sheath superimposed on two crossed swords in scabbards) in white is centered near the top of the vertical band

Video

View Larger Map

Government - Ministry of Information Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ministry Of Education
Newspapers -  Oman Daily Observer Oman News Agency TheWeek Times of Oman
                              Truth Out Al Shabiba Alwatan
Tourism -         Ministry of Tourism

Google News

This RSS feed URL is deprecatedThis RSS feed URL is deprecated, please update. New URLs can be found in the footers at https://news.google.com/news Oman reveals Eid Al Adha holiday for public, private sector - ArabianBusiness.com ArabianBusiness.com Oman reveals Eid Al Adha holiday for public, private sector ArabianBusiness.com Oman has announced holiday dates for the upcoming Eid Al Adha for public and private sectors in the country. Employees at public authorities, state departments and private companies can enjoy days off from work starting Sunday August 19 until Thursday ... Holidays for Eid announced in OmanTimes of Oman Eid al Adha holidays from Aug 19-23Muscat Daily all 136 news articles » VLCC tanker Desh Vaibhav caught fire off Oman, four crew missing - S&P Global Platts VLCC tanker Desh Vaibhav caught fire off Oman, four crew missing S&P Global Platts Several supporting vessels were named as assisting the rescue operations: the Arva Spirit, the Jag Lavanya, the Desh Vishal, a unnamed Maersk container vessel, an Omani warship and the Iranian Navy. The vessel was shown as not under command and ... 'Oman-Pakistan economic relations strong, growing' - Times of Oman Times of Oman 'Oman-Pakistan economic relations strong, growing' Times of Oman “The company is one of the seven joint venture (JV) development financial institutions which the Government of Pakistan has established with its strategic partners including China, Saudi Arabia, and Brunei, to name a few. Pak-Oman is one of the most ... Oman to set up DNA database 'Yaqeen' - Gulf Digital News Gulf Digital News Oman to set up DNA database 'Yaqeen' Gulf Digital News Muscat: The authorities in Oman unveiled a plan to set up a national DNA database, according to Times of Oman. The Royal Oman Police (ROP) signed an agreement with a German company to carry out the project, named "Yaqeen". Inspector General of ... Oman weather: Humidity causes temperatures to drop - Times of Oman Times of Oman Oman weather: Humidity causes temperatures to drop Times of Oman It is due to a sea breeze blowing in from the Sea of Oman, but its origin was in the Arabian Sea. For this reason, temperature in Muscat is hovering around 35 to 36 degrees. The minimum temperature may even drop to 27 degrees or so in the days to come. Oman to host ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy - Times of Oman Times of Oman Oman to host ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy Times of Oman Pankaj Khimji, senior OC Board member and Oman's voice at ICC said, “It's a great honour for the country that International Cricket Council has chosen Oman to showcase the historic World Cup trophy in the region as part of its worldwide tour. Oman ... and more » IMF hails Oman's move to launch national data page - Muscat Daily IMF hails Oman's move to launch national data page Muscat Daily Oman recently launched a National Summary Data Page (NSDP), becoming one of the first GCC countries to implement the IMF's recommendations of e-GDDS. The NSDP is a national data page that serves as a one-stop vehicle for publishing essential ... Ithraa signs strategic partnerships - Times of Oman Times of Oman Ithraa signs strategic partnerships Times of Oman Oman; |; Viral; |; Global; |; Motoring; |; Food; |; Celebrity; |; Sport · Boy at New Mexico compound died in ritual act: prosecutor · Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei rejects talks with Trump. Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei rejects talks with Trump · India floods ... Emirates offers Omani passengers special fares till August 24 - Muscat Daily Emirates offers Omani passengers special fares till August 24 Muscat Daily Emirates, the world's largest international airline, is offering Omani passengers competitive fares to global destinations within its network. The offer applies to bookings made until August 24 and for travel between September 1 and November 30 ... and more » 9th GPCA Fertilizer Convention to take place in Oman this September - World Fertilizer World Fertilizer 9th GPCA Fertilizer Convention to take place in Oman this September World Fertilizer The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) has announced that the 9th edition of the GPCA Fertilizer Convention will be held in Kempinski Hotel Muscat, Oman, on 18 – 20 September 2018. Dr. Abdulrahman Jawahery, President, GPIC and ...