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

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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 Cyclone moving towards Oman, Yemen - Deccan Herald Deccan Herald Cyclone moving towards Oman, Yemen Deccan Herald It is very likely to move northwestwards and reach south Oman/south-east Yemen coasts by 26 May 2018 morning, a forecast of the IMD-New Delhi, said, about Cyclone Mekunu. Meanwhile, the Regional Meteorological Observatory (RMD) of the IMD-Mumbai ... Cyclone Mekunu in Arabian Sea to hit Oman, Yemen as a severe cyclonic stormSkymet Weather Low pressure likely to intensify into tropical cyclone in 24hrsMuscat Daily Tropical storm forming in the Arabian SeaTimes of Oman The National -MENAFN.COM all 43 news articles » Oman, Yemen on alert for strengthening tropical cyclone Mekunu - AccuWeather.com AccuWeather.com Oman, Yemen on alert for strengthening tropical cyclone Mekunu AccuWeather.com As improvement is seen across Socotra, western Oman and far eastern Yemen will see increasing wind and rainfall from Thursday into Friday. AccuWeather meteorologists expect the strengthening cyclone to produce winds equal to a Category 1 or 2 ... Middle East mayhem: After rare tropical cyclone Sagar devastates Somalia, a second aims for Oman - Washington Post Washington Post Middle East mayhem: After rare tropical cyclone Sagar devastates Somalia, a second aims for Oman Washington Post In less than a week's time, two tropical cyclones will have battered the Middle East in highly unusual locations. Tropical cyclone Sagar slammed into northwestern Somalia over the weekend, after forming in the Gulf of Aden, killing at least 31 people ... After rare tropical cyclone Sagar devastates Somalia, a second aims for OmanLaredo Morning Times all 16 news articles » Oman & Ireland sign MoU on higher education - The PIE News The PIE News Oman & Ireland sign MoU on higher education The PIE News A memorandum of understanding has been signed by the Irish minister for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O'Connor and the Sultanate of Oman minister of Higher Education, Rawya Al Busaidi. The MoU will further develop and enhance the cooperation ... Oman: Safety Nets Alert Platform (SNAP) Country Dashboard - April ... - ReliefWeb ReliefWeb Oman: Safety Nets Alert Platform (SNAP) Country Dashboard - April ... ReliefWeb Infographic from World Food Programme, published 21 May 2018. and more » Book dwells on Omani resistance to Portuguese presence in Arabian Gulf - Muscat Daily Muscat Daily Book dwells on Omani resistance to Portuguese presence in Arabian Gulf Muscat Daily Toobi has divided his book into six chapters, beginning with an introductory chapter on Oman prior to the arrival of the Portuguese. He mentions the situation of Oman at the end of the Nabhani era and the political situation, where the country was ... Cyclone Mekunu to spare India, torrential rains in Yemen, Oman, Socotra - Skymet Weather Skymet Weather Cyclone Mekunu to spare India, torrential rains in Yemen, Oman, Socotra Skymet Weather Mekunu is presently marked around 950 km south southeast of Salalah in Oman. This system is expected to gain strength and become a severe cyclonic storm tomorrow, further intensifying into a very severe cyclonic storm before making landfall during the ... Oman construction sector the fastest growing in the Middle East - ArabianBusiness.com ArabianBusiness.com Oman construction sector the fastest growing in the Middle East ArabianBusiness.com Oman's construction sector has continued to record robust growth and is “easily” outpacing the MENA construction sector average, according to a new report from BMI Research. According to BMI, this performance will continue over the course of the next ... Element opens new lab in Oman, GHD expands in Dubai - Environment Analyst Environment Analyst Element opens new lab in Oman, GHD expands in Dubai Environment Analyst London-based Element Materials Technology has opened a new laboratory in Duqm, Oman, adding to existing facilities in Muscat and Sohar. The new site boosts access to expert testing services for Element's construction and civil engineering customers in ... Oman, Yemen on alert for tropical cyclone, following deadly Cyclone Sagar - AccuWeather.com (blog) AccuWeather.com (blog) Oman, Yemen on alert for tropical cyclone, following deadly Cyclone Sagar AccuWeather.com (blog) A continued track toward the north and northwest will take this future cyclone toward southern Oman with landfall possible late Friday or Saturday. At this time, locations from eastern Yemen through much of Oman should monitor this situation closely ... and more »