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Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2001) - Oman (2001)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2001) z Oman (2001)

 British Indian Ocean Territory (2001)Oman (2001)
 British Indian Ocean TerritoryOman
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 of Geographic Names (BGN)
Age structure - 0-14 years:
41.51% (male 554,727; female 533,627)

15-64 years:
56.12% (male 894,978; female 576,672)

65 years and over:
2.37% (male 32,863; female 29,331) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products - dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish
Airports 1 (2000 est.) 143 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total:
1

over 3,047 m:
1 (2000 est.)		 total:
6

over 3,047 m:
4

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total:
137

over 3,047 m:
2

2,438 to 3,047 m:
6

1,524 to 2,437 m:
56

914 to 1,523 m:
37

under 914 m:
36 (2000 est.)
Area total:
60 sq km

land:
60 sq km

water:
0 sq km

note:
includes the entire Chagos Archipelago		 total:
212,460 sq km

land:
212,460 sq km

water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Kansas
Background Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier resident in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. In 1970, QABOOS bin Said Al Said ousted his father and has ruled as sultan ever since. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world and has preserved a long-standing political and military relationship with the UK. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries.
Birth rate - 37.96 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget - revenues:
$4.7 billion

expenditures:
$5.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $490 million (1999)
Capital - Muscat
Climate tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
Coastline 698 km 2,092 km
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
Country name conventional long form:
British Indian Ocean Territory

conventional short form:
none

abbreviation:
BIOT		 conventional long form:
Sultanate of Oman

conventional short form:
Oman

local long form:
Saltanat Uman

local short form:
Uman

former:
Muscat and Oman
Currency - Omani rial (OMR)
Death rate - 4.1 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external - $4.5 billion (2000 est.)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission:
Ambassador John B. CRAIG

embassy:
Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat

mailing address:
international: P. O. Box 202, Code No. 115, Medinat Al-Sultan Qaboos, Muscat

telephone:
[968] 698989

FAX:
[968] 699189
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission:
Ambassador Abdallah bin Muhammad bin Aqil al-DHAHAB

chancery:
2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 387-1980 through 1981, 1988

FAX:
[1] (202) 745-4933
Disputes - international the Chagos Archipelago is claimed by Mauritius and Seychelles boundary with the UAE has not been bilaterally defined; northern section in the Musandam Peninsula is an administrative boundary
Economic aid - recipient - $76.4 million (1995)
Economy - overview All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. 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.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 8.026 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military 8.63 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel:
100%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m

highest point:
unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m		 lowest point:
Arabian Sea 0 m

highest point:
Jabal Shams 2,980 m
Environment - current issues NA rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; very limited natural fresh water resources
Environment - international agreements - party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups - Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African
Exchange rates - Omani rials per US dollar - 0.3845 (fixed rate since 1986)
Executive branch chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)

head of government:
Commissioner John WHITE (since NA); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK

cabinet:
NA

elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch		 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
Exports - $11.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities - petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles
Exports - partners - Japan 27%, China 12%, Thailand 18%, UAE 12%, South Korea 12%, US (1999)
Fiscal year - calendar year
Flag description white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag 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 at the top of the vertical band
GDP - purchasing power parity - $19.6 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture:
3%

industry:
40%

services:
57% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $7,700 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 4.6% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 6 00 S, 71 30 E 21 00 N, 57 00 E
Geography - note archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
Heliports - 1 (2000 est.)
Highways total:
NA km

paved:
short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia

unpaved:
NA km		 total:
32,800 km

paved:
9,840 km (including 550 km of expressways)

unpaved:
22,960 km (1996)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
Imports - $4.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities - machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants
Imports - partners - UAE 26% (largely reexports), Japan 16%, UK 9%, Italy 7%, Germany 6%, US (1999)
Independence - 1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)
Industrial production growth rate - 4% (2000 est.)
Industries - crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper
Infant mortality rate - 22.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - -0.8% (2000 est.)
International organization participation - 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
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1993) 580 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch - Supreme Court

note:
the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has non-Islamic judges as well as traditional Islamic judges
Labor force - 850,000 (1997 est.)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Land boundaries 0 km total:
1,374 km

border countries:
Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km
Land use arable land:
0%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
0%

forests and woodland:
NA%

other:
NA%		 arable land:
0%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
5%

forests and woodland:
0%

other:
95% (1993 est.)
Languages - Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects
Legal system the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the monarch; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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
Life expectancy at birth - total population:
72.04 years

male:
69.9 years

female:
74.29 years (2001 est.)
Literacy - definition:
NA

total population:
approaching 80%

male:
NA%

female:
NA%
Location Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE
Map references World Middle East
Maritime claims exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
3 NM		 contiguous zone:
24 NM

exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
Merchant marine - total:
4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,167 GRT/11,307 DWT

ships by type:
cargo 2, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1 (2000 est.)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 -
Military branches - Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary (includes Royal Oman Police)
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $2.4 billion (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 13% (FY00)
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 - military age - 14 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males:
26,469 (2001 est.)
National holiday - Birthday of Sultan QABOOS, 18 November (1940)
Nationality - noun:
Omani(s)

adjective:
Omani
Natural hazards NA summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts
Natural resources coconuts, fish, sugarcane petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas
Net migration rate - 0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines - crude oil 1,300 km; natural gas 1,030 km
Political parties and leaders - none
Political pressure groups and leaders - none
Population no indigenous inhabitants

note:
approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 1995, there were approximately 1,700 UK and US military personnel and 1,500 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia		 2,622,198

note:
includes 527,078 non-nationals (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line - NA%
Population growth rate - 3.43% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors Diego Garcia Matrah, Mina' al Fahl, Mina' Raysut
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 3, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)
Radios NA 1.4 million (1997)
Railways - 0 km
Religions - Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu
Sex ratio - at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
1.55 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
1.12 male(s)/female

total population:
1.3 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
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
Telephone system general assessment:
separate facilities for military and public needs are available

domestic:
all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet

international:
international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)		 general assessment:
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
Telephones - main lines in use NA 201,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 59,822 (1997)
Television broadcast stations 1 (1997) 13 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1999)
Terrain flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south
Total fertility rate - 6.04 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate - NA%
Waterways none none
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