##ciekawa_strona##
Compare British Virgin Islands (2004) - Oman (2003)
Compare British Virgin Islands (2004) z Oman (2003)
| British Virgin Islands (2004) | Oman (2003) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 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 on Geographic Names (BGN) |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 21.5% (male 2,402; female 2,361)
15-64 years: 73.5% (male 8,395; female 7,911) 65 years and over: 5% (male 594; female 524) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years: 42.2% (male 603,664; female 580,469)
15-64 years: 55.4% (male 934,621; female 620,158) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 36,504; female 31,709) (2003 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish | dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish |
| Airports | 3 (2003 est.) | 139 (2002) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 6
over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 133
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 55 914 to 1,523 m: 37 under 914 m: 32 (2002) |
| Area | total: 153 sq km
land: 153 sq km water: 0 sq km note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada |
total: 212,460 sq km
land: 212,460 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Kansas |
| Background | First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were annexed in 1672 by the English. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency. | 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 | 14.96 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 37.47 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $121.5 million
expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997) |
revenues: $9.2 billion
expenditures: $6.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
| Capital | Road Town | Muscat |
| Climate | subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds | dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south |
| Coastline | 80 km | 2,092 km |
| Constitution | 1 June 1977 | 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: none
conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI |
conventional long form: Sultanate of Oman
conventional short form: Oman local long form: Saltanat Uman local short form: Uman former: Muscat and Oman |
| Currency | US dollar (USD) | Omani rial (OMR) |
| Death rate | 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 3.97 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Debt - external | $36.1 million (1997) | $5.7 billion (2002 est.) |
| Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing | - |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission: Ambassador Richard Lewis BALTIMORE III
embassy: Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat mailing address: P. O. Box 202, P.C. 115, Madinat Al-Sultan Qaboos, Muscat telephone: [968] 698989, extension 203 FAX: [968] 699771 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission: Ambassador Muhammad bin Ali bin Thani AL-KHUSSAIBY
chancery: 2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-1980 through 1981, 1988 FAX: [1] (202) 745-4933 |
| Disputes - international | none | boundary agreement signed and ratified with UAE in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves |
| Economic aid - recipient | NA | $76.4 million (1995) |
| Economy - overview | The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1998. Tourism suffered in 2002 because of the lackluster US economy. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, is expected to make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the dollar as its currency since 1959. | 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. GDP growth improved in 2001 despite the global slowdown and then fell back to 2.2% in 2002. In order to reduce unemployment, the government is trying to replace expatriate workers with local workers. Another government objective is the development of the nation's gas resources. |
| Electricity - consumption | 35.43 million kWh (2001) | 8.625 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production | 38.1 million kWh (2001) | 9.274 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Sage 521 m |
lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m
highest point: Jabal Shams 2,980 m |
| Environment - current issues | limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments) | 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 | black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed | Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African |
| Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | Omani rials per US dollar - 0.38 (2002), 0.38 (2001), 0.38 (2000), 0.38 (1999), 0.38 (1998) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Tom MACAN (since 14 October 2002)
head of government: Chief Minister Orlando D. SMITH (since 17 June 2003) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor |
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 | NA (2001) | NA (2001) |
| Exports - commodities | rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand | petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles |
| Exports - partners | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US | Japan 20.5%, South Korea 18.5%, China 14.1%, Thailand 11.7%, UAE 9.2%, Singapore 4.3%, US 4.1% (2002) |
| Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
| Flag description | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful) | 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 |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $320 million (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $22.4 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1.8%
industry: 6.2% services: 92% (1996 est.) |
agriculture: 3%
industry: 55% services: 42% (2001 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $8,300 (2002 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 1% (2002 est.) | 2.2% (2002 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 18 30 N, 64 30 W | 21 00 N, 57 00 E |
| Geography - note | strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico | strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil |
| Heliports | - | 1 (2002) |
| Highways | total: 177 km
paved: 177 km unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
total: 34,965 km
paved: 9,673 km (including 550 km of expressways) unpaved: 25,292 km (2001) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Illicit drugs | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering | - |
| Imports | NA (2001) | NA (2001) |
| Imports - commodities | building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants |
| Imports - partners | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US | UAE 27.5%, Japan 16.7%, UK 7.4%, US 6.9%, Germany 5% (2002) |
| Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese) |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA | 4% (2000 est.) |
| Industries | tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center | crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 18.05 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.02 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
total: 21.01 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 24.03 deaths/1,000 live births female: 17.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.5% (2002) | -0.5% (2002 est.) |
| International organization participation | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate), UPU | ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 1 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | NA sq km | 620 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction | Supreme Court
note: the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has non-Islamic judges as well as traditional Islamic judges |
| Labor force | 4,911 (1980) | 920,000 (2002 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA | 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: 20%
permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (2001) |
arable land: 0.08%
permanent crops: 0.22% other: 99.7% (1998 est.) |
| Languages | English (official) | Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects |
| Legal system | English law | based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the monarch; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Legislative branch | unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDP 8, VIP 5 |
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 for three-year term, 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 4 October 2003 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: NA |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 76.27 years
male: 75.24 years female: 77.36 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 72.58 years
male: 70.4 years female: 74.86 years (2003 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA female: NA |
definition: NA
total population: 75.8% male: 83.1% female: 67.2% (2003 est.) |
| Location | Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico | Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Middle East |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 83,825 GRT/155,909 DWT
by type: cargo 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: Norway 1 registered in other countries: 32 (2004 est.) |
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 17,291 GRT/9,457 DWT
ships by type: container 1, passenger 2 note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Singapore 1 (2002 est.) |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | - |
| Military branches | - | Royal Omani Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force), Royal Omani Police |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $2.424 billion (FY01) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 12.2% (FY01) |
| Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 788,429 (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 438,326 (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - military age | - | 14 years of age (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 29,485 (2003 est.) |
| National holiday | Territory Day, 1 July | Birthday of Sultan QABOOS, 18 November (1940) |
| Nationality | noun: British Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: British Virgin Islander |
noun: Omani(s)
adjective: Omani |
| Natural hazards | hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) | summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts |
| Natural resources | NEGL | petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas |
| Net migration rate | 10.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 0.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Pipelines | - | gas 3,599 km; oil 3,187 km (2003) |
| Political parties and leaders | Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL] | none |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
| Population | 22,187 (July 2004 est.) | 2,807,125
note: includes 577,293 non-nationals (July 2003 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 2.06% (2004 est.) | 3.38% (2003 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Road Town | Matrah, Mina' al Fahl, Mina' Raysut |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 3, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999) |
| Railways | - | 0 km |
| Religions | Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991) | Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.51 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.15 male(s)/female total population: 1.28 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 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 al-Shura |
| Telephone system | general assessment: worldwide telephone service
domestic: NA international: country code - 1-284; submarine cable to Bermuda |
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 | 11,700 (2002) | 201,000 (1997) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 8,000 (2002) | 59,822 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (plus one cable company) (1997) | 13 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1999) |
| Terrain | coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly | central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south |
| Total fertility rate | 1.72 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 5.94 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 3% (1995) | NA% |
| Waterways | - | none |
Sitemap:
Compare countries listing (map site) |
Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.