Oman (2002) | Hong Kong (2002) | |
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 on Geographic Names (BGN) | none (special administrative region of China) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 41.9% (male 579,065; female 556,923)
15-64 years: 55.7% (male 914,494; female 597,948) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 34,555; female 30,477) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: 17.5% (male 679,311; female 599,811)
15-64 years: 71.6% (male 2,587,509; female 2,641,418) 65 years and over: 10.9% (male 364,864; female 430,421) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish | fresh vegetables; poultry, fish, pork |
Airports | 143 (2001) | 3 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 6
over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | 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: 212,460 sq km
land: 212,460 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 1,092 sq km
land: 1,042 sq km water: 50 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Kansas | six times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China the following year; various adjacent lands were added later in the 19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China has promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system will not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years. |
Birth rate | 37.76 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 10.92 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $9.2 billion
expenditures: $6.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
revenues: $22.9 billion
expenditures: $24.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $465 million (FY00/01) |
Capital | Muscat | - |
Climate | dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south | tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall |
Coastline | 2,092 km | 733 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 | Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution" |
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 |
conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
conventional short form: Hong Kong local long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu local short form: Xianggang abbreviation: HK |
Currency | Omani rial (OMR) | Hong Kong dollar (HKD) |
Death rate | 4.03 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 6.11 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $5.3 billion (2000 est.) | $58.8 billion (2001 est.) |
Dependency status | - | special administrative region of China |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Richard Lewis BALTIMORE III
embassy: Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat mailing address: international: P. O. Box 202, P.C. 115, Madinat Al-Sultan Qaboos, Muscat telephone: [968] 698989, extension 203 FAX: [968] 699771 |
chief of mission: Consul General Michael KLOSSON
consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong mailing address: PSC 464, Box 30, FPO AP 96522-0002 telephone: [852] 2523-9011 FAX: [852] 2845-1598 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Ali AL KHUSAIBY
chancery: 2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-1980 through 1981, 1988 FAX: [1] (202) 745-4933 |
none (special administrative region of China) |
Disputes - international | Oman signed a boundary treaty with the UAE in 1999, but the completed boundary is not expected until the end of 2002; undefined segments of the Oman-UAE boundary remain with Ra's al-Khaymah and Ash Shariqah (Sharjah) emirates, including the Musandam Peninsula, where an administrative boundary substitutes for an international boundary | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $76.4 million (1995) (1995) | - |
Economy - overview | 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. | Hong Kong has a bustling free market economy highly dependent on international trade. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. Indeed, imports and exports, including reexports, each exceed GDP in dollar value. Even before Hong Kong reverted to Chinese administration on 1 July 1997 it had extensive trade and investment ties with China. Per capita GDP compares with the level in the four big economies of Western Europe. GDP growth averaged a strong 5% in 1989-97. The widespread Asian economic difficulties in 1998 hit this trade-dependent economy quite hard, with GDP down 5%. The economy, with growth of 10% in 2000, recovered rapidly from the Asian financial crisis. The recent global downturn has badly hurt Hong Kong's exports and GDP growth is estimated to be 0% in 2001. Private sector analysts project 2002 GDP growth to be 1.8%. |
Electricity - consumption | 7.533 billion kWh (2000) | 35.402 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2000) | 1.181 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2000) | 9.195 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 8.1 billion kWh (2000) | 29.449 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m
highest point: Jabal Shams 2,980 m |
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m |
Environment - current issues | rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; very limited natural fresh water resources | air and water pollution from rapid urbanization |
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 |
party to: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member) |
Ethnic groups | Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African | Chinese 95%, other 5% |
Exchange rates | Omani rials per US dollar - 0.3845 (fixed rate since 1986) | Hong Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.798 (January 2002), 7.7994 (2001), 7.7918 (2000), 7.7589 (1999), 7.7462 (1998), 7.7425 (1997); note - the Hong Kong dollar is linked to the US dollar at a rate of about 7.8 Hong Kong dollars per US dollar |
Executive branch | 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 |
chief of state: President of China JIANG Zemin (since 27 March 1993)
head of government: Chief Executive TUNG Chee-hwa (since 1 July 1997) cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex-officio members and 10 appointed members; ex-officio members are: Chief Secretary Donald TSANG Yam-kuen (since 1 May 2001), Financial Secretary Antony LEUNG (since 1 May 2001), and Secretary of Justice Elsie LEUNG (since 1 July 1997) elections: NA |
Exports | $10.9 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) | $191 billion f.o.b., including reexports (2001 est.) |
Exports - commodities | petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles | clothing, textiles, footwear, electrical appliances, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones |
Exports - partners | Japan 21%, Thailand 18%, China 16%, South Korea 12%, UAE 12%, US 3% (2001) | China 34%, US 23%, Japan 6%, Germany 4%, UK 4%, Taiwan 3%, Singapore 2% (2000) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
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 | red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $21.5 billion (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $180 billion (2001 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 3%
industry: 40% services: 57% (1999 est.) |
agriculture: 0%
industry: 14% services: 86% (1999 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $8,200 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $25,000 (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 7.4% (2001 est.) | 0% (2001 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 21 00 N, 57 00 E | 22 15 N, 114 10 E |
Geography - note | strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil | more than 200 islands |
Heliports | 1 (2002) | 2 (2002) |
Highways | total: 32,800 km
paved: 9,840 km (including 550 km of expressways) unpaved: 22,960 km (1996) |
total: 1,831 km
paved: 1,831 km unpaved: 0 km (1997) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | strenuous law enforcement efforts, but faces serious challenges in controlling transit of heroin and methamphetamine to regional and world markets; modern banking system provides a conduit for money laundering; rising indigenous use of synthetic drugs, especially among young people |
Imports | $5.4 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) | $203 billion (2001 est.) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants | foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum, plastics, machinery, electrical equipment; a large share is reexported |
Imports - partners | UAE 23% (largely reexports), Japan 16%, UK 13%, Italy 7%, Germany 5%, US 5% (2001) | China 43%, Japan 12%, Taiwan 8%, US 7%, South Korea 5%, Singapore 3% (2000) |
Independence | 1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese) | none (special administrative region of China) |
Industrial production growth rate | 4% (2000 est.) | -9% (2001 est.) |
Industries | crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper | textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks |
Infant mortality rate | 21.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | 5.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1% (2001 est.) | -1.6% (2001 est.) |
International organization participation | ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO | APEC, AsDB, BIS, CCC, ESCAP (associate), ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WMO, WToO (associate), WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | 17 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 620 sq km (1998 est.) | 20 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court
note: the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has non-Islamic judges as well as traditional Islamic judges |
The Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region |
Labor force | 920,000 | 3.44 million (2001 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% | wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 31%, financing, insurance, and real estate 13%, community and social services 11%, manufacturing 7%, transport and communications 6%, construction 2%, other 30% (2001 est.) |
Land boundaries | total: 1,374 km
border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km |
total: 30 km
border countries: China 30 km |
Land use | arable land: 0.08%
permanent crops: 0.22% other: 99.7% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 5.05%
permanent crops: 1.01% other: 93.94% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects | Chinese (Cantonese), English; both are official |
Legal system | based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the monarch; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on English common law |
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 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 NA September 2000 (next to be held NA September 2003) election results: NA; note - two women were elected for the first time to the Majlis al-Shura, about 100,000 people voted |
unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (60 seats; 30 indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 24 elected by popular vote, and 6 elected by an 800-member election committee; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 10 September 2000 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 12, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong 10, Liberal Party 7, Frontier Party 5, Hong Kong Progressive Alliance 4, New Century Forum 2, Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood 1, independents 19 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 72.31 years
male: 70.15 years female: 74.57 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 79.8 years
male: 77.1 years female: 82.69 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: approaching 80% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 92.2% male: 96% female: 88.2% (1996 est.) |
Location | Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE | Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China |
Map references | Middle East | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 3 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 17,291 GRT/9,457 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1 note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Singapore 1 (2002 est.) |
total: 433 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 13,539,257 GRT/22,682,757 DWT
ships by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 264, cargo 38, chemical tanker 10, combination bulk 2, container 73, liquefied gas 8, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, petroleum tanker 32, refrigerated cargo 1, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 2 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 5, Belize 1, British Virgin Islands 1, China 115, Denmark 2, Germany 19, Greece 2, India 8, Japan 8, Liberia 1, Malaysia 7, Norway 1, Panama 2, Philippines 5, Singapore 7, South Korea 2, Taiwan 1, United Kingdom 27, Virgin Islands (UK) 1 (2002 est.) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of China |
Military branches | Royal Omani Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force), Royal Omani Police | no regular indigenous military forces; Hong Kong garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) including elements of the PLA Ground Forces, PLA Navy, and PLA Air Force; these forces are under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission in Beijing and under administrative control of the adjacent Guangzhou Military Region |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $2,424.4 million (FY01) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 12.2% (FY01) | NA% |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 780,292 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49: 2,028,208 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 434,026 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49: 1,523,378 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | 14 years of age (2002 est.) | 18 years of age (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 26,470 (2002 est.) | males: 47,139 (2002 est.) |
National holiday | Birthday of Sultan QABOOS, 18 November (1940) | National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949); note - 1 July 1997 is celebrated as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day |
Nationality | noun: Omani(s)
adjective: Omani |
noun: Chinese
adjective: Chinese |
Natural hazards | summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts | occasional typhoons |
Natural resources | petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas | outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar |
Net migration rate | 0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 7.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Pipelines | crude oil 1,300 km; natural gas 1,030 km | - |
Political parties and leaders | none | Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood [Frederick FUNG Kin-kee, chairman]; Citizens Party [Alex CHAN Kai-chung]; Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong [Jasper TSANG Yok-sing, chairman]; Democratic Party [Martin LEE Chu-ming, chairman]; Frontier Party [Emily LAU Wai-hing, chairwoman]; Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood [leader NA]; Hong Kong Progressive Alliance [Ambrose LAU Hon-chuen]; Liberal Party [James TIEN Pei-chun, chairman]; New Century Forum [NQ Ching-fai, chairman]
note: political blocs include: pro-democracy - Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood, Citizens Party, Democratic Party, Frontier Party; pro-Beijing - Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Progressive Alliance, Liberal Party, New Century Forum |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of Trade Unions (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEE Cheuk-yan, general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Federation of Trade Unions (pro-China) [LEE Chark-tim, president]; Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China [Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union [CHEUNG Man-kwong, president]; Liberal Democratic Federation [HU Fa-kuang, chairman] |
Population | 2,713,462
note: includes 527,078 non-nationals (July 2002 est.) |
7,303,334 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 3.41% (2002 est.) | 1.26% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Matrah, Mina' al Fahl, Mina' Raysut | Hong Kong |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 3, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999) | AM 7, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 1.4 million (1997) | 4.45 million (1997) |
Railways | 0 km | total: 34 km
standard gauge: 34 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified and double-tracked) note: connects to China railway system at Hong Kong-China border (2001) |
Religions | Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu | eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.53 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female total population: 1.29 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 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 | direct election 18 years of age; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; indirect election limited to about 100,000 members of functional constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies |
Telephone system | 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 |
general assessment: modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services
domestic: microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic network international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China; access to 5 international submarine cables providing connections to ASEAN member nations, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe |
Telephones - main lines in use | 201,000 (1997) | 3.839 million (1999) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 59,822 (1997) | 3.7 million (December 1999) |
Television broadcast stations | 13 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1999) | 4 (plus two repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south | hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north |
Total fertility rate | 5.99 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 1.3 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA% | 5.2% (2001 est.) |
Waterways | none | none |