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Compare Oman (2008) - British Virgin Islands (2003)

Compare Oman (2008) z British Virgin Islands (2003)

 Oman (2008)British Virgin Islands (2003)
 OmanBritish Virgin Islands
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*, Musandam*, Zufar (Dhofar)* none (overseas territory of the UK)
Age structure 0-14 years: 42.7% (male 698,461/female 670,793)


15-64 years: 54.6% (male 1,026,686/female 723,712)


65 years and over: 2.7% (male 47,534/female 37,711) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 21.9% (male 2,401; female 2,358)


15-64 years: 73.1% (male 8,181; female 7,709)


65 years and over: 5% (male 578; female 503) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
Airports 137 (2007) 3 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 7


over 3,047 m: 4


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 130


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 8


1,524 to 2,437 m: 51


914 to 1,523 m: 35


under 914 m: 34 (2007)
total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
Area total: 212,460 sq km


land: 212,460 sq km


water: 0 sq km
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
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Kansas about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Background The inhabitants of the area of Oman have long prospered on Indian Ocean trade. In the late 18th century, a newly established sultanate in Muscat signed the first in a series of friendship treaties with Britain. Over time, Oman's dependence on British political and military advisors increased, but it never became a British colony. In 1970, QABOOS bin Said al-Said overthrew the restrictive rule of his father; he has ruled as sultan ever since. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world while preserving the longstanding close ties with the UK. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries. 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.
Birth rate 35.76 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 15 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $13.82 billion


expenditures: $13.67 billion (2007 est.)
revenues: $121.5 million


expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)
Capital name: Muscat


geographic coordinates: 23 37 N, 58 35 E


time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Road Town
Climate dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
Coastline 2,092 km 80 km
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 1 June 1977
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: none


conventional short form: British Virgin Islands


abbreviation: BVI
Currency - US dollar (USD)
Death rate 3.78 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 4.46 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $3.483 billion (31 December 2007 est.) $36.1 million (1997)
Dependency status - overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Gary A. GRAPPO


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
none (overseas territory of the UK)
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 through 1981, 1988


FAX: [1] (202) 745-4933
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international boundary agreement reportedly signed and ratified with UAE in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah exclave, but details of the alignment have not been made public none
Economic aid - recipient $30.68 million (2005) NA%
Economy - overview Oman is a middle-income economy that is heavily dependent on dwindling oil resources, but sustained high oil prices in recent years have helped build Oman's budget and trade surpluses and foreign reserves. Oman joined the World Trade Organization in November 2000 and continues to liberalize its markets. It ratified a free trade agreement with the US in September 2006, and, through the Gulf Cooperation Council, seeks similar agreements with the EU, China and Japan. As a result of its dwindling oil resources, Oman is actively pursuing a development plan that focuses on diversification, industrialization, and privatization, with the objective of reducing the oil sector's contribution to GDP to 9 percent by 2020. Muscat is attempting to "Omanize" the labor force by replacing foreign expatriate workers with local workers. Oman actively seeks private foreign investors, especially in the industrial, information technology, tourism, and higher education fields. Industrial development plans focus on gas resources, metal manufacturing, petrochemicals, and international transshipment ports. 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.
Electricity - consumption 8.661 billion kWh (2005) 35.43 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 11.89 billion kWh (2005) 38.1 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m


highest point: Jabal Shams 2,980 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
Environment - current issues rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; very limited natural fresh water resources 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)
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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 black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed
Exchange rates Omani rials per US dollar - 0.3845 (2007), 0.3845 (2006), 0.3845 (2005), 0.3845 (2004), 0.3845 (2003) the US dollar is used
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


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary
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 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
Exports 733,100 bbl/day (2004) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand
Exports - partners China 23.6%, South Korea 17.9%, Japan 10.9%, Thailand 10.7%, South Africa 7.7%, UAE 6.3% (2006) Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
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 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)
GDP - purchasing power parity - $320 million (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 2.2%


industry: 38.3%


services: 59.5% (2007 est.)
agriculture: 1.8%


industry: 6.2%


services: 92% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 5.3% (2007 est.) 1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 21 00 N, 57 00 E 18 30 N, 64 30 W
Geography - note strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
Heliports 2 (2007) -
Highways - total: 177 km


paved: 177 km


unpaved: 0 km (2000)
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
Imports 15,440 bbl/day (2004) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
Imports - partners UAE 22.4%, Japan 16.4%, US 8.1%, Germany 5.5%, India 4.3% (2006) Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
Independence 1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese) none (overseas territory of the UK)
Industrial production growth rate 3.2% (2007 est.) NA
Industries crude oil production and refining, natural and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production; construction, cement, copper, steel, chemicals, optic fiber tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center
Infant mortality rate total: 18.28 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 20.96 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 15.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 18.8 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 21.86 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 15.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 4% (2007 est.) 2.5% (2002)
International organization participation ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Caricom (associate), CDB, ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 16 (2000)
Irrigated land 720 sq km (2003) NA sq km
Judicial branch Supreme Court


note: the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has judges who practice secular and Shari'a law
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
Labor force 920,000 (2002 est.) 4,911 (1980)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Land boundaries total: 1,374 km


border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 0.12%


permanent crops: 0.14%


other: 99.74% (2005)
arable land: 20%


permanent crops: 6.67%


other: 73.33% (1998 est.)
Languages Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects English (official)
Legal system based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the monarch; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction English law
Legislative branch bicameral Majlis Oman consists of Majlis al-Dawla or upper chamber (70 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory powers only) and Majlis al-Shura or lower chamber (84 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; body has some limited power to propose legislation, but otherwise has only advisory powers)


elections: last held 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 were elected
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
Life expectancy at birth total population: 73.62 years


male: 71.37 years


female: 75.99 years (2007 est.)
total population: 76.06 years


male: 75.07 years


female: 77.1 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: NA


total population: 81.4%


male: 86.8%


female: 73.5% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97.8% (1991 est.)


male: NA%


female: NA%
Location Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Map references Middle East Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 3 NM
Merchant marine total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 12,155 GRT/7,244 DWT


by type: chemical tanker 1, passenger 1


registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2007)
total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) 19,203 GRT/28,864 DWT


ships by type: cargo 1 (2002 est.)
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches Sultan's Armed Forces (SAF): Royal Army of Oman, Royal Navy of Oman, Royal Air Force of Oman (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Sultanat Oman, RAFO) (2007) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 11.4% (2005 est.) -
National holiday Birthday of Sultan QABOOS, 18 November (1940) Territory Day, 1 July
Nationality noun: Omani(s)


adjective: Omani
noun: British Virgin Islander(s)


adjective: British Virgin Islander
Natural hazards summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
Natural resources petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas NEGL
Net migration rate 0.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) 10.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines gas 4,126 km; oil 3,558 km (2007) -
Political parties and leaders none 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]
Political pressure groups and leaders none NA
Population 3,204,897


note: includes 577,293 non-nationals (July 2007 est.)
21,730 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 3.234% (2007 est.) 2.1% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors - Road Town
Radio broadcast stations AM 3, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999) AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways - 0 km
Religions Ibadhi Muslim 75%, other (includes Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu) 25% 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)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.041 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.419 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.26 male(s)/female


total population: 1.238 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
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: 1.15 male(s)/female


total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 21 years of age; universal; note - members of the military and security forces are not allowed to vote 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: modern system consisting of open-wire, microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations; limited coaxial cable


domestic: fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership both increasing; open-wire, microwave, radiotelephone communications, and a domestic satellite system with 8 earth stations


international: country code - 968; the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) and the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable provide connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat
general assessment: worldwide telephone service


domestic: NA


international: submarine cable to Bermuda
Telephones - main lines in use 278,300 (2006) 10,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.818 million (2006) NA
Television broadcast stations 13 (plus 25 repeaters) (1999) 1 (plus one cable company) (1997)
Terrain central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
Total fertility rate 5.7 children born/woman (2007 est.) 1.72 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 15% (2004 est.) 3% (1995)
Waterways - none
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