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Compare Oman (2008) - Kosovo (2008)

Compare Oman (2008) z Kosovo (2008)

 Oman (2008)Kosovo (2008)
 OmanKosovo
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)* 30 municipalities (komunat, singular - komuna in Albanian; opstine, singular - opstina in Serbian); Decan (Decani), Dragash (Dragas), Ferizaj (Urosevac), Fushe Kosove (Kosovo Polje), Gjakove (Dakovica), Gllogoc/Drenas (Glogovac), Gjilan (Gnjilane), Istog (Istok), Kacanik, Kline (Klina), Kamenice/Dardana (Kamenica), Leposaviq (Leposavic), Lipjan (Lipljan), Malisheve (Malisevo), Mitrovice (Mitrovica), Novoberde (Novo Brdo), Obiliq (Obilic), Peje (Pec), Podujeve (Podujevo), Prishtine (Pristina), Prizren, Rahovec (Orahovac), Shtime (Stimlje), Shterpce (Strpce), Skenderaj (Srbica), Suhareke (Suva Reka), Viti (Vitina), Vushtrri (Vucitrn), Zubin Potok, Zvecan
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.)
-
Agriculture - products dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish NA
Airports 137 (2007) 10 (2008)
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: 6


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 4 (2008)
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: 4


under 914 m: 4 (2008)
Area total: 212,460 sq km


land: 212,460 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 10,887 sq km


land: 10,887 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Kansas slightly larger than Delaware
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. Serbs migrated to the territories of modern Kosovo in the 7th century, but did not fully incorporate them into the Serbian realm until the early 13th century. The Serbian defeat at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 led to five centuries of Ottoman rule, during which large numbers of Turks and Albanians moved to Kosovo. By the end of the 19th century, Albanians replaced the Serbs as the dominant ethnic group in Kosovo. Serbia reacquired control over Kosovo from the Ottoman Empire during the First Balkan War (1912), and after World War II (1945) the government of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia led by Josip Broz TITO reorganized Kosovo as an autonomous province within the constituent republic of Serbia. Over the next four decades, Kosovo Albanians lobbied for greater autonomy and Kosovo was granted the status almost equal to that of a republic in the 1974 Yugoslav Constitution. Despite the legislative concessions, Albanian nationalism increased in the 1980s leading to nationalist riots and calls for Kosovo's independence. Serbs in Kosovo complained of mistreatment and Serb nationalist leaders, such as Slobodan MILOSEVIC, exploited those charges to win support among Serbian voters, many of whom viewed Kosovo as their cultural heartland. Under MILOSEVIC's leadership, Serbia instituted a new constitution in 1989 that drastically curtailed Kosovo's autonomy and Kosovo Albanian leaders responded in 1991 by organizing a referendum that declared Kosovo independent from Serbia. The MILOSEVIC regime carried out repressive measures against the Albanians in the early 1990s as the unofficial government of Kosovo, led by Ibrahim RUGOVA, tried to use passive resistance to gain international assistance and recognition of its demands for independence. In 1995, Albanians dissatisfied with RUGOVA's nonviolent strategy created the Kosovo Liberation Army and launched an insurgency. In 1998, MILOSEVIC authorized a counterinsurgency campaign that resulted in massacres and massive expulsions of ethnic Albanians by Serbian military, police, and paramilitary forces. The international community tried to resolve the conflict peacefully, but MILOSEVIC rejected the proposed international settlement - the Rambouillet Accords - leading to a three-month NATO bombing of Serbia beginning in March 1999, which forced Serbia to withdraw its military and police forces from Kosovo in June 1999. UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) placed Kosovo under a transitional administration, the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), pending a determination of Kosovo's future status. Under the resolution, Serbia's territorial integrity was protected, but it was UNMIK who assumed responsibility for governing Kosovo. In 2001, UNMIK promulgated a Constitutional Framework, which established Kosovo's Provisional Institutions of Self-Government (PISG), and in succeeding years UNMIK increasingly devolved responsibilities to the PISG. A UN-led process began in late 2005 to determine Kosovo's future status. Negotiations held intermittently between 2006 and 2007 on issues related to decentralization, religious heritage, and minority rights failed to yield a resolution between Serbia's willingness to grant a high degree of autonomy and the Albanians' call for full independence for Kosovo. On 17 February 2008, the Kosovo Assembly declared its independence from Serbia.
Birth rate 35.76 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) -
Budget revenues: $13.82 billion


expenditures: $13.67 billion (2007 est.)
revenues: $893.2 million


expenditures: $796.6 million (2006 est.)
Capital name: Muscat


geographic coordinates: 23 37 N, 58 35 E


time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Pristina (Prishtine)


geographic coordinates: 42 40 N, 21 10 E


time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Climate dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south influenced by continental air masses resulting in relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns; Mediterranean and alpine influences create regional variation; maximum rainfall between October and December
Coastline 2,092 km 0 km (landlocked)
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 Constitutional Framework of 2001; note - the Kosovo Government is charged with putting forward an AHTISAARI (UN Special Envoy) Plan-compliant draft of a new constitution soon after independence
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: Republic of Kosovo


conventional short form: Kosovo


local long form: Republika e Kosoves (Republika Kosova)


local short form: Kosova (Kosovo)


former: Kosovo i Metohija, Autonomna Pokrajina
Death rate 3.78 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) -
Debt - external $3.483 billion (31 December 2007 est.) Serbia continued to pay Kosovo's external debt, which it claimed was around $1.2 billion; Kosovo was willing to accept around $900 million, according to the national bank of Serbia (2007)
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
-
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
-
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 Serbia with several other states protest the US and other states' recognition of Kosovo's declaring itself as a sovereign and independent state in February 2008; ethnic Serbian municipalities along Kosovo's northern border challenge final status of Kosovo-Serbia boundary; several thousand NATO-led KFOR peacekeepers under UNMIK authority continue to keep the peace within Kosovo between the ethnic Albanian majority and the Serb minority in Kosovo; Kosovo authorities object to alignment of the Kosovo boundary with Macedonia in accordance with the 2000 Macedonia-Serbia and Montenegro delimitation agreement
Economic aid - recipient $30.68 million (2005) $252 million (2006)
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. Kosovo's economy has largely transitioned to a market-based system but is highly dependent on the international community and the diaspora for financial and technical assistance. Remittances from the diaspora - located mainly in Germany and Switzerland - account for about 30% of GDP. Kosovo's citizens are the poorest in Europe with an average per capita income of only $1900 - about one-third the level of neighboring Albania. Unemployment - at 50% of the population - is a severe problem that encourages outward migration. Most of Kosovo's population lives in rural towns outside of the largest city, Pristina. Inefficient, near-subsistence farming is common - the result of small plots, limited mechanization, and lack of technical expertise. The complexity of Serbia and Kosovo's political and legal relationships created uncertainty over property rights and hindered the privatization of state-owned assets. Minerals and metals - including lignite, lead, zinc, nickel, chrome, aluminum, magnesium, and a wide variety of construction materials - once formed the backbone of industry, but output has declined because investment is insufficient to replace ageing Eastern Bloc equipment. Technical and financial problems in the power sector also impede industrial development, and deter foreign investment. Economic growth is largely driven by the private sector - mostly small-scale retail businesses. Both the euro and the Serbian dinar circulate. Kosovo's tie to the euro has helped keep inflation low. Kosovo has maintained a budget surplus as a result of efficient tax collection and inefficient spending. While maintaining ultimate oversight, UNMIK continues to work with the EU and Kosovo's provisional government to accelerate economic growth, lower unemployment, and attract foreign investment. In order to help integrate Kosovo into regional economic structures, UNMIK signed (on behalf of Kosovo) its accession to the Central Europe Free Trade Area (CEFTA) in 2006.
Electricity - consumption 8.661 billion kWh (2005) 4.281 billion kWh (2006)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) -
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) -
Electricity - production 11.89 billion kWh (2005) 3.996 billion kWh (2006)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m


highest point: Jabal Shams 2,980 m
lowest point: Drini i Bardhe/Beli Drim 297 m (located on the border with Albania)


highest point: Gjeravica/Deravica 2,565 m
Environment - current issues rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; very limited natural fresh water resources -
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 Albanians 88%, Serbs 7%, other 5% (Bosniak, Gorani, Roma, Turk)
Exchange rates Omani rials per US dollar - 0.3845 (2007), 0.3845 (2006), 0.3845 (2005), 0.3845 (2004), 0.3845 (2003) Serbian dinars per US dollar - 54.5 (2008 est.)
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: President Fatmir SEJDIU (since 10 February 2006)


head of government: Prime Minister Hashim THACI (since 9 January 2008)


cabinet: ministers; elected by the Kosovo Assembly


elections: the president is elected for a 5-year term by the Kosovo Assembly; the prime minister is elected by the Kosovo Assembly


election results: Fatmir SEJDIU and Hashim THACI elected to be president and prime minister respectively by the Assembly
Exports 733,100 bbl/day (2004) $13.08 million (2006)
Exports - commodities petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles scrap metals, mining and processed metal products, plastics, wood
Exports - partners China 23.6%, South Korea 17.9%, Japan 10.9%, Thailand 10.7%, South Africa 7.7%, UAE 6.3% (2006) Central Europe Free Trade Area (CFTA) 56% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year -
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 centered on a dark blue field is the shape of Kosovo in a gold color surmounted by six white, five-pointed stars - each representing one of the major ethnic groups of Kosovo - arrayed in a slight arc
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 2.2%


industry: 38.3%


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


industry: NA


services: NA
GDP - real growth rate 5.3% (2007 est.) 2.6% (2007)
Geographic coordinates 21 00 N, 57 00 E 42 35 N, 21 00 E
Geography - note strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil -
Heliports 2 (2007) 2 (2008)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
-
Imports 15,440 bbl/day (2004) $84.99 million (2006)
Imports - commodities machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and electrical equipment
Imports - partners UAE 22.4%, Japan 16.4%, US 8.1%, Germany 5.5%, India 4.3% (2006) Central Europe Free Trade Area (CFTA) 48% (2006)
Independence 1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese) -
Industrial production growth rate 3.2% (2007 est.) -
Industries crude oil production and refining, natural and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production; construction, cement, copper, steel, chemicals, optic fiber NA
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.)
-
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 4% (2007 est.) 2% (2007 est.)
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 -
Irrigated land 720 sq km (2003) -
Judicial branch Supreme Court


note: the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has judges who practice secular and Shari'a law
Supreme Court judges are appointed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG); district courts judges are appointed by the SRSG; municipal courts judges are appointed by the SRSG
Labor force 920,000 (2002 est.) 832,000 (June 2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
agriculture: 21.4%


industry: NA


services: NA (2006)
Land boundaries total: 1,374 km


border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km
total: 700.7 km


border countries: Albania 111.8 km, Macedonia 158.7 km, Montenegro 78.6 km, Serbia 351.6 km
Land use arable land: 0.12%


permanent crops: 0.14%


other: 99.74% (2005)
-
Languages Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects Albanian, Serbian, Bosniak, Turkish
Legal system based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the monarch; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction evolving legal system based on terms of UN Special Envoy Martii AHTISAARI's Plan for Kosovo's supervised independence
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 Kosovo Assembly of the Provisional Government (120 seats; 100 seats directly elected, 10 seats for Serbs, 10 seats for other minorities; to serve three-year terms)


elections: last held 17 November 2007 (next to be held NA)


election results: percent of vote by party - Democratic Party of Kosovo 34.3%, Democratic League of Kosovo 22.6%, New Kosovo Alliance 12.3%, Democratic League of Dardania-Albanian Christian Democratic Party of Kosovo 10.0%, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo 9.6%; seats by party - Democratic Party of Kosovo 37, Democratic League of Kosovo 25, New Kosovo Alliance 13, Democratic League of Dardania-Albanian Christian Democratic Party of Kosovo 11, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo 10
Life expectancy at birth total population: 73.62 years


male: 71.37 years


female: 75.99 years (2007 est.)
-
Literacy definition: NA


total population: 81.4%


male: 86.8%


female: 73.5% (2003 est.)
-
Location Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE Southeast Europe, between Serbia and Macedonia
Map references Middle East Europe
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
none (landlocked)
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)
-
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) -
Nationality noun: Omani(s)


adjective: Omani
noun: Kosovoan


adjective: Kosovoan
Natural hazards summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts -
Natural resources petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas nickel, lead, zinc, magnesium, lignite, kaolin, chrome, bauxite
Net migration rate 0.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) -
Pipelines gas 4,126 km; oil 3,558 km (2007) -
Political parties and leaders none Albanian Christian Democratic Party of Kosovo or PSHDK [Mark KRASNIQI]; Alliance for the Future of Kosovo or AAK [Ramush HARADINAJ]; Alliance of Independent Social Democrats of Kososvo and Metohija or SDSKiM [Slavisa PETKOVIC]; Autonomous Liberal Party of SLS [Slobodan PETROVIC]; Bosniak Vakat Coalition [ Dzezair MURATI]; Citizens' Initiative of Gora or GIG [Murselj HALILI]; Council of Independent Social Democrats of Kosovo or SNSDKIM [Ljubisa ZIVIC]; Democratic League of Dardania or LDD [Nexhat DACI]; Democratic League of Kosovo or LDK [Fatmir SEJDIU]; Democratic Party of Ashkali of Kosovo or PDAK [Sabit RRAHMANI]; Democratic Party of Kosovo or PDK [Hashim THACI]; Kosovo Democratic Turkish Party of KDTP [Mahir YAGCILAR]; New Democratic Initiative of Kosovo or IRDK [Xhevdet Neziraj]; New Democratic Party or ND [Branislav GRBIC]; New Kosovo Alliance [Behgjet PACOLLI]; Popular Movement of Kosovo or LPK [Emrush XHEMAJLI]; Reform Party Ora; Serb National Party or SNS [Mihailo SCEPANOVIC]; Serbian Kosovo and Metohija Party or SKMS [Dragisa MIRIC]; United Roma Party of Kosovo or PREBK [Haxhi Zylfi MERXHA]; Democratic Action Party or SDA [Numan BALIC]
Political pressure groups and leaders none -
Population 3,204,897


note: includes 577,293 non-nationals (July 2007 est.)
2,126,708 (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 30% (2006 est.)
Population growth rate 3.234% (2007 est.) -
Radio broadcast stations AM 3, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999) -
Railways - total: 430 km (2005)
Religions Ibadhi Muslim 75%, other (includes Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu) 25% Muslim, Serbian Orthodox, Roman Catholic
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.)
-
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
-
Telephones - main lines in use 278,300 (2006) 106,300 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.818 million (2006) 562,000 (2006)
Television broadcast stations 13 (plus 25 repeaters) (1999) -
Terrain central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south flat fluvial basin with an elevation of 400-700 m above sea level surrounded by several high mountain ranges with elevations of 2,000 to 2,500 m
Total fertility rate 5.7 children born/woman (2007 est.) -
Unemployment rate 15% (2004 est.) 50% (2007 est.)
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