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Compare Western Sahara (2008) - Oman (2004)

Compare Western Sahara (2008) z Oman (2004)

 Western Sahara (2008)Oman (2004)
 Western SaharaOman
Administrative divisions none (under de facto control of Morocco) 5 regions (manaatiq, singular - mintaqat) and 3 governorates* (muhaafazaat, singular - muhaafaza) Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah, Az Zahirah, Masqat*, Musandam*, Zufar*
Age structure 0-14 years: 45.4% (male 88,176/female 85,421)


15-64 years: 52.3% (male 98,345/female 101,895)


65 years and over: 2.3% (male 3,705/female 5,075) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 42.4% (male 628,078; female 603,829)


15-64 years: 55.1% (male 955,765; female 643,687)


65 years and over: 2.5% (male 38,761; female 33,045) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads); fish dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish
Airports 9 (2007) 135 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2007)
total: 6


over 3,047 m: 4


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 6


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 2 (2007)
total: 130


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 7


1,524 to 2,437 m: 52


914 to 1,523 m: 34


under 914 m: 35 (2004 est.)
Area total: 266,000 sq km


land: 266,000 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 212,460 sq km


land: 212,460 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative about the size of Colorado slightly smaller than Kansas
Background Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991 UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed. In April 2007, Morocco presented an autonomy plan for the territory to the UN, which the U.S. considers serious and credible. The Polisario also presented a plan to the UN in 2007. Since August 2007, representatives from the Government of Morocco and the Polisario Front have met three times to negotiate the status of Western Sahara, with a fourth round of negotiations planned for March 2008. 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 NA 39.95 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 37.12 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA
revenues: $8.218 billion


expenditures: $7.766 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)
Capital none


time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Muscat
Climate hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
Coastline 1,110 km 2,092 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
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Western Sahara


former: Spanish Sahara
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 NA 3.91 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $NA $5.973 billion (2003 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US none 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] 24-698989


FAX: [968] 24-699771
Diplomatic representation in the US none 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 Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose sovereignty remains unresolved; UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991, administered by the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals; several states have extended diplomatic relations to the "Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic" represented by the Polisario Front in exile in Algeria, while others recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara; most of the approximately 102,000 Sahrawi refugees are sheltered in camps in Tindouf, Algeria 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 Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. The territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural production, and most of the food for the urban population must be imported. Incomes in Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level. The Moroccan Government controls all trade and other economic activities in Western Sahara. Morocco and the EU signed a four-year agreement in July 2006 allowing European vessels to fish off the coast of Morocco, including the disputed waters off the coast of Western Sahara. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which has angered the Polisario. However, in 2006 the Polisario awarded similar exploration licenses in the disputed territory, which would come into force if Morocco and the Polisario resolve their dispute over Western Sahara. Oman is a small, well-off middle Eastern economy with large oil and gas resources, a substantial trade surplus, and low inflation. 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 (WTO) in November 2000. In order to reduce unemployment and limit dependence on foreign countries, the government is encouraging the replacement of expatriate workers with local people, i.e., the process of Omanization. Training in information technology, business management, and English support this objective. Industrial development plans focus on gas resources.
Electricity - consumption 79.05 million kWh (2005) 8.625 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 85 million kWh (2005) 9.274 billion kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m


highest point: unnamed location 463 m
lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m


highest point: Jabal Shams 2,980 m
Environment - current issues sparse water and lack of arable land rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; very limited natural fresh water resources
Environment - international agreements party to: none of the selected agreements


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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, Berber Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African
Exchange rates Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.2827 (2007), 8.7722 (2006), 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004), 9.5744 (2003) Omani rials per US dollar - 0.3845 (2003), 0.3845 (2002), 0.3845 (2001), 0.3845 (2000), 0.3845 (1999)
Executive branch none 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 0 bbl/day (2004) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities phosphates 62% petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles
Exports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006) South Korea 18.7%, China 18.5%, Japan 16.2%, Thailand 12.2%, UAE 7.8%, Iran 4.1% (2003)
Fiscal year calendar 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
GDP - purchasing power parity - $36.7 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: 40%
agriculture: 3.1%


industry: 42.1%


services: 54.8% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $13,100 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate NA% 1.1% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates 24 30 N, 13 00 W 21 00 N, 57 00 E
Geography - note the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
Heliports - 1 (2003 est.)
Highways - 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
Imports 1,698 bbl/day (2004) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants
Imports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006) UAE 21.6%, Japan 17.1%, US 6.2%, UK 5.6%, Germany 4.4%, India 4.4% (2003)
Independence - 1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 0.2% (2003 est.)
Industries phosphate mining, handicrafts crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper
Infant mortality rate total: NA


male: NA


female: NA
total: 20.26 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 23.18 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 17.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA% -0.3% (2003 est.)
International organization participation none ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO
Irrigated land NA 620 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch - Supreme Court


note: the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has judges who practice secular and Sharia (Islamic) law
Labor force 12,000 920,000 (2002 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 50%


industry and services: 50%
agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA
Land boundaries total: 2,046 km


border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
total: 1,374 km


border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km
Land use arable land: 0.02%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 99.98% (2005)
arable land: 0.12%


permanent crops: 0.14%


other: 99.74% (2001)
Languages Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects
Legal system - 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 (58 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory powers only) and a lower chamber or Majlis al-Shura (83 seats; members elected by universal suffrage for four-year term; 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 2007)


election results: NA
Life expectancy at birth total population: NA


male: NA


female: NA
total population: 72.85 years


male: 70.66 years


female: 75.16 years (2004 est.)
Literacy NA definition: NA


total population: 75.8%


male: 83.1%


female: 67.2% (2003 est.)
Location Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE
Map references Africa Middle East
Maritime claims contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine - total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 15,430 GRT/6,360 DWT


by type: passenger 2


registered in other countries: 1 (2004 est.)
Military branches - Royal Omani Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $242.07 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 11.4% (2003)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 796,792 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 443,006 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 31,274 (2004 est.)
National holiday - Birthday of Sultan QABOOS, 18 November (1940)
Nationality noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)


adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian
noun: Omani(s)


adjective: Omani
Natural hazards hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts
Natural resources phosphates, iron ore petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas
Net migration rate - 0.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines - gas 3,754 km; oil 3,212 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders - none
Political pressure groups and leaders none none
Population 382,617


note: estimate is based on projections by age, sex, fertility, mortality, and migration; fertility and mortality are based on data from neighboring countries (July 2007 est.)
2,903,165


note: includes 577,293 non-nationals (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA
Population growth rate NA 3.35% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors - Matrah, Mina' al Fahl, Mina' Raysut
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 3, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)
Religions Muslim Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu
Sex ratio NA at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.49 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.17 male(s)/female


total population: 1.27 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed in Oman's most recent Majlis al-Shura elections in 2003, suffrage was universal for all Omanis over age 21 except for members of the military and security forces; the next Majlis al-Shura elections are scheduled for 2007
Telephone system general assessment: sparse and limited system


domestic: NA


international: country code - 212; tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco
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: country code - 968; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat
Telephones - main lines in use about 2,000 (1999 est.) 233,900 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 0 (1999) 464,900 (2002)
Television broadcast stations NA 13 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1999)
Terrain mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south
Total fertility rate NA 5.9 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% NA
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