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OMAN

@Oman:Geography

Location: Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and
Persian Gulf, between Yemen and the United Arab Emirates

Map references: Middle East

Area:
total area: 212,460 sq km
land area: 212,460 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Kansas

Land boundaries: total 1,374 km, Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km,
Yemen 288 km

Coastline: 2,092 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: no defined boundary with most of UAE;
Administrative Line with UAE in far north

Climate: dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong
southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south

Terrain: vast central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and
south

Natural resources: petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble,
limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas

Land use:
arable land: less than 2%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 5%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 93%

Irrigated land: 410 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills;
very limited natural fresh water resources
natural hazards: summer winds often raise large sandstorms and
duststorms in interior; periodic droughts
international agreements: party to - Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity,
Climate Change

Note: strategic location with small foothold on Musandam Peninsula
controlling Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude
oil

@Oman:People

Population: 2,125,089 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 46% (female 480,974; male 498,619)
15-64 years: 51% (female 493,685; male 593,740)
65 years and over: 3% (female 31,826; male 26,245) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.71% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 38.05 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 4.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 34.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.25 years
male: 68.31 years
female: 72.29 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.16 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Omani(s)