Official name: Sultanate of Oman
Capital: Muscat
Area: 309,500 sq km / 119,500 sq mi

People
Population: 3,309,440 (2008 estimate)
Population growth rate: 3.19 percent (2008 estimate)
Projected population in 2025 5,294,475 (2025 estimate)
Projected population in 2050 8,337,734 (2050 estimate)
Population density 16 persons per sq km (2008 estimate)

Urban/rural distribution
Share urban 77 percent (2003 estimate)
Share rural 23 percent (2003 estimate)
Largest cities, with population
Muscat 638,000 (2003 estimate)

Ethnic groups
Omani Arab 75 percent
Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi 21 percent
Iranian, Egyptian, Somali, other 4 percent

Languages
Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Hindi, other dialects

Religious affiliations
Ibadi Muslim (Islam is the official religion) 75 percent
Other Muslim (Shia and Sunni) 13 percent
Hindu 6 percent
Christian 5 percent
Other 1 percent

GOVERNMENT
Form of government Monarchy
Voting qualifications Universal for all Omanis above age 21
Constitution
None; however, on 6 November 1996 the sultan promulgated a new Basic Law.
Armed forces
Total number of military personnel 41,700 (2004)
Military expenditures as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) 11.6 percent (2003)

ECONOMY
Gross domestic product (GDP, in U.S.$) $24 billion (2004)
GDP per capita (U.S.$) $9,583.90 (2004)
GDP by economic sector
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 1.9 percent (2004)
Industry 56 percent (2004)
Services 42.1 percent (2004)
Employment
Number of workers 965,272 (2006)
Workforce share of economic sector
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 6 percent (2000)
Industry 11 percent (2000)
Services 82 percent (2000)
Unemployment rate Not available
National budget (U.S.$)
Total revenue $5,372 million (2001)
Total expenditure $5,385 million (2001)
Monetary unit
1 rial Omani (RO), consisting of 1,000 baiza
Major trade partners for exports
Japan, South Korea, China, Thailand, and Singapore
Major trade partners for imports
United Arab Emirates, Japan, United Kingdom, United States, and Germany

Source: MSN Encarta